Buenos Aires (”Good Airs” in Spanish, originally meaning “Fair Winds”) is the capital of Argentina and its largest city and port, as well as one of the largest cities in Latin America.

Buenos Aires is located on the southern shore of the Rio de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent, opposite Colonia del Sacramento, Uruguay. Buenos Aires is located at 34°40′S 58°24′W (-34.667, -58.40).

After the internal conflicts of the 19th century, Buenos Aires was federalised and removed from Buenos Aires Province; its city limits were enlarged to include the former towns of Belgrano and Flores (both are now neighbourhoods in the city).

Argentines sometimes refer to the city as Capital Federal to differentiate the city from the province of the same name. In the 1994 constitution, it was declared an Autonomous City (hence the formal name: Ciudad Autonoma de Buenos Aires).

Population

The people of Buenos Aires are known as porteños (”people of the port”), acknowledging the major historical importance of the port in the development of the city and the whole nation.

The population of Buenos Aires consists primarily of Argentines of Spanish and Italian descent. The vast majority of these originate from the Galician, Asturian, and Basque regions of Spain, and the Calabrian, Ligurian and Neapolitan regions of Italy.

There are also sizable communities of people with Arab, Jewish, Armenian, British, Irish, Chinese, Japanese, and Korean origins (see also: Asian-Argentines). Also, there is a mixed Spanish-aboriginal (mestizo/criollo) minority, including immigrants from Bolivia and Paraguay.

Most inhabitants are Roman Catholic. Sizable Jewish and Muslim communities have existed for over 100 years, and Evangelic churches have steadily increased their ranks since the 1980s.

The city proper has a population of 2,776,138 according to the 2001 census [INDEC], while the Greater Buenos Aires conuerbation has more than 11.4 million inhabitants. Suburbanites are called porteños and also bonaerenses; only the last term applies to the rest of the province.

Economy
Buenos Aires is the financial, industrial, commercial, and cultural hub of Argentina. Its port is one of the busiest in the world; navigable rivers connect it to north-east Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay and Paraguay. As a result, it serves as the distribution hub for a vast area of the south-eastern region of the continent.

To the west of Buenos Aires is the Pampa Humeda, the most productive agricultural region of Argentina (as opposed to the dry southern pampa, mostly used for cattle farms). Meat, dairy, grain, tobacco, wool and hide products are processed or manufactured in the Buenos Aires area. Other leading industries are automobile manufacturing, oil refining, metalworking, machine building, and the production of textiles, chemicals, clothing, and beverages.

safety Precautions in Argentina

Buenos Aires is quite safe, there is plenty of activity and foot traffic into the night. Nice areas have a very thorough police presence, perhaps one officer per block, plus store security and auxiliary patrols. Public security in all major cities like Buenos Aires, Cordoba and Rosario is handled by the Federal Police, the Urban Guard, and the National Gendarmerie or the Naval Prefecture (especially in the Puerto Madero area of Buenos Aires). Avoid neighborhoods sketchy by comparison, and popular demonstrations as they can grow violent.

There are rogue taxis operating. If you must take a taxi instead of the abundant public transportation, have your hotel or business call for a radio taxi. If you must hail one on the street, look for one with the lighted gear on the roof. Try to have small bills ready, as you may receive counterfeits if you pay in large denominations.

It is recommended carry some ID with you, but not your original passport. A copy of it (easily provided by your own hotel) might be enough.

Emergency numbers
Ambulance (Inmediate Health Emergency Service, SAME): 107
Firemen (National Firemen Corps): 100
Police (Argentine Federal Police): 101
Tourist Police: (011) 4346-5748 / 0800-999-5000

Health Risk in Argentina

Visiting Argentina doesn’t raise any major health worries and you don’t need special vaccinations, so you are unlikely to encounter any serious problems. Different climate conditions might take your body by surprise, so be aware of the weather before you arrive.

A bout of travellers’ diarrhoea is the most you’re likely to have to worry about as your body adjusts to local micro-organisms in the food. It’s also best to ease yourself gently into the local diet - sudden quantities of red meat, red wine, strong coffee and sweet pastries can be very unsettling for a stomach used to gentler repasts - and though tap water in Argentina is safe to drink, if sometimes heavily chlorinated, you may prefer to err on the side of caution in rural areas in the north of the country.

Shopping in Argentina

The fashion and art scenes are booming. The city’s signature European-South American style overflows with unique art pieces, art deco furniture, and antiques. Creative and independent, local fashion designers -who are becoming a source of inspiration for the U.S. and European high-end markets- compose their collections based on lots of leather, wools, woven fabrics, and delicate laces with a gaucho twist.

The dollar and the euro are very strong in Argentina, so this has indeed become a shopping paradise. Leather products can be found in most commercial areas; jackets, boots and shoes are easily available.

However, Argentina has a relatively mild climate, so truly cold-weather gear is harder to find. Long coats or heavy gloves may not be in stock; similarly, jeans and other basics, are thinly constructed compared to those in cooler countries.

Electronics will not be a bargain, as they are imported from elsewhere; music, books, and movies will be discounted by the weak peso, though. Note that most freestanding shops are open 10 am - 8 pm weekdays, and some of them also saturdays (depends on the area of the city that they are set), as people stay out late; enclosed malls, however, set their own hours, and are also opened on the weekends.

Food and Drink in Argentina

Eat

Definitely check out Argentine asado (sometimes also called parrillada) or barbecue. There is no way around it - foodwise Argentina is virtually synonymous with beef. The beef is some of the best in the world; lomo (tenderloin) is excellent.

Having a parrillada dinner is one of the best ways to experience it, preferably with a bottle of wine from Mendoza. In some popular areas, parrilladas are available from small buffets, or sidewalk carts and barbecue trailers. Skewers and steak sandwiches can then be purchased to go.

Given that a large portion of Argentines are of Italian and Spanish descent, Italian and Spanish fare is very widespread and of high quality; pizzerias and specialized restaurants are very common. Take note that a convention observed in Argentina is to treat the pasta and sauce as separate items; more than one traveller has found what they thought was cheap pasta only to find that they were not getting any sauce. You will see the pastas for one price and then the sauces for an additional charge.

Cafes, bakeries, and ice-cream shops (heladerias) are very popular. Inexpensive and high-quality snacks can thus be had in most commercial areas; and many have outdoor seating areas. Empanadas (turnovers) containing meats, cheeses, or many other fillings can be bought from restaurants or lunch counters.

Japanese cuisine, such as Sushi, has become popular in Buenos Aires since 1990’s.

Most restaurants, including hotel breakfast areas, maintain smoking and no-smoking areas. It is a good idea to check if your table is not on the edge of these areas.

Drink

Try mate, a non-alcoholic natural beverage which is made like tea but tastes very different (bitter, in most cases). Mate can be served cold (usually known as “terere”) or hot, in the regional drink known as cimarron.

Beer is served in bottles or cans in restaurants and is an easily drinkable lager. Wine is available in single-serving bottles from many restaurants; there are pretty good selections of local wines and ciders. Most restaurants serve a broad range of liquors, and often have fresh-squeezed juices. The drinking age is 18.

Sleep

A wide range of accommodation possibilities are available in Buenos Aires and the rest of the country; from homey bed and breakfasts, to trendy boutique hotels in the city, to luxurious palaces and modern five-star hotels.

Have in mind that usually the rooms are not as large as in hotels around the world (except from five-stars international hotels). There are also many beautiful lake-side lodges in Patagonia, and fabulous regional farms (estancias) outside the cities. More information can be found it here.

Get around in Argentina

By train

Travelling by train is an option for alternative tourism in Argentina, one way to see the best of the country. One of the major operators is Ferrobaires. See also Satelite Ferroviario for up-to-date information on trains and services (in Spanish).

By bus

Argentina boasts an oustanding short and long-distance bus network; remember that a city bus is called colectivo while a long distance, city-to-city bus is called micro. The hub of this network is definitely Buenos Aires’ Terminal de Omnibus Retiro; it has 2,000 bus arrivals and departures every day, and multiple companies serve most destinations.

The buses generally offer high-quality service, and for distances longer than 200km, it is common to have food served on board. There is generally a good amount of legroom, and many buses have beds (camas) making them a lot like traveling business class on a plane.

A great deal more information on buses, bus companies, and schedules, is available here.

By thumb

The hitchhiking club Autostop Argentina began in Argentina in 2002, inspired by clubs in France, Italy and the United States. As a result, hitchhiking has become more acceptable among the younger generation, and raising a thumb at a highway is a symbol most people understand.

Transportation in Argentina

Argentina has a complex net of routes, crossed by long distance buses, and a number of national and international airports. The main transportation system in big cities are the numerous bus lines, which transport millions of people every day.

Due to the size of the country and its cities, we can divide transportation in Argentina in the following topics.

City transport

Transportation in Argentine cities might seem chaotic by European standards, but bottlenecks and gridlocks are not very frequent. Most people try to use public transport instead of personal cars when going to the centre, since parking can be both difficult and expensive. Public transportation (buses, urban trains and the underground) is subsidized by the state, which makes it usually inexpensive.

Buses
The preferred method of transportation is the colectivo or bus. Buses cover the cities with wide and numerous lines, and fares depend on the destination; though usually there is only one fee for an inner-city ride, and higher ones for farther destinations (i.e. Colectivo 60).

Faster, air-conditioned versions, running the same lines and called diferenciales are notably more expensive. Different companies own different bus lines, and they usually have different colors, which makes them easy to identify. Buses are supposed to run night service every half hour, but that is true only for the most popular lines.

Taxis

Taxis are also very common, and relatively accessible. They have different colours and fares in different cities, and robberies with illegal taxis are not infrequent in big cities. Call-taxis companies (radio-taxis) are very common and safer. Another modality are the remises, very much like call-taxis, but prices are agreed beforehand, although they usually have fixed prices for common destinations.

Urban trains
Urban trains connect Buenos Aires city with the Greater Buenos Aires. Every day more than 1 million people go to Argentina’s capital to came back home after work. Trains stop working from 1 am to 5 am. Most of these lines are electric, but there are still a few running on Diesel.

Metro and tramways

Buenos Aires is the only Argentine city with an underground system. Most of its lines connect the centre (Micro-centro) with areas in the outskirts. The Subterraneo de Buenos Aires has currently five working lines, each labelled with a letter from A to E.

There is a modern tram line (E2) that works as a fedeer of E line at their outer terminus. At Caballito district, there is an heritage tramway mantained by tram fans that operates at weekend, near “Primera Junta” metro station (A line).

There is a suburban modern tramway line between Bartolome Mitre suburban railway station and Tigre (Tren de la Costa). As of 2005, line H is under construction, and two additional lines are planned.

Others

Bicycles are not very used in big cities, as there are few bicycle-paths, making it difficult to move with them other than in recreational areas.

Trolleybuses are operated at Cordoba, Mendoza and Rosario.

Long distance transportation

Argentina being almost 4,000 kilometres long, and more than 1,000 km wide, long distance transportation is an important issue. Besides a few toll highways, there are lots of national and provincial routes that spread thought the country, and that are used by cars and long distance buses.

Routes and highways

Argentine’s routes are usually simple one-lane-per-side roads. There are a few highways between some important cities, such as the Panamerican Argentina Highway 9 Buenos Aires - Rosario. The Argentine road system, although extensive, does not cover the country entirely; for instance, the Ruta 40 from El Chalten to Esquel has not been yet paved. South sea-side backbone Ruta Nacional 3 runs from Buenos Aires to Ushuaia.

Buses

Argentine long distance buses are fast, affordable and comfortable. With three different services regarding the number of stops and type of seats, called Regular, Semi-cama (semi-bed), and Cama (bed), the later being similar to airplane’s business class. Some services have also on-board dinner, while others stop at canteens by the road. Long and middle-distance buses cover almost all paved-accessible cities and towns, and most of the other towns and villages.

Airplanes

Though expensive in comparison with the other means of transportation, flights are being used more and more often. Every provincial capital has its own airport, and there are many other working, specially in tourist areas such as Bariloche and El Calafate. Most companies have several daily flights to the most popular destinations, and daily or less frequent flights to other destinations. Even though Buenos Aires is the most important flight hub, both because of economical and geographical reasons, there are flights between important cities, such as Cordoba, Rosario and Mendoza.

Trains

The railway system, once wide and prosperous, has their long distance passenger services reduced in 1993 and a lot of lines were closed to all services.

Those are the current long distance passenger trains in operation (Plaza Constitucion, Once and Retiro are stations located in Buenos Aires):
Plaza Constitucion - Pinamar: twice a week R
Plaza Constitucion - Mar del Plata: three trains daily, other added Friday. R
Plaza Constitucion - Miramar: once a week R
Plaza Constitucion - Ayacucho - Tandil: once a week
Plaza Constitucion - Azul - Olavarria: five days a week R
Plaza Constitucion - Bahia Blanca (Lamadrid route): three times a week R, D
Plaza Constitucion - Bahia Blanca (Pringles route): two times a week R
Plaza Constitucion - Carmen de Patagones: once a week R
Plaza Constitucion - Saladillo - General Alvear: twice a week
Plaza Constitucion - 25 de Mayo - Bolivar: five days a week
Plaza Constitucion - Daireaux: once a week
Once - Chivilcoy - Bragado: daily
Once - Los Toldos - Lincoln: once a week
Once - 9 de Julio - Carlos Casares: four days a week
Once - Pehuajo: three times a week
Retiro - Junin: daily
Retiro - Rosario - Santa Fe: once a week
Retiro - Rosario - La Banda - Tucuman: once a week R, D (suspended)
Retiro - Rosario - Cordoba: once a week R, D
Cordoba - Villa Maria: twice a week
Viedma - San Antonio Oeste - S. C. de Bariloche: thrice weekly R, D
Ing. Jacobacci - San Carlos de Bariloche: thrice weekly
Federico Lacroze - Concordia - Monte Caseros - Posadas: twice a week R, D
Basavilbaso - Villaguay Central - Concordia: five days a week
Resistencia - La Sabana - Los Amores: to La Sabana daily, to Los Amores three days a week
Roque Saenz Peña - Pinedo - Chorotis: daily
Resistencia suburban service: several trains daily
R = Restaurant, at least in most of the trip.
D= Sleeping car

See timetable for long distance and regional passenger trains

There are also a number of tourist trains (from Esquel, San Carlos de Bariloche, Usuahia and in the Entre Rios Province), including the the seasonal Tren de las nubes in the province of Salta, running from Salta to San Antonio de los Cobres, that runs only from October to March. At present this service is suspended until further notice.

Foreign relations of Argentina

During the government of President Carlos Menem (1989-1999), Argentina had a strong partnership with the United States. It was at this time that Argentina left the Non-Aligned Movement and adopted a policy of “automatic alignment” with the United States.

Argentina was the only Latin American country to participate in the Gulf War and all phases of the Haiti operation. It has contributed to UN peacekeeping operations worldwide, with Argentine soldiers and police serving in Guatemala, Ecuador-Peru, Western Sahara, Angola, Cyprus, Kosovo, Bosnia, and East Timor. In recognition of its contributions to international security and peacekeeping, the U. S. Government designated Argentina as a major non-NATO ally in January 1998.

At the UN, Argentina supported U. S. policies and proposals, among them the condemnations of Cuba on the issue of human rights, and the fight against international terrorism and narcotics trafficking. In November 1998, Argentina hosted the United Nations conference on climate change, and in October 1999 in Berlin, became one of the first nations worldwide to adopt a voluntary greenhouse gas emissions target.

Argentina also became a leading advocate of nonproliferation efforts worldwide. A strong proponent of enhanced regional stability in South America, Argentina revitalized its relationship with Brazil; settled lingering border disputes with Chile; discouraged military takeovers in Ecuador and Paraguay; served with the United States, Brazil and Chile as one of the four guarantors of the Ecuador-Peru peace process; and restored diplomatic relations with the United Kingdom.

Argentina’s reputation as a mediator was damaged, however, when President Menem and some members of his cabinet were accused of approving the illegal sale of weapons to Ecuador and to Croatia.

Religion in Argentina

Most of Argentina’s population is at least nominally Roman Catholic (80%). Roman Catholicism is supported by the Argentine state, as stated in the Constitution.

Evangelical churches gained a place in Argentina especially since the 1980s and now number more than 3.5 million or 10%.

The country also has the largest Jewish population in Latin America, about 300,000 strong, and is home to one of the largest Islamic mosques in Latin America.

Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons) number over 330,300, the seventh largest concentration in the world[1]. Traditional Protestant communities are also present.

Languages of Argentina

The only official language is Spanish, although some immigrants and indigenous communities have retained their original languages in specific points of the country.

Argentina is the largest Spanish-speaking community that employs voseo (the use of the pronoun vos instead of tu, associated with some alternate verb conjugations).

The most prevalent dialect is Rioplatense, with most speakers located in the basin of the Rio de la Plata.