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More European than South American in flavor, Buenos Aires' heart boasts bustling streets, grand avenues, old-time cafes and stylish restaurants. The locals are renowned for their flair and cockiness, even in times of adversity. It's a city of tragedy and elation, a vibrant, cosmopolitan capital.
Although Gran Buenos Aires has swollen to 13 million people, most tourists stick to the Capital Federal, which is home to a mere 3 million porteños (locals) and is divided into 48 barrios (neighborhoods). Once you get your head around the barrios and sub-neighborhoods that complicate the city's layout, Buenos Aires becomes easier to navigate. The Microcentro, or downtown precinct, provides access to the most interesting barrios and entertainment areas along the Avenidas of Corrientes, Córdoba and Santa Fe, and the pedestrian-only streets of Florida and Lavalle. The Avenida 9 de Julio is an unmistakable point of reference; its 16 lanes of traffic run from San Telmo in the south to Retiro up north, with a sky-piercing white obelisk at its center. The dockside barrio of Puerto Madero runs north-south along the Río de la Plata and is very pedestrian friendly.
At the eastern end of Avenida de Mayo, one of Microcentro's main east-west boulevards, the Plaza de Mayo attracts a bountiful blend of tourists, students and political activists and is surrounded by many important buildings, including the famous Presidential Palace (Casa Rosada). South of Microcentro are the faded architecture and cobbled streets of colonial San Telmo, home and birthplace of the sultry tango, and La Boca, the tough port barrio and colorful working class heart of Buenos Aires. Uptown is the ritzy barrio of Recoleta, while the trendy tree-lined Palermo has parks aplenty and Buenos Aires' hottest bars and ethnic eats. |
Full country name: República Argentina
Area: 2.77 million sq km
Population: 37.81 million
Capital City: Buenos Aires (pop 16 million)
People: 85% European descent, 15% mestizo, Indian and other minorities
Language: Spanish; Castilian, Quechua, Guarani, Araucanian, Italian
Religion: 93% Roman Catholic, 2.5% Protestant, 2% Jewish, 1.5% Ukranian Catholic, 1% Armenian Orthodox
Government: Republic
GDP: US$391 billion
GDP per capita: US$10,500
Major Industries: Food processing, motor vehicles, consumer durables, textiles, chemicals and petrochemicals, printing, metallurgy, steel, agribusiness.
Major Trading Partners: Brazil, USA, the European Union |
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