Buenos Aires

Buenos Aires (pop. 2,908,000), capital of Argentina. On the Rio de la Plata, it is a port for Argentine agricultural products, meat, hides, wool, and cereals. It has several universities and an opera house (Teatro Colón), and is the world's leading Spanish-language publishing center. Industries include food processing, textiles, automobiles, and chemical manufacturing. Founded in 1536, it became the capital of Rio de la Plata viceroyalty in 1776. An impressive economic growth after 1850 attracted many immigrants.

See also: Argentina.