Provinces of Argentina Quiz | South America

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. This dry and mountainous province shares a border with Chile. It is located in northwestern Argentina. The most famous of this state's mountains is probably the volcano named Antofagasta de la Sierra. A city that shares the same name of the province is home to an archaeological park called Las Huellas del Inca that is home to many rock paintings and carvings. What province is this?

Answer: Catamarca

The capital of Catamarca is San Fernando del Valle de Catamarca, commonly called just Catamarca. The province is very mountainous with over 80% of the land area being mountainous. The area was once home to a large population of Diaguitas indigenous people who were responsible for the cave paintings found throughout Catamarca.

The name Catamarca comes from the Quechua words for slope and fortress.

2. This province is located along the Chilean border and is one of the least populous in Argentina. It is extremely arid and has few water systems. In fact, the province is home to the now-dried Talampaya River which is famous for the canyon it left behind. What province is this?

Answer: La Rioja

The capital of La Rioja is also La Rioja. This province is one of the least populous in Argentina, having about 330,000 people according to the 2013 census. Like other provinces in northwestern Argentina, La Rioja is dry and mountainous. La Rioja is known for its thriving wine industry. One of the most famous sites is Talampaya National Park, which is home to red soil canyons along what used to be the Talampaya River.

3. This province has a diverse geography. It is home to Argentina's highest point, Mount Aconcagua, but there are also smaller hills and lowlands as well. It also has varying temperatures. The summers are very hot and dry but the winters can be cold and snowy, especially in the mountains. What province is this?

Answer: Mendoza

Mendoza's capital is also called Mendoza. The city of Mendoza is nestled in the Andes and has a reputation for being a mountain getaway retreat city for both Argentines and foreigners. It is also a major city in Argentina's wine region.

Mount Aconcagua is the highest peak in the Andes Mountains and in the Western and Southern Hemispheres. Its highest point is 22,838 ft or 6,961 meters. Within Mendoza, some mountains are snowy and are home to ski resorts while others are dry and hot, depending on the season.

4. This province is located in north-central Argentina and is landlocked. The entire province is located entirely within the Gran Chaco flatlands of South America. A famous feature is the Algarrobo tree which can be found in large numbers throughout the province. The capital of this province, which shares the same name, is nicknamed La Madre de Ciudades, or the Mother of Cities, because it is the oldest Spanish-founded city in Argentina. Which province is this?

Answer: Santiago del Estero

The Gran Chaco is a region of South America characterized by dry lowlands and a few wooded areas. Its name comes from the Quechua word for hunting lands. It is found in central South America, primarily in Argentina and Bolivia. Santiago del Estero is found entirely within the Gran Chaco.

Santiago del Estero and its capital of the same name have a large population of Quechua and Inca descendants. The city of Santiago del Estero, also popularly called Santiago, is called the Mother of Cities because it is the oldest Spanish-founded city in Argentina. It was founded in 1553 and was conveniently located beyond the Andes Mountains from Chile, which was also Spanish land.

Another popular place in Santiago del Estero is the Heavenly Fields, an area where several large iron meteorites crashed thousands of years ago.

5. This province is the least populated in Argentina. It was discovered by Ferdinand Magellan in 1520 and a nearby strait bears his name. It is also the coldest and southernmost province in Argentina. The official province name also includes Antarctica and the South Atlantic Islands. What province is this?

Answer: Tierra del Fuego

The province of Tierra del Fuego not only covers the southernmost tip of mainland Argentina, but also the country's Antarctic territorial claims and the South Atlantic Islands. The South Atlantic Islands include the Falkland Islands and South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, all islands under British control not Argentine.

The province is known for being the southernmost in the nation and the capital of Ushuaia is the southernmost city on earth. The province was barely populated until gold was discovered there in the late 19th century. Tierra del Fuego is also the name of the region at the southern end of South America split between Chile and Argentina.

6. This province is one of three that borders Uruguay. The province is famous for its many hot springs as well as El Palmar National Park, a large grassland area, and Predelta National Park, wetlands at the end of the Parana River. Which province, part of Argentina's Mesopotamia region, is this?

Answer: Entre Rios

Mesopotamia means the land between two rivers. Entre Rios means between rivers. Argentina's Mesopotamia refers to the region between the Parana and Uruguay Rivers known for its fertile wetlands and rainforests.

The capital of Entre Rios is Parana. The province lies within Argentina's pampas region, a system of large plains that sprawl across southeastern South America. Entre Rios is one of the wettest provinces in Argentina and its climate is largely effected by El Nino and La Nina.

7. The world famous ski resort town of San Carlos de Bariloche is found in this province. It is part of the Patagonia region. The name of this province is the same as a river that flows through it, though a more famous river of this name can be found in Brazil. Which province, that borders both Chile and the Atlantic Ocean, is this?

Answer: Rio Negro

The Rio Negro River provides some of the most fertile agricultural lands in Argentina and the region is the nation's largest producer of apples. The river was traditionally the boundary separating the Spanish from the Native people.

The province of Rio Negro's capital is Viedma, a city along the Atlantic coast. The most famous city is, however, San Carlos de Bariloche, a popular ski resort town in the Andes Mountains. The city is modeled after a traditional Alpine resort. Bariloche, as it is popularly called, is located entirely within Nahuel Huapi National Park.

Patagonia is a region of South America that includes the Andes Mountains, the surrounding deserts and valleys in both Argentina and Chile.

8. This is the largest province in size and population in Argentina, though it should not be confused with the city of the same name, which is not in even in this province. Some of the cities here are Mar del Plata (famous for its beaches) and Bahia Blanca (the economic hub of the province). It borders the Atlantic Ocean, the Rio de la Plata and Uruguay for a very short distance. What province is this?

Answer: Buenos Aires

The city of Buenos Aires has autonomous city status and functions like a province. The province of the same name accounts for 11% of the land area of Argentina and had over 16 million people living there, according to the 2013 census, which was 12 million more than the next most populous.

The capital of the province is La Plata, which was once called Eva Peron City for a brief time in the 1950s. Another city with a similar name, Mar del Plata, is home to many of Argentina's most popular beaches. Locally, the city is known as a balneario, which is a popular Latin American beach resort.

Bahia Blanca is home to some important industries in the province and the nation as a whole. Banking, oil, agricultural and communications are all major industries headquartered there.

9. This province is landlocked in the center of the country. It is part of the Center Region economic community with the provinces of Santa Fe and Entre Rios and is the dominant province in that agreement. The province is mostly flat but there are mountains running through it called the Sierras. The capital of this province was founded as a halfway point for the Spanish who were transporting gold and silver from the Andes to the Atlantic ports. Which province is this?

Answer: Cordoba

The capital city of Cordoba was originally founded as a stopping point from the Andes Mountains on the way to the Rio de la Plata where precious metals would be shipped back to Spain.

The province borders seven provinces which is more than any other. Cordoba is primarily flatland, as it is part of the pampas region. There are some mountains in Cordoba which are collectively called the Sierras de Cordoba or just the Sierras. Another prominent geographical feature is Mar Chiquita Lake, a large salt lake that has become a tourist destination akin to the many Black Sea resorts in Europe and Asia.

10. This province is the easternmost in Argentina. It borders both Paraguay and Brazil. It is home to Argentina's part of Iguazu Falls, which the country shares with its neighbors. Which second-smallest province is this?

Answer: Misiones

Misiones is the second-smallest province in the country. Only Tucuman in the western part of the country is smaller. Iguazu Falls is the popular site in the province. Most of the falls is on the Misiones side of the border and the falls provide a large source of power to the province. They were first discovered by Europeans in 1541 by Alvar Nunez Cabeza da Vaca.

Outside of Iguazu Falls, the province is probably most famous for the old Spanish missions, some of which are protected by UNESCO. The area (when it was part of Paraguay) was founded originally by Jesuit missionaries from Spain. The most famous of these missions is San Ignacio Mini in Posadas.

Source: Author Joepetz

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Provinces of Argentina Trivia Quiz

Select the correct province of Argentina when given the description.

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