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Fun Facts About Argentina
When most of us think of Argentina, our minds flood with images of juicy steaks, twirling tangos and packed out football stadiums. However, there is so much more to Argentina than clichés (although we’ll never say no to an asado)!
For example, did you know that Argentina produced the world’s first animated film? Us neither! This list of facts about Argentina will keep you clued up and also make you realise why you NEED to visit this amazing country!
So without further ado, here are our favourite facts about Argentina!
1. Argentina produced the world’s first animated feature film in 1917
Move over Disney, there’s another legendary animator that few of us have even heard of! The first feature-length cartoon was made by Quirino Cristiani in 1917. The 70-minute film El Apóstol told the story of high levels of corruption and immorality in Argentina at the time.
Cristiani said he was inspired to make the movie after a meeting with Walt Disney himself during his tour of Latin America.The movie was made using cutout animation and it was generally well-received. However, its time in the world was short-lived because it was lost in an apartment fire in 1928.
2. Yerba Mate is the most popular drink in Argentina
When it comes to famous South American drinks, you’ll be hard pushed to find something more iconic than yerba mate. If you visit Argentina, you’ll constantly see people sipping this caffeine-infused drink through a metal straw known as a bombilla.
Dubbed as the national drink, the Argentinians are crazy about mate and even have an annual day of celebration in its honour on 30th November! More than just an energising beverage, Argentinians have incorporated mate drinking into their social scene and the drink is passed around between friends.
Unfortunately for visitors to the country, there are a lot of rules surrounding the etiquette of mate drinking. They can be a struggle to get your head around so make sure you have a read of our article on yerba mate to make sure you know how to blend in with the locals.
3. Argentina is home to both the highest and lowest points of the Southern Hemisphere
As you’ll already know if you have visited anywhere in South America already, the continent is the home of extremes and Argentina is no different!
Mount Aconcagua, located in Mendoza, marks the highest point of the Southern Hemisphere, with a peak of 6,962 metres. The mountain is one of the Seven Summits of the seven continents. The first recorded ascent of Aconcagua took place in 1897 and was led by the famous British mountaineer Edward FitzGerald.
In contrast, the lowest point of the Southern Hemisphere is Laguna del Carbon, a salt lake that sits in the Santa Cruz province. Translating to ‘coal lagoon’, this basin sits 105 metres below sea level and is also the seventh-lowest point on the planet.
4. The capital of Argentina Buenos Aires translates to the ‘good airs’ or ‘fair winds’
As you’d expect, there has been plenty of conversation about how Buenos Aires got its name but the consensus indicates that it came from the arrival of the Spanish conquistadors in the 16th century.
One of these men, Pedro de Mendoza, was responsible for establishing and naming the port town of Buenos Aires. He was a devotee of Santa Maria del Buen Ayre, The Virgin Mary of Good Air. This particular arm of catholicism has its roots on the Italian island of Sardinia. Here a statue of the Virgin Mary sits atop a tall hill. It is reported that during the 14th century, this hilltop was the only place to escape the smell of the swamps below. Hence the name, ‘Good Air’.
A few years after the statue of the Virgin Mary was placed atop the hill, a new legend emerged. It is said that she was washed up during a huge storm and that the statue itself protected the Sardinians from the storm. Now the term ‘fair winds’ is also used interchangeably with “good air”.
Being such a devoted follower of Santa Maria del Buen Ayre, Pedro de Mendoza named the port town in her honour. Modern-day Buenos Aires is actually a different settlement to the one originally established by Pedro de Mendoza but it still uses the same name.
5. Argentina is the King of Beef but this is changing
Beef is an integral part of Argentinian cuisine and the country is littered with steakhouses (locally known as parrillas) just waiting to serve you up a juicy slab of meat. Argentine beef has become so famous that it is served the world over, known for its tenderness.
Asados (likely known to you as barbecues) are vitally important to Argentine culture and offer a chance for family and friends to catch up over dinner. As well as beef featuring on the grill, you are also likely to see ribs, pork and chicken.
Annual consumption of beef across the country in 2020 worked out to be 49.7 kilograms per person and whilst this looks excessive, it is actually a historic low for the country. This could be due in part to the COVID-19 crisis which priced those on lower incomes out of the meat market but also dietary changes in relation to the climate crisis. The highest beef consumption recorded in Argentina was in 1956, where it hit 100.8 kilograms per person. Jeez, that’s a lot of meat!
And as always have a chilled day from the Viking
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