Empire · since 1816 · Southern Cone

Argentina

Also known as United Provinces of the Río de la Plata

Buenos Aires deposed its Spanish viceroy in the May Revolution of 1810, and the United Provinces of the Río de la Plata declared independence at Tucumán in 1816. José de San Martín led armies across the Andes to free Chile and Peru, while Paraguay, Bolivia and Uruguay went their own ways.

Decades of conflict between Buenos Aires and the provinces followed, dominated by the caudillo Juan Manuel de Rosas, until a national constitution was adopted in 1853. Presidents Mitre, Sarmiento and Roca built a modern state, and the Conquest of the Desert in 1878–85 seized Patagonia from Indigenous peoples. Millions of European immigrants and exports of beef and grain made Argentina one of the richest countries by 1900. The 20th century brought Peronism, repeated coups, a brutal dictatorship from 1976 and defeat in the Falklands War of 1982.

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Years

since 1816

Capital

Buenos Aires

Greatest extent

1900, about 2.78 million km²

Region

Southern Cone

After the conquest of Patagonia; excluding Antarctic and Falklands claims