Bahía Blanca
Bahía Blanca (Spanish pronunciation: [baˈi.a ˈβlaŋka]; English: White Bay) is a city by the Atlantic Ocean, in the southwest province of Buenos Aires, Argentina. It is the seat of government of the Bahía Blanca Partido, with 301,572 inhabitants according to the 2010 census [INDEC]. Bahía Blanca is the principal city in the Greater Bahía Blanca area.
Bahía Blanca | |
|---|---|
City | |
Panoramic view of Bahía Blanca | |
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Flag | |
Bahía Blanca Location in Argentina | |
| Coordinates: 38°43′0″S 62°16′0″W | |
| Country | Argentina |
| Province | Buenos Aires |
| Partido | Bahía Blanca |
| Founded | 1828 |
| Government | |
| • Intendant | Federico Susbieles |
| Area | |
| • City | 2,247 km2 (868 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 20 m (70 ft) |
| Population (2010 census [INDEC]) | |
| • Urban | 301,572 |
| Time zone | UTC−3 (ART) |
| CPA Base | B 8000 |
| Area code | +54 291 |
| Climate | Cfa |
| Website | Official website |
The city has an important seaport with a depth of 15 m (49 ft), kept constant upstream almost all along the length of the bay, where the Napostá Stream drains.
Bahía Blanca means "White Bay". The name is due to the color of the salt covering the local soil surrounding the shores. The bay (which is an estuary) was seen by Ferdinand Magellan during his first circumnavigation of the world on the order of Charles I of Spain in 1520, looking for a canal connecting the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean along the coasts of South America.