Argentina trivia: 45 questions and answers
The country at a glance
Which of these countries does NOT share a border with Argentina?
- A. Peru
- B. Chile
- C. Bolivia
- D. Uruguay
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Peru. Peru does not border Argentina. Argentina's neighbours are Chile, Bolivia, Paraguay, Brazil and Uruguay.
With which country does Argentina share its longest border?
- A. Chile
- B. Brazil
- C. Paraguay
- D. Bolivia
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Chile. Chile. The border runs about 5,300 km along the Andes and is the third longest in the world.
Guaraní is an official language in the Argentine province of Corrientes.
True or false?
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True. True. Corrientes made Guaraní co-official with Spanish in 2004. Nationally, Spanish is the language of government in practice.
History
In which city did a congress declare Argentina's independence on 9 July 1816?
- A. Tucumán
- B. Buenos Aires
- C. Córdoba
- D. Mendoza
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Tucumán. Tucumán (San Miguel de Tucumán). The house where the congress met is now a national monument.
From which city did General San Martín's army set out to cross the Andes in 1817?
- A. Mendoza
- B. Salta
- C. Rosario
- D. Buenos Aires
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Mendoza. Mendoza. The army left in January 1817 and reached Chile after 21 days in the mountains.
During which years did Argentina's last military dictatorship rule the country?
- A. 1976 to 1983
- B. 1983 to 1990
- C. 1990 to 1997
- D. 2001 to 2008
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1976 to 1983. From 1976 to 1983. It began with the coup of 24 March 1976 and ended when an elected government took office on 10 December 1983.
In which year did Argentina pass the law that gave women the right to vote?
- A. 1947
- B. 1912
- C. 1983
- D. 1994
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1947. 1947. Law 13,010 gave women equal political rights, and they first voted in a national election in 1951.
The oldest hand paintings in the Cueva de las Manos are less than 1,000 years old.
True or false?
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False. False. The oldest date from about 7300 BC, more than 9,000 years ago. People kept adding paintings until about AD 700.
The Falklands War of 1982, called the Guerra de las Malvinas in Argentina, lasted about ten weeks.
True or false?
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True. True. It began on 2 April 1982 and ended with the Argentine surrender on 14 June, 74 days later.
Food and drink
What is mate?
- A. A caffeine-rich herbal drink sipped through a metal straw
- B. A red wine from Mendoza
- C. A sweet spread made from milk and sugar
- D. A grilled sausage in a bread roll
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A caffeine-rich herbal drink sipped through a metal straw. A caffeine-rich herbal drink sipped through a metal straw. Yerba mate leaves are soaked in hot water in a gourd and drunk through a bombilla.
Which stew of corn, beans, squash and meat is traditionally eaten on the national days of 25 May and 9 July?
- A. Locro
- B. Vitel toné
- C. Provoleta
- D. Fugazza
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Locro. Locro. The stew comes from the Andean northwest, and its name comes from the Quechua word ruqru.
In a mate circle, what does it mean when you say 'gracias' as you hand the gourd back?
- A. That you have had enough
- B. That you would like sugar in it
- C. That you want the next one at once
- D. That the water is too cold
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That you have had enough. That you have had enough. You hand the gourd back without a word each time, and a final 'gracias' tells the server to skip you.
The Malbec grape, used for Argentina's best-known red wine, originally came from which country?
- A. France
- B. Spain
- C. Italy
- D. Portugal
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France. France. Malbec came from southwest France in the 1800s and became Argentina's most planted red grape, above all in Mendoza.
Dulce de leche is made by slowly cooking milk and sugar.
True or false?
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True. True. Milk and sugar are simmered slowly until they turn into a thick caramel-brown spread.
The milanesa napolitana, topped with tomato sauce, ham and cheese, was invented in Naples, Italy.
True or false?
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False. False. It was invented in Buenos Aires, according to a popular story in the 1940s, when a cook covered a burnt milanesa.
The 'cubierto' on an Argentine restaurant bill is the tip for the waiter.
True or false?
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False. False. The cubierto is a cover charge for bread and table service that goes to the restaurant. A tip of about 10 percent is extra.
Cities
Which city, home to the country's oldest university, is nicknamed La Docta, 'the learned'?
- A. Córdoba
- B. Rosario
- C. Salta
- D. Mendoza
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Córdoba. Córdoba. Its university was founded by the Jesuits in 1613.
In which city was the footballer Lionel Messi born?
- A. Rosario
- B. Buenos Aires
- C. Córdoba
- D. Mendoza
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Rosario. Rosario, Argentina's third largest city, on the Paraná River.
Landmarks
The Iguazú Falls are shared between Argentina and which other country?
- A. Brazil
- B. Chile
- C. Uruguay
- D. Bolivia
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Brazil. Brazil. The Iguazú River forms the border, and each country protects its side in a national park.
What is the narrow chasm called where about half of the Iguazú River's water falls?
- A. The Devil's Throat
- B. The Hill of Seven Colours
- C. The Beagle Channel
- D. The Valdés Peninsula
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The Devil's Throat. The Devil's Throat, Garganta del Diablo in Spanish.
Into which lake does the Perito Moreno Glacier end?
- A. Lago Argentino
- B. Nahuel Huapi Lake
- C. Lake Titicaca
- D. Lake Fagnano
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Lago Argentino. Lago Argentino, near El Calafate. Blocks of ice break off the glacier's front and crash into the lake.
Which whales come to breed in the bays beside the Valdés Peninsula?
- A. Southern right whales
- B. Belugas
- C. Narwhals
- D. Bowhead whales
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Southern right whales. Southern right whales. The bays are one of their most important breeding grounds in the world; the other three are Arctic whales.
Who is honoured by the National Flag Memorial in Rosario?
- A. Manuel Belgrano
- B. José de San Martín
- C. Juan de Garay
- D. Juan Vucetich
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Manuel Belgrano. Manuel Belgrano, who created the Argentine flag and first raised it near Rosario in 1812.
Aconcagua is the highest mountain in the Americas.
True or false?
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True. True. At about 6,960 m it is the highest mountain in the world outside Asia.
The Quebrada de Humahuaca is a valley in Patagonia, in the far south of Argentina.
True or false?
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False. False. It is in Jujuy province in the far northwest, near San Salvador de Jujuy.
Fun facts
The name Argentina comes from the Latin word for which metal?
- A. Silver
- B. Gold
- C. Copper
- D. Tin
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Silver. Silver, argentum in Latin. Early explorers believed the Río de la Plata region was rich in silver.
As of 2026, how many times has Argentina won the men's football World Cup?
- A. Three
- B. Two
- C. Four
- D. Five
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Three. Three: in 1978, 1986 and 2022.
Argentina beat Spain in the final of the 2026 men's football World Cup.
True or false?
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False. False. Spain won the final 1 to 0 after extra time, on 19 July 2026. Argentina had won the previous World Cup, in 2022.
Tango was added to UNESCO's list of intangible cultural heritage in 2009 after a joint proposal by Argentina and Uruguay.
True or false?
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True. True. The dance grew up in the port districts of both Buenos Aires and Montevideo, on either side of the Río de la Plata.
Which game played on horseback has been Argentina's official national sport since 1953?
- A. Pato
- B. Polo
- C. Rodeo
- D. Horse racing
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Pato. Pato, which mixes polo and basketball. Early games used a live duck (pato) in a basket; today a ball with handles is used.
In 1943 the Hungarian inventor László Bíró filed a patent for his ballpoint pen in which country, where he was then living?
- A. Argentina
- B. Hungary
- C. France
- D. Uruguay
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Argentina. Argentina. Argentines still call a ballpoint pen a 'birome'.
In 1892 the Argentine police officer Juan Vucetich solved a murder with which kind of evidence?
- A. A fingerprint
- B. DNA
- C. A photograph
- D. A tape recording
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A fingerprint. A fingerprint. He matched a bloody print to the killer, one of the earliest cases anywhere of a criminal identified by fingerprints.
Words
In Argentina, what is a 'colectivo'?
- A. A city bus
- B. A train station
- C. A market hall
- D. A restaurant
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A city bus. A city bus. The underground railway in Buenos Aires is the subte.
What is a 'frutilla' in Argentina?
- A. A strawberry
- B. An apple
- C. A lemon
- D. A grape
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A strawberry. A strawberry. In Spain the word is fresa.
In Argentina, the word 'plata' can mean money as well as silver.
True or false?
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True. True. Plata means silver, and in everyday Latin American Spanish it also means money.
In Buenos Aires, the 'll' in 'parrilla' sounds like the 'l' in 'love'.
True or false?
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False. False. In Buenos Aires 'll' and 'y' sound like the English 'sh', so parrilla sounds like pah-REE-shah.
Phrases
How do you ask for the bill in a restaurant?
- A. La cuenta, por favor
- B. ¡Buen provecho!
- C. Mucho gusto
- D. Permiso
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La cuenta, por favor. La cuenta, por favor. The waiter will not bring the bill until you ask.
What do you say when you need to squeeze past people on a crowded bus?
- A. Permiso
- B. ¡Salud!
- C. ¡Buen provecho!
- D. Chau
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Permiso. Permiso, which asks for permission to pass.
You pay in cash and want the waiter to keep the change as a tip. What do you say?
- A. Está bien así, gracias
- B. ¿Dónde está el baño?
- C. ¿Hablás inglés?
- D. Buenas noches
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Está bien así, gracias. Está bien así, gracias: 'that's fine like that, thank you'.
Argentines usually say 'vos' instead of 'tú' for 'you'.
True or false?
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True. True. That is why Argentines say '¿Hablás inglés?' instead of '¿Hablas inglés?'.
Local customs and tips
Which months are summer in Argentina?
- A. December to February
- B. June to August
- C. March to May
- D. September to November
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December to February. December to February. Argentina is in the Southern Hemisphere, so the seasons are the opposite of Europe and North America.
What is a usual restaurant tip in Argentina for good service?
- A. About 10 percent
- B. About 25 percent
- C. About 50 percent
- D. Nothing, because tipping is rude
Show the answer
About 10 percent. About 10 percent, ideally in cash, because card machines often have no space for a tip.
What must you take with you to visit the Brazilian side of the Iguazú Falls from Argentina?
- A. Your passport
- B. A fishing licence
- C. A climbing permit
- D. A student card
Show the answer
Your passport. Your passport, because you cross an international border. Check whether you also need a visa for Brazil.
UK travel advice says that if you hail a taxi in the street in Argentina, you should use a 'radio taxi' with the company's logo on the doors.
True or false?
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True. True. It is even better to book a taxi in advance or ask your hotel to call one.
If a stranger in Buenos Aires sprays something on your clothes and offers to clean it off, it is best to accept the help.
True or false?
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False. False. This is a known trick: while one person 'helps', another steals your bag. Politely refuse and walk away.
Answer key
The country at a glance
- A. Peru
- A. Chile
- True
History
- A. Tucumán
- A. Mendoza
- A. 1976 to 1983
- A. 1947
- False
- True
Food and drink
- A. A caffeine-rich herbal drink sipped through a metal straw
- A. Locro
- A. That you have had enough
- A. France
- True
- False
- False
Cities
- A. Córdoba
- A. Rosario
Landmarks
- A. Brazil
- A. The Devil's Throat
- A. Lago Argentino
- A. Southern right whales
- A. Manuel Belgrano
- True
- False
Fun facts
- A. Silver
- A. Three
- False
- True
- A. Pato
- A. Argentina
- A. A fingerprint
Words
- A. A city bus
- A. A strawberry
- True
- False
Phrases
- A. La cuenta, por favor
- A. Permiso
- A. Está bien así, gracias
- True
Local customs and tips
- A. December to February
- A. About 10 percent
- A. Your passport
- True
- False
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