Argentina is a beautiful mountainous nation and is the second largest country in South America and is approximately four times the size of Texas. The land is rich and has abundant natural resources including oil, gold, silver and agricultural products. It is a stable democracy and one of the wealthiest countries in South America. Following are some interesting facts about the country:

People: Argentina is a country of immigrants. The people descended from Native Americans, Spanish, Italian and German settlers and African slaves. The Spanish arrived in 1516, when the land became a Spanish colony. Italian and German settlers arrived later and mingled with the local residents.

Sports: The Argentine people love their sports. By far, the most popular sport is soccer (called football in Argentina). Other sports that are commonly played are Rugby, Basketball and Tennis. The national sport, however is Pato. Pato is played on horseback and contains elements of both polo and basketball. Pato is not well known outside of Argentina.

Falklands Islands: In 1982, Argentine dictator Leopoldo Galtieri invaded British holdings in the Falklands Islands. A 74 day war ensued as a British military force of 2 aircraft carriers and support vessels counterattacked and retook the islands. Several Argentine ships were sunk and the British drove the Argentine military from the islands. The Argentine military suffered 2,000 casualties, while the British suffered 1,000. As a result of the defeat, Galtieri was forced to resign. Argentina continues to claim the Falkland Islands, but has rejected another military attempt at taking the islands.

Politics: The Argentine political system is similar to that of the US. The government is divided between three branches: Executive Branch, Legislative Branch and Judicial Branch. Elections are held every 2 years, with the presidential elections every 4 years.

Natural Resources: Argentina is a major oil producing nation. The country produces 800,000 barrels of oil per day and exports 400,000 barrels daily. The country is also a large exporter of food, primarily wheat, corn, soybeans and beef.

Communications: Argentina main communication system is wireless. The country has 9.5 million land line phones, but over 40 million cell phones.

Transportation: While Argentina’s population if 42 million, (32nd in the world), the country has 1,150 airports (6th in the world). Just as in the US, cars drive on the right side of the street. Trains however, travel on the left rail. The country has a total of 19,000 miles of rail lines (9th most in the world).

Argentina is a pretty country in the Andes mountains. From the beautiful mountains to its historic cities, Argentina annually welcomes millions of tourists from around the world.

Source: Wikipedia, CIA Factbook