We explain everything about the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires and its physical and cultural characteristics. Also, what is its economy, religion and the history of this city.
Buenos Aires
The Autonomous City of Buenos Aires (CABA) is the capital city of the Argentine Republicone of the twelve national states that make up South America. It is one of the main capitals of the continent and the most important tourist destination in the country.
The metropolitan area of Buenos Aires makes up the largest urban agglomerate in Argentinawhere the majority of the population and economic activity are concentrated. After Sao Paulo in Brazil, it is the second most populated city in South America and the one with the highest per capita income in the region.
Those from Buenos Aires are known as ““porteños.” The urban area formed by the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires and the districts of the province of Buenos Aires closest to it is collectively called the Buenos Aires Metropolitan Area (AMBA).
Why is it called that? The name “Buenos Aires” dates back to the time of the city's founding. Pedro de Mendoza called her “Our Lady Saint Mary of Good Ayre.” Then, in its second foundation, Juan de Garay named it “City of the Holy Trinity and Port of Santa María de los Buenos Ayres.” Over time the name was simplified until it was simply named “Buenos Aires.”
- See also: Argentina
Characteristics of Buenos Aires
- Its official name is the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires.
- It has been the capital of Argentina since 1880.
- It had two foundations: one in 1536 by Pedro de Mendoza, and another in 1580 by Juan de Garay.
- It has a population of 3,120,000 inhabitants and a metropolitan area of 14 million.
- It has an area of 202 square kilometers and a population density of 15,445 inhabitants per square kilometer.
- It is located in the north of the province of Buenos Aires, on the banks of the Río de la Plata estuary.
- Its predominant relief is the plain.
- It has a humid subtropical temperate climate.
- Most of its streams are piped under the city streets.
- Tango is the characteristic musical genre and one of its main tourist attractions.
- It is the headquarters of some of the most important soccer teams in Argentina such as River Plate and Boca Juniors.
- Its main economic activities are industry, services and commerce.
Location, extension and population of Buenos Aires
The city of Buenos Aires is located in the north of the province of Buenos Aireson the banks of the Río de la Plata estuary. Its territory is delimited by General Paz Avenue in the north and west, by the Riachuelo in the south and to the east by the Río de la Plata.
The population of Buenos Aires is 3,120,000 inhabitantswhich makes it the most populated urban center in the country. It has an area of 202 square kilometers, so its population density is 15,445 inhabitants per square kilometer. If the metropolitan area is included, its population amounts to 14 million people, which represents the 30.3% of the country's total.
The city is divided into 15 communeswhich group together the different 48 Buenos Aires neighborhoods. The most populated communes are:
- Commune 13. It is located in the north of the city and is made up of the neighborhoods of Núñez, Belgrano and Colegiales. It has a total of 265,199 inhabitants.
- Commune 14. It is located in the center-north of the city and is made up of the Palermo neighborhood. It has a total of 249,016 inhabitants.
- Commune 12. It is located in the north of the city and is made up of the neighborhoods of Coghlan, Saavedra, Villa Urquiza and Villa Pueyrredón. It has a total of 236,294 inhabitants.
Its autonomous city regime allows it to have its own public powers: executive, legislative and judicial. The operation of these powers is governed by the Constitution of the City of Buenos Aires of 1996.
In addition, all national government agencies are located in the city, including the national government house, ministries and Congress.
Buenos Aires is the most important city in the region since the times of the Spanish colony, and since 1880 it has been the capital of Argentina. It has always attracted and received immigrants from all over the world and from other provinces of the country, which is why the percentage of people who live in Buenos Aires but were not born there is high.
Buenos Aires is a city with great population and cultural diversity. During the 20th century it received immigrants from Europe and in the last 50 years, inhabitants from neighboring countries and Peru also settled.
There is also a large Asian population coming mainly from China, Japan and South Korea. In addition, Buenos Aires is home to numerous immigrants from other Argentine provinces and a large number of Colombian, Venezuelan and Senegalese populations.
The Autonomous City of Buenos Aires (CABA) should not be confused with the province of Buenos Aires. Having the same name, this usually causes confusion. The Autonomous City of Buenos Aires is the capital city of the country, while the province of Buenos Aires is the largest and most populated in Argentina, and has its capital in the city of La Plata.
Climate, relief and hydrography of Buenos Aires
The city has a temperate climate humid subtropical, also called “temperate pampas”. It is characterized by having warm summers and cold winters, and rainfall close to 1000 mm annually distributed regularly throughout the year.
Its predominant relief is the plainwith undulations that, at their maximum altitude, can reach 26 meters in height. This is one of the reasons that increase the risk of flooding in the city.: In rainy years, significant flooding usually occurs, especially in the lower areas of the city.
The undulations that its topography presents cause there to be higher areas that almost never flood but that, due to the slope, drain rainwater to lower areas that suffer flooding more frequently.
The city's streams are mostly piped under the streets and flow into the Río de la Plata and the Riachuelo. The most important are the Maldonado, the Vega, the Medrano, the Cildáñez and the White. To the south of the city is the Riachuelo, which is part of the hydrographic basin called “Matanza-Riachuelo”, and serves as the limit between the city and the province of Buenos Aires.
- It may help you: Climate in Argentina
Tourism and culture of Buenos Aires
Tourism in the city is an important source of income and it is possible to find visitors from different countries throughout the year, especially in the summer and spring seasons. It is estimated that Buenos Aires receives about 10 million tourists per year and the city is one of the 20 favorite destinations in the world.
Among its most important tourist places are the historic center and the Casa Rosada (Government House), the traditional neighborhoods of San Telmo and Monserrat, as well as Avenida de Mayo, La Boca (and especially Caminito), Puerto Madero and the Recoleta Cemetery.
The musical culture of Buenos Aires is wide and varied, but tango is the musical genre that most attracts foreign tourism. It is a typical traditional dance inherited from Italian immigration, as well as other rhythms such as the milonga or the chacarera. The rock musical offering in Spanish is also important.
The city has more than 1000 restaurants, around 100 places to listen, dance and learn tango, almost 500 hotel establishments, more than 200 theaters and museums and a large number of bars, cultural centers, bookstores and shopping malls.
Some of the emblematic landscapes or monuments of Buenos Aires are:
- The obelisk of Buenos Aireswhere the national flag was raised for the first time, located at the intersection of 9 de Julio and Corrientes avenues.
- 9 de Julio Avenueone of the widest on the continent, which crosses the city from north to south in its central area.
- Corrientes Avenuewhere cafes, theaters, cinemas and bookstores abound.
- The Boca neighborhoodwhere the immigrant road (Caminito) and the Boca Juniors stadium, the “Bombonera”, are located.
Buenos Aires Sports
Soccer is the most popular sport in Argentina and Buenos Aires. There are numerous football teams that have their headquarters and stadiums in the city. The most important are River Plate in the Núñez neighborhood, Boca Juniors in La Boca, Vélez Sarsfield in Liniers, San Lorenzo de Almagro in Boedo and Huracán in Parque Patricios.
Other sports practiced in Buenos Aires are basketball, rugby, hockey about grass and volleyball. Additionally, in the Núñez neighborhood is the National Center for High Sports Performance (CENARD), where most of the country's Olympic athletes train and prepare.
History of Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires was founded on two occasions:
- On February 2, 1536, by the Spanish Pedro de Mendoza, with the name of Our Lady Saint Mary of Good Ayre. This settlement did not last long, as famine and conflicts with the original Querandí populations led to its abandonment in 1541.
- June 11, 1580, by the Spanish Juan de Garay, who had just founded Asunción in Paraguay. This settlement was located one league further north of the site where Mendoza had made the first foundation. The new city was called the City of the Holy Trinity and the Port of Santa María de los Buenos Ayres.
The city was originally the seat of a governorate subordinate to the Viceroyalty of Peru. In 1776 it was designated as the capital of the Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata, as part of a plan to stop foreign advances in the region and to control leather smuggling.
This city had central importance in the political events of the country. In 1816, it was the second headquarters of the Congress of Tucumán. At that meeting, the provinces of the Viceroyalty declared their independence from Spain. The Constitution of 1819 was also drawn up there.
In that year a period of war began (such as the Brazilian War of 1824) that lasted until independence was obtained. The climax of these confrontations occurred in the civil war between unitarians and federalists. Buenos Aires was a bastion of the Unitarians, the losing side.
Economic activities of Buenos Aires
The main economic activities of Buenos Aires are:
- The industry. The main industrial sectors in Buenos Aires are the chemical and pharmaceutical industry, the food and beverage industry, the textile industry and the printing industry.
- The services. The main services of the city are financial, communications, social and health services, transportation, tourism, educational, IT and cultural services.
- The trade. It is the activity that generates the greatest amount of employment in the city. It generates more than 200,000 jobs, and contributes almost 20% of the city's Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Most of it is used in warehouses, kiosks, grocery stores, butcher shops, supermarkets, shopping malls and clothing businesses, technology businesses, furniture stores and bookstores.
- Uruguay
- Mexico City
- City
References
- Professional Council of Architecture and Urbanism (2019) Metropolitan Observatory. Autonomous City of Buenos Aires. https://observatorioamba.org/
- General Directorate of Statistics and Censuses (2013) X-ray of the main economic activities of the city. https://www.estadisticaciudad.gob.ar/
- Martínes, L. and Ferreiro, I. (2023) Census 2022: how the population of the City and the province of Buenos Aires evolved. https://chequeado.com/
- Ministry of Tourism and Sports of the Nation (sf) CeNARD. https://www.argentina.gob.ar/
- Website of the City Tourism Secretariat. https://turismo.buenosaires.gob.ar/es
- All Argentina (sf) City of Buenos Aires. https://www.todo-argentina.net/
