Comes from the Latin argentum which means silver. The origin of the name goes back to the voyages made by the first Spanish conquistadores (conquerors) to the Río de la Plata. The shipwrecked survivors of the expedition mounted by Juan Díaz de Solís discovered Indians in the region who presented them with silver objects. The news about the legendary Sierra del Plata, a mountain rich in silver, reached Spain around 1524. From this date the Portuguese named the river of Solís, the Silver River (Río de la Plata). Two years later the Spanish used the same name. Since 1860 the official name of the country has been the República Argentina (Republic of Argentina).

TWO HISTORIC DATES

25th of May 1810. The First "Gobierno Patrio" or Home Government Assembly was constituted.

9th of July 1816. Proclamation of Independence by the Provincias Unidas del Río de la Plata.