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Interesting Facts about Buenos Aires


1. Random fact: The standard greeting in Argentina is a kiss on one cheek; men kiss women and vice versa, women kiss women, and men kiss men, whether meeting for the very first time or having already seen one another several times in the same day. Note that failing to greet each person in a group with a kiss is considered rude.

2. The official Argentine currency is the peso. There are bills of 2, 5, 10, 20, 50, and 100 pesos, and coins of 1 peso and 1, 5, 10, 25, and 50 cents. A major shortage of coins in Buenos Aires results

3. Fun fact: The tango originated in brothels in the immigrant ghetto of Buenos Aires in the late 19th century, in what is the present-day harbor of La Boca. Various other folkloric dances popped up in other parts of Argentina, like the foot-stomping, kerchief-swinging chacarera, from the north.

4. The Universidad de Buenos Aires (UBA) was founded in 1821 and is the largest institution of higher education in the country, a nation with a 96% literacy rate.

5. In Buenos Aires, soccer is religion, and the best-known clubs are River Plate, Boca Juniors, Independiente, Racing Club and San Lorenzo. The nation boasts two World Cup prizes and countless world footie stars.

6. When it comes to tipping, 10% of the amount of the dining check is usually left in cafes and restaurants. Doormen, porters, and ushers in cinemas and theatres are also generally tipped.

7. Avenida 9 de Julio is the widest street in the world at an imposing sixteen lanes. It typically takes at least 2 traffic light rotations to cross.

8. Interesting fact: At 15.2 million, nearly 40% of Argentina`s population of more than 40 million lives in the greater Buenos Aires metropolitan area. The most recent national census took place on October 27, 2010, coinciding with the death of former president Nestor Kirchner, husband of current president Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner.

9. Argentina is one of the leading producers of wines ever since the 16th century and has approximately 1,800 wineries currently.

10. Argentine Spanish spoken in and around Buenos Aires is distinctly different from that spoken elsewhere in Latin America. Aside from a heavy accent, the language is peppered with lunfardo, a local slang derived from the era of tango.

11. Weird fact: Buenos Aires celebrates St. Patrick's Day each March 17th with a massive downtown pub crawl.

12. The city of Buenos Aires has 48 districts called "barrios". Recoleta, Palermo, Boedo, Caballito, San Cristobal and Puerto Madero are some of the districts in the city. When the city was federalized in 1880, the city limits were extended to include the former towns of Belgrano and Flores, now two of the city's largest barrios.



Things to See in Buenos Aires

  1. Plaza de Mayo
  2. International Airport
  3. Newbery Airport
  4. Puerto Madero
  5. San Telmo
  6. Recoleta Cemetary
  7. Teatro Colon
  8. Palermo
  9. La Boca
  10. Florida Street







   
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