Buenos Aires

Buenos Aires, formally the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires (Spanish: Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires), is the capital and biggest city of Argentina. It is also the country's financial and cultural centre. The city is situated on the southeastern coast of South America, on the western side of the Ro de la Plata, on the western shore of the Ro de la Plata. While the name "Buenos Aires" can be translated as either "fair winds" or "good airs," it is believed that the founders of the city intended the former meaning when they named the city "Real de Nuestra Seora Santa Mara del Buen Ayre" in honour of the Madonna of Bonaria in Sardinia, Italy, when they established the city in the 16th century.

The city of Buenos Aires is neither a part of the province of Buenos Aires nor the capital of the province; rather, it is an independent district within the province. After decades of political infighting, the city of Buenos Aires was federalized and separated from the province of Buenos Aires in 1880. The city's boundaries were expanded to include the settlements of Belgrano and Flores, which are now considered neighbourhoods within the municipal limits. The city was given autonomy as a result of a constitutional change passed in 1994, thus its legal designation as the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires. It was only in 1996 that the inhabitants of Buenos Aires chose a Chief of Government; earlier, the Mayor was nominated by the President of the Republic of Argentina.

With a population of around 15.6 million people, the Greater Buenos Aires conurbation, which also includes numerous Buenos Aires Province districts, is fourth among the most populous metropolitan areas in the Americas. It is also the second most populous city in the region south of the Tropic of Capricorn.

In 2018, the quality of life in Buenos Aires was rated 91st in the world, making it one of the top cities in Latin America. According to official statistics, it was the most visited city in South America and the second-most visited city in all of Latin America in 2012.