Region Information

Buenos Aires is the absolute centre of Argentina and it is among the most important cultural metropolis of Latin America. The city is the seat of the government, the parliament, all the important ministries, the stock exchange and headquarters of many international enterprises. Most of the universities, 30 % of all the industries of the country and the most important harbour are located in the capital. Even the roads of all the provinces are directed like a spider web towards Buenos Aires.

The first foundation of Buenos Aires took place in 1536 by Pedro de Mendoza. However, shortly after that, it was destroyed by the natives. The second foundation in 1580 was more successful. Over the next two centuries, the city grew slowly but steadily. In 1776 Buenos Aires became the capital of the Viceroyalty of the River Plate. Around 1780 the town had about 25,000 inhabitants and a hundred years later 250,000. The construction of the railways in 1957 connected Buenos Aires with the countryside. New neighbourhoods were founded with the uprising significance of the harbour and the meat industries. In the end of the 19th century, Buenos Aires was the biggest city of Latin America. Cattle and exports made the city rich, large avenues were built, following the patterns of other western metropolis. In the 30s and 40s the centre became modernized and after World War II, skyscrapers were raised in down town. Great Buenos Aires, the city and the suburbs, counts nowadays with 13 million inhabitants, which is a third of the population of the Argentine Republic.

Buenos Aires is a harbour town. The city centre is compact and it is quite easy for orientation. Most of the highlights may be visited on foot. The two most important avenues are May Avenue ("Avenida de Mayo"), linking the Government House (“Casa Rosada”) with the Parliament (“Congreso”) and 9th-of-July Avenue ("Avenida 9 de Julio"). This north–south connection, with heavy traffic, is one of the widest avenues in the world (129m). The pedestrian zones in the city are Florida Street (north – south) and Lavalle Street (east – west). The “Broadway” of Buenos Aires is Corrientes Avenue, with plenty of theatres and cinemas. The richer neighbourhoods like Recoleta and Palermo are towards the north of the city. South of the centre you will find San Telmo, a modest neighbourhood with colonial buildings, very appreciated by artists and bohemians and a bit further south, La Boca, picturesque and poor, one of the birth places of Tango.