The name Argentina is derived from the Latin argentum, meaning silver. "Argentina" therefore means the "Land of Silver."

The origin of the name can be traced back to the voyages made by the first Spanish conquerors to the Rio de la Plata, or Silver River. The shipwrecked survivors, of an expedition mounted by Juan Diaz de Solis around 1516, discovered a group of indigenous Indians, who presented them with silver objects. The city of Buenos Aires, the Capital, was founded in 1536.

Since 1860 the official name of the country has been Republica Argentina, or the Argentine Republic.

For one of the best sites for more information about Argentina, go to http://www.surdelsur.com!