Basque people had already played a large part in the conquest and development of Argentina as a Spanish colony and in its independence, including Juan de Garay, the founder of the capital Buenos Aires.

Between 1857 and 1940 more than 2 million Spanish people emigrated to Argentina, mostly from Galicia and the Basque Country, which is a region in the western Pyrenees mountains straddling parts of France and Spain.

Politicians from the Basque Country autonomous community of Spain, including the lehendakari, are regular visitors to the country, and the Basque government has diplomatic representation in Argentina, currently María Elisa Díaz de Mendibil.

Many places have been given Basque names, including the city of Ezeiza and its surrounding partido, best known as the location of Argentina's main international airport, Ministro Pistarini.

Several Presidents of Argentina have been of Basque descent, including Justo José de Urquiza, José Evaristo Uriburu, Hipólito Yrigoyen, José Félix Uriburu and Pedro Eugenio Aramburu, not to mention other figures, notably Eva Perón, Che Guevara, Maxima Zorreguieta and well-known football players as Julio Olarticoechea, Sergio Goycochea or Gonzalo Higuaín.