Overview
Buenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, with a metropolitan population of around 15 million people. It is located on the western shore of the Rio de la Plata, an estuary on the southeastern coast of South America, across from Uruguay. The city proper, known as the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires, is a federal district.
Geography and Physical Features
The city lies on the flat Pampas plain at an elevation of about 25 meters above sea level. The Rio de la Plata, formed by the confluence of the Parana and Uruguay Rivers, is one of the widest river estuaries in the world, reaching 220 kilometers across at its mouth. The city occupies about 203 square kilometers within its federal boundaries.
Significance
Founded by Spanish colonists in 1536 and re-established in 1580, Buenos Aires became the capital of the Viceroyalty of the Rio de la Plata in 1776 and of independent Argentina in 1816. The city is the cultural capital of Argentina, famous as the birthplace of tango, and is often referred to as the Paris of South America for its European-influenced architecture.
Notable Facts
The Teatro Colon, opened in 1908, is widely regarded as one of the world's greatest opera houses for its acoustics. The Avenida 9 de Julio, the city's main north-south thoroughfare, is one of the widest avenues in the world, with up to 18 lanes of traffic. La Recoleta Cemetery contains the tomb of Eva Peron, one of Argentina's most famous historical figures.