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Buenos Aires

2007 Schools Wikipedia Selection. Related subjects: Central & South American
Geography

   Buenos Aires

   Official flag of Buenos Aires

                                Official seal of Buenos Aires
   Flag                         Seal
   Coordinates: 34°36′36.00″S, 58°22′11.99″W
   Found 1536, 1580
   Mayor Jorge Telerman
   Area
    - City 203 km²  (78.5  sq mi)
    - Land 203 km²  (78.5 sq mi)
    - Metro 4,758 km²
   Population
    - City ( 2001 est.) 2,776,138
    - Density 13,679.6/km²
    - Metro 12,400,000
   Website: http://www.buenosaires.gov.ar/

   Buenos Aires (English: Fair Winds; originally Ciudad de la Santísima
   Trinidad y Puerto de Santa María de los Buenos Aires, "City of the Most
   Holy Trinity and Port of Saint Mary of the Fair Winds"; pronounced
   [ˈbwe.nɔs ˈaj.ɾɛs]) is the capital of Argentina and its largest city
   and port. It is located on the southern shore of the Río de la Plata,
   on the southeastern coast of the South American continent, opposite
   Colonia del Sacramento, Uruguay, at 34°40′S 58°24′W (-34.667, -58.40).

   Strongly influenced by European culture, Buenos Aires is sometimes
   referred to as the "Paris of the South" or "Paris of South America". It
   is one of the most sophisticated cities in Latin America, renowned for
   its architecture, night life, and cultural activities. It is also among
   the wealthiest cities in Latin America, housing an extensive
   middle-class and number of residents who have Higher Education.

   After the internal conflicts of the 19th century, Buenos Aires was
   federalised and removed from Buenos Aires Province; its city limits
   were enlarged to include the former towns of Belgrano and Flores — both
   are now neighbourhoods in the city.

   Argentines sometimes refer to the city as Capital Federal to
   differentiate the city from the province of the same name. In the 1994
   constitution, it was declared an autonomous city, hence its formal
   denomination: Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires.

History

   Location in Argentina
   Enlarge
   Location in Argentina

   Spanish seaman Juan Díaz de Solís was the first European to reach the
   Río de la Plata, in 1516, but his expedition was cut short by an attack
   in which he was killed by the native Charrúa or Guaraní tribe.

   The city was first founded as Ciudad de Nuestra Señora Santa María del
   Buen Ayre (literally "City of Our Lady of the Good Air") on February 2,
   1536 by a Spanish gold-seeking expedition under Pedro de Mendoza. The
   name was chosen by Mendoza's chaplain, who was a devout follower of the
   Virgine de Bonaria ("Our Lady of the Fair Winds") of Cagliari,
   Sardinia. The location of Mendoza's city was in today's San Telmo
   district, south of the city centre.

   More attacks by the indigenous peoples forced the settlers away and in
   1541 the site was abandoned. A second (and permanent) settlement was
   established in 1580 by Juan de Garay, who sailed down the Paraná River
   from Asunción (now the capital of Paraguay).

   From its earliest days, the success of Buenos Aires depended on trade.
   During most of the 17th and 18th centuries, Spain insisted that all
   trade to Europe initially pass through Lima, Peru so that taxes could
   be collected. This scheme frustrated the traders of Buenos Aires, and a
   thriving contraband industry developed. Unsurprisingly, this also
   instilled a deep resentment in porteños towards Spanish authorities.

   Sensing this instability, Charles III of Spain progressively eased the
   trade restrictions and finally declared Buenos Aires an open port in
   the late 1700s. Those placating actions did not have the desired
   effect, and the porteños, some of them versed in the ideology of the
   French revolution, became even more desirous of independence from
   Spain.
   The Buenos Aires Cabildo, site of the 1810 May Revolution.
   Enlarge
   The Buenos Aires Cabildo, site of the 1810 May Revolution.

   During the British invasions of the Río de la Plata British forces
   invaded Buenos Aires twice in 1806–1807 but were repulsed by local
   militias. Ultimately, on May 25, 1810, while Spain endured the
   Peninsular War and after a week of mostly pacific deliberations, the
   criollo citizens of Buenos Aires successfully ousted the Spanish
   Viceroy and established a provisional government. That date is now
   celebrated as a national holiday ( May Revolution Day). Formal
   independence from Spain was declared only in 1816.

   Historically, Buenos Aires has been Argentina's main centre for liberal
   and free-trade ideas, while many of the provinces, especially to the
   Northwest, advocated a more conservative-Catholic approach to political
   and social issues. Many tensions within Argentine history, starting
   with the centralist-federalist conflicts of the 19th century, can be
   traced back to these contrasting views.

   In the 19th century the city suffered naval blockades on two occasions:
   first by the French, from 1838 to 1840, and then a joint Anglo-French
   blockade from 1845 to 1848. Both blockades failed to surrender the
   city, and the foreign powers eventually desisted from their demands.
   Map of Buenos Aires of 1530s
   Enlarge
   Map of Buenos Aires of 1530s

   During most of the 19th century, the political status of the city
   remained a sensitive subject. Meant by many to be the nation's capital,
   it was already capital of Buenos Aires Province, and for seven years
   from 1853 to 1860, it was the capital of the seceded State of Buenos
   Aires. The issue was debated more than once on the battlefield, until
   the matter was finally settled in 1880 when the city was declared
   national capital, separated from the province of the same name, and
   became the seat of the federal government, with its Mayor appointed by
   the President. Today, the Casa Rosada is the seat of national
   government and the office of the President of the Republic.

   Railroad construction near the end of the 19th century increased the
   economic power of Buenos Aires as raw materials flowed into its
   factories, and the town became a metropolitan and multicultural city
   that ranked itself with the major European capitals. For example, the
   Teatro Colón was one of the world's top opera venues. The city's main
   avenues were built in those years, and the dawn of the 20th century saw
   the construction of South America's then-tallest buildings and first
   subway network.
   Coat of arms of Buenos Aires, used since 1591
   Coat of arms of Buenos Aires, used since 1591

   By the 1920s Buenos Aires was a favoured destination for immigrants
   from Europe, as well as from the poorer provinces and neighbouring
   countries, and large shanty towns ( villas miseria) started growing
   around the city's industrial areas, leading to extensive social
   problems.

   Buenos Aires was the cradle of Peronism: the now-mythical demonstration
   of October 17, 1945 took place in Plaza de Mayo. Industrial workers of
   the Greater Buenos Aires industrial belt have been Peronism's main
   support base ever since, and Plaza de Mayo became the site for
   demonstrations and many of the country's political events.

   On June 16, 1955, the military uprising that would depose President
   Perón three months later (see Revolución Libertadora) had the Plaza de
   Mayo area bombed, killing 364 civilians (see Bombing of Plaza de Mayo).
   This was the only time the city was attacked from the air.

   In the 1970s, the city suffered from the fighting between left-wing
   revolutionary movements ( Montoneros, E.R.P. and F.A.R.) and right-wing
   paramilitary group Triple A, supported by Isabel Perón, who became
   president of Argentina in 1974, after Juan Perón's death.

   The military coup of 1976, led by Jorge Rafael Videla, only escalated
   this conflict; the " Dirty War" produced between 10,000 and 30,000
   desaparecidos, people kidnapped and killed by the military during the
   years of the junta. By some estimates upwards of 100,000 people were
   held in illegal detention centers and concentration camps during those
   years. The silent marches of their mothers ( Mothers of the Plaza de
   Mayo) are a well-known image of Argentine suffering during those times.

   The city was visited by Pope John Paul II on two occasions: in 1982,
   due to the outbreak of the Falklands-Malvinas War, and a second visit
   in 1987, which gathered crowds never seen before in the city.

   On March 17, 1992 a bomb exploded in the Israeli Embassy killing 29 and
   injuring 242. Another explosion, on July 18, 1994, destroyed a building
   housing several Jewish organizations killing 85 and injuring many more
   (see AMIA bombing).

   In 1996, under the 1994 reform of the Argentine Constitution, the city
   gained autonomous status, and held its first mayoral elections (its
   formal title changed to "Chief of Government"). The winner was (later
   President) Fernando de la Rúa.

   On December 30, 2004, a fire at República Cromagnon concert hall killed
   almost 200 people, the greatest non-natural tragedy in Argentine
   history. Due to his responsibility over the non-enforcement of safety
   regulations, and (allegedly) also because of his precarious political
   standing, Mayor Aníbal Ibarra was impeached by the legislature, and
   deposed on 6 March 2006. His deputy, Jorge Telerman, who had been the
   acting mayor since December 2005, was invested with the office.

Government and politics

   Government house of Buenos Aires
   Enlarge
   Government house of Buenos Aires

   In 1996, under the 1994 reform of the Argentine Constitution, the city
   gained autonomous status, and held its first mayoral elections (its
   formal title changed to "Chief of Government"). The winner was (later
   President) Fernando de la Rúa.

   De la Rúa's successor, Aníbal Ibarra, won two elections, but was
   impeached (and ultimately deposed on 6 March 2006) as a result of the
   fire at República Cromagnon concert hall, which killed almost 200
   people. Jorge Telerman, who had been the acting mayor since December
   2005, was invested with the office.

National representation

   Buenos Aires is represented in the Argentine Senate by three senators
   (as of August 2006, Rodolfo Terragno, María Leguizamón and Vilma
   Ibarra). In addition, Buenos Aires citizens elect 25 national deputies
   for the Argentine Chamber of Deputies.

Barrios

   The colourful district of La Boca.
   Enlarge
   The colourful district of La Boca.

   The city is divided into 48 barrios (neighbourhoods) for administrative
   purposes. The division was originally based on Catholic parroquias (
   parishes), but has undergone a series of changes since the 1940s. A
   newer scheme has divided the city into 15 comunas. Some of the most
   iconic and best-known barrios include La Boca, San Telmo, Recoleta,
   Palermo and Puerto Madero.

Population

   The people of Buenos Aires are known as porteños (people of the port),
   acknowledging the major historical importance of the port in the
   development of the city and the nation. Suburbanites are called
   porteños and sometimes bonaerenses (the demonym of the Buenos Aires
   province).

Census data

   Population growth since 1740
   Enlarge
   Population growth since 1740

   According to the census, the city proper has a population of 2,776,138,
   while the Greater Buenos Aires conurbation has more than 12.4 million
   inhabitants ( 2001 census [ INDEC]). The population of the city proper
   has been stagnant since the late 1960s, due to low birth rate and a
   slow flight to suburbia.

Origin

   Most porteños have European origins, with Spanish and Italian descent
   being the most common, mainly from the Galician, Asturian, and Basque
   regions of Spain, and the Calabrian, Ligurian, Piedmont and Neapolitan
   regions of Italy.

   Other European origins include German, Portuguese, Polish, Irish,
   French, Croatian and English.

   In the 1990s, there was a small wave of immigration from Romania and
   Ukraine.

   There is a small minority of old criollo stock, dating back to the
   Spanish colonial days. Criollo and Spanish-aboriginal (mestizo)
   population in the city has increased mostly as a result of migration,
   both from the provinces and from nearby countries such as Bolivia, Perú
   and Paraguay, since the second half of the 20th century.

   Important Arab (mostly Syrian-Lebanese) and Armenian communities have
   been significant in commerce and civic life since the beginning of the
   20th century.

   Buenos Aires's Jewish community, numbering around 250,000, is the
   largest Jewish community in Latin America. Most are of Eastern European
   Ashkenazi origin, with a minority of Sephardim of mostly Syrian
   descent.

   The first major East Asian community in Buenos Aires was the Japanese,
   including a significant number from Okinawa; since the 1970s there has
   been an important influx of immigration from China and Korea (see also:
   Asian-Argentines).

Religion

   Most inhabitants are Roman Catholic. Buenos Aires is the seat of a
   Roman Catholic metropolitan archbishop (who is the prelate of
   Argentina), as well as of several Eastern Orthodox and Anglican
   hierarchs. Evangelical churches have steadily increased their ranks
   since the 1980s.

   Sizable Jewish and Muslim communities have existed in the city for over
   100 years. Buenos Aires is home to Latin America's largest Jewish
   community.

Economy

   A NASA satellite photo of the Río de la Plata area. Gran Buenos Aires
   can be seen on the right.
   Enlarge
   A NASA satellite photo of the Río de la Plata area. Gran Buenos Aires
   can be seen on the right.

   Buenos Aires is the financial, industrial, commercial, and cultural hub
   of Argentina. Its port is one of the busiest in the world. Tax
   collection related to it has caused many political problems in the past
   [*]; navigable rivers by way of the Rio de la Plata connect the port to
   north-east Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay and Paraguay. As a result, it
   serves as the distribution hub for a vast area of the south-eastern
   region of the continent.

   To the west of Buenos Aires is the Pampa Húmeda, the most productive
   agricultural region of Argentina (as opposed to the dry southern Pampa,
   mostly used for cattle farms). Meat, dairy, grain, tobacco, wool and
   hide products are processed or manufactured in the Buenos Aires area.
   Other leading industries are automobile manufacturing, oil refining,
   metalworking, machine building, and the production of textiles,
   chemicals, clothing, and beverages.

Culture

   1923 Barolo Palace, on Avenida de Mayo.
   Enlarge
   1923 Barolo Palace, on Avenida de Mayo.
   The Nueve de Julio Avenue, the world's widest street. Its name honors
   Argentine Independence Day (July 9, 1816).
   Enlarge
   The Nueve de Julio Avenue, the world's widest street. Its name honours
   Argentine Independence Day (July 9, 1816).

   Deeply influenced and self-consciously modeled after its European
   heritage, Buenos Aires is the site of the Teatro Colón, one of the
   world's greatest opera houses. There are several symphony orchestras
   and choral societies. The city has numerous museums related to history,
   fine arts, modern arts, decorative arts, popular arts, sacred art, arts
   and crafts, theatre and popular music, as well as the preserved homes
   of a number of art collectors, writers, composers and artists. It
   harbours many public libraries and cultural associations as well as the
   largest concentration of active theatres in Latin America. It has a
   world-famous zoo and Botanical Garden, a large number of landscaped
   parks and squares, as well as churches and places of worship of all
   denominations, many of which are architecturally noteworthy.

Language

   Argentines refer to their dialect of Spanish as castellano (
   Castilian), which in Buenos Aires (and also in other cities like
   Rosario and Montevideo, Uruguay) is characterised by voseo, yeísmo and
   aspiration or loss of syllable-final -s. Heavily influenced by the
   dialects of Spanish spoken in Andalusia and Murcia, it is sometimes
   known as Rioplatense Spanish.
   1888 German map of Buenos Aires
   Enlarge
   1888 German map of Buenos Aires

   The lunfardo argot originated within the prison population, and in time
   it spread to all porteños. Lunfardo uses words from Italian dialects,
   from Brazilian Portuguese, from African and Caribbean origin and even
   from English; and employs humorous tricks such as inverting the
   syllables within a word (see vesre). Today, lunfardo is mostly heard on
   tango lyrics; the slang of the younger generations has been evolving
   away from it.

   In the early 20th century, Argentina absorbed millions of immigrants,
   many of them Italians, who spoke mostly in their local dialects (mainly
   Neapolitan, Sicilian and Genoan). Their adoption of Spanish was
   gradual, creating a pidgin of Italian dialects and Spanish called
   cocoliche, widely heard in the beginning of the 20th century; its usage
   declined around the 1950s, and today survives mostly as comic relief.

   As many Spanish immigrants were from Galicia, to the extent that
   Spaniards are still generically called gallegos (Galicians), Galician
   language, cuisine and culture had a major presence in the city for most
   of the 20th century. In recent years, descendants of Galician
   immigrants have led a mini-boom in Celtic music (which also highlighted
   the Welsh traditions of Patagonia).

   Yiddish was commonly heard in Buenos Aires, especially in the Balvanera
   garment neighbourhood and in Villa Crespo, until the 1960s. Korean and
   Chinese have become significant since the 1970s. Most of the newer
   immigrants learn Spanish quickly and assimilate into city life.

Tango

   Tango in the streets of Buenos Aires.
   Enlarge
   Tango in the streets of Buenos Aires.

   Tango music was born in the suburbs, notably in the brothels of the
   Junín y Lavalle district and in the arrabales (poorer suburbs). Its
   sensual dance moves were not seen as respectable until adopted by the
   Parisian high society in the 1920s, and then all over the world. In
   Buenos Aires, tango dancing schools (known as academias) were usually
   men-only establishments.

   Starting in the 1920s, the Buenos Aires style of tango music evolved
   into an elaborated genre. In its heyday, tango had many famous
   orchestras such as those led by Aníbal Troilo and Juan D'Arienzo, and
   singers such as Carlos Gardel and Edmundo Rivero. Tango enjoyed a
   resurgence in global popularity later in the century due almost
   exclusively to Astor Piazzolla and his development of the tango nuevo
   style.

   Buenos Aires holds an annual "Tango Day" each December 11.

   In San Telmo, Sundays are devoted to tango shows on the streets and
   antiques trade in the bazaars around Dorrego Square. Tango shows can be
   found in establishments such as Rivero's El Viejo Almacén.

Tourism

   The city has many museums, historical buildings, shopping centres,
   hotels and a floating casino.

Transportation

   Subway station in Monserrat, Buenos Aires
   Enlarge
   Subway station in Monserrat, Buenos Aires

Public transport

   A majority of residents in Buenos Aires and its suburbs use public
   transportation. A Buenos Aires invention is the " colectivo", popularly
   known as the "bondi", a small bus built out of a truck chassis and
   seating 21 to 27. Numerous colectivos and larger public buses traverse
   the city each hour providing access to virtually all neighborhoods.

   The Buenos Aires Metro (locally known as el subte, from "subterráneo"
   meaning "underground") is an extensive system providing access to
   various parts of the city. Opened in 1913, it is the oldest subway
   system in the Southern Hemisphere and in the Spanish-speaking world.
   The system has five lines, A to E, 80 stations, and 46 km of track.
   Under an expansion program, it is expected to expand to 89 km by 2011.

Roadways

   European and modern styles in Buenos Aires
   Enlarge
   European and modern styles in Buenos Aires

   Buenos Aires used to be relatively congestion-free for a city of its
   size. Toll freeways opened in the late 1970s by then-mayor Osvaldo
   Cacciatore provided fast access to the downtown area, increasing the
   number of cars coming into the city. During Cacciatore's tenure, the
   streets of the downtown financial district (roughly one square
   kilometre in size) were declared off-limits to private cars during
   daytime. Main avenues of the city include the 140-m-wide 9 de Julio
   Avenue, the over-35-km-long Rivadavia Avenue, and the cultural-centred
   Corrientes Avenue.

   Following the economic mini-boom of the 1990s, more people started
   commuting by car, and congestion increased. Most major avenues are
   gridlocked at peak hours. Another source of congestion is the flight of
   many people to the country on weekends.

   Black-and-yellow taxis roam the streets at all hours. Some of these are
   unlicensed (controls are not fully enforced), so visitors are advised
   to phone a reputable radio-link company. Low-fare limo services, known
   as remises, have become more popular in recent years.

Rail transport

   All of Argentina's extensive railway network converges on Buenos Aires.
   The three principal stations for both long-distance passenger services
   and commuter trains are Estación Retiro, Estación Constitución, and
   Estación Once.

   There is a project to build a Buenos Aires-Rosario-Córdoba high-speed
   railway, which would join the three most populated cities in Argentina.
   Bids were opened in mid-2006, and proposals by four European firms are
   under study. Construction is slated to start in 2007, to be finished in
   2010.

Airports

   The Buenos Aires international airport, Ministro Pistarini
   International Airport, is located in the suburb of Ezeiza and is often
   called simply "Ezeiza". The Aeroparque Jorge Newbery airport, within
   city limits near the river, serves mostly domestic traffic.

Sports

   Diego Maradona's Boca Juniors shirt.
   Enlarge
   Diego Maradona's Boca Juniors shirt.

   Football is a passion for Argentines. Buenos Aires has the highest
   concentration of football teams of any city in the world, with many of
   its teams playing in the major league. The best-known rivalry is the
   one between Boca Juniors and River Plate, and a match between these two
   teams has been qualified as "the Nº 1 sporting event to watch before
   dying" by The Observer. Other major clubs include San Lorenzo de
   Almagro, Vélez Sársfield and Club Atlético Huracán, of Parque
   Patricios.

   Diego Armando Maradona, who was born in a poor suburb of Buenos Aires
   and is widely hailed as one of the greatest football players ever,
   started his career with Argentinos Juniors and later played for Boca
   Juniors (he also played for other clubs, notably Italian side SSC
   Napoli).

   Buenos Aires has been a candidate city for the Summer Olympic Games on
   three occasions: for the 1956 Games, lost by a single vote to
   Melbourne; for the 1968 Summer Olympics, which were held in Mexico City
   (to this date, the only Games held in Latin America); and in 2004, when
   the games were awarded to Athens. As of 2006, Argentina is the only
   founding member of the International Olympic Committee that has not
   hosted the games.

   However, Buenos Aires hosted the 1951 Pan American Games - the first,
   and was also host city to several World Championship events: the 1950
   and 1990 Basketball World Championships, the 1982 and 2002 Men's
   Volleyball World Championships and, most remembered, the 1978 FIFA
   World Cup, won by Argentina on June 25, 1978 when it defeated the
   Netherlands by 3–1.
   Calatrava's Women's Bridge in Puerto Madero
   Enlarge
   Calatrava's Women's Bridge in Puerto Madero

   The Buenos Aires Oscar Gálvez car-racing track hosted 20 editions of
   the Formula One Argentine Grand Prix between 1953 and 1998; its
   discontinuation was due to financial reasons. The track features local
   categories on most weekends. Juan Manuel Fangio is considered one of
   the greatest figures in the history of Grand Prix racing. Other notable
   Argentine drivers include José Froilán González and Carlos Reutemann.

   Argentines' love for horses can be experienced in several ways: horse
   racing at the Hipódromo Argentino de Palermo racetrack, polo in the
   Campo Argentino de Polo (located just across Libertador Avenue from the
   Hipódromo), and pato, a kind of basketball played on horseback that was
   declared the national game in 1953.

   Buenos Aires native Guillermo Vilas (who was raised in Mar del Plata)
   was one of the great tennis players of the 1970s and 1980s, and
   popularized tennis in all of Argentina.

   Other popular sports in Buenos Aires are golf, basketball, rugby, and
   field hockey.

Internet

   Buenos Aires ISPs provide dial-up, cable, satellite-based and ADSL
   connections to the Internet. Suburban users routinely experience lower
   ADSL speeds, but their situation is improving steadily as investment in
   new facilities has been stepped up.

   The Internet boom in the early 2000s gave birth to cibercafés. There is
   a growing number of wi-fi hotspots, mostly around the downtown area.

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