1.
Argentina
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Argentina, officially the Argentine Republic, is a federal republic in the southern half of South America. With a mainland area of 2,780,400 km2, Argentina is the eighth-largest country in the world, the second largest in Latin America, and the largest Spanish-speaking one. The country is subdivided into provinces and one autonomous city, Buenos Aires. The provinces and the capital have their own constitutions, but exist under a federal system, Argentina claims sovereignty over part of Antarctica, the Falkland Islands, and South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands. The earliest recorded presence in the area of modern-day Argentina dates back to the Paleolithic period. The country has its roots in Spanish colonization of the region during the 16th century, Argentina rose as the successor state of the Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata, a Spanish overseas viceroyalty founded in 1776. The country thereafter enjoyed relative peace and stability, with waves of European immigration radically reshaping its cultural. The almost-unparalleled increase in prosperity led to Argentina becoming the seventh wealthiest developed nation in the world by the early 20th century, Argentina retains its historic status as a middle power in international affairs, and is a prominent regional power in the Southern Cone and Latin America. Argentina has the second largest economy in South America, the third-largest in Latin America and is a member of the G-15 and it is the country with the second highest Human Development Index in Latin America with a rating of very high. Because of its stability, market size and growing high-tech sector, the description of the country by the word Argentina has to be found on a Venice map in 1536. In English the name Argentina probably comes from the Spanish language, however the naming itself is not Spanish, Argentina means in Italian of silver, silver coloured, probably borrowed from the Old French adjective argentine of silver > silver coloured already mentioned in the 12th century. The French word argentine is the form of argentin and derives of argent silver with the suffix -in. The Italian naming Argentina for the country implies Argentina Terra land of silver or Argentina costa coast of silver, in Italian, the adjective or the proper noun is often used in an autonomous way as a substantive and replaces it and it is said lArgentina. The name Argentina was probably first given by the Venitian and Genoese navigators, in Spanish and Portuguese, the words for silver are respectively plata and prata and of silver is said plateado and prateado. Argentina was first associated with the silver mountains legend, widespread among the first European explorers of the La Plata Basin. The first written use of the name in Spanish can be traced to La Argentina, a 1602 poem by Martín del Barco Centenera describing the region, the 1826 constitution included the first use of the name Argentine Republic in legal documents. The name Argentine Confederation was also used and was formalized in the Argentine Constitution of 1853. In 1860 a presidential decree settled the name as Argentine Republic
2.
Puerto Madero
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From its inception, the city of Buenos Aires had a problem accommodating large cargo ships, as per Puerto La Boca, because the shallow river did not allow for direct docking. Instead ships were moored away from the shore and passengers and merchandise were unloaded onto barges and ferries for transport to the pier, in 1882 the national government contracted the local businessman Eduardo Madero to take charge of the construction of a new port which would solve these problems. Construction began in 1887 and was completed in 1897, although the installed fittings had been partially operative some years before completion of the port. It was a project and an engineering landmark at the time. His plans resulted in the Puerto Nuevo, still operating today, the New Port of Buenos Aires was completed in 1926, making the existing Madero docks superfluous. Though these continued to serve in ancillary port functions, the zone gradually decayed, becoming one of the citys most degraded areas, having as objective the urbanization of the area, the federal and city governments participated as egalitarian partners. The 170 hectares of the place had overlapping jurisdictions, the General Administration of Ports, Argentine railroads, today one of the trendiest boroughs in Buenos Aires, it has become the preferred address for growing numbers of young professionals and retirees, alike. Increasing property prices have also generated interest in the area as a destination for foreign buyers, the neighborhoods road network has been entirely rebuilt, especially in the east side. The layout of the east side consists currently of three wide boulevards running east-west crossed by the east sides main street, Juana Manso Avenue, the layout is completed with some other avenues and minor streets, running both east-west and north-south, and by several pedestrianised streets. Every street in Puerto Madero is named after women, Puerto Madero currently represents the largest urban renewal project in the city of Buenos Aires. Having undergone a revival in merely a decade, it is one of the most successful recent waterfront renewal projects in the world. At Puerto Madero Dock 2 buildings belonging to the Universidad Católica Argentina stand successively to the west, here, there are some bars and coffee shops. Numerous new residential high-rises of up to 50 stories have been facing the Rio de la Plata since 2000. These include Alvear Tower, Renoir Towers, El Faro Towers, Chateau Tower of Puerto Madero, many other high-rises that have recently been inaugurated include the Le Parc Tower and Hilton and River View Towers. Additionally a St. Regis Starwood Hotel is being built in the first dique, where the famous nightclub Opera Bay was formerly located, a large Jumeirah Polo resort will also feature a hotel in Puerto Madero, working conjointly with polo fields outside Buenos Aires. The 2 kilometres Tranvía del Este, inaugurated in 2007 and closed in 2012, served the area running parallel to Alicia Moreau de Justo Avenue, the neighborhood is still not well-connected to the citys transit network. An expressway connecting the north and the south of the city through Puerto Madero has long been in the planning stage, placing the expressway between Puerto Madero and the Buenos Aires Ecological Reserve has also been considered, but has been strongly opposed by environmentalists
3.
Line B (Buenos Aires Underground)
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Line B of the Buenos Aires Underground runs 11.75 kilometres from Leandro N. Alem to Juan Manuel de Rosas in Villa Urquiza. Line B opened to the public on 17 October 1930 and it was the first line in Buenos Aires whose stations had turnstiles and moving stairways. Its gauge of 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in is the same as the rest of the Buenos Aires underground system, the rolling stock currently used on the B line are former Tokyo Metro 300/500/900 stocks, which was used on Marunouchi Line and CAF5000 stock. These Japanese units were acquired in the early 1990s, and offer less sitting room than the previous setup, the Japanese trains are being phased out and replaced by newer CAF5000 and CAF6000 rolling stock acquired from the Madrid Metro.7 km tunnel. The Act provided that the works would clear in part the traffic in the area of the city. This will grant the concession of the line for passengers, parcels, the construction was done by the Argentine builder Dwight P. Robinson & Cía, and the line was called Ferrocarril Terminal Central de Buenos Aires. The first section between Federico Lacroze and Callao opened on 17 October 1930 and measured 7.021 km, the maiden voyage was made by President de facto José Félix Uriburu. On 22 June 1931, it was extended to Carlos Pellegrini station, finally, the line was completed on 1 December 1931 when the subway reached the station Leandro N. Alem. These three sections were carried out entirely below Corrientes Avenue, including 19 curves and 13 stations, according to the depth of the line, some sections were made by open ditch or gallery or tunnel. As so were performed mainly at open skies the stations Federico Lacroze, Dorrego, Canning, Río de Janeiro, when you reach the tunnel at Maipu Street the maximum depth reached 17 metres. Underneath the Rancagua park, in Chacarita, a workshop and a 10 track garage were built and this line had escalators and turnstiles for the payment of coin-operated service, initially manufactured in United States, formerly controlled by guards. It also was deeper than the Line A, and like it and this was lifted after the fire occurred on 27 November 1952. Line B was recently extended underground further west from Los Incas/Parque Chas to Echeverría, the new stations opened in July 26,2013. Each car had two 105 HP motors, the interiors had 47 wooden seats, the majority with reversible back and three slide doors on each side, at the platforms level, of opening and closure commanded by the guard. One year later,20 similar cars made by Osgood Bradley Car Company of the US were incorporated, the Japanese-built Eidan 300/400/500/900 sets, which ran on line B starting in 1996, were in service on the Marunouchi Line in Tokyo from 1959 through late 1995. In 2009, it was announced that the Madrid Metro has sold its oldest wide-profile trains to Buenos Aires. The 5000 series trains, which were in operation in Madrid since 1974, in July 2013, Madrid Metro sold 73 of its 6000 series cars to Buenos Aires for €32.6 million in exchange for the retirement of the rest of the Japanese-built trains. Until the privatization of subte in the 1990s, the B line was identified by the green color, florida and Carlos Pellegrini stations are the two busiest stations on the line, as most commuters alight there in the morning to work in the downtown financial district
4.
Buenos Aires Underground
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The Buenos Aires Underground, locally known as Subte, is a mass transit metro system that serves the area of the city of Buenos Aires, Argentina. Currently, the underground networks six lines—A, B, C, D, E, the network is complemented by the 7.4 km long Premetro line, and the 26 km long Urquiza suburban line, with 17 more stations in total. As of 2015, the underground also has 4 closed stations, over a million passengers use the network, which also provides connections with the citys extensive commuter rail and bus rapid transport networks. The network expanded rapidly during the decades of the 20th century, by 1944 its main routes were completed. The pace of expansion fell sharply after the Second World War, in the late 1990s expansion resumed at a quicker pace, and four new lines were planned for the network. Despite this, the expansion has been largely exceeded by the transportation needs of the city and is said to be overcrowded. The entire network was nationalised in 1939, remaining in state hands, the Subte opened in 1913, becoming the 13th underground system in the world, as well as the first in Latin America, the Southern Hemisphere and the Hispanophone, followed by the Madrid Metro in 1919. The network was built and operated by three separate private companies and later nationalised in 1939. In 1952 it was absorbed by a state administration, in 1963 it became the property of a newly founded company. All the Underground lines, along with the Urquiza Line and Premetro were offered as 20-year concessions to interested private parties, by 1995, Metrovías took over the Subte under a $395 million plan. In this context, the first proposals for the building of a system were made, along with requests for government grants, first, in 1886. However, the Ministry of Interior denied the city administration the power to license building in the subsoil and for this reason. The first Underground line was opened on 1 December 1913 and was built by the Anglo-Argentine Tramways Company and that line was made up of one of the existing sections of Line A, linking the stations of Plaza de Mayo and Plaza Miserere. 170,000 passengers took part in the lines first trip, on 1 April 1914 the line was to expand to Río de Janeiro station and on 1 July was extended to Primera Junta Station. In 1912 the Lacroze Hermanos company won a concession to build another Underground line, the company was a competitor to the Anglo-Argentine company, operating tramways in Buenos Aires as well as the Buenos Aires Central Railway, which later became part of the Urquiza Line. Construction began in 1927 and this line became Line B when it was inaugurated on 17 October 1930, during 17–18 December 380,000 passengers travelled on the lines then 32 cars. By this point, the AATC had only built 48 metres of what is today Line C, in 1933 a third company, the Hispano-Argentina Company of Public Works and Finances began construction of the other Underground lines. Line Cs first section, Constitución railway station-Diagonal Norte, was inaugurated on 9 November 1934 by Agustín P. Justo, then President of Argentina
5.
9 de Julio Avenue
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July 9 Avenue, located in the city of Buenos Aires, Argentina, is the widest avenue in the world. Its name honors Argentinas Independence Day, July 9,1816, the avenue runs roughly 1 kilometre to the west of the Río de la Plata waterfront, from the Retiro district in the north to Constitución station in the south. The avenue has up to seven lanes in each direction and is flanked on either side by parallel streets of two lanes each, through the centre of the avenue runs one of the citys Metrobus corridors, which stretches 3 kilometres and was inaugurated in July 2013. There are two wide medians between the streets and the main road. The northern end of the avenue is connected to the Arturo Illia expressway, the southern end is connected to the 25 de Mayo tollway and the 9 de Julio elevated expressway which provides access to the two main southbound roads out of the city. The Republic Square is located on the intersection of this Avenue with the Corrientes Avenue, the idea of constructing July 9 Avenue was proposed during the time of Mayor Francisco Seeber. It was hoped to be like an artery that crossed through from the north to the south, later it was included in diverse plans and projects, but it wasn’t until 1912 that it passed the National Law 8.855 that authorized the municipality to carry it out. The sale would be part of the funds along with the loan issued by the local government of 25 million gold pesos. This money would come directly from the income of the local government, as soon as the respective law was sanctioned, Mayor Anchorena made a step toward completion by inaugurating it for the Centennial of Independence. The Municipality of the city of Buenos Aires started the acquisition of all the properties located particular track with an investment of 50,000,000 of the currency of that time. However, the municipality was not well-equipped enough with legal instruments and sufficient finances in order to further the ventures of construction of such a size in a sustainable and orderly way. The expropriations were carried out in a gradual and alternated way and this created a grave burden on the municipal treasury. This setback also had effects on the building developments in the central zone. With this, many buildings were degraded and were abandoned or demolished. The idea to construct the July 9th Avenue was maintained in the plan of 1925 where it was integrated into the North and South diagonals, forming at the ends two central monuments. The avenues unusual width is because it spans a city block. The distance between adjacent streets is roughly 110 m, greater than the distance between streets in Manhattan, the street flanking 9 de Julio to the east is called Carlos Pellegrini and Bernardo de Irigoyen. The street flanking 9 de Julio to the west is called Cerrito, the avenue was first planned in 1888, with the name of Ayohuma, but the road was long opposed by affected landlords and residents, so work did not start until 1935
6.
Roundabout
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A roundabout is a type of circular intersection or junction in which road traffic flows almost continuously in one direction around a central island. So-called modern roundabouts require entering traffic to give way to traffic already in the circle, variations on the basic concept include integration with tram and/or train lines, two-way flow, higher speeds and many others. Traffic exiting the roundabout comes from one direction, rather than three, simplifying the pedestrians visual environment, Traffic moves slowly enough to allow visual engagement with pedestrians, encouraging deference towards them. Other benefits include reduced driver confusion associated with perpendicular junctions and reduced queuing associated with traffic lights and they allow U-turns within the normal flow of traffic, which often are not possible at other forms of junction. Moreover, since vehicles on average spend less time idling at roundabouts than at signalled intersections, also, when entering vehicles only need to give way, they do not always perform a full stop. As a result, by keeping a part of their momentum, additionally, slow moving traffic in roundabouts makes less noise than traffic that must stop and start, speed up and brake. Modern roundabouts are commonplace throughout the world, half of the worlds roundabouts are in France, although the United Kingdom has more as a proportion of the road than any other country. C. The operating and entry characteristics of these circles differ considerably from modern roundabouts, in 1907 architect John McLaren designed one of the first American roundabouts for both autos and street cars in the Hanchett Residence Park in what is now San Jose, California. The first British circular junction was built in Letchworth Garden City in 1909 and its centre originally was intended partly as a traffic island for pedestrians. It was featured in the film The Worlds End, in the early 20th century, numerous traffic circles were constructed in the United States, particularly in the northeast. Examples include a circle in Atherton, California, widespread use of the modern roundabout began when the UKs Transport Research Laboratory engineers re-engineered circular intersections during the 1960s. Frank Blackmore led the development of the offside priority rule and subsequently invented the mini-roundabout to overcome capacity and safety limitations, the design became mandatory in the United Kingdom for all new roundabouts in November 1966. This give-way requirement has been the law in New York state since the 1920s, in the United States modern roundabouts emerged in the 1990s. Municipalities introducing new roundabouts often are met with some degree of public resistance, surveys show that negative public opinion reverses as drivers gain experience with roundabouts. American confusion at how to enter and especially how to exit a roundabout was the subject of such as featured in the film European Vacation. By 2011, however, some 3,000 roundabouts had been established, a 1998 survey of municipalities found public opinion 68% opposed prior to construction, changing thereafter to 73% in favour. A2007 survey found public support ranging from 22% to 44% prior to construction, the first modern roundabout in the United States was constructed in Summerlin, Nevada in 1990. This roundabout occasioned dismay from residents, and a news program said about it, Even police agree
7.
Florida Street
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Florida Street is an elegant shopping street in Downtown Buenos Aires, Argentina. A pedestrian street since 1971, some stretches have been pedestrianized since 1913, the pedestrian section as such starts at the intersection of Perú Street and Avenida de Mayo, a block north of the Plaza de Mayo, Perú Street crosses Rivadavia Avenue, and becomes Florida Street. Florida Street runs northwards for approximately one kilometer to Plaza San Martín and it intersects Buenos Airess other pedestrian street, Lavalle, at the heart of the former cinema district. Florida is one of the leading tourist attractions. Florida Street bustles with shoppers, vendors, and office workers alike because of its proximity to the financial district, by evening, the pace relaxes as street performers flock to the area, including tango singers and dancers, living statues, and comedy acts. Its variety of stores, shopping arcades, and restaurants is of great interest to foreign tourists. The beginnings of Florida Street date back to the founding of Buenos Aires in 1580 and its first official name was San José, enacted by Governor Miguel de Salcedo in 1734. In the late eighteenth and early centuries, the street was known popularly as Calle del Correo in reference to the post office located on what later became Perú Street. It was also known as Empedrado. Improved with boulders brought from Montevideo beginning in 1789, it became the first paved street in the city, the street was first named Florida in 1821. The name was designated in honor of the battle fought in 1814 in Upper Peru against the royalists during the Argentine War of Independence, Governor Juan Manuel de Rosas renamed the street Perú in 1837, and in 1857, the name was returned to the present one. The Argentine National Anthem was first performed in 1813 at the Florida Street home of Mariquita Sánchez de Thompson, Argentine elites began to leave the central and southern wards of the city mainly due to epidemics, especially the 1871 yellow fever outbreak. They decided to move to ground in the city and chose the area known as Retiro. Numerous private mansions were built along Florida Street in the 1880s and 1890s. The Civic Youth Union, was organized in 1889 at the intersection with the Avenida Córdoba and this organization would foment the Revolution of the Park in 1890, and from its ranks the Radical Civic Union would be established in 1891. A tram was installed along Florida Street in the 1890s, vehicular traffic was barred during business hours in 1911 by request of the growing number of shop owners along Florida, and in 1913 the tram was dismantled to pedestrianize a section of the street. The 1914 inaugural of the Gath & Chaves department store coincided with the inaugural of Harrods Buenos Aires, the overseas branch of Harrods. The merger of Gath & Chaves and Harrods in 1922 created two of the most ornate institutions of their kind in the Americas
8.
Buenos Aires Central Business District
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The Buenos Aires Central Business District is the main commercial centre of Buenos Aires, Argentina, though not an official city ward. The Microcentro has a concentration of offices, service companies and banks. The area was the site of the first European settlement in what later became Buenos Aires, the district is the financial, corporate, and cultural hub of Buenos Aires, and of Argentina. The Buenos Aires Human Development Index is likewise high by international standards, the Port of Buenos Aires is one of the busiest in South America, navigable rivers by way of the Río de la Plata connect the port to northeastern Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay and Paraguay. As a result, it serves as the hub for a vast area of the south-eastern region of the South American continent. Tax collection related to the port has caused political problems in the past. These latter were all built on reclaimed land along the coast of the Rio de la Plata, the region was formerly crossed by different creeks and lagoons, some of which were refilled and other tubed. Among the most important creeks are, Maldonado, Vega, Medrano, Cildañez, in 1908 many creeks were channeled and rectified, as floods were damaging the citys infrastructure. Starting in 1919, most creeks were enclosed, notably, the Maldonado was tubed in 1954, and currently runs below Juan B. Facing the Río de la Plata estuary, the frontage remained flood-prone, italian and French influences increased after the overthrow of strongman Juan Manuel de Rosas in 1852, and particularly upon the advent of the modernizing Generation of 1880. Later significant additions include those by Alejandro Christophersen, Alejandro Bustillo, Andrés Kalnay, Eduardo Le Monnier, some of the more notable commercial developments completed since then have included the Catalinas Norte office park, Torre Bouchard, Bouchard Plaza, Galicia Tower, the Repsol-YPF Tower. San Nicolás is one of the districts that shares most of the city and national government structure with neighboring Montserrat and its seldom referred to as San Nicolás, but usually as The Center, and the part east of the 9 de Julio Avenue is called Microcentro. The growing importance of the area as a center was highlighted by the 1854 establishment of the Buenos Aires Stock Exchange. San Nicolás remains the center of Argentina, something underscored by the presence of the Central Bank. The construction of Corrientes and Nueve de Julio Avenues in the 1930s further modernized San Nicolás, florida Street, most of which is in San Nicolás, is the citys best-known pedestrianized street. Its most discernible landmark is the Galerías Pacífico shopping arcade, Retiro is one of the largest hubs of transportation services in Argentina. Local and long distance rail service heading to the north originate from Estación Retiro, subte line C of the Buenos Aires Metro system and numerous local public bus services serve Retiro, and this area is always teeming with commuters and traffic on weekdays. The most important avenue linking Retiro and the CBD to commuters living in areas to the north is Avenida del Libertador
9.
Avenida Callao
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Avenida Callao is one of the principal thoroughfares in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Mayor Torcuato de Alvear, inspired by the redevelopment works in Paris at the direction of Baron Haussmann, drew up master plans for major boulevards, running east to west. Named in honor of the decisive Battle of Callao, the avenue was included in the plan, a one-way thoroughfare following a 1967 ordinance, the avenue travels northwards from its outset at Rivadavia Avenue, along the northwest corner of Congressional Plaza. That intersection is known for both the Argentine Congress and the El Molino Café, both of whose domes are Buenos Aires landmarks, at the corner of Callao and Bartolemo Mitre is Residencia Azul, a student residence for college students and foreign travelers. Three blocks north, the passes by the Bauen Hotel. The hotel, which maintains its 1970s interiors, is one of Argentinas most successful recovered workplaces. Two blocks on, Callao is graced by the Church of the Savior, a block on, Rodríguez Peña Plaza provides needed parkland space along one of the citys most-densely populated areas. The plaza is notable for the Pizzurno Palace facing it and Luisa Isella de Motteaus Thirst, a distinctly rounded Art Deco apartment building designed by Francisco Salamone stands on the southwest corner of the avenue and Pacheco de Melo Street. Callao Avenue ends at Avenida del Libertador, one of the citys most important boulevards, an amusement park, Italpark, stood at this site between 1960 and 1990, after which the lot was converted to Thays Park. The twenty-block avenue is not only a commuter artery, it features a concentration of belle époque architecture. The City Legislature is considering assigning a Historical Protection designation on the avenue, a measure protecting 85 significant buildings along Callao
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Media related to Avenida Corrientes at Wikimedia Commons
