Argentina

In brief

Argentina is a country in South America. Its capital is Buenos Aires. With 45.9 million inhabitants in 2025, it ranks 35th in the world by population, out of the 195 countries recognised by the UN. Its area is 2,780,400 km². It shares land borders with Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Paraguay and Uruguay.

GDP per capita stands at $14,898 (2025), 66th in the world. Life expectancy at birth is 77.5 years (2024). 92% of the population lives in cities.

History of Argentina

A Spanish colony, the region became the Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata in 1776, with Buenos Aires as its capital. The May Revolution of 1810 paved the way for independence, declared in Tucumán on 9 July 1816; General San Martín then liberated Chile and Peru. Millions of immigrants, mostly Italian and Spanish, arrived in the late 19th century. The 20th century was marked by Peronism, then by the military dictatorship of 1976-1983, responsible for thousands of disappearances, and by the Falklands War in 1982. Pope Francis, elected in 2013, was Argentine.

Geography of Argentina

The eighth-largest country in the world, Argentina runs from the Andes, where Aconcagua (6,961 m) is the highest peak outside Asia, across the Pampas plains and the Patagonian steppe to Tierra del Fuego. In the north-east, the Iguazú Falls are shared with Brazil.

Map of Argentina

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Flag of Argentina

The flag of Argentina is white and blue. Its official proportions are 5:8 (height to width).

• Blue67%
• White31%
• Yellow2%

Share of the flag’s surface taken by each colour.

What the flag stands for

Sky blue, white, sky blue, with the “Sun of May” in the centre, a sun with a human face recalling the Inca sun god. The colours were chosen in 1812 by General Manuel Belgrano.

Sources: Wikipedia, articles “Argentina” and “Flag of Argentina”.

See also: flags with a sun.

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Fact file

Economy and society