One of the largest cities in South America, Buenos Aires is the capital of Argentina. The Spanish colonists named the city for the “good winds” that brought them to the port. The city is also the country's leading port and center of commerce, politics, and culture. Buenos Aires is located near the Atlantic Ocean coast. It lies at the northeastern edge of the flat plain known as the Pampa, which occupies the heartland of Argentina. The city is situated at the point where the Paraná River delta widens to meet the Río de la Plata. Places of interestBuenos Aires has green areas that include plazas, parks, and wide tree-lined avenues. The most important of the public squares is the Plaza de Mayo, which is linked by the Avenida 25 de Mayo with the Plaza del Congreso. Both plazas are surrounded by major government buildings such as the Casa Rosada, home of the country's president. The most important of the city's theaters is the Colón Theatre. It is an opera house as well as the headquarters of the national ballet and the national symphony. Amateur theater groups are active, and there is an open-air stage in La Boca. The city's museums house varied collections. The Bernardino Rivadavia Argentine Museum of Natural Sciences has an exceptionally rich fossil collection and runs a scientific institute. The National Museum of Fine Arts contains collections of world masters and of Argentine painters and sculptors. The National Museum of Decorative Arts houses tapestries and antiques. EconomyBuenos Aires is the nation's chief port and the largest in South America. It is the country's processing and shipping center. Many industries are also located in Buenos Aires. About half of all manufacturing jobs are located here. The main industries include food processing, metalworking, automobile assembly, oil refining, and printing and publishing. The city also produces textiles, beverages, paper, and chemicals. Most of the banking activity of the country is also located in Buenos Aires. HistoryThe first permanent community at Buenos Aires was established in the 16th century. Juan de Garay, a Spaniard, led an expedition to the Río de la Plata region. There, at the mouth of the Río Riachuelo, he founded the city in 1580. In the last quarter of the 17th century and the first half of the 18th, settlements spread rapidly to the northwest along the banks of the Paraná River. By the middle of the 18th century, Buenos Aires had become a thriving center of trade. In 1776, Buenos Aires was made the capital of the Spanish province that eventually became Argentina. During and after World War II, industrial growth contributed to the city's expansion and reinforced its political and economic dominance of the country. Population (1999 estimate), 2,904,192. |