Buenos Aires

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Lore & Background

The city of Buenos Aires is an autonomous district and is neither part of Buenos Aires Province nor its capital. In 1880, after the Argentine Civil War, Buenos Aires was federalized and split from Buenos Aires Province. The 1994 constitutional amendment granted the city autonomy, hence its formal name of Autonomous City of Buenos Aires. Citizens elected their first chief of government in 1996. Previously, the mayor was directly appointed by the president of Argentina.

In Their Own Story

The first European to reach the Río de la Plata was Juan Díaz de Solís in 1516, who was killed by the Charrúa tribe. In 1806, British forces successfully invaded Buenos Aires but were defeated by an army from Montevideo led by Santiago de Liniers. A second invasion in 1807 was also repelled by Liniers. These conflicts shifted power toward criollos, leading to the May Revolution of 1810 and the eventual declaration of formal independence in 1816 at the Congress of Tucumán.

Reader's Guide

Buenos Aires is known for its preserved eclectic European architecture and rich cultural life. It is a multicultural city that is home to multiple ethnic and religious groups. Since the 19th century, the city has been a major recipient of millions of immigrants, making it a melting pot. The Greater Buenos Aires conurbation includes several surrounding cities in the Buenos Aires Province and constitutes the fourth-most populous metropolitan area in the Americas. It is also the second largest city south of the Tropic of Capricorn. Buenos Aires has the highest human development of all Argentine administrative divisions. Its quality of life was ranked 97th in the world in 2024.

Did You Know?

• The city's name derives from 'Holy Mary of the Fair Winds', chosen by Pedro de Mendoza in 1536.
• Buenos Aires was first settled in 1536 but abandoned in 1542 due to indigenous attacks; a permanent settlement was established in 1580 by Juan de Garay.
• The usual abbreviation for Buenos Aires in Spanish is 'BA'. It is also commonly referred to as 'Baires' or 'Capital Federal'.