Tucked between the Andes and the Atlantic Ocean, Argentina’s vast expanse claims parts of Antartica and borders Paraguay, Bolivia, Uruguay and Chile. The land was supposedly named Tierra Argentina (land of silver) after the silver gifts that were given to explorers by the indigenous people inhabiting the land. The Spanish arrived in 1502 and established a colony by 1580 on the land that is now Buenos Aires. Independence was established in 1816 and was followed by several periods of political conflict. Read more...