Abbreviation for Buenos Aires, Argentina

Buenos Aires

With its wide boulevards, grand buildings and large green parks, Buenos Aires seems more European than any other Latin American metropolis. Perhaps not so unexpected considering that most of the inhabitants are of European, and mainly Italian, origin. This has left its mark on both food culture, architecture and social life.

Buenos Aires has enough galleries, theaters, museums and restaurants to keep everyone culturally busy for days, but couples and families with children should also be able to enjoy a great time in the capital of Argentina at any time of the year. When winter is the coldest in Norway, it is full summer in Argentina, so be sure to check the temperature and climate for the period you plan to visit Buenos Aires.

Buenos Aires has had its setbacks and financial problems, but since 2002 the city has experienced a strong growth in tourism. As a result, both the infrastructure and the number of services offered to visitors have improved radically. Buenos Aires is for us a different and exciting metropolis where the culture, people and attractions will give you good and lasting memories for life.

Get to know Buenos Aires

Buenos Aires is the capital of Argentina and is the country’s largest port and city. Buenos Aires is located on the wide river Rio de la Plata on the Atlantic coast, which forms the border between Argentina and Uruguay. Buenos Aires is reputed to be South America’s richest and most European city, and this is reflected in the city’s architecture, culture and structure. There are wide avenues and large parks.

The town is often called only Baires in daily speech, and the inhabitants are called portes, or people from the port. The first European in the area was the Spanish sailor and explorer Juan Diaz de Solis in 1516, but he barely managed to set foot on the ground before being killed and eaten by the local Indian tribe Charrúa. This did not help the Indians for long. The next wave of Spaniards washed over the country twenty years later, and today the Indian tribe is wiped out. Watch Roland Joffe’s 1986 film “The Mission” with Robert DeNiro, about the fate of the Argentine Indians.

Buenos Aires was founded where you find today the San Telmo district, and the city was originally named Ciudad de Nuestra Señora Santa María del Buen Ayre, named after the seamen’s patron saint of good winds, or Buen aire. The name was gradually shortened. In 1816, Argentina gained its independence from Spain, and Buenos Aires became the capital. The city became a favorite destination for European emigrants to South America in the first half of the 20th century. Today, the population is stable around 2.8 million within the city limits. The vast majority of the inhabitants are Roman Catholic. Nearly one third of Argentina’s 40 million inhabitants live in or around Buenos Aires.

Throughout the last century, Buenos Aires has had its downs and problems of corruption, military coup, inflation, unemployment, poverty and a brief war against the United Kingdom regarding the Falkland Islands in 1982. Especially the period 1976-1983, when the country was ruled by a kidnapped military junta, tortured and killed tens of thousands of its critics, leaving deep traces in the public mind.
The city’s street network is exceptionally square, and almost all streets run either north / south or east / west, forming almost equal blocks. This makes it relatively easy to orient yourself in the city once you get the overview. The most important thoroughfare is Avenida 9 de Julio, the world’s widest avenue, extending from Plaza Constitucion to Avenida de Liberador. In the middle lies the 67-meter-high eye-catcher Obelisco, which has become a symbol of the city.

City Profile

• Abbreviation: BA
• Country: Argentina

Plaza de Mayo area

Buenos Aires’s natural centerpiece that any tourist can use as a landmark is the huge Plaza de Mayo square. The name means May Square, and reflects the Revolution of Independence that began in May 1810. This has always been the center of Argentina’s politics. Here are several of the major tourist attractions, such as the old town hall Cabildo, the government building Casa Rosada, the National Bank and the city’s cathedral. Nearby is also the Buenos Aires financial district, called Microcentro.

San Telmo and La Boca – south of downtown

South of the Centro are the city’s oldest districts. San Telmo is well preserved from the colonial era and has many beautiful old houses and cobblestone streets. There are also many old churches, museums, antique shops and bookstores, and every Sunday an antique fair (or flea market if you will) is held at the heart of the district, Plaza Dorrego.

If you continue further south, you will reach La Boca, which is near the harbor. The district is best known as the home of Boca Juniors, one of the world’s foremost football teams of all time, but is also a lively and interesting area to stroll around in the daytime. The colorful little houses in Calle Camonito, [see photo first in the article] street artists and musicians and spontaneous tango in the streets make this an arch-Argentine district you should experience. But be careful, there are many criminals here too, so don’t go around with jewelry and camera visible.

Recoleta, Palermo and Belgrano – north and northwest of the city center

North of the city center are the more affluent districts. Recoleta is Buenos Aires’s most expensive place to live, but is mostly residential, although thousands of tourists and residents alike come here daily to visit the many galleries and restaurants in the neighborhood. The center of Recoleta is the main square in front of the entrance to the cemetery, with the beautiful Basilica Nuestra Señora del Pilar close by. In the cemetery lies the legendary Evita, Eva Peron, buried in a mausoleum of granite, marble and bronze.

Northwest of Recoleta lies Palermo, also one of the city’s better neighborhoods with a name derived from the many Italian immigrants to Buenos Aires. Here is the city’s largest green area, the Parque Tres de Febrero (February 3 park), which has a large artificial lake, idyllic hiking trails and rose garden making this one of the city’s most beautiful areas. Alto Palermo is the district’s traffic hub and commercial area, centered around the large Alto Palermo Shopping Center shopping center. Palermo Soho is a relatively newly built area with many fashionable shops, restaurants and bars, and is very popular with the city’s young people and tourists. Many of Buenos Aires’ best hotels are located in Palermo.

Retiro is located just northwest of the city center and is known for its wealthy inhabitants and its shopping area around Avenida Santa Fe. There is also Buenos Aires main bus terminal, railway station and many embassies. The main street is the large Avenida del Liberador, and the center of the district is Plaza San Martin, which used to be a slave market, bullfighting arena and military fort.

Belgrano is located northwest of Palermo. The district is named after military leader Manuel Belgrano, who created Argentina’s flag. The main street Avenida Cabildo is heavily congested, but is also a buzzing shopping street with shops, cafes and cinemas close in on both sides. The lush park of Barrancas de Belgrano is a welcome respite in an otherwise hectic and noisy neighborhood.

Buenos Aires Facts

BUENOS AIRES – Argentina’s capital and largest city.

List of Buenos Aires Acronyms

The most commonly used abbreviations about Buenos Aires is BA which stands for Buenos Aires. In the following table, you can see all acronyms related to Buenos Aires, including abbreviations for airport, city, school, port, government, and etc.