Argentina

Where Is Argentina Located?

Argentina is a country in the southern part of South America, between the Andes in the west and the Atlantic Ocean in the east. This Argentina travel guide places it south of Bolivia and Paraguay, with Chile along its long western border and Uruguay and Brazil to the north-east. Its capital is Buenos Aires.

Last checked: November 2026

Argentina covers about 2,780,400 square kilometres of continental territory. That makes it the eighth-largest country in the world and the second largest in South America after Brazil. According to the Argentine foreign ministry, it stretches roughly 3,694 km from north to south and 1,423 km from east to west, which is why a ten-day trip can feel short.

The land changes sharply from region to region. The Pampas, flat grassland around Buenos Aires, support the country’s beef and grain farming. The Andes run along the western edge, and Aconcagua, at about 6,961 metres, is the highest peak in the Americas. The north holds subtropical forest and the Gran Chaco plains, Patagonia fills the south, and Tierra del Fuego sits at the far end. The Río de la Plata, a wide estuary shared with Uruguay, meets the Atlantic beside Buenos Aires.

Argentina uses UTC-3 all year and doesn’t observe daylight saving time, so the gap with your home country shifts when your clocks change. Distances shape every plan here, so read how to cross them in our guide to getting around Argentina.

Argentina Travel Guide: An Introduction to the Country

Argentina is a federal republic with Spanish as its main language and the Argentine peso as its currency. About 46 million people live there, based on the 2022 census count of 46,044,703. The country is known for tango, beef, Malbec wine, the glaciers of Patagonia and the Iguazú Falls.

The country is made up of 23 provinces and the autonomous city of Buenos Aires, which is both the capital and the largest city. The president serves as head of state and head of government. Check which figure you’re reading, because the city proper has just over 3 million residents, while the wider Buenos Aires metropolitan area, which spills into the surrounding province, is several times larger. The national count comes from INDEC, Argentina’s national statistics institute.

Argentina is large enough to suit several kinds of trip. Visitors choose Buenos Aires for architecture and nightlife, the northeast for Iguazú Falls, Mendoza for vineyards, and Patagonia for glaciers and mountain trails. UNESCO (the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) lists 12 World Heritage properties in the country, and you can browse them on its Argentina country page. Our guide to the best places to visit in Argentina sorts them by type.

Entry rules depend on your passport, so check the Argentina visa guide for tourists before you book. The seasons are reversed from the northern hemisphere, which the best time to visit Argentina page explains month by month. For routes, see the Argentina itineraries. For beds, read where to stay in Argentina, and for arrival details, flights to Argentina.

History of Argentina From Early Settlement to Today

Argentina’s history runs from hunter-gatherer groups who lived in the region thousands of years ago, through Spanish colonial rule from the 16th century, to independence in 1816 and a modern republic. The 20th century brought mass immigration, military rule and, since 1983, uninterrupted democracy.

Early Peoples

Human presence in the area goes back to the Paleolithic period. The hand paintings at Cueva de las Manos in Santa Cruz province, a UNESCO site listed in 1999, are among the oldest traces of people in Patagonia. In the northwest, farming communities lived in the Andean valleys, and the Inca Empire expanded into the region before the Spanish arrived.

Spanish Colonial Era

Juan Díaz de Solís reached the Río de la Plata in 1516. Pedro de Mendoza founded Buenos Aires in 1536, but the settlement was abandoned, and Juan de Garay refounded it in 1580. Spain created the Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata in 1776 with Buenos Aires as its capital. The Jesuit buildings of Córdoba date from this period and became a UNESCO site in 2000.

Independence and Nation-Building

The May Revolution of 25 May 1810 began the break with Spain, and a congress meeting in Tucumán declared independence on 9 July 1816. General José de San Martín led an army across the Andes in 1817 to help free Chile and Peru. Argentina adopted its constitution in 1853. From the late 19th century, millions of immigrants, mainly from Italy and Spain, arrived and reshaped the cities.

The 20th Century

Juan Domingo Perón was first elected president in 1946 and shaped Argentine politics for decades. Military governments took power several times. The last dictatorship ran from 1976 to 1983, and thousands of people were killed or disappeared. In 1982, Argentina and the United Kingdom fought a war over the Falkland Islands, which Argentina calls the Malvinas. UNESCO listed the former ESMA site, now a memory museum in Buenos Aires, in 2023.

Democracy and Recent Decades

Democracy returned in 1983 with the election of Raúl Alfonsín, and elected governments have held power since. A severe economic crisis in 2001 and 2002 led to several changes of president. Javier Milei took office as president in December 2023.

Argentina Culture and Traditions

Argentine culture blends Indigenous, Spanish and large-scale Italian influences. People speak Spanish, most identify as Catholic, and daily life centres on long meals, shared mate and late evenings. Tango, football and literature are national passions. Customs are warm and informal, though punctuality is relaxed for social events.

Language

Spanish is the main language. The Buenos Aires region uses a local form called Rioplatense, where people say vos instead of tú and pronounce ll and y with a soft sh sound. English is easier to find in tourist areas than in small towns. Indigenous languages such as Guaraní, Quechua and Mapudungun are still spoken in some regions.

Religion

Catholicism is the largest religion, and the constitution guarantees freedom of worship. Protestant, Jewish and Muslim communities also live in the country. Buenos Aires has a large Jewish community and several mosques, including the King Fahd Islamic Cultural Center.

Festivals

Carnival is held in February, and the dates move each year. The country marks the May Revolution on 25 May and Independence Day on 9 July. Mendoza celebrates its grape harvest with a wine festival in the early months of the year. Public holidays can close shops and offices, so check the calendar when you plan.

Etiquette

Friends greet each other with a single kiss on the cheek, and a handshake is normal in formal settings. Dinner often starts after 9 pm. If someone offers you mate, drink the whole gourd, don’t stir the metal straw, and hand it back. Saying thanks tells the server you’re finished, so wait until you’ve had enough.

Music and Arts

Tango developed in the port neighbourhoods of Buenos Aires and Montevideo in the late 19th century, and UNESCO added it to its intangible heritage list in 2009. Folk styles such as chacarera and zamba are strong in the north and the interior. Writers Jorge Luis Borges and Julio Cortázar are known worldwide, and the Teatro Colón is the capital’s main opera house.

Argentine Food and Drink

Argentine food centres on grilled beef, empanadas, pasta and pizza from Italian immigrants, and sweets made with dulce de leche. Meals are social and start late. Wine, especially Malbec from Mendoza, and mate, a herbal infusion, are the national drinks.

Staples

Beef is the centre of most menus and is cooked on a parrilla, a charcoal or wood grill. Bread, potatoes, pasta and salads fill out the table. Regional cooking differs: the northwest relies on corn, beans and spiced stews, Patagonia is known for lamb and river trout, and the Litoral region along the rivers serves freshwater fish. Chimichurri, a herb and garlic sauce, is not a hot sauce, whatever the name suggests.

Signature Dishes

• Asado: Beef and other meats grilled slowly over embers, usually shared on weekends.
• Bife de chorizo: A thick sirloin steak, usually cooked on the parrilla.
• Empanadas: Baked or fried pastries filled with beef, chicken or cheese, with a different filling in each province.
• Milanesa: A breaded cutlet, often served a la napolitana with ham, tomato sauce and cheese.
• Locro: A thick stew of corn, beans and meat, eaten on national holidays such as 25 May.
• Provoleta: Provolone cheese grilled until soft, served as a starter.
• Humita: A creamy corn filling, served in corn husks or inside empanadas in the northwest.
• Ñoquis del 29: Potato gnocchi, traditionally eaten on the 29th of each month.
• Fugazzeta: A thick pizza topped with onions and cheese, with Genoese roots.
• Chimichurri: A parsley, garlic and vinegar sauce for grilled meat.

Street Food

Choripán, a grilled chorizo sausage in a bread roll, is the classic street snack at markets and football grounds. Empanadas are sold by the dozen, and bakeries sell medialunas, small crescent pastries, for breakfast. Street vendors also sell garrapiñadas, caramelised nuts, at fairs and parks.

Drinks

Mate is an infusion of yerba mate leaves that people share from a gourd with a metal straw. Mendoza is the best-known wine region for Malbec, and the Cafayate valleys in Salta province are known for the white grape Torrontés. Fernet mixed with cola is a favourite in Córdoba, and cafés serve small coffees such as the cortado all day. The Argentine tourism board lists wine regions and food routes.

Desserts

Dulce de leche, a milk caramel, goes into alfajores, which are sandwich cookies, as well as pancakes and cakes. Flan is served with dulce de leche and whipped cream. Ice cream, called helado, follows Italian style and is sold in dedicated shops that stay open late. For a cheese and sweet pairing, ask for queso y dulce.