Seen from Space 2009
Nostalgia for Europe in the "Paris of South America"- Buenos Aires, Argentina
Río de la Plata means "Silver River" in Spanish. The origin of this name goes back to a Spanish explorer of the "Age of Geographical Discovery" in the early 16th century, who mistakenly saw this land as a silver-rich locality. The land extending on either bank of the La Plata River (with Uruguayan territory in the upper right and Argentinian territory in the lower left of the figure), looking like "dazzle paints" with its green forests and farmlands, is a fertile "Pampa" prairie supporting Argentina’s main industries of agriculture and cattle breeding.
The vast green area in the Palermo district in the upper left of the figure is Parque 3 de Febrero (February 3 Park, commonly called Palermo Park). This 1000-acre area, which is a place of relaxation for local citizens, has a variety of recreation facilities such as golf courses, a horse racetrack, a tennis club, a zoo, a rose garden, a Japanese garden, and so on. The tango is the most famous aspect of the culture in Argentina, but with the great interest of the citizens in plays, music, and art, there are many theaters and art museums in the city. In particular, the Colón Theater (which celebrated the 100th anniversary of its establishment in 2008) is one of the three major theaters of the world, together with La Scala in Milan and the Paris Opera House. It faces the world’s widest avenue, Avenida 9 de Julio (July 9 Avenue), which penetrates the city from north to south. The round, chalky Obelisco (the Obelisk) stands in the center of the avenue near the theater like a signpost. Beyond the street, running aslant toward the southeast, is the brownish Plaza de Mayo (Plaza of May). This name is based on the revolution that took place in May 1810, triggering the independence movement. The pink presidential palace, Casa Rosada, is visible in front of the Plaza. The Plaza serves as the forecourt of the palace, and a multitude of citizens gather there on every occasion, such as presidential inaugurations, protest demonstrations, etc. Argentina is well known as a country of football aficionados, and Argentina won the gold medal in football at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. Naturally, there are many football stadiums in the city. Visible in the old La Boca district in the lower right of the figure is the stadium of the famous "Boca Juniors" football club. Diego A. Maradona, the golden boy of the Argentinian team that won the championship at the 1986 FIFA World Cup in Mexico, once played in this club. Boca is famous as the place where the first immigrants from Europe landed and also as the birthplace of the tango. Argentina is a long, big country (3800km north-to-south, 2.8 million square kilometers) about 7.5 times as large as Japan, and has every kind of climate on Earth in a single country. The name of the country was derived from the Latin word "argentum" meaning "silver." Almost 80% of its exports consists of agricultural and livestock products, but in keeping with its original name, investment in the mining industry has increased in recent years. Buenos Aires is located in the middle of this long country, in a mild climate zone with four clear seasons like those in Japan (though summer and winter are inverted in the southern hemisphere). The scenery there is the result of a free, open atmosphere peculiar to the New World and the culture that came about through the immigration policies initiated in the 19th century. The city is referred to as the "Paris of South America", and the townscape of purified old European-style architecture reflects a deep nostalgia for Europe.
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