1.
Argentina
–
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
–
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.
Retiro railway station
–
Retiro Station is the name given to three railway terminus located in the district of Retiro of Buenos Aires, that are Retiro Mitre, Retiro Belgrano and Retiro San Martín. The stations are terminus of Mitre, Belgrano and San Martín Railways respectively and it is also found in the vicinity of Retiro bus station, the largest bus terminal in the country. The stations are close to the Retiro bus station, the principal long-distance bus terminal in Buenos Aires. The complex is accessible by the C line of the Buenos Aires Metro system. The stations will also be accessible by both Line E and Line H of the metro once their extensions are complete, three stations are located opposite Plaza San Martín, a large park. Retiro is the largest railway complex in Buenos Aires and more commuter trains arrive, long-distance services to Rosario and Tucumán cities. Belgrano Norte service to Villa Rosa, San Martín service calling at Villa Devoto, El Palomar, Hurlingham and Pilar, amongst others. As of 2015, state-owned Trenes Argentinos manages long-distance services to the cities of Córdoba, Tucumán and those services had been run by defunct company Ferrocentral. From the Retiro San Martín station trains depart to Rufino station in Santa Fe Province, media related to Retiro train station at Wikimedia Commons
4.
Yerba mate
–
Yerba mate is a species of the holly family, with the botanical name Ilex paraguariensis A. St. -Hil. Named by the French botanist Auguste François César Prouvençal de Saint-Hilaire, Yerba mate is widely known as the source of the beverage called mate. It is also popular among the Druze community in Syria and Lebanon. Yerba mate was initially utilized and cultivated by the Guaraní people and in some Tupí communities in southern Brazil, Yerba mate can also be found in various energy drinks on the market today. Yerba mate, Ilex paraguariensis, begins as a shrub and then matures to a tree, the leaves are evergreen, 7–110 millimetres long and 30–55 millimetres wide, with a serrated margin. The leaves are often called yerba or erva, both of which mean herb and they contain caffeine and also contains related xanthine alkaloids and are harvested commercially. The flowers are small, greenish-white, with four petals, the fruit is a red drupe 4–6 millimetres in diameter. The yerba mate plant is grown and processed in South America, specifically in northern Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay, cultivators are known as yerbateros or ervateiros. Seeds used to new plants are harvested from January until April only after they have turned dark purple. After harvest, they are submerged in water in order to eliminate floating non-viable seeds and detritus like twigs, leaves, new plants are started between March and May. For plants established in pots, transplanting takes place April through September, plants with bare roots are transplanted only during the months of June and July. Many of the enemies of yerba mate are difficult to control in a plantation setting. When yerba mate is harvested, the branches are dried by a wood fire. The plant Ilex paraguariensis can vary in strength of the flavor, caffeine levels, female plants tend to be milder in flavor and lower in caffeine. They are also relatively scarce in the areas where yerba mate is planted and cultivated. According to FAO in 2012, Brazil is the biggest producer of mate in the world with 513,256 MT, followed by Argentina with 290,000 MT, sugar may or may not be added, and the mate may be prepared with cold water. Although traditionally made from a calabash gourd, these days mate gourds are produced from a variety of materials including wood, glass, ceramic. Yerba mate is most popular in Uruguay, where people are walking the streets carrying the mate
5.
Palace of the Argentine National Congress
–
The Palace of the Argentine National Congress is a monumental building, seat of the Argentine National Congress, located in Buenos Aires at the western end of Avenida de Mayo. Constructed between 1898 and 1906, the palace is a National Historic Landmark, the Kilometre Zero for all Argentine National Highways is marked on a milestone at the Congressional Plaza, next to the building. The idea of a palace was first proposed and decreed in 1895. Designed by the Italian architect Vittorio Meano and completed by Argentine architect Julio Dormal, inaugurated that year, its aesthetic details were not completed until 1946. The edifice was built at a cost of US$6 million allocated by the federal government, the building was officially accepted by Congress on 12 May 1906. As time went by, the building proved too small for its purpose, and in 1974 the construction of the Annex, from 1976 to 1983 the palace housed the Legislative Advisory Commission, which was a group of officers from the three Armed Forces. Congressional Plaza, built by French Argentine urbanist Charles Thays, faces the palace, popular among tourists since its inauguration in 1910, the plaza is also a preferred location for protesters and those who want to voice their opinion about congressional activities. The palace is in Neoclassical style, largely made of marble with elaborately furnished interiors, especially in the Lost Steps Hall. It is crowned by a bronze-plated dome 80 metres in height, weighing 3,000 tonnes and this cupola is supported over a 10 metres deep inverted dome foundation. The dome is lit during Argentina’s national holidays and other special occasions, the main entrance, called the Entrada de Honor, is exclusively used for ceremonial purposes. In front of it is the 8 metres high quadriga sculpture and it is made of bronze and weighs 20 tonnes. The palace used to have a shop in the basement. In 1997, with the first general restoration of facades, representatives of the Government of Buenos Aires promoted the recovery of the statues designed by Lola Mora to crown the entrance to Congress. As the sculptor had personally donated to the government of province of Jujuy, however, at that time the idea did not materialize. Only in 2012, with the new Master Plan, the initiative gained momentum again, on 1 March 2014 replicas of the statues were inaugurated by President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner at the opening of the regular session. Casa Rosada Palace of Justice of the Argentine Nation List of National Historic Monuments of Argentina Web Bibliography International Bureau of the American Republics, Argentine Republic, A Geographical Sketch, with Special Reference to Economic Conditions, Actual Development, and Prospects of Future Growth. This Is Buenos Aires. de Dios Editores
6.
Torre Monumental
–
Torre Monumental and before 1982 Torre de los Ingleses is a clock tower located in the barrio of Retiro, Buenos Aires, Argentina. It is situated in the Plaza Fuerza Aérea Argentina next to the Rua San Martín and it was a gift from the local British community to the city in commemoration of the centennial of the May Revolution of 1810. After the Falklands War in 1982, the tower was renamed Torre Monumental, although the centenary monument was initially considered to be a column it ultimately took the form of the tower. The tower was built by Hopkins y Gardom, with materials shipped from England such as the white Portland stone, the technical personnel responsible for the construction also came from England. The sudden death of King Edward VII on May 6,1910, prompted the United Kingdom to cancel its delegation to the Centenary celebrations, and the cornerstone was not laid until November 26. Other delays that followed were due to the late vacationing of the gas company that was installed in the square in 1912 and the outbreak of World War I in 1914. The tower is built in Palladian style, the building is decorated with symbols of the British Empire and features the thistle of Scotland, the English rose, the Welsh dragon, the tower reaches a height of 75.5 m and has eight floors. There are clocks at the 35 m level, and the bells were designed in imitation of the ones at Westminster Abbey, the tower is topped by an octagonal copper roofed cupola. Above the entrance there are the shields of Argentina and Great Britain, bitterness over the defeat in the Falklands War triggered vandalism against the clocks at the time, and a dynamite explosion at the base of the tower, in November 1984. During the government of Mayor Fernando de la Rúa, the tower underwent extensive restoration, public access was restored and a glass lift to the 6th floor, utilising the original British machinery, was opened. In 2006 the building was closed to the public for technical maintenance, official site Photo gallery of the Torre Monumental Datasheet at Towerclocks. org Bricks Imported from England
7.
Buenos Aires Cabildo
–
The Buenos Aires Cabildo is the public building in Buenos Aires that was used as seat of the ayuntamiento during the colonial times and the government house of the Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata. Today the building is used as a museum, mayor Manuel de Frías proposed the building of the Cabildo in what is now the Plaza de Mayo on March 3,1608, since the government of the city lacked such a building. Its construction financed with taxes from the port of Buenos Aires, in 1682, due to lack of maintenance, the building was almost in ruins, and the construction of a new Cabildo with 2 stories and 11 arches wide was planned. Construction of the new building did not start until July 23,1725, was suspended in 1728, soon construction was, however, again suspended due to lack of funds. The tower of the new Cabildo was finished in 1764, yet even by the time of the May Revolution in 1810 the Cabildo was still not completely finished. In 1880 the architect Pedro Benoit raised the tower by 10 meters and with a covered with glazed tiles. The tower was demolished nine years later in 1889 to create space for the Avenida de Mayo avenue and the three northernmost arches of the original eleven were demolished. In 1931, to room for the Julio A. Roca avenue. In 1940, the architect Mario Buschiazzo reconstructed the colonial features of the Cabildo using various original documents, the tower, the red tiles, the iron bars on the windows and the wooden windows and doors were all repaired. Currently, the Cabildo hosts the National Museum of the Cabildo, the patio of the Cabildo still has its 1835 ornamental water well. Trofeos de la Reconquista de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires en el Año 1806, Buenos Aires, Litografía, Imprenta y Encuadernación de Guillermo Kraft
8.
Casa Rosada
–
La Casa Rosada is the executive mansion and office of the President of Argentina. The palatial mansion is known officially as Casa de Gobierno, normally, the President lives at the Quinta de Olivos, the official residence of the President of Argentina, which is located in Olivos, Buenos Aires Province. The characteristic color of the Casa Rosada is baby pink, and is considered one of the most emblematic buildings in Buenos Aires, the building also houses a museum, which contains objects relating to former presidents of Argentina. It has been declared a National Historic Monument of Argentina and its 1713 replacement by a masonry structure complete with turrets made the spot the effective nerve center of colonial government. Under the direction of British Argentine architect Edward Taylor, the Italianate structure functioned as Buenos Aires largest building from 1859 until the 1890s, an alternative explanation suggests that the original paint contained cows blood to prevent damage from the effects of humidity. Following works to integrate the two structures, Roca had architect Francesco Tamburini build the iconic Italianate archway between the two in 1884. The resulting State House, still known as the Pink House, was completed in 1898 following its eastward enlargement, a Historical Museum was created in 1957 to display presidential memorabilia and selected belongings, such as sashes, batons, books, furniture, and three carriages. The remains of the fort were partially excavated in 1991. Located behind the building, these led to the rerouting of Paseo Colón Avenue. Plans were announced in 2009 for the restoration of surviving portions of Taylors Customs House, the Casa Rosada itself is currently undergoing extensive renovation delayed by the 2001 economic crisis. The work is scheduled for completion on the 2010 bicentennial of the May Revolution that led to independence, in 1536, Don Pedro de Mendoza established a settlement near the mouth of the Riachuelo de los Navíos, called Nuestra Señora del Buen Ayre. It was replaced in 1713 by a solid construction with turrets, sentry boxes, a moat. President Bernardino Rivadavia modified the fort in 1820, and the drawbridge was replaced by a neoclassical portico, the site which was for defence purposes at that time and also seat of the Spanish and Home governments, is where Government House currently stands. In the Pink House Museum one of its cannon holes can be found in part of a room of the Royal Treasurys warehouse. Under the direction of the English architect, Edward Taylor, the New Customs House was built in 1855 back to back with the walls of the Fort. From the central tower at the top of there was a clock. Via two side ramps carts, loaded with goods, accessed the manoeuvring dock and it was used for almost forty years and it was demolished down to the first floor by the Madero Port project and its foundations are buried under what is today Colón Park. President Domingo Sarmiento ordered the construction of the Postal headquarters in 1873 on open ground that had remained after the wing of the Buenos Aires Fort had been demolished
9.
La Chacarita cemetery
–
Cementerio de la Chacarita in Buenos Aires, Argentina, is known as the National Cemetery and is the largest in Argentina. The cemetery is in the barrio or district of Chacarita, in the part of Buenos Aires. Its main entrance is on Avenida Guzmán, the cemetery owes its existence to a yellow fever epidemic in 1871, when existing cemeteries were strained beyond capacity. Students of the College of San Carlos appropriated 5 hectares in the adjoining Colegiales area for this purpose, the New Chacarita Cemetery began to function in 1887 and was formally designated as such in 1896. Chacarita Cemetery has designated areas for members of the Argentine artistic community, including writers, the late Justicialist leader and former President Juan Perón was buried here until his remains were relocated in 2006 to a mausoleum in his former home in San Vicente. In the 19th century a number of Britons came to Argentina to work in the many areas of the economy in which England then had extensive interests. At first the British Cemetery was founded beside the Socorro Chapel, in 1833 the cemetery had to move to what was then called Victoria Cemetery until November,1892, when they were asked by the Municipality to move. Section 16 of the Chacarita Cemetery was given in exchange for the Victoria Cemetery, the British Cemetery and the German Cemetery are today not managed by or part of Chacarita Cemetery
