Buenos Aires is a city, the capital of Argentina, the
administrative, cultural and economic center of the country and one
of the largest cities in South America. Buenos Aires is located in
the central-eastern part of the country, on the western shore of the
largest bay-estuary, the Rio de la Plata, which is a continuation of
the mouth of the second longest river in South America - the Parana.
The city has been wearing its modern shortened name - "Buenos Aires"
since the 17th century. Prior to this, the city was officially
referred to by the following full name: isp. Ciudad de la Santísima
Trinidad y Puerto de Nuestra Señora de Santa María de los Buenos
Aires, lit. "City of the Holy Trinity and Port of Our Lady of St.
Mary of the Good Winds".
In Argentina, the capital is
sometimes called "a city with different names." The name "Capital
Federal" (Spanish Capital Federal) - "federal capital" is one of the
most commonly used city names. The term "City of Buenos Aires"
(Spanish: Ciudad de Buenos Aires), or simply "Buenos Aires" is also
often used, although this name is sometimes misleading due to the
province of the same name. The city's name "Autonomous City of
Buenos Aires" (Spanish: Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires,
abbreviated: CABA) was officially adopted by the city charter in
1996. Often colloquially, the city is called "Baires" (Baires), an
abbreviation of the original form, common in the city (especially
among young people), but this name is not used in official
documents. Residents of the capital in Argentina are called
"porteños" (Spanish porteños), that is, "inhabitants of the port."
The city of Buenos Aires was founded twice. It was first founded
in 1536 by Pedro de Mendoza[5]. During the attack of the Indians in
1541, the city was burned, and in 1580 it was restored by Juan de
Garay (at the insistence of the lawyer Juan de Matienso). At the
time of its foundation and after restoration, the city was part of
the Viceroyalty of Peru, which was part of the Spanish Empire. In
1776, Buenos Aires became the capital of the newly created
Viceroyalty of Río de la Plata.
During the first British
invasion, which took place in 1806, the city was occupied by British
troops for several months. In 1810, the May Revolution took place,
during which the Spanish governor was removed from the city and a
temporary government body was formed - the First Junta, which became
the first national government of Argentina. At the beginning of the
20th century, Greater Buenos Aires became one of the main centers of
immigration to South America. In 1913, the construction of the
subway began in the city, which became the first in Latin America.
Buenos Aires is also the federal capital where the government of
Argentina is located. Buenos Aires is not part of the province of
the same name, but is a separate administrative region founded in
1880, which is one of the 24 provinces of Argentina. Officially, the
city is divided into 48 districts, such a division of the city was
approved in the 19th century. After the constitutional reform of
1994, the city gained the right to self-government, and the head of
the city is directly elected. According to the 2010 census, the
population of the city is 2,891,082 inhabitants, and 12,801,364
inhabitants live within the metropolitan area of Greater Buenos
Aires (Gran Buenos Aires). Buenos Aires is the largest city in
Argentina, the eighth in South America.
The city of Buenos
Aires is the main educational center of the country. Among its
notable institutions are the Colegio Nacional de Buenos Aires
(National Institute of Buenos Aires) and the University of Buenos
Aires. Buenos Aires was one of the cities in Argentina where matches
of the 1978 FIFA World Cup were held.
According to the Global
Cities Index, it ranks first in South America (2012).
In the
GaWC Global Cities Ranking, it is recognized as an Alpha City,
standing on a par with Amsterdam, Moscow and Brussels.
Microcentro
The center of the city, an ideal location for visitors
as it is close to the main historical sites of the Argentine capital.
Many tourists come here, so they are well looked after, even if this
does not exactly represent the daily life of an average citizen.
San Telmo
This district preserves colonial-style houses along its
narrow cobbled streets, illuminated with wrought iron lamps. In San
Telmo, you can breathe the history of Buenos Aires. There is also an
exciting night life, very exciting.
La Boca
Considered the
most colorful neighborhood in Buenos Aires with a very outgoing
personality. Tourists prefer this picturesque district for its rich
history and vibrant colors: greens, yellows, reds and purples,
highlighting the urban landscape. Although it is quite safe during the
day, it should be avoided at night.
Palermo
Residential
neighborhood with tree-lined streets and intersections full of
restaurants, bars and boutiques. There are several suburbs like
Palermo-Viejo, Palermo-SoHo, Palermo-Hollywood.
Recoleta
One
of the finest and most expensive areas of the city. It has many
French-style buildings, large green spaces, and first-class restaurants.
The famous Recoleta cemetery is worth a visit.
Belgrano
A
residential and quiet neighborhood with quiet streets that lead to
different shops, restaurants, architectural relics and large green
spaces. Belgrano is one of the most distinguished districts, and is
ideal for daytime walks along the tree-lined sidewalks.
Almagro
Almagro is a neighborhood located in the heart of the capital, with
cheap empanadas, Chinese supermarkets and fruit and vegetable markets,
the smell of grilled meat and a large circular park that turns into a
market on Sundays.
Boedo
One of the main Tango and historical
places in the city, the streets of Boedo offer the native and tourist
public a great variety of cafes in the best porteño style, cultural
centers, tango houses, libraries, theaters, pubs or bars and
restaurants. Places that please people of all ages and all tastes.
Caballito
A middle class neighborhood, the neighborhood has
abundant services, large parks and a good selection of shops. In
general, it is a pleasant residential and commercial center.
Congress
A dense center that houses the legislative branch of
government, it resides at the opposite end of Avenida de Mayo from La
Casa Rosada, seat of the Executive Branch.
San Cristobal
Puerto Madero
Like the London docks, the old port of Buenos Aires has
been renovated and now represents one of the latest architectural trends
in the city. It has a mix of restaurants, ranging from the higher end to
American chains like Hooters and TGIF. It also has apartment buildings
and some expensive hotels. The Costanera Sur Ecological Reserve, an
excellent alternative for nature lovers.
Once
A large
immigrant population, primarily from neighboring countries such as
Bolivia and Paraguay, call Once home. The streets are always busy with
people, markets and outdoor vendors.
Retiro
Housing the main
train station of the city, an area full of passengers, but also home to
some of the most luxurious restaurants, shops and parties, on the border
of the Microcentro. Retirement has attracted people from all walks of
life, with no strong appeal to any specific group of people.
Courts
This part of the city has many theater shows, especially on
Avenida Corrientes. On Libertad Street is the amazing and huge Teatro
Colón, one of the most prestigious in the world.
Urquiza
Located between the neighborhoods of Villa Pueyrredón, Belgrano, Villa
Ortúzar, Coghlan, Saavedra, and Agronomía. Its limits are the streets
and avenues Constituyentes, Crisólogo Larralde, Galván, Núñez, Tronador,
Roosevelt, Rómulo S. Naón and La Pampa. It is a residential neighborhood
of old houses and apartment buildings, quiet streets, and some traffic,
crowded avenues. It has several parks that make it very pleasant. During
the summer, it's not uncommon to see neighbors talking to each other,
comfortably seated in their sidewalk chairs. It is also home to several
important institutions for the culture of Buenos Aires, such as the
tango halls and the Milonga Malena Sunderland Club and the winner of the
last three metropolitan futsal tournaments, the Pinocho Club.
Buenos Aires is connected to the international flight network and can
also be reached very easily from all parts of Argentina.
By plane
Buenos Aires has two airports: Ministro Pistarini or Ezeiza (near the
town of Ezeiza, 40 km south of the center) for international traffic and
Aeroparque Jorge Newbery for domestic traffic and for flights to Uruguay
and Brazil. The Aeroparque is served by all provincial capitals in
Argentina. The easiest way to transfer from one airport to another is to
use the Tienda León buses. Buses depart every 30-40 minutes and the
journey time is approximately 40 minutes. The fare is around AR$500
(July 2019, around 10 euros) per person.
From the Ministro
Pistarini, the best way to get to the center (Puerto Madero, Retiro
train station), where almost all of them are, is to take a shuttle bus
from the companies Tienda León (AR$ 400 July 2019, approx. 8 euros) or
Transfer Express (around AR$ 60). important hotels are located.
Travelers with little luggage can also take the slow but unbeatably
cheap bus lines 8 (to Mikrozentrum) and 51 (to Constitución train
station) or by taxi or bus (line 502) to Ezeiza train station, which is
about 4 km away and has a comparatively good train connection head for
the center (Constitución train station). Those wishing to take a taxi
(around AR$200) should book it at an authorized booth inside the
terminal. Under no circumstances should you drive with taxi drivers who
are looking for customers in the hall - there are always robberies or
fraud with the fare, even if the situation has improved in recent years.
The Aeroparque Jorge Newbery is much more centrally located in the
city itself, only about 5 km north of the center in the Palermo
district. It is relatively well connected with buses (Tienda León (AR$
200 July 2019, approx. 4 euros)). You can book transport at one of the
taxi ranks in the terminal building, or simply get into one of the black
and yellow taxis in front of the exits. All taxi drivers use a taximeter
and a trip to the city center costs around AR$30-40.
By train
Buenos Aires is accessible by rail from Córdoba, Rosario, Bahía Blanca
and a variety of cities in the province of Buenos Aires. The trains are
inexpensive, but usually quite slow and also run much less frequently
than the buses. Plans for a modern express train network are currently
on hold.
There are seven terminal stations: Retiro for trains
from the north (there are three independent stations next to each other,
Retiro Miter, Belgrano and San Martín as the end points of the routes of
the same name, long-distance services towards Rosario, Córdoba and
Tucumán only exist from Retiro Miter station in 2018), Constitución for
the South, Once and Federico Lacroze for the West. The Buenos Aires
train station in the southwest, which can be reached by bus line 59 from
Plaza Constitucon station, only serves the regional traffic of the Línea
Belgrano Sur west to southwest.
By bus
Buses from all parts of
Argentina arrive at the Retiro bus terminal, located just south of the
micro-centre. The buses are of a high standard and usually run at night.
In the morning you arrive in Retiro and you can take a draw or a taxi to
the center. The prices are cheap for the long distances, but are now
significantly higher than during the economic crisis of 2002. In the
evening the buses go in all directions again and you arrive back at your
starting point in the morning. Semi Cama means four reclining seats in a
row. Coche cama usually means three reclining seats in a row that can be
placed almost horizontally. The Cama total and Cama premium seats
roughly correspond to first class on airplanes, they can be placed
completely horizontally. They are not offered on all routes, it is
advisable to find out more about them in advance and to purchase
tickets.
In addition, there are smaller terminals in some of the
suburbs: Almirante Brown, Once, Liniers, Lomas de Zamora and Don
Torcuato (known as "Ruta 197"), which also have direct services from
some cities.
In the street
Argentina's road network is geared
towards Buenos Aires, so you can get to the capital quickly and directly
from almost anywhere in Argentina.
Arriving from different
places:
Northeast (provinces of Misiones, Corrientes, Entre Ríos):
Depending on the location of the town via Ruta Nacional 12 or 14, which
unite in Ceibas. From Zárate the Ruta Nacional 9 to Buenos Aires.
North (provinces of Chaco, Formosa, Santa Fe): Route 11 along the
Paraguay and Paraná rivers to Rosario, then Route 9.
North-Northwest
(provinces of Tucumán, Salta, Jujuy, Santiago del Estero): The fastest
connection is the Ruta Nacional 9 to Santiago del Estero and then the
Ruta Nacional 34 to Rosario, then back onto the Ruta Nacional 9. Since
the Ruta 9 bit by bit converted into a highway, direct travel entirely
via Ruta 9 (via Córdoba) becomes increasingly attractive. However, large
parts are still missing.
South Northwest and Córdoba (Catamarca, La
Rioja, San Juan, Córdoba). The starting point is the city of Cordoba; It
is approached from Catamarca via the Ruta Nacional 60, from La Rioja via
the RN 38 and from San Juan via the RN 20. From Córdoba continue via the
Ruta Nacional 9 to Buenos Aires.
West and center (Mendoza, San Luis,
southern Córdoba): The Ruta Nacional 7 leads directly from Mendoza via
San Luis to Buenos Aires and can be reached from the various cities of
the provinces mentioned via feeder trains. The south of Mendoza offers
the alternative via the direct and little-used RN 188.
Southwest
(Neuquén, West of Río Negro, La Pampa). Starting point is the city of
Neuquén, from there RN 22, RN 152 and RN 35 to Santa Rosa (La Pampa),
then Ruta Nacional 5 to Buenos Aires.
South (Patagonia and southern
province of Buenos Aires): The Ruta Nacional 3 leads from Tierra del
Fuego directly to Buenos Aires, intermediate stations are Río Gallegos,
Comodoro Rivadavia, Trelew, Viedma and Bahía Blanca.
By boat
Buenos Aires is accessible by a few cruise lines. The port is located in
the southeast of the city on the Río de la Plata, near the Retiro bus
station and the microcentre.
Buenos Aires is served by ferry and
speedboat from Montevideo and Colonia del Sacramento (Uruguay). The
ferry company Buquebus has a monopoly on this. There is also a boat line
from Carmelo to the northern suburb of Tigre.
Buenos Aires has a dense public transport network. The most dense is
the city bus network (colectivos). The formerly typical old and richly
decorated buses from the 1960s and 1970s can still be found today, but
they are becoming increasingly rare and the fleet is now mostly modern
and on some lines also handicapped accessible. Prices within the city
proper, the Capital Federal, are between AR$1.10 (short-haul) and
AR$1.25, depending on the route, for trips outside the city area up to
AR$2 in Gran Buenos Aires and up to $5 in Gran Buenos Aires the second
suburban belt. The lines are listed on the Xcolectivo page, but we also
recommend the bus schedules sold at the city's kiosks (e.g. Guia-T). You
can pay with coins or a chargeable value card (SUBE and Monedero). The
"Tarjeta SUBE" costs a one-time fee of AR$25 (2018), it is also valid on
the subway and on suburban railway services. The "Tarjeta SUBE" is valid
indefinitely, its use leads to a noticeable discount and if you change
trains within 90 minutes, the following fare is reduced again.
The subway (subte) and the suburban train (tren urbano) are faster than
the buses. The subway (6 lines, marked with the letters A to E and H)
connects the most important buildings in the center as well as all
terminal stations. The unit fare for the subway is AR$4.50. Changes
within the subway network are included in the fare. Suburban trains run
from the Retiro, Constitución, Once, Federico Lacroze and Estación
Buenos Aires (the smallest, despite the name) terminals to the suburbs
and have tiered fares from around AR$0.80 depending on the line. It is a
bit confusing that there is no uniform line plan of the railway network
at the stations, but each line has its own plan - this is because the
network is operated by different companies who seem to have little
interest in cooperation.
Taxis are black and yellow and
relatively expensive compared to other airports in Argentina, but
cheaper than in Europe. They are mostly safe, but it is best to take
radio taxis (identified by the label). Taxis can be hailed anywhere on
the side of the road by raising your hand. There are also unmarked
remises, which can be requested from marked bus stops and by telephone.
If you are out and about at night, it is not advisable to take taxis
waiting in front of discos. These usually have manipulated taximeters.
Better walk a bit along the street and then wave one out.
A tram
line completes the offer. The Premetro in the southern part of the city
connects to the Plaza de los Virreyes - Eva Perón terminus, leads to
Barrio Savio and offers a transfer option at the Presidente Illia stop
to the Línea Belgrano Sur trains.
Also in Buenos Aires there are
bus lines according to the HOP ON HOP OFF system. The open-topped,
two-story buses from the provider Buenosairesbus run every 20-30 minutes
during the day on three lines recorrido azul/rojc (blue, red) and
recorrido verde (green), starting at the Plaza de Mayo. However, they
are not part of the local public transport system.
For mobility
in the suburban belt and the surrounding area, see Mobility in Gran
Buenos Aires. Viaja Fácil offers a connection search for public
transport.
Buenos Aires offers visitors a number of architectural sights from
the colonial era and around 1900. Since the center of Buenos Aires is
now characterized by modern buildings and many high-rise buildings, you
have to look for something to find them.
Practically all of the
city's attractions are located in a relatively small area of around 5
square kilometers: between the mouth of the Riachuelo, the Río de la
Plata and the Parque Tres de Febrero in the Palermo district.
churches
Cathedral, Avenida de Mayo near Plaza de Mayo. Classical
style, reminiscent of a Greek temple. Here is also the mausoleum of the
Argentine independence fighter José de San Martín.
San Ignacio de
Loyola, Bolívar 225. Oldest colonial building in the city (1710).
San
Francisco, Alsina and Defensa. Franciscan Church from 1754.
Santo
Domingo, Av. Belgrano corner Defensa. Colonial church from 1756, known
as a place of refuge during the English invasion of 1806.
El Pilar,
Junín 1904. Colonial church from 1717, beautifully situated amidst green
gardens and just off Plaza Francia or Recoleta Cemetery.
Castles,
palaces and castles
Palacio de Congreso, Av. de Mayo. Large
neoclassical palace housing the House of Representatives.
buildings
Casa de Gobierno (Casa Rosada). at Plaza de Mayo, pink
government building.
Cabildo, in the Plaza de Mayo. In the colonial
style, with a museum.
Bolsa de Comercio, 25 de Mayo. Attractive
building of the stock exchange.
Congress Building, Av. Rivadavia
1864.
monuments
Obelisk, on Av. 9 de Julio corner Diagonal
North. The landmark of the city.
San Martín Monument, in Plaza San
Martín.
Museums
National Museum of Fine Arts, Av. San Martín
1473, Recoleta district, Avenida del Libertador 1473, Buenos Aires. Tel:
+54 (0)11 4807 41 78, +54 (0)11 5288 99 00, email:
libreria@aamnba.org.ar. Largest and most important art museum in
Argentina. Open: Tue-Fri 11am-8pm; Sat–Sun 10:00–20:00.
Museo de Arte
Latinoamericano (MALBA), Av. Pres. Figueroa Alcorta 3415, Recoleta
district. Tel: +54 11 4808 6500. Important collection of 20th-century
Latin American art. Architecturally interesting building.
Museo
Histórico Nacional, Defensa 1600. With collector's items from Argentine
history, including the uniform of San Martín.
Museo de la Ciudad,
Alsina 412. History of the city
Museo de Ciencias Naturales, Angel
Gallardo 490. Natural Science Museum.
Museo Municipal de Arte Moderno
(Museo de Arte Moderno de Buenos Aires), Av. Corrientes 1530, Avda. San
Juan 350. modern art.
Museo Nacional de Aeronautica, Av. Rafael
Obligado next to Jorge Newbery Airport. Airplane Museum.
Museo de
Arte Hispanoamericano, Suipacha 1422. Collection of colonial art.
Museo Fortabat, Olga Cossettini 141, Puerto Madero, Dique 1. Public
private collection with mostly European works from the 19th and 20th
centuries. century.
Evita Peron Museum, Lafinur 2988.
streets
and squares
Avenida 9 de Julio. Allegedly the widest street in the
world at 140 m, with wide green strips.
Avenida de Mayo. Boulevard
lined with many old political buildings. The city's "most state-bearing"
street, ending at the Government Palace.
Plaza de Mayo - Venerable
square in front of the government building. This is where most of the
demonstrations take place.
Plaza San Martín - Pleasant green square
near the financial district.
Plaza de Mauricoas.
Plaza Francia.
Square by the Recoleta Cemetery, where a well-known craft market takes
place at weekends. In the adjacent cultural center (Centro Cultural)
there are exhibitions and events.
Plaza Serrano/ Plaza Cortazar. In
the trendy district of Palermo Viejo, where there are hip bars and a
clothes and handicraft market at weekends. Named after the famous
Argentine writer Julio Cortazar, whose most important work is "La
Rayuela" (Heaven and Earth).
El Caminito
There is a vast number of supermarkets, corner shops and shopping
centers where you can buy just about anything.
The Florida
pedestrian zone is the chicest shopping street in the city and mainly
offers high-priced fashion boutiques. Clothes by young Argentinian
fashion designers can be found at the clothes market on Saturdays and
Sundays at Plaza Serrano/ Plaza Cortazar. In the trendy district of
Palermo Viejo there are also expensive boutiques that sell unusual
clothing.
Galerias Pacifico, Av. Cordoba 550. Tel.: +54 11 5555
5110.
Cheap prices for clothes can be found in the shopping streets
Barrio Once (Once), (near Plaza Miserere (Estación Once). "Eleventh
District" with numerous small shops.
Munro (14 km north in a suburb).
La Salada. Numerous shoe and clothing stores. Here resellers stock up on
a large scale with branded goods that are not quite genuine.
Well-known handicraft markets can be found in the Recoleta (near the
cemetery) and in San Isidro (a posh suburb, 20 km north). Handicrafts
can, of course, also be bought more expensively in numerous shops,
although the more original pieces are definitely offered in the markets.
Interesting is the market in Tigre (35 km north of the city), where
you can buy artistically made furniture, but also plants, animals and
all kinds of fruit.
Antiques in old Spanish style can be found in
the district of San Telmo south of the center. However, the popularity
of these shops among tourists and wealthy "porteños" has resulted in
high prices.
In addition to beef, Argentina is known for its empanadas (dumplings
with various fillings: beef, spinach (verdura), tomato-mozzarella-basil
etc., cheese-ham etc.), which come from the north, but are also the best
in Buenos Aires can be bought by the dozen in one of the numerous
empanaderias. Otherwise there is a kind of quiches. In terms of fruit
and vegetables, you can find almost everything in Argentina that you
know from Europe and much more. Since Argentina stretches across almost
all climate zones, you can get everything from your own country.
Vegetarians also get their money's worth - the only drawback is salad
dressings: unfortunately they don't exist. What is interesting is what
is still not available in Argentina: Indian food is hardly known, and
there is also very little Arabic food. On the other hand, Japanese sushi
has also reached Buenos Aires in its boom of the last decade.
Although there are some fast food outlets, "porteños" are rarely seen
eating (or drinking) on the street. With the younger generation,
however, this has changed somewhat - at least it is no longer an
embarrassment as it used to be.
There are restaurants of all
price ranges and types in Buenos Aires. The vast majority of places
offer the typical Argentinian specialities, especially meat
(parrilladas), but pizza and pasta are also common, the latter being
mostly homemade. Thanks to Italian immigrants, Buenos Aires also has
extremely tasty ice cream, the best known (and most expensive) ice cream
shops being Munchi's, Freddo and Persicco, the latter said to be
descendants of the original Freddo owners. But the ice cream shop right
on Plaza Dorrego in San Telmo is also unbeatably delicious.
Many
upscale restaurants are located in the trendy district of Puerto Madero,
the old port, as well as in the Recoleta and Palermo districts. In the
center, on the other hand, the prices are cheaper.
You can already hear the melancholic tones of the tango in the taxi
from the airport to the city. Tango couples can also be seen celebrating
the city's most typical dance in public places. The tango and Buenos
Aires seem to be two inseparable elements - the tango lyrics often
contain flowery descriptions of the city. The tango shows in La Boca are
considered touristy and expensive, but offer first-class musicians and
dancers. There are also tango discotheques (milongas), which are mainly
frequented by older Argentinians and tourists. On the other hand, the
newer electro-tango, a mixture of tango and electronic music, is
particularly popular with young people from the scene. A visit to a
concert by Bajo Fondo is recommended here.
The discotheques and
clubs are spread across the city and are therefore not always easy to
find. However, they are clustered around Puerto Madero (expensive, chic,
exclusive), Palermo and Las Cañitas (trendy chic), San Telmo (trendy
alternative), Flores (diverse, not too expensive) and on the Costanera
near Aeroparque J Airport .Newbery (Costa Salguero complex, chic but
mainstream).
The working-class youth usually dances in so-called
bailantas, sometimes far away from the center in the poorer suburbs.
Latin American music, especially cumbia, is played there. A visit to
such a bailanta is only recommended when accompanied by locals.
The founder of the city, Pedro de Mendoza, named it "Port of Our Lady
of Our Holy Mary of the Good Winds" (Spanish: Puerto de Nuestra Señora
Santa María del Buen Ayre) in honor of Saint Mary, the patroness of
sailors from the Triana merchants' guild, of which he was a member. The
expression "Buen Air" was part of the name of the Virgin Mary, in whose
honor the Mercedarians built the cathedral in Cagliari, Sardinia. For
many years the name of the city has been associated with the name of the
conquistador Ruy Diaz de Guzmán. But in 1892, Eduardo Madero, after
extensive research in the Spanish archives, came to the conclusion that
the name of the city was closely related to the devotion of Spanish
sailors to the Virgin of Seville in Buenos Aires.
Having rebuilt
the city after the fire, Juan de Garay gave the new settlement the name
of the Trinity - "The City of the Most Holy Trinity and the Port of Our
Lady Saint Mary of the Good Winds" (Spanish: Ciudad de la Trinidad,
Puerto de Nuestra Señora Santa María del Buen Ayre). The reason for the
renaming may be that the date of the holiday was close to the date of
the restoration of the city, or, as some historians believe, the Garay
ship anchored near the city during the Trinity holiday. However, the
port founded by Garay was named Puerto de Santa María de los Buenos
Ayres. Garay's decision to rename the city remained unfulfilled, as no
official decision to change the name of the city was made.
1580 - December 16, 1617: the administrative center of the province
of Rio La Plata, part of the Viceroyalty of Peru.
December 16,
1617-1776: the administrative center of the province of Buenos Aires,
which is part of the Viceroyalty of Peru; in 1671-1776 - the city was
subordinated to the Royal Audience of Harcas in modern Bolivia.
1
August 1776 - 25 May 1810: Capital of the separate Viceroyalty of Río de
la Plata.
June 9, 1816 – January 23, 1825: Capital of the United
Provinces of South America.
January 23, 1825 - January 4, 1831:
Capital of the United Provinces of La Plata.
January 4, 1831 -
September 11, 1852: Capital of the Argentine Confederation.
April 6,
1852 - December 17, 1861: Buenos Aires is a separate unrecognized state.
1862-1994: Capital of Argentina.
1994 - present: capital of the
Republic of Argentina.
On February 2, 1536, the Spanish conquistador Pedro de Mendoza
founded a settlement in an area inhabited by the indigenous population,
the Kerandi. Famine began to threaten the Mendoza expedition, the
situation was aggravated by constant clashes with the Charrua Indians.
Due to illness and fear of the death of the expedition, Mendoza decided
to leave South America and return to Spain, but died on the way home.
The colonists who remained in the settlement repelled Indian attacks for
five years, and in 1541 were forced to leave upriver to the city of
Asuncion, founded in 1537 by the Mendoza expedition. Buenos Aires was
abandoned and burned. On June 11, 1580, Juan de Garay rebuilt the city.
During this period, the population of the city was 65 settlers, not
counting the Guarani Indians. The merging of the seaport and the nearby
town caused their names to be combined into one long phrase "City of the
Holy Trinity and Port of Our Lady of St. Mary of the Good Winds"
(Spanish: Ciudad de la Trinidad, Puerto de Nuestra Señora Santa María
del Buen Ayre).
At the time of its foundation, and later after
restoration, the city was part of the Viceroyalty of Peru, which was
part of the Spanish Empire. Buenos Aires was away from the trade routes
that went through Lima and there were not enough things in the city for
the European way of life. In 1610, the population of the city reached
500 people, many of whom were engaged in smuggling from Brazil. In 1680,
on the left bank of La Plata Bay, the Portuguese built the fortress of
Colonia del Sacramento. Through it, the Portuguese illegally imported
goods into Buenos Aires. To protect against smugglers, the Spaniards
founded the city of Montevideo. By the middle of the 18th century,
Buenos Aires had become the center of the leather industry.
In
1776, the city becomes the capital of the newly created Viceroyalty of
Rio de la Plata. The main reasons for the creation of the viceroyalty
were the need to create a border between the Spanish colonies and the
Portuguese and the desire to end smuggling. In 1785, the Spanish
authorities allowed the Viceroyalty of the Rio de la Plata to conduct
independent trade. From that moment began a period of prosperity for
Buenos Aires, which led open trade. Foreign goods were now entering the
city, and ships were sent from the city to other ports. Commercial and
political dependence on Lima disappeared. As a result of the prosperity
of the city, immigration increased, mainly due to the Spaniards, to a
lesser extent the French and Italians. The main population of Buenos
Aires at that time were merchants and farmers.
From its founding
until 1807, Buenos Aires experienced several invasions. In 1582, English
privateers landed on the island of Martin Garcia, but were driven off
the island. In 1587, the Englishman Thomas Cavendish tried to capture
the city, but was unsuccessful. In 1658, the French attacked three times
by order of King Louis XIV of France, but Don Pedro de Baigorri Ruiz,
who was then governor of Buenos Aires, was able to organize a successful
defense of the port. The fourth attempt was made by the adventurer de
Pintis, who was also defeated. In 1699, the fifth invasion took place,
as a result of which a flotilla of Danish pirates was defeated. In the
governorship of Bruno Mauricio de Zabala, the French, led by Etienne
Moreau, landed on the east coast of the Rio de la Plata, where they were
defeated by the Spanish troops.
Buenos Aires was a tasty morsel
for the British Empire, which was interested in including the region in
its sphere of interest, especially since Spain was allied with France,
the former enemy of the British Empire. The first invasion of the
viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata was on June 27, 1806. The detachment
of Major General William Carr Beresford captured Buenos Aires. He
declared himself governor, but on August 12, 1806, he was forced to
capitulate and, after a six-month stay in captivity, managed to escape
to England. In 1807, a second English expedition led by John Whitlock
took the fortress of Montevideo and occupied it for several months. On
July 5, 1807, Whitlock tried to capture Buenos Aires, but the
inhabitants of the city and the detachment of Santiago Liniers were able
to resist him and defeat the British. The resistance of the inhabitants
of the city, a significant part of which were Creoles, and their active
participation in the defense helped to defend the independence of Buenos
Aires. As a result of the occupation of Spain by Napoleon's troops,
independence movements arose in South America, which led in 1810 to the
May Revolution and the creation of the first national government. At the
beginning of the 19th century, the city had a population of about 40,000
inhabitants, it became an important port on the Atlantic Ocean and left
the viceroyalty of the Rio de la Plata.
The first junta that came to power after the removal of the Spanish
governor of Buenos Aires, Baltasar de Cisneros, followed a similar
political course. The Junta Grande, the First and Second Triumvirates
and directories successively replaced each other. The first junta also
appointed governors and mayors, maintained an army, and collected
customs duties. This led the heads of the other viceroyalties to say
that the revolution only changed the power of the Spanish bureaucrat to
the local government, without giving advantages to the population of the
city.
In 1815, the population of the provinces criticized the
activities of the supreme ruler of the United Provinces of La Plata,
Carlos Maria de Alveara. He was deposed on April 20, 1815, four months
after being confirmed in office. On June 9, 1816, the city became the
capital of the United Provinces of South America, and the Constitution
of 1819 was developed in it. The following year, during the civil war,
the Federalist troops at the Battle of Cepeda defeated the troops of the
province of Buenos Aires, which was led by Governor Manuel de Sarratea.
The defeat of the province of Buenos Aires ended with the signing of the
Treaty of Pilar. After a period of instability, Martin Rodriguez became
governor of the city, and his minister Rivadavia was elected the first
president of the Argentine Confederation in 1826. During Rivadavia's
presidency, the city became a center of science and culture. A period of
order and reform began: the General Archive of Buenos Aires was created,
a commodity exchange was opened. The University of Buenos Aires began
its activities and the Society for Physics and Mathematics was created.
Rivadavia presented to Congress a plan for the reconstruction of
Buenos Aires, the city was proclaimed the capital of the state. Under
the new law, the port became the main source of income for the province
of Buenos Aires.
In 1825, the Argentine-Brazilian War began, as a
result of which Argentina intended to gain control of the Brazilian
province of Cisplatina (modern-day Uruguay). Sisplatina had previously
belonged to the Spanish viceroyalty of the Rio de la Plata, of which
Argentina considered itself the successor. After the defeat of Brazil
and the declaration of independence of Uruguay, as a result of the
outbreak of an armed uprising, Rivadavia resigned on June 29, 1827. Juan
Manuel de Rosas became president in 1829. From 1831 to 1852 the city was
the capital of the Argentine Confederation. According to the 1836
census, the city had 62,000 inhabitants. Rosas, by improving customs
duties, significantly increased the income of Buenos Aires. In 1852, the
city seceded from the confederation and declared independence. Over the
next 2 years, all attempts to return the province of Buenos Aires to the
federation were unsuccessful. In 1859, the troops of the province of
Buenos Aires were defeated by Justo Urquiza at Venada. On November 10,
1859, a peace treaty was signed in San Jose de Flores, according to
which Buenos Aires was annexed to the confederation, and on June 6,
1860, the city finally became part of Argentina.
Buenos Aires was
open to immigration. Thousands of Europeans, mainly from Italy and
Spain, have changed the appearance of the city and its sights. Active
construction took place in the city, new houses and palaces were built
in the Italian style, instead of the then prevailing "colonial style".
The first railway in Argentina also appeared, which connected the city
with the suburb of Flores. In 1871, a yellow fever epidemic destroyed a
significant part of the city's population. In 1875, the Tres de Febrero
Park was founded - the Park named after the 3rd of February.
During the long process leading to the creation of the Argentine state,
Buenos Aires was chosen as the seat of the Argentine national
government, although it did not have administrative authority over the
city, which was part of the province of Buenos Aires. As a result of
clashes between federal and provincial troops, led by Governor Carlos
Tejedor, which occurred in 1880 and ended in the defeat of the province,
the city was granted the status of federal capital. In 1880, the city of
Buenos Aires was administratively separated from the province of Buenos
Aires and separated into a special federal district. Subsequently, the
suburbs of Flores and Belgrano were annexed to the district. In 1882,
Congress introduced the office of mayor and city council of Buenos
Aires. The mayor was not elected by popular vote, but was appointed by
the Presidential Administration in accordance with the decision of the
Senate. The candidacy of the first mayor was approved in 1883 by
President Julio Roca.
The city was actively developing, unlike
the rest of the country, which was helped by its financial and cultural
potential. In 1880, the population of Buenos Aires was 337,617
inhabitants, and in 1895 it reached 649,000, of which only 320,000 were
native to the city.
In the late XIX - early XX century, thanks to active construction,
the city has changed a lot. In 1913, the first subway in Latin America
was built in Buenos Aires, which in Buenos Aires is called "Subte"
(Subte). Buildings of various architectural styles appeared in the city.
Architects developed new projects with the aim of making the country's
capital a symbol of progress.
Between 1880 and 1950, more than 5
million immigrants from Europe and Asia arrived in the country. In 1914
Buenos Aires was the twelfth largest city in the world with 1,575,000
inhabitants. As a result of the lack of housing, many of them were
forced to live in slums.
The increase in commercial flights
required a new modern port. Eduardo Madero considered projects to build
a port in 1861 and 1869, but it was not until 1882 that the project was
accepted by Argentina's Vice President Francisco Madero. The opening of
the new port took place in 1884, but the work was finally completed in
1897. This port had many shortcomings, so in 1908 the National Congress
decided to start building the port of Puerto Nuevo, which began work in
1919, and in 1928 the construction was completed. Avenida Cordoba runs
from the new port.
In the 20th century, Buenos Aires repeatedly
became the scene of class wars of the Argentine Republic. In 1909,
during a general strike of workers, 8 people were killed and 100 were
injured after the dispersal of a demonstration that took place in
Congress Square. These events entered the history of Argentina under the
name "Bloody Week". After the strike was crushed, during January 1919,
popular unrest occurred throughout Argentina, which led to an uprising
known as Tragic Week. During the events, 700 people were killed and
about 4,000 were injured in Buenos Aires, Rosario, Santa Fe and other
cities.
At the end of the 19th and at the beginning of the 20th
century, the city's tram network was greatly developed. The first tram
line was opened on July 14, 1863. In 1920, the length of tram routes was
875 km. The city had 3,000 trams and 12,000 tram depot employees. The
tram was the main public transport in the city until February 19, 1963,
after which date the tram lines began to be gradually removed from the
streets of the city, replacing them with metro stations, with the
exception of the lines of the historic Buenos Aires tram, which operates
on holidays and weekends. In 1930, the military came to power in the
capital, who supported the penetration of foreign capital into the
capital and the formation of a new bourgeoisie. In 1936, the Obelisk was
built in Buenos Aires, and the following year, 9th of July Avenue was
opened, which was significantly lengthened over time. In 1941, after 4
years of construction work, the Avenida General Paz highway was opened.
Since that time, it forms the border with the province of Buenos Aires.
Several strikes took place in the city in the 1950s. The end of the
Second World War was marked by the election of President J. D. Peron,
who was removed from his post during the subsequent political unrest in
Buenos Aires. During this time, suburbs were attached to the city,
resulting in the creation of the metropolitan area known as Greater
Buenos Aires. In 1955, the industrial exhibition of the USSR was held in
Buenos Aires with great success, which was attended by more than a
million Argentines.
On March 24, 1976, an army led by Jorge
Videla staged a coup and overthrew President Isabel Perón. With the help
of the military, Videla gained wide powers, which led to human rights
violations in Argentina. Mass arrests were made, detainees were tortured
and often killed. During the last dictatorship, 10,000 people were
physically killed, 30,000 disappeared without a trace, and another
60,000 were subjected to long terms of imprisonment, torture and
violence for political reasons. The main victims of the Dirty War were
left-wing activists, including trade unionists, students, journalists,
Marxists and Peronists.
By 1976, with the military in power, a
plan for the city's freeways was developed under the direction of the
city's then mayor, leading to the development of a highway network.
Construction began in 1978, and on December 6, 1980, the Perito Moreno
Highway was opened. Decades under military rule followed for the capital
and the country as a whole, leading to an economic crisis. Only since
the mid-1990s, the city began to develop rapidly again.
On March
17, 1992 at 2:45 pm, a car bomb exploded near the Israeli embassy, and a
similar attack was repeated on July 18, 1994 at 9:53 am, in front of the
headquarters of the Jewish community AMIA. As a result of the second
terrorist attack, 85 people were killed and 300 were injured.
After the constitutional reform of 1994, the city received its own
constitution and self-government. In the first mayoral election, which
took place in 1996, Fernando de la Rua won from the GRS party. Fernando
de la Rua left his post in 1999, becoming president of Argentina, he was
replaced as mayor by Enrique Olivera. In subsequent years, the
development of the culture and infrastructure of Buenos Aires continued.
New metro stations were built, several museums, theaters and cultural
centers were renovated and opened.
In December 2001, as a result
of the economic crisis, the city witnessed noisy demonstrations and
processions demanding the resignation of the Minister of Economy,
Domingo Cavallo, and President Fernando de la Rua. As a result of police
actions to disperse the demonstrators, several people died in the
immediate vicinity of the National Congress building. The conflict ended
with the resignation of the president, leading to one of the worst
constitutional crises in Argentine history.
In 2003, legal
marriages for homosexual couples, Buenos Aires became the first city in
Latin America to allow such marriages.
In 2004, a tragedy
occurred in the city, a fire in the Cro-Magnon Republic nightclub. On
December 30, 2004, sparks from pyrotechnics ignited the walls and
ceiling of the building, finished with flammable materials. The club
housed up to 3,000 patrons, who only evacuated through two of the six
exits as the rest were locked to keep stowaways out. The fire killed 194
people and injured at least 1,432, making it the largest disaster in the
country's recent history.
On December 10, 2007, Mauricio Macri
assumed the post of mayor of Buenos Aires after defeating Daniel Filmus
with a score of 60.96% in the second round of elections held in June of
that year. In the first round, Makri received 45.62%, more than 20% more
than his main competitors. Gabriela Michetti was elected deputy mayor of
the city, who held this post until April 9, 2009. In 2011, with 64.25%
in the second round of elections, Macri was re-elected for a second
term.
In 2010, the city hosted the main events dedicated to the
200th anniversary of the independence of Argentina, during which the
Colon Theater was opened after restoration.
In 1868, President Bartolome Mitre vetoed law No. 3252, passed to
move the capital of Argentina to the city of Rosario. President Domingo
Sarmiento vetoed two similar bills that sought to move the country's
capital in the same direction: law no. -Maria. On May 3, 1972, under the
leadership of President Alejandro Agustin Lanusse, Decree Law 19,610 was
issued, which spoke of the need to move the country's capital outside of
Buenos Aires.
On May 27, 1987, during the presidency of Raúl
Alfonsín, the National Congress passed law 23512 to relocate the federal
capital; the cities of Viedma, Carmen de Patagones and Guardia Miter in
the province of Rio Negro were considered as the future capital. This
project, called the Patagonia Project, aims not only to decentralize the
city of Buenos Aires, but also to develop the southern region of
Patagonia. In accordance with the project, on July 21, 1987, by decree
No. 1156, a body was created for the construction of a new capital - the
state company ENTECAP. In 1989, the new president, Carlos Saul Menem,
took office and decided to dissolve ENTECAP.
During the proposed
relocation of the capital, there was a discussion in the country's
newspapers about the possibility of returning the city of Buenos Aires
under the jurisdiction of the province of Buenos Aires. The discussion
culminated in the adoption of Law No. 23512, which established the new
provincial status of the city after the transfer of the federal capital
to a new location, and that a Constitutional Convention should be
convened to transfer all state institutions. This law remains in effect
as it has not been repealed by Congress.
Buenos Aires is a city of the southern hemisphere, located at 34° 36'
south latitude and 58° 26' west longitude, in the southern part of the
mainland of South America, at a distance of 275 km from the Atlantic
Ocean in the bay of La Plata Bay, on the left bank of the Riachuelo
River. 220 km from the city, on the other side of La Plata Bay, is the
capital of Uruguay - Montevideo.
The bay of the Rio de la Plata
and the Riachuelo are the natural boundaries of the city to the east and
south. The rest of the perimeter is occupied by the Avenida General Paz
freeway located in a semicircle, which surrounds the city from north to
west, except for a small section - no more than 2 km - between the
freeway and the Rio de la Plata Bay, where the border with the province
of Buenos Aires passes. This is due to the fact that the freeway does
not end at the bay, but connects to the street of the city, Avenida
Intendente Cantilo. The freeway provides a fast connection to the rest
of Buenos Aires. The Río de la Plata is adjacent to the city, while
other areas bordered by its coastline are part of the province of Buenos
Aires.
Officially, the city is divided into 48 quarters or territorial
associations. The names of the oldest of them come from the names of
Catholic parishes established in the 19th century. Since the end of the
19th century, a new generation of neighborhoods, or “barrios”, has
emerged, the name of which is not determined by parishes, but is
associated with famous people who have left their contribution to the
development of the city. One such area, Puerto Madero was named after
the famous architect Eduardo Madero. Although they talk about "One
Hundred Capital Blocks", this expression is associated with a popular
song, and not with the number of blocks. Each district has its own
history and character, expressed in color, style and original costumes,
reflecting the cultural diversity of the city. Many of these territorial
associations have existed for several decades, but new ones are
emerging. For example, the barrio Parque Chas, which arose on January
25, 2006. Among the inhabitants of the city there are a large number of
unofficial designations for urban areas, such as Barrio Parque and
Abasto, which in fact continue to grow for purely commercial reasons.
The northern and northeastern neighborhoods have become centers of
luxury, dominated by exclusive shops and high-end homes, such as
Recoleta, Palermo and Belgrano, as well as Puerto Madero and a large
part of Retiro, located further south. In another barrio, Barracas,
thanks to the road network, the zone of residence of the middle class in
the most prosperous part of it is growing. In addition to these two
districts in the south of the capital, socio-economic indicators remain
among the lowest.
There are 15 communes in Buenos Aires that have
replaced the Department of Governance and Participation. Each commune
has its own budget and is governed by the Community Council of Buenos
Aires. This Council consists of seven members elected every four years.
Areas included in the communes of Buenos Aires:
C1: Retiro, San
Nicolás, Puerto Madero, San Telmo, Montserrat, Constitution
C2:
Recoleta
C3: San Cristobal, Balvanera
C4: La Boca, Barracas,
Parque Patricios, and Nueva Pompei.
C5: Almagro and Boedo.
C6:
Caballito
C7: Flores and Chacabuco Park
C8: Villa Soldiers, Villa
Riachuelo and Villa Lugano.
C9: Parque Avellaneda, Liniers and
Mataderos.
C10: Villa Real, Monte Castro, Versailles, Floresta, Vélez
Sarsfield and Villa Luro.
C11: Villa General Miter, Villa Devoto,
Villa del Parque and Villa Santa Rita
C12: Colhao, Saavedra, Villa
Urquiza and Villa Pueyrredón.
C13: Belgrano, Nunez and Collechiales
C14: Palermo.
C15: Chacarita, Villa Crespo, Paternal, Villa Ortuzar,
Agronomy and Parque Chas.
The region in which Buenos Aires is located has many rivers and lakes. Major rivers: Maldonado, Vega, Medrano, Sildanes and White. In 1908, work began on changing the channels of small rivers in order to correct the situation with the annual floods of the city. As early as 1919, the direction of flow of most rivers had been changed. On the site of the Maldonado River, Juan B. Justo Street was built in 1954.
Buenos Aires is located almost entirely in the pampas region. The relief is characterized by a flat landscape characteristic of the pampas, with almost no elevations. Buenos Aires is adjacent to the Buenos Aires Ecological Reserve, Boca Juniors Football Club, Jorge Newbery Airport; they were all built on reclaimed land along the coast of La Plata, an estuary formed at the confluence of the Uruguay and Paraná rivers. On the coast of the Gulf of La Plata are intermittently flooded areas of land known as "floodplains". A wider floodplain is located on the banks of the Riachuelo River. The highest point of the city is in the Monte Castro area.
Argentina is mostly located on the tectonically stable South American Plate, and seismic activity in its eastern part is quite low. The area in which the city is located corresponds to the "failure of Punta del Este", with low seismicity, the last earthquake measuring 5.5 on the Richter scale occurred on June 5, 1888.
The climate of the city is subtropical humid. Since Buenos Aires is located in the southern hemisphere, summer there lasts from December to February, and winter from June to August. The direction of the wind changes depending on the season, with more precipitation in summer. Winters are mild, with prolonged rains, and occasional light frosts. Sometimes it snows. Summer is very stuffy and long, with characteristically hot weather and heavy rainfall. The average air temperature in July is +10 degrees, and in January +24. The amount of precipitation in the city is 987 mm per year. The capital is located in the northeastern part of Argentina, on a flat area, in a subtropical natural zone with a subtropical monsoon climate. Another feature of the city is fogs that last several days a year.
Buenos Aires is influenced by two types of zonal winds: pampero and sudestada. Pampero blows from the southwest and usually begins with a short storm, which is quickly replaced by cold, dry air. Although it can happen at any time of the year, pampero is more common in the summer, refreshing after a sweltering heat. Sudestada is most active between April and October. This is a strong wind from the southeast, cool and humid, which lasts for several days and is often accompanied by precipitation of varying intensity. The continuous wind disperses the waters in the Rio de la Plata, and sometimes causes flooding in those areas of the city that are located near the river (including in the La Boca area).
Snowfalls in the city are very rare. The heaviest snowfalls were in 1912, 1918, 1928 and 1967. The last significant snowfall, which began as sleet, covered much of the city and was even heavier in suburban areas, occurred on July 9, 2007. The snowfall was caused by the polar wind from Antarctica, which took over the territory of Argentina and Chile.
The metropolis of Buenos Aires has faced numerous environmental
problems. Although smog does not last long in the city due to
comparatively windy weather, significant air pollution is observed in
various areas of the city as a result of industrial and transport
emissions. This leads to an increase in the number of patients with lung
cancer. The situation with air pollution in the city is exacerbated by
the high intensity of traffic.
In very narrow streets of the
city, built up with high-rise buildings, there is a problem of lack of
fresh air (for example, from the sea). Another problem is that there are
relatively few parks, bodies of water or open spaces in the city and
suburbs.
Another problem is sewage pollution of the Río de la
Plata and its tributaries. Other rivers flowing through the city -
Riachuelo and Reconquista are heavily polluted, all the fish died in
them. It was planned to restore the ecology of the Riachuelo River in
the 90s of the last century, but the project was not implemented. It was
allowed to swim in the Rio de la Plata until 1980, at the beginning of
the 21st century in Buenos Aires it is prohibited due to water pollution
and several drowned in the river. Although on the opposite side of the
bay, in Uruguay, there is no such ban yet.
The slums of the city
contribute to water pollution and problems with garbage disposal outside
the city. This problem is not so much in the amount of garbage, which
mainly consists of aluminum cans, plastic containers, and polyethylene.
Previously, waste collection was decentralized, often garbage was used
as free fuel for heating houses, but due to the emergence of
uncontrolled landfills, it began to be taken out of the city, where
garbage accumulates in large quantities due to the problem of recycling.
There is a tendency for the environmental situation in the city to
deteriorate due to insufficient funding. There is also the problem of
groundwater pollution by the territory occupied by garbage.
The
city faced a lot of environmental problems in coastal and marine areas.
First of all, these are uncontrolled catch volumes that threaten the
extinction of many species of fish and marine animals. Also, as a result
of the development of the port, coastal areas were seriously polluted,
where landfills, equipment warehouses and fuel for ships are stored
uncontrollably. But the main damage is caused by the constant release of
sewage and garbage into the sea, which leads to the extinction of flora
and fauna.
The coat of arms of Buenos Aires is the official symbol of the city
and is used by the city's leadership.
At the top of the coat of
arms is an eagle, which is a symbol of the Habsburg dynasty, which
indicates the fact that the city was founded by the Spaniards. The
design of the upper part of the coat of arms, which depicts sun rays and
a blue sky, reflects the design of the Argentine flag and implies that
the city belongs to Argentina. Navigation and fishing are of great
importance for the city, so the coat of arms depicts the sea, two
galleons and a fish in the foreground.
On October 20, 1580, the
government of the city of La Trinidad and the port of Buen Air, headed
by Juan de Garay, developed the first draft of the city's coat of arms.
It depicted an eagle that looked to the left (to the right of the
observer), which in heraldry means the illegitimacy of power. There was
another mistake: the royal crown was present on the coat of arms, which
is reserved for the highest nobility. Heraldry experts approved the
design of the coat of arms only on September 20, 1596, after correcting
the shortcomings. The coat of arms was approved on July 7, 1856 by the
City Council of Buenos Aires and received the status of the official
symbol of the city by decree of December 3, 1923.
In November
2012, the Legislative Assembly of Buenos Aires passed a law that changed
the coat of arms of the city. The new symbol of the city is a stylized
version of the old coat of arms, which has been amended. This is an oval
depicting the estuary of the Rio de la Plata, in the center of which are
two galleons, which symbolize the two foundations of the city, and a
white dove with outstretched wings.
The flag of Buenos Aires, the capital of Argentina, was officially
approved on October 24, 1995 and depicts an eagle, the symbol of the
coat of arms of the Habsburg dynasty, to which Emperor Charles V
belonged. Buenos Aires was founded in 1536 during his reign as King of
Spain, and the second founding of the city happened in 1580 during the
reign of his son Philip II.
As a symbol of Spanish colonialism,
this flag has been controversial among supporters of democracy and
republicanism. City Council member Adrian Camp of the left-wing Proyecto
Sur party, led by Argentine National Congress representative Fernando
Solanas, proposed that the current flag of the city of Buenos Aires be
abolished in 1995 and that a new flag be chosen that would better
reflect the city's cosmopolitan, democratic and tolerant spirit.
For over 60 years, the city of Buenos Aires has had a population of
about 2.9 million, with little change in numbers between censuses. In
2010, the city is in 3rd place in terms of population among the federal
subjects of Argentina, after the provinces of Cordoba and Santa Fe.
According to the last national census, held in October 2010, the
population of Buenos Aires was 2,891,151, of which 53.8% were women and
46.2% were men. At present, the city has a population density of 10,336
people per km² in commune no. 9 in the north of the capital, to 30,190
people per km² in commune no. 3 (San Cristobal and Balbanera districts).
The average population density as of July 2017 was 15,017 thousand
people per km².
A feature of the demographic situation in Buenos
Aires is the presence of a factor of pendulum labor migration. On
average, more than 1.2 million people come to Buenos Aires for work from
neighboring cities during each week. This number corresponds to 47.7% of
the total number of jobs registered in the federal capital.
At
the beginning of the 21st century, population growth slowed down due to
the aging of the indigenous population of Buenos Aires, emigration
abroad and a demographic hole, largely caused by the economic crisis.
40% of the city's residents were born in various provinces of Argentina
or in the suburbs of Greater Buenos Aires. Also, according to the
Department of Statistics and Census, 316,739 residents of the city
migrated from other countries. In 2008, the total fertility rate was
1.94 children per woman (below the maintenance level of 2.1).
The indigenous inhabitants of Buenos Aires have a half-joking
nickname - porteños (lit. "inhabitants of the port"). The population of
the capital and suburbs is rapidly increasing, including due to the
immigration of guest workers from Bolivia, Paraguay, Peru and other
neighboring countries. The city is very multiethnic, but the main
division of communities occurs along class lines, and not along racial
lines, as in the United States.
The majority of the population
are Spaniards, Italians and French, descendants of both the settlers of
the Spanish colonial period of 1550-1815 and the larger wave of European
immigrants to Argentina in 1880-1940. About 30% are mestizos and
representatives of other nationalities, among which are communities of
Arabs, Jews, Germans, Slavs, British, Armenians, Japanese, Chinese and
Koreans. There is also a large number of migrants from neighboring
countries, primarily from Bolivia and Paraguay, and more recently from
Korea, China and Africa. During the colonial period, groups of Indians,
mestizos and Negro slaves were noticeable in the city, gradually
dissolving into the European population, although their cultural and
genetic influences are still felt today. Thus, the genes of modern
residents of the capital are quite mixed compared to white Europeans: on
average, the genes of residents of the capital are 71.2% European, 23.5%
Indian and 5.3% African. At the same time, depending on the quarter,
African impurities vary from 3.5% to 7.0%, and Indian from 14.0% to 33%.
The official language in the capital is Spanish. Other languages - Italian, Portuguese, English, German and French - are now practically out of use as mother tongues due to the mass assimilation of immigrants in the second half of the 19th and early 20th centuries, but are taught as foreign ones. During the period of the mass influx of Italians (especially Neapolitans), a mixed Italian-Spanish sociolect lunfardo spread in the city, gradually disappearing, but leaving traces in the local language variant of the Spanish language (See Spanish in Argentina).
Among the believing population of the city, the majority are
adherents of Catholicism, an insignificant part of the inhabitants of
the capital profess Islam, Orthodoxy and Judaism, but in general the
level of religiosity is extremely low, as the secular-liberal way of
life prevails. The city is divided into 48 administrative districts, the
division was originally based on reference to Catholic parishes, and
remained so until 1940. The city is home to the Diocese of the
Intercession of the Most Holy Theotokos, the Cathedral of Buenos Aires,
the Diocese of St. Charbel, the synagogue Temple of Freedom, the
Argentine and South American Diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church of
the Moscow Patriarchate with the Cathedral of the Annunciation of the
Most Holy Theotokos on the street. Bulnes, Holy Trinity Church, which
since 2007 has been under the control of the schismatic Metropolitan
Agafangel (Pashkovsky).
The Archdiocese of Buenos Aires was
created on April 6, 1620. The Metropolis of Buenos Aires includes the
dioceses of Avellaneda Lanus, Gregorio de Laferrere, Lomas de Zamora,
Merlo Moreno, Morona, San Isidro, San Martin, San Miguel and San Justo.
The archdiocese includes the island of Martin Garcia and the city of
Buenos Aires. The Cathedral of the Archdiocese of Buenos Aires is the
Cathedral of the Holy Trinity. Since March 28, 2013, the Archbishop of
Buenos Aires has been Bishop Mario Aurelio Poli.
The Diocese of
Argentina and South America is a canonical and structural-territorial
division of the Russian Orthodox Church, uniting parishes in the states
of Central and South America.
The cathedral city is Buenos Aires
(Argentina).
Cathedral - Annunciation (Buenos Aires).
Administrator of the diocese - Justinian (Ovchinnikov) (since July 26,
2012) (temporary administrator).
The diocese was founded in 1946
by the decision of the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church. At
present, the diocese unites parishes in the states of Central (with the
exception of Mexico) and South America. The diocese has a Brazilian
Deanery District. According to statistics, there are 18 parishes in the
diocese; 13 clergy (12 priests and 1 deacon).
The Jewish
community in Argentina is the third largest Jewish community in the
Americas (after the US and Canada) and the largest in Latin America. It
is about 0.5% of the total population of Argentina, in 2010 there were
about 182,300 Argentines of Jewish origin. Of these, about 165,000
people lived in Buenos Aires in 2010. There are areas in Buenos Aires
that have a large Jewish population, such as Balvanera, Villa Crespo,
Belgrano. The city has several synagogues and Jewish clubs. The most
famous Jewish center is AMIA in Buenos Aires. On July 18, 1994, it was
destroyed in a terrorist attack and 85 people died. With its
restoration, it again became one of the centers of the city's Jewish
community.
There are three centers of Islamic culture in Buenos
Aires: the King Fahd Islamic Cultural Center, the Islamic Center of the
Republic of Argentina, and the Islamic Organization of Argentina. The
Islamic Cultural Center named after King Fahd was opened on September
25, 2000 in the Palermo region, it is the second largest Islamic
religious building in Latin America, behind the mosques in Caracas
(Venezuela). The Islamic Center in the Republic of Argentina (Centro
Islámico de la República Argentina) is located in the Floresta area. The
Islamic Organization of Argentina (Organización Islámica Argentina) is
located in the Park of the Patricians.
The legislature of the city is represented by the Legislative
Assembly of the city of Buenos Aires, which consists of sixty deputies.
Each deputy is elected for four years by direct vote, every two years
half of the composition of the Legislative Assembly changes.
Under Buenos Aires Law No. 24588, the city's judiciary consists of the
Supreme Court, the Council of Judges, the public prosecutor's office,
and the city's district courts.
However, in decision-making, the
city's judiciary has less power than in any of the provinces of
Argentina.
The city has:
National Congress at Congress Square
Casa Rosada
is the official residence of the President of Argentina, located in the
center of Buenos Aires, on the east side of the Plaza de Mayo. Although
the Casa Rosada is the president's place of business, he/she lives in
the Quinta de Olivos residence outside the city. A number of ministries
and departments are also located in the city:
Ministry of Defense of
Argentina
Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock of Argentina
Ministry of Culture of Argentina
Ministry of Social Development of
Argentina
Ministry of Economy of Argentina
Ministry of Federal
Planning and Public Investment of Argentina
Ministry of Industry of
Argentina
Ministry of Education of Argentina
Ministry of Interior
and Transport of the Republic of Argentina
Ministry of Justice and
Human Rights
Ministry of Health of Argentina
Ministry of Labour,
Employment and Social Security of Argentina
The head of the executive branch is the mayor of the city, who is
elected by direct vote for a term of four years. He is also Chairman of
the Legislative Assembly of the City of Buenos Aires.
Horacio
Rodríguez Larreta has been the city's mayor since December 9, 2015.
Under Law No. 24,588 of Buenos Aires, the Argentine Federal Police operates in the city. The Argentine Federal Police (AFP) is Argentina's main internal security force. It was created on December 24, 1943, by decree number 17,750, on the basis of the police that existed from 1880 to 1943. The beginning of its activity was January 1, 1945. The Ministry of the Interior has branches in all provinces of the country, including in the city of Buenos Aires, where it also performs local police functions, in conjunction with the Metropolitan Police of the City of Buenos Aires, according to Article 7 of the National Security Law number 24588 (also called the law Cafiero). To carry out additional law enforcement measures, the Buenos Aires Metropolitan Police (Spanish: Policía Metropolitana de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires) was created under Law 28,941 passed by the Legislative Assembly of the City of Buenos Aires on October 28, 2008. The Metropolitan Police began operations on February 5, 2010. Her duties included guarding the port, interacting with the coast guard of Argentina.
Buenos Aires is the largest port in Argentina, one of the largest in
South America. The city is the most important financial and industrial
center of the country. The main offices of Bridas Corporation, Enarsa,
Zanella, YPF, Aluar and others are located in Buenos Aires. Buenos Aires
is a center of mechanical engineering, light and printing industries.
Famous publishing houses are located in the city: Clarin and others. In
recent years, tourism has been actively developing in the city. The
number of hotels increased by 10.7% and amounted to about 300, the
number of used rooms increased by 42.9%.
The city's 2011 budget
was $5.9 billion in revenues and $6.3 billion in expenses. A further
increase in budget revenues by 61% is expected, of which 11% will be
property taxes, 9% vehicle taxes. Other income includes gambling fees,
fines and taxes. The city allocates 26% of its budget to education, 22%
to health care, 17% to public services and infrastructure, 16% to social
welfare and culture, 12% to administrative expenses, and 4% to funding
law enforcement. Buenos Aires maintains a low budget deficit and
requires less than 3% of the city's budget to service it.
In 2008, the gross product of Buenos Aires was approximately
400,455,000 Argentine pesos, with an average annual income of 80,400
Argentine pesos for working citizens (about US$23,400). The minimum wage
in Argentina, since September 1, 2011, amounted to 2.3 thousand pesos
(about $550).
Buenos Aires is the second city in Latin America,
after Mexico City, in terms of per capita income. This is due to the
exchange rate of the Argentine peso: in terms of purchasing power,
Buenos Aires has the highest GDP per capita in the Latin American
region. In fact, GDP in 2006 grew by 11.4% compared to 2005.
Mechanical engineering plays an important role in the economy. On the
territory of Greater Buenos Aires there are enterprises of the
automotive industry (plants of concerns: Ford, Chrysler, Toyota,
Peugeot, etc.), agricultural engineering, production of equipment for
the food industry, household and computer equipment (plants of IBM,
Siemens). The enterprises of the food industry were greatly developed:
the production of vegetable oils, the flour-grinding industry, and
winemaking. In addition, enterprises of fruit and vegetable, canning,
sugar industries, and beverage production operate in the city. Most of
the slaughterhouses are located in Buenos Aires and in close proximity
(in La Plata, Zarate). The city is the center of shipbuilding, the
shipyards are owned by state-owned companies - Astillero Río Santiago,
the CINAR Ministry of Defense complex (Spanish: Complejo Industrial
Naval Argentino), which combines the Tandanor and Astillero Almirante
Storni shipyards. One of the important industries of the city is leather
and footwear.
One of the most dynamic sectors of the economy is
construction, the number of objects under construction has increased due
to the increase in the number of building permits (by 44%). Communes 6,
8 and 11 were among the fastest growing (the percentage of housing under
construction increased by 164%, 132% and 130%, respectively). Investment
in the construction sector in 2006 reached 7 billion 480 million pesos.
One of the main economic sectors in Buenos Aires is the service sector. The most important sectors of this sector are real estate services, information technology, professional services, business services and rentals, as well as financial intermediation services. In the fourth quarter of 2011, 316,046 people worked in the trade sector of Buenos Aires, the average wage in this area was 3,439 Argentine pesos. On the territory of Buenos Aires, there are about 15 large shopping centers. The most famous are: Galerías Pacífico, Abasto Shopping, Alto Palermo, Patio Bullrich. Also in the city there are 10 large markets, 65 food fairs, and more than a hundred registered specialized mini-markets ("flea", book and others). The largest market in Buenos Aires - La Salada - arose in the south of the city on the banks of the Riachuelo River in the early 1990s as a result of the reforms of President Carlos Menem. There are 30,000 outlets on the market with a daily turnover of about $50 million. The basis of the assortment is clothing, most of which is sewn on the spot. The market employs about 6,000 people, not counting tenants and sellers. In addition, the city has an extensive network of shops of different directions: from grocery stores and stores focused on the sale of household appliances, up to stores selling sportswear, perfumes and cosmetics, etc. The port of Buenos Aires is the largest in the country and the main sea gate of Argentina. Currently, 70% of Argentine imports pass through them and account for about 40% of Argentina's total foreign trade.
Internet
At the beginning of 2010, 64.4% of Argentina's population
was connected to the Internet, the country has about 26 million users.
As of December 2010, 4,507,703 Argentines (approximately 11.2% of the
population) have switched to broadband internet. In Buenos Aires, as of
December 2009, there were 955,548 broadband Internet users, and in
December 2010 their number was 1,173,304 (an increase of 22.8%). The
number of sites registered with the country code (.ar) in August 2008
was almost 1,700,000. The number of email accounts is estimated at about
4,390,000. The monthly traffic is about 2,351 million email messages.
Utilities
Between 1993 and 2006, Aguas Argentinas provided water
and sewer services to the city. In March 2006, the contract with this
company was terminated. The city government created the state system
AYSA. These services are provided by two wastewater treatment plants at
the General San Martín plant and a wastewater treatment plant at the
General Belgrano plant. The sewage treatment plant of the General San
Martín plant was opened in 1913. They are located in the Palermo area,
with an area of 28.5 hectares, with a production capacity of 3,100,000
m3 of water per day. The wastewater treatment plant of the General
Belgrano plant is located in the province of Buenos Aires, in the city
of Bernal. They were opened in 1978 and occupy an area of 36 hectares
and provide the city with 1,700,000 m3 per day. Natural gas has been
supplied by MetroGAS since December 1992. In 2006, gas consumption
amounted to a total of 4398286000 m3 of gas, of which 1031385000 m3 for
the population, 169 264 000 m3 for commercial users, 173 411 000 m3 for
industry, 2629972000 m3 for power plants and 55007000 m3 for public
authorities.
Electricity is provided to the city by two
companies: Edesur and Edenor. Edenor has limited coverage from the
coast, along Avenida Pueyrredón, Avenida Cordoba, Avenida General San
Martin, Avenida General Paz to Río de la Plata. At that time, the Edesur
company covers the rest of the city. According to a preliminary estimate
in 2004, 14,783,018 kW were produced, and consumption was 9,689,504,152.
There is also a thermal power plant "Costanera" (Spanish: Central
térmica Costanera) in the southern part of the city, producing 2304 kW.
The city's fixed telephone network is provided by Telecom Argentina
and Telefonica de Argentina. These companies have been providing
communication services since the privatization of Entel in 1990. In
2006, there were 1,604,750 telephone lines in operation; in 2005,
9,491,787 mobile subscribers were registered.
Waste collection
services are provided based on the fact that the city is divided into
six zones:
Zone 1 services provided by Cliba
Zone 2 services
provided by EASA
Zone 3 services provided by URBASUR
Zone 4
services provided by Níttida
Zone 5 services provided by Entity
Urbana
Zone 6 services provided by INTEGRA.
Residents of
Buenos Aires have all services provided by the state: 99.9% of the
population has running water, the same number has access to electricity,
92.8% of residents are supplied with gas, 99.6% of houses have street
lighting and 89.7% of families have telephones. The situation for the
population living in the suburbs looks more problematic, although all
residents have running water, 99.5% receive electricity, 93.1% of houses
have street lighting, and 87.8% of the population has garbage removed.
With over 10 million tourists visiting Buenos Aires every year, it is
one of the most visited cities in South America. As of 2017, Buenos
Aires has 60,000 beds in its hotels. The capital of Argentina has 3,000
restaurants, 288 theaters and 130 museums. More than 700 international
flights arrive in the city every week.
The main tourist
attractions of Buenos Aires are located in the historical center of the
city, in the communes of Montserrat and San Telmo, as well as in the
Recoleta and Palermo districts. Buenos Aires began its history with the
Plaza Mayor (currently Plaza de Mayo), where administrative offices are
located. The eastern part of the square is occupied by the buildings of
the executive power of Argentina, on the site of which the fort was
located. To the north of the square is the Cathedral of Buenos Aires,
and the building of the National Bank of Argentina. Another important
institution was the City Hall, which was not preserved in its original
form, located to the west of the square. The most visited streets of the
city center are Avenida de Mayo and Avenida Julio Roca.
In the
southern part of the historic center is the building of the former
National Congress, which currently houses the National Academy of
History. On Avenida de Mayo Avenue are Casa Rosada, the Palace of the
National Congress of Argentina. Also on the avenue are other cultural
and historical buildings: Casa de la Culture, Palacio Barolo, Tortoni
cafe and a number of others.
Avenida de Mayo Avenue is decorated
with several monuments and sculptures, among which we can distinguish a
copy of the sculpture "The Thinker" by Auguste Rodin, located in close
proximity to the Palace of the National Congress and the Confiteria "El
Molino".
The historical center also houses historical buildings:
Manzana de las Luces, Collegio Nacional de Buenos Aires and the building
where the city council was located from 1894 to 1931. San Telmo is home
to the historic Plaza Dorrego, the National Historical Museum, the
Church of Parroquilla de San Pedro Telmo, and Lezama Park.
The
Recoleta area is home to many tourist sites, many of which are also of
great cultural significance. There is the National Museum of Fine Arts,
the National Library, the Cultural Center, the Faculty of Law of the
University of Buenos Aires, the Basilica of Nuestra Señora de Pilar, the
Palace de Glace and the Recoleta Cemetery (where most of the national
heroes and prominent figures of the country are buried).
Buenos Aires is the capital of the country and has an extensive
transportation system. The services of the city's transport system are
used not only by residents of the city, but also by residents of the
neighboring province of Buenos Aires, who come to the federal capital to
work or study.
Several highways lead to the city, the main one
being Avenida General Paz. This highway surrounds the city on three
sides. Other highways leading to Buenos Aires are the Buenos Aires-La
Plata Highway, the Rikheri Highway, the Oeste Highway, and the Norte
Highway. The presence of several highways from the province of Buenos
Aires reduces the traffic load and the number of traffic jams at the
exit from the city.
One of the most developed types of public transport is "collective" -
a city bus with 135 routes. Collective allows you to get not only to
various parts of the city, but also to the neighboring province of
Buenos Aires. Another form of public transport is rail. It allows you to
get from the city to the suburbs of Buenos Aires by electric trains, and
which is also used by residents as a means of rapid movement within the
city. There are seven railway stations in the city.
The Buenos
Aires Metro (subte) is actively developing. To date, six lines have been
put into operation, the length of the longest of which, Line B, is 11.8
km. In addition, active construction is underway: line H, which
currently runs from the Park of the Patricians to the building of the
Faculty of Law of the University of Buenos Aires, and in the future will
reach Retiro Station. Line A will reach Piazza Flores, line B will go to
Villa Urquiza and join line E at Retiro station. In addition, it is
planned to build three new lines (F, G and I).
In 2009, cards
were introduced to pay for trips on the subway and other types of public
transport.
On May 31, 2011, on one of the routes, the Metrobus
was replaced by the Autobus articulado (two-section bus), for which
special lanes were allocated on Avenida Juan B. Justo. The bus goes from
the Palermo area to the Liniers area. In the past, the tram was a very
popular form of public transport, now the city has two routes left: the
Premetro, which runs through the southern part of the city, and the
Buenos Aires tram, which runs from the Puerto Madero area to Retiro
Station. In October 2012, tram traffic was stopped, and in 2017, the
dismantling of the remaining tram infrastructure began.
There are about 1,320,000 vehicles in Buenos Aires, of which about
800,000 are privately owned vehicles. In addition, there are 36,000
taxis, 9,800 collectives (buses), 330,000 motorcycles and 50,000 trucks
in the city. In the first quarter of 2010, the number of passengers
using public transport decreased by 7%. According to a study conducted
by IBM, 34% of respondents drive their own vehicles to work. The
presence of such a large number of vehicles leads to traffic jams and an
increase in the number of accidents. In one survey in Buenos Aires, 43%
of respondents said they were stuck in traffic for up to 30 minutes a
day.
Buenos Aires has a network of highways that connect the city
with the province of the same name: the Buenos Aires - La Plata highway,
which connects the capital with the city of La Plata, intersects with
highway number 2, going to the city of Mar del Plata. The Rikheri
Highway starts from the Avenida General Paz motorway and reaches the
Ezeiza International Airport. The Oeste (West) Highway passes through
the city of Luján. The Norte (North) Highway connects to the Pan
American Highway.
The city also has six motorways: Deliepiana,
Nueve de Julio Sur, President Hector Campora, Veintisinco de Mayo,
Perito Moreno and Arturo Ilha. The first three are free, the rest -
highways (autopistas) are paid.
The network of urban and suburban
bus routes operated by urban buses ("collective") covers the capital and
suburbs of Buenos Aires. The capital is also connected by local bus
routes to a number of cities in the neighboring province of Buenos
Aires. Retiro Bus Station (Spanish: Terminal de Ómnibus de Retiro) is
the main bus station in Buenos Aires and the largest in Argentina. It is
300 meters from Retiro train station. Buses arrive at the bus station
and depart for all parts of the country. In addition, regular flights
are made from the bus station to the cities of neighboring countries,
mainly: to Montevideo, Santiago, Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Asuncion and
Brazilian cities: Foz do Iguacu, Porto Alegre and Sao Paulo.
Buenos Aires has an extensive commuter rail network that connects the city to the province of Buenos Aires. This mode of transport is massively used by residents of the province working in Buenos Aires. In addition, rail transport is used as urban transport. Rail transport also allows you to transfer to the metro, which allows you to reach various areas of Buenos Aires in the shortest possible time. The minimum fare is 3 pesos with a SUBE card, cash payment has not been possible since 2015. Plans are underway to build a high-speed railway TAVe (Buenos Aires - Rosario - Cordoba), but, due to the deplorable financial situation of the country, the project has not yet progressed further than survey work
There are several airports on the territory of Greater Buenos Aires -
five military and two civilian.
The most famous of them is the
International Airport named after Minister Pistarini, also known as
Ezeiza, located 35 kilometers from the city, in the town of Ezeiza and
the Jorge Newbery Airport located in the Palermo area. From Ezeiza
Airport there are flights to South America, North America, Europe,
Africa, Asia and Australia. Jorge Newbery Airport has domestic flights
as well as international flights to Paraguay, Chile, Brazil and Uruguay.
The Buenos Aires government encourages the use of the bicycle as a means of ecological transport. For this, a network of bicycle paths has been built, which are integrated into the traffic, they connect the main points of the city. There is free bike rental
Cultural significance
Buenos Aires is called a cultural city, the
city is one of the most important cultural centers of South America and
the largest cultural center of the country. The cultural significance of
the city is due to the presence of many museums, theaters and libraries.
The city has also developed a cultural identity, reflected in annual
events such as the Fileteado, Lunfardo, Tango and carnivals. The city
has the Library of Congress, the Conservatory (1893, founded by the
composer Alberto Williams), the National Library, the Institute of
Technology, and several research institutions. The city houses the main
university of Argentina - the University of Buenos Aires, the buildings
of the South American and London banks, created in 1966-1967. The main
architectural sights of Buenos Aires are the old town hall (1724-1754)
and the churches of El Pilar (1716-1732) and San Ignacio (1710-1734).
Among the most beautiful streets of the capital are the main
thoroughfares of Avenida de Mayo (1889), Avenue 9 de Julio (1930) and
Avenida General Pas (1937-1941).
In the 19th century, the city was divided into 48 districts, and the
hippodamic system was used as the basis for the development of the city
- a planning method with streets intersecting at right angles, equal to
rectangular blocks allocated for public buildings and markets, a
multiple of the standard block sizes.
The historical and business
center of the city is divided into approximately identical squares
running from north to south and from east to west. The quarters are
arranged in a checkerboard pattern, on the basis of which other cities
of Argentina are built. There are 2,113 streets in Buenos Aires,
counting alleys. Industrial enterprises are located in the southern part
of the city, near the port; in the center of the city are the business
and commercial part of the city, the center is the location of
government offices, the presidential residence, banks, and many shops.
The size of each block of Buenos Aires is 100 × 100 m, and the
numbering of houses is the footage of the block, for example, the
address "Belgrano, 611" is not about 611 houses, but about the specific
location of the front door in a certain block, on a specified street. A
similar system is used, for example, in New York.
There are no
walk-through yards, as in St. Petersburg, in this city: all the houses
are close to each other. This urban development is very picturesque: new
buildings merge with old colonial-style houses, and an unremarkable
building smoothly turns into a building with bright colors and curlicues
in the best traditions of old Paris. This is explained by the fact that
when the city was built up, the immigrants tried to recreate their
homes, which they had left.
Another feature of Buenos Aires is
that the rich and poor areas of the city often merge with each other. At
the same time, slums and mansions can actually be nearby, as respectable
neighborhoods alternate with the poor. Perhaps this is the charm of
Latin American Paris. For example, the Argentine analogue of Broadway,
Corrientes Street, on which there are several theaters with neon signs,
becomes a haven for the poor late in the evening and at night.
You can talk a lot about the contrasts of the city: on foot from the La
Boca area you can walk to Puerto Madero. If the La Boca area is built up
with one-two-story houses made of tin sheets, then the Puerto Madero
area is its complete opposite. Argentinean millionaires live in the
skyscrapers of the area. Often in the evenings they can be observed in
numerous restaurants located near the old port. For quite a long time
there was a wasteland in this place, until at the end of the 80s of the
XX century it was decided to build up this quarter. From the moment when
the empty space was occupied by the future owners of restaurants and
owners of construction companies, the Puerto Madero area has become
respectable.
The architecture of Buenos Aires is the history of its inhabitants.
Many of them are descendants of immigrants from various cultures, which
are reflected in the architecture of the city. The architecture of
Buenos Aires contains elements reminiscent of Barcelona, Paris and
Madrid. The architecture of Buenos Aires is multifaceted, from cold
academism or art deco, buildings in the Art Nouveau style, neo-Gothic to
modern skyscrapers made of glass and concrete. Or your own unique style,
for example in the La Boca area, as well as buildings from the period of
the colonial era. Italian and French influence on architecture increased
in the early 19th century, although the academic style persisted until
the first decade of the 20th century.
In 1912, the Basilica del
Santisimo Sacramento was opened. It was built with a donation from Mrs.
Mercedes Anhonera de Castellanos, one of the most famous families in
Argentina. The basilica is a fine example of French neoclassicism. The
inside of the basilica is finished in marble and houses the largest
Mutin-Cavaillé organ in Latin America.
In 1919, according to the
design of the Italian architect Mario Palanti, the construction of the
Palacio Barolo began. At that time it was the tallest building in South
America, and became the first Argentinean skyscraper built using
concrete (1919-1923). Palacio Barolo was built in the Neo-Gothic style,
the building is 100 meters high and has 22 floors. Palanti designed the
building, based on the "Divine Comedy" by Dante Alighieri. The architect
divided the floors of the building into three parts: the basement
symbolizes hell, the floors from the 1st to the 14th are an allegory of
purgatory, in turn, the floors from the 15th to the 22nd are paradise.
The building is equipped with 9 elevators, there is a 20-meter hall in
which the ceiling is painted. A lighthouse is installed at the top of
the building, thanks to which the building can be seen even from
Uruguay. In 2009 the building was restored.
In the second half of
the 20th century, the construction of buildings in the style of French
neoclassicism continued in the city: the headquarters of the National
Bank of Argentina (architect Alejandro Bustillo) and the Spanish
American Museum of Buenos Aires (architect Martin Noel). However,
starting from the 1930s, the architecture of the city was influenced by
the architect Le Corbusier and European rationalism, which young
Argentine architects emulated in their projects. The construction of
skyscrapers continued in Buenos Aires until 1950. Recently, new modern
high-tech buildings have been built according to the designs of
Argentine architects: Torre Le Parc, architect Mario Alvarez, Torre
Fortabat, Sanchez Eliya and Repsol-YPF tower, Cesar Pelli.
Monumental sculpture in Buenos Aires is represented by a number of
monuments in the squares and streets in the city center. The most famous
work of monumental sculpture is the Obelisk. It is located in the center
of the Republican Square, in the place where the Argentine flag was
flown for the first time in the city, at the intersection of 9 de Julio
Avenue and Avenida Corrientes. The height of the Obelisk is 67 meters,
the base area is 49 square meters. Designed by architect Alberto
Prebisch, it was built in just 4 weeks.
Monument Spain, opened in
1936 in Puerto Madero. Placed as a tribute to the Argentine nation to
Spain, as a symbol of the spiritual unity of the two peoples. The
monument was built of red granite under the direction of the Argentine
architect Arturo Dresco. The bas-relief consists of 29 figures of famous
Spaniards associated with the history of Argentina, starting with the
Spanish conquest and colonization of the country.
Also known are
the Pyramid of May, the Monument to General Belgrano, the Monument to
Carlos Maria de Alvear, the Monument to Christopher Columbus, the
Monument to Pedro de Mendoza, the Monument to Taras Shevchenko and many
others.
Buenos Aires has about 640 parks and squares. The most famous parks are Lakes of Palermo, Parque Patricias, Tres de Febrero, Almirante Brown and Costanera Sur. One of the features of the city is the diversity of plant species. This is largely due to Carlos Tais, who founded the Buenos Aires Botanical Garden. He planted such plants as Tipuana Tipu, Jacaranda, Tabebuya.
The city government manages ten museums ranging from Fine Arts
(Museum of Fine Arts Eduardo Sivori) and History (National Historical
Museum of Argentina) to Cinema (Museum of Cinema Pablo Ducro Hicken).
There are also many museums dependent on the government (including the
Casa Rosada Museum) or foundations (such as the Latin American Museum).
In addition, the city houses the Museum of Modern Art, the Argentine
Museum of Natural Sciences, the National Museum of Fine Arts, the
Municipal Museum of Fine Arts and National Art, ethnographic, the
National Museum of Decorative Arts, which houses a collection of art
objects and imperial portraits taken to Argentina by the descendants of
the last favorite Catherine II, Count Zubov, as well as the ship-museum
"President Sarmiento". The city has 26 public libraries holding 317,583
books.
In 2014, the city authorities officially allocated a site
for the construction of the Armenian Genocide Museum.
The Colon Theater is one of the five most famous opera houses in the country. It was built by architect Vittorio Meano in 1909. In addition, the city is home to the Theater of General San Martin, the Theater of the President of Alvear, the Teatro Regio, the Teatro Sarmiento and the Teatro de la Ribera. In addition, the city is home to the Cervantes National Theatre, the Recoleta Cultural Center, the General San Martin Cultural Center, the Maipu Theater and many independent theaters in various parts of the city. There are more than 300 theaters in the city. In 1958, the building of the Municipal Theater was included in the list of architectural sights of Buenos Aires. The city has 60 of the most famous bars in the country, which are involved in the history of the city, they receive assistance from the government of Buenos Aires.
In Buenos Aires, as in any major city, there is a whole network of
libraries. The most famous is the National Library of Argentina, which
is the largest library in the country. Currently, the library is located
in the Recoleta area, at the time of its foundation in 1810 it was
located in the City Hall of Buenos Aires.
Also best known are:
the Library of Congress (founded in 1859) located on Congress Square,
the CONABIP (network of national libraries) created in 1870 by decree of
President Domingo Faustino Albarracín Sarmiento, the Library of the
National Medical Association of Argentina, the Library National de
Maestros (founded in 1870 year), as well as the Documentation Center of
the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Argentina.
Tango is an old Argentinean folk dance of free composition,
characterized by an energetic and clear rhythm. Tango spread from the
outskirts of Buenos Aires. In the early years of the 20th century,
dancers and orchestras from Buenos Aires and Montevideo traveled to
Europe, and the first European tango performance took place in Paris,
and shortly thereafter in London, Berlin and other capitals. There are
several tango schools (known as academies) in Buenos Aires, usually for
men only. December 11 is annually celebrated in the city as "Day of the
Tango". On September 30, 2009, the UNESCO Intergovernmental Committee on
the Intangible Heritage declared the tango part of the world cultural
heritage.
The famous tango singer Carlos Gardel grew up and lived
in Buenos Aires. The city is also known for such singers as Anibal
Troilo, Osvaldo Pedro Pugliese, Enrique Santos Disepolo and Homero
Manzi. In the middle of the twentieth century, new singers became known
- Julio Sosa, Edmundo Rivero and Roberto Goyeneche. The composer Astor
Piazzolla was widely known. Argentine punk rock emerged in the late
1960s. The city was also the birthplace of the cumbia style, which
appeared at the end of the 20th century in the poor areas of the city.
Tango Festival. Buenos Aires is the capital of tango. Every year on
August 14-31, the city hosts a tango festival held by the Ministry of
Culture of Argentina since 1999. Visiting the festival has become a way
of life for the locals. During the festival, most of the city's
population dances tango - someone is just starting to master the dance,
experienced masters participate in master classes. Tango lessons are
divided into skill categories of participants - beginner, intermediate
and advanced groups, as well as maestro. The choice of which group to
engage in is made by the participants themselves. Lessons for beginners
are free and scheduled, but classes may be canceled due to rain. Classes
for advanced participants are available for a fee and require
pre-registration by couples. The townspeople themselves say that the
level of tango lessons is often low, and you can meet famous masters in
ordinary situations. Many come to the festival precisely because of the
festive atmosphere and tango (milonga) classes.
Independent Film
Festival 2013. Around 370,000 people attended the 15th Buenos Aires
International Film Festival (BAFICI), one of the most prestigious
cultural events in Latin America. The festival was held in the Recoleta
area and lasted for 12 days. 473 films (165 short films and 272 feature
films) were screened within the framework of the festival.
Buenos
Aires hosts many other festivals. They are organized by the municipality
of the city or private organizers. Many of these festivals are of great
interest not only to the residents of the city, but also to tourists.
Cinema first appeared in Buenos Aires in 1896. The city has been the
center of the Argentine film industry for over 100 years. The first work
of Argentine cinema is considered to be a documentary shot by the French
cameraman Eugene Pi in 1897, which shows the flag of Argentina, which
flies over May Square in Buenos Aires. The two largest film producers in
Argentina are considered Lumiton (formed in 1931, closed in the 1950s
due to economic problems, 180 films released) and Argentina Sono Film
(1933 - present, 220 films).
About 20 companies take part in the
production of cinematographic and television production in Argentina,
including: Patagonik Film Group (established in 1996, more than 50
films), Gorevision Films (2001, about 10 films), Rosstoc (2005), Pampa
Films (2006, about 10 films), 100 Bares (2000). 100 Bares was created
specifically to serve the creative projects of Juan José Companella.
The most significant event in the world of Argentinean fashion is the Buenos Aires Fashion Week, which has been held twice a year since 2001. This event reflects the latest trends for spring-summer and autumn-winter. The fashion week features international designers, but shows also feature local products, as this is a good opportunity to present an overview of the best examples of the Argentinean fashion industry.
The publishing industry in Buenos Aires is one of the most
competitive in the region. The capital is the country's largest
publishing center, where journalists and editors of large-circulation
newspapers and magazines live and work. For example, the Clarin
publishing house produces the most popular newspaper in Argentina, which
is also one of the main Spanish-speaking newspapers in the world. Its
circulation in 2011 was 300,837 copies daily. The first issue of the
newspaper, which is one of the oldest on the planet, was published on
January 4, 1870.
Television In Buenos Aires, the main television
broadcasting channels are: Channel 2 - America (LS86), National State
Channel 7 - Public Television (LS82), Channel 9 (LS83), Channel 11 -
Federal Television (TELEFE, LS84), Channel 13 - Argentine Radio and
Television (ARTEAR, LS85) and other channels (21, 26, 31). Offices 9,
11, 13, 26, and 31 channels are located in the city. In 2006, there were
2,752,323 cable television network subscribers.
Buenos Aires has many radio stations, AM and FM. As in the rest of the world, FM is the most developed network of radio stations. Among the 15 most popular radio stations broadcasting on FM: La 100, Pop Radio, Rock & Pop, FM Metro, Los 40 Principales, Radio Disney, FM Aspen, Mega, Vale, Radio 10, Radio Mitre, Continental, La Red y Radio Nacional. Radio El Mundo and Radio Rivadavia are among the oldest radio stations in Argentina.
Football is the most popular sport in the city. Buenos Aires is the
city with the highest concentration of football teams in the world (at
least 24 professional teams). The confrontation between the local clubs
"River Plate" and "Boca Juniors" is irreconcilable. The Argentine
Championship and the national team are among the strongest in the world,
while Buenos Aires ranks first in the world among all cities in terms of
the total capacity of football stadiums.
In 1950 and 1990, the
city hosted the World Basketball Championships, and in 1978, Argentina
hosted the World Football Championship, the final match of which was
played in Buenos Aires. On June 25, in the final match of the
tournament, the Argentina national team defeated the Netherlands team
with a score of 3: 1 and for the first time in its history became the
best on the planet. Between 1953 and 1998, the city hosted 20 Formula 1
races. The Argentine Grand Prix was held at the Oscar Galvez circuit, in
1998 this stage of the Grand Prix was deleted from the Formula 1
championship calendar due to the financial difficulties of the owners of
the track, however, almost every weekend there are races less than
significant racing tournaments, both national and international. Sports
such as tennis, field hockey and rugby are also popular in the city.
Rock Park stadium hosted Davis Cup matches.
Buenos Aires hosted
the America's Cup several times, hosted the first Pan American Games
(February 25 to March 9, 1951), this city was one of the 5 contenders
for the 2004 Summer Olympics, hosted the 1987 World Polo Championship.
The city has CeNARD (National Center for Advanced Studies), a sports
complex, two treadmills, sections for many sports: football, hockey,
handball, tennis, volleyball, skating, swimming, rugby, weightlifting.
Primary or preschool education in Argentina is for children under the
age of 5. It is received by children from the age of 2 or 3 years.
Primary education is given to children between the ages of 6 and 12,
and is compulsory for all citizens of Argentina. As part of this
education, children begin to learn a second language from the 4th grade
(besides English, they learn French and Italian). There are also 22
institutions for additional teaching of foreign languages in the city.
Secondary education is received by children aged 13 to 18 years.
Such training is organized into a core cycle that includes a mandatory 3
years, as well as specialized education that students take along with
vocational education. In contrast to the educational process in many
provinces of Argentina, Buenos Aires has retained vocational technical
schools, which operate in accordance with city law No. 898 124, after
which graduates receive secondary education.
Buenos Aires has the
highest literacy rate in Argentina.
According to a survey
conducted by the Department of Statistics and Census in 2006, 96.5% of
children aged 5, 98.6% aged 6 to 12 and 87.0% aged 13 to 17 studied in
educational institutions years. In addition, the number of students is
constantly growing, reaching 656,571 in 2006 in 2318 educational
institutions.
There are many educational institutions in Buenos
Aires. With the exception of primary schools, which are mostly public,
there are more private secondary and higher education institutions than
the public ones. However, enrollment in private institutions is somewhat
lower than in public institutions.
Also in Buenos Aires,
residents of the province of Buenos Aires study, in 2005 the percentage
of students from this province who attended public schools in the city
was: 4.5% for elementary level, 11.8% for primary level and 19.5% for
the intermediate level.
In addition to various forms of higher
education, the city hosts the country's leading universities. The most
famous is the University of Buenos Aires, one of the most famous in
Latin America. Also located in the city are the National Technological
University, the National University of General San Martin, the National
University of Art, the University of El Salvador. There are numerous
private colleges in the city.
In Buenos Aires, there are 34 free hospitals operating in the
healthcare system, 114 consultations. In 2011, 181,923 residents of the
city received free treatment in the city's hospitals.
According
to statistics, 55.6% of the population living in the city, as well as
41.2% of residents of the province of Buenos Aires and 3.2% of residents
of other cities use free medical services.
The first aid system
consists of community-based primary health care, first aid centers and
primary care physicians. Along with them, there is preventive care
provided by general practitioners, pediatricians, psychologists and
social workers who carry out various preventive programs. District
health centers perform the same functions - prevention and treatment,
but in addition they provide free delivery of medicines to the
population. Among doctors, such work is considered risky. Secondary care
physicians provide medical services in hospitals and dispense medicines
free of charge.
There are many private clinics in the city, among
which are the Hospital Italiano clinic, which conducts organ transplant
operations; Clinic Maternidad Suizo Argentina, Hospital Universitario de
la Fundación Favaloro, CEMIC (Center for Medical Education and Clinical
Research Norberto Quirno) and FLENI (Foundation for Disease Prevention
for Children and Neurological Diseases).
In the capital, in
recent decades, the birth rate has been low compared to other cities in
Argentina. In 2008, there were 45,820 births in the city, and the total
birth rate was 15.1‰. The death rate was 32,074 people, the overall
mortality rate was 10.5 ‰. As a result, a very low natural increase of
the population amounted to 4.6 ‰ per year (0.46%), similar to that
observed in European countries.
Infant mortality is an indicator of the socio-economic conditions in society, especially in the most vulnerable sections. Between 1990 and 2007, infant mortality in the city decreased by 51%. While in 1990 this figure was 16 deaths per thousand newborns, in 2007 it fell to 7.9.
Slums (villa miseria - by analogy with the Brazilian "favelas") have
existed since the 19th century due to the influx of people from the
province, as well as migrants from neighboring countries. Although
various governments of the country have made efforts to eradicate them,
the problem has not been solved so far.
The northern part of the
city (Buenos Aires is divided into north and south by Rivadavia Avenue)
is characterized by a high population density. The quarter along the
Riachuelo River (one of the most polluted rivers in the world), is built
up mainly by slums. This neighborhood is located south of the main slum
area, where development is chaotic. However, there are slums in other
parts of the city, for example in the immediate vicinity of Retiro.
In slum areas, there is an acute problem of maintaining the health
of the population, and this is exacerbated by the growing pollution of
the La Plata River). The decisive factor in the increase in the number
of slums in the city was the economic crisis in 2001, which reduced the
income of a large part of the city's population. The number of slums has
remained the same, even with recent economic growth.
Buenos Aires is difficult to attribute to the most criminal cities, however, petty theft is very common in the city. There are armed robberies of shops. One of the types of theft that is widespread in recent years is the theft committed from motorcycles. This type of theft has taken such proportions that the Buenos Aires legislature was recently forced to pass a law prohibiting motorcyclists from transporting passengers during working hours in the center of the Argentine capital. The ban on transportation is intended to reduce the volume of crimes committed with this vehicle.