City Overview of Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires is the most European city in Latin America and is known above all for a fascinating art form, the Argentine tango.
With its large boulevards, green parks, magnificent buildings, its cultural diversity and its lively nightlife, the city is reminiscent of Paris or Barcelona.
The Porteños (people from the port), as the inhabitants of Buenos Aires are called, are also the most European in Latin America. They come from the first Spanish founding fathers and Italian immigrants from the 19th century, whose culture and cuisine can still be enjoyed in numerous galleries, theaters, museums and of course in good restaurants.
Buenos Aires, home to 47 barrios (neighborhoods) and almost three million inhabitants, is located in the east of Argentina on the Rio de la Plata and from the fertile Pampas surrounded.
Buenos Aires is a cosmopolitan city that can be explored and enjoyed cheaply. Numerous new museums and a lively cultural life provide visitors with unforgettable experiences day and night.
Important facts
Area code: 11
Population: 15.153.729 (2020)
Latitude: -34,609135
Longitude: -58.372421
Weather in Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires has a mild climate and is suitable as a travel destination all year round, although it can get quite hot in the summer months (December to February). Also in the summer months, the city often becomes quieter because at this time numerous porteños go on vacation and many shops are closed. The winter months (June to August) are relatively mild. March to April are a good time to travel, as the sun shines frequently but the heat is less oppressive. October also offers pleasant, sunny spring days.
City History of Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires, founded in 1536 by the Spanish explorer Pedro de Mendoza, was named after the patron saint of seafarers, Santa María del Buen Ayre (Spanish: Saint Mary of the Good Wind). After Mendoza’s first settlement (in what is now San Telmo) was abandoned, a second and successful attempt to found a city was made in the late 16th century, led by another adventurous Spaniard named Juan de Garay. During the 17th and 18th centuries, Buenos Aires grew rapidly and trade flourished in the port.
When the British invaded the country at the beginning of the 19th century, they failed to take over the city. In 1810, a movement formed among the Argentines to fight for freedom from Spanish rule; independence was achieved six years later.
Mass immigration to Buenos Aires occurred at the end of the 19th century when foreign workers were brought in to work in agriculture and to build railroads. This development ended in the middle of the 20th century when investments from Europe destroyed by war failed to materialize and the country’s economy deteriorated. Immigrants came from other parts of Argentina and were forced to live in slums. These were aptly described as Villas Miseria.
One of the most famous events in recent Buenos Aires history was the election of President Juan Perón in 1946. Strong socialist roots made him popular among the working class, as did his much celebrated wife Eva Perón, also known as Evita.
Anti-Perón forces were numerous and, with the support of their own Argentine army, bombed the Plaza de Mayo to expel Perón. This attempt was unsuccessful at first, but Perón was later removed from power a total of two times – the last time in 1976, and a brutal military dictatorship followed until 1983. Argentina returned after the defeat in the Falklands War to a democratic government.
In 2001, Argentina experienced a catastrophic economic crash that froze and left Buenos Aires. There were many protests in the capital, some of which were very violent. Protests are still common in Buenos Aires today, especially on Avenida de Mayo. But although current President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner certainly doesn’t have only supporters, the city has become a much quieter and more stable place than a decade ago.
