Uploaded January 2023 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Buenos Aires was once a top-tier global city, but has underperformed in the last century.
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The world’s southernmost megacity is among the best places to live in Latin America. With nearly 17 million people, it’s one of those rare metropolises that can feel like the center of the universe. But there's also a sense that this city once came close to achieving true greatness, but has fallen well short. This is Buenos Aires, the remote megacity.
The University of Buenos Aires is one of the best in South America. It has produced four Nobel Prize winners and provides taxpayer-funded education to students from all over the world.
Argentina also has nearly 20 million tons of identified lithium reserves in the Andean plains. This metal is a central component in the batteries of EVs and mobile devices, a resource worth more than $1 trillion to Argentina in the next two decades alone.
In fact, the beloved Pope Francis is a born and bred Porteño.
The city’s other religion is futból. With at least 24 clubs, Buenos Aires has the highest concentration of pro teams in the world and is home to the 2022 world cup champions.
Key sources and videos quoted:
Argentina, a country study bit.ly/3XXKoi1
Buenos Aires 1920s, 1930s street scenes bit.ly/3ZW86wO
Buenos Aires vacation guide: bit.ly/3Jbdx5d
Buenos Aires summary: bit.ly/3HrTldL
Greater Buenos Aires bit.ly/4010IA6
A Brief History bit.ly/3Hp9yk1
Centro Cultural Kirchner bit.ly/3ZXMS1s
Argentina seethes with revolution bit.ly/3wsab6a
Buenos Aires drone footage bit.ly/3H7Cf3P
Parts Unknown Buenos Aires bit.ly/3iXo0GK
Buenos Aires, Argentina: The World's Southernmost MEGACITY
Megacity Episodes:
London, England's MEGACITY: Capital of the British Empire youtu.be/ZM7TBKD3a5U
Jakarta, Indonesia's MEGACITY - World's Second Largest City youtu.be/h8-fwBMo6bc
Megacities of the World (Season 2 Complete)
youtube.com/watch?v=wb6w1rDa2jc
Los Angeles, California's Megacity:
youtube.com/watch?v=QropkR9iasY
AFRICA'S MEGACITY: Kinshasa, DRC (CONGO)
youtu.be/bgljcixHvAU
Megacities of the World (Season 1 - Complete) youtube.com/watch?v=0ULzxD3w_c8
TOKYO: Earth's Model MEGACITY youtube.com/watch?v=-SL9KRvzVmo
PARIS: Europe's MEGACITY youtube.com/watch?v=bdObzSwVAw4
SAO PAULO: South America's MEGACITY youtube.com/watch?v=sNEeY_gXFBc
DHAKA: Fastest Growing MEGACITY youtube.com/watch?v=vKGITvyWMH0
CAIRO: Middle East youtube.com/watch?v=0tKphKvodLQ
DELHI: India's Capital youtube.com/watch?v=OUPTGDrXDy4
SHANGHAI: China's Largest MEGACITY youtube.com/watch?v=N6XZekbQ0SE
MEXICO CITY: Largest MEGACITY in the Americas youtu.be/8dEKLuZXrUc
Obama Makes Baby Stop Crying youtube.com/watch?v=uqhzWlqN3uc
President Obama's Anger Translator at White House Correspondent's Dinner youtube.com/watch?v=G6NfRMv-4OY
Greatest Recorded Speeches in American History (1933-2008) youtube.com/watch?v=vnVwvPpdFeY
Bill Nye Destroys Noah's Ark youtube.com/watch?v=F4OhXQTMOEc
President Obama Walks The Streets of Washington youtube.com/watch?v=nEEtBVPiI44
Trump Destroyed by Comedian Hasan Minhaj at 2017 White House Correspondents Dinner youtube.com/watch?v=DHLRj1LaPiQ
Seth Rogen Testifies Before Congress youtube.com/watch?v=hvdbHSGWAgs
President Obama's Anger Translator: Behind The Scenes youtube.com/watch?v=xThj8BJIjUg
Chapters:
0:00 Introduction
0:29 Geography of Buenos Aires
0:40 Founding of the megacity
1:20 Colony of Spain
1:48 Revolution for independence
2:17 Buenos Aires becomes a global city
2:54 Rapid population growth
3:18 A European-style capital
4:09 The Party Ends
5:13 Rise of Juan and Eva "Evita" Peron
6:08 Political and economic struggles continue
6:41 A lot to feel good about
7:03 Improved life in slums
7:20 University of Buenos Aires
7:32 Argentina's lithium mining boom
8:08 Argentina's religion: Futbol (soccer)
8:16 2022 World Cup Champions (Messi)
8:27 An intellectual capital
8:52 Spectacular National Cultural Center
9:15 Champions of individual rights
9:25 Autonomous city
9:56 Areas for improvement (parks and energy grid stability)
10:43 Brilliant sponsorship
Juan Peron Eva Duarte Evita Peron Porteno Porteño Porteña Universidad de Buenos Aires Lionel Messi Maradona Yerba Mate tea nightlife walk 4k plaza de mayo villas miseria beef meat Juan De Garay fair winds mendoza subte subway asuncion Juan Manuel de Rosas province unification ranchero conventillos Italy spain Portugal Portuguese france germany president Madrid Barcelona colectivos bus police partidos Pope Francis Bolivia Ecuador Medellin Chile Santiago Antarctica
Buenos Aires was once a top-tier global city, but has underperformed in the last century.
Visit brilliant.org/TDC for 20% off your annual subscription!
Subscribe to TDC for regular MEGACITY episodes: youtube.com/TheDailyConversation
The world’s southernmost megacity is among the best places to live in Latin America. With nearly 17 million people, it’s one of those rare metropolises that can feel like the center of the universe. But there's also a sense that this city once came close to achieving true greatness, but has fallen well short. This is Buenos Aires, the remote megacity.
The University of Buenos Aires is one of the best in South America. It has produced four Nobel Prize winners and provides taxpayer-funded education to students from all over the world.
Argentina also has nearly 20 million tons of identified lithium reserves in the Andean plains. This metal is a central component in the batteries of EVs and mobile devices, a resource worth more than $1 trillion to Argentina in the next two decades alone.
In fact, the beloved Pope Francis is a born and bred Porteño.
The city’s other religion is futból. With at least 24 clubs, Buenos Aires has the highest concentration of pro teams in the world and is home to the 2022 world cup champions.
Key sources and videos quoted:
Argentina, a country study bit.ly/3XXKoi1
Buenos Aires 1920s, 1930s street scenes bit.ly/3ZW86wO
Buenos Aires vacation guide: bit.ly/3Jbdx5d
Buenos Aires summary: bit.ly/3HrTldL
Greater Buenos Aires bit.ly/4010IA6
A Brief History bit.ly/3Hp9yk1
Centro Cultural Kirchner bit.ly/3ZXMS1s
Argentina seethes with revolution bit.ly/3wsab6a
Buenos Aires drone footage bit.ly/3H7Cf3P
Parts Unknown Buenos Aires bit.ly/3iXo0GK
Buenos Aires, Argentina: The World's Southernmost MEGACITY
Megacity Episodes:
London, England's MEGACITY: Capital of the British Empire youtu.be/ZM7TBKD3a5U
Jakarta, Indonesia's MEGACITY - World's Second Largest City youtu.be/h8-fwBMo6bc
Megacities of the World (Season 2 Complete)
youtube.com/watch?v=wb6w1rDa2jc
Los Angeles, California's Megacity:
youtube.com/watch?v=QropkR9iasY
AFRICA'S MEGACITY: Kinshasa, DRC (CONGO)
youtu.be/bgljcixHvAU
Megacities of the World (Season 1 - Complete) youtube.com/watch?v=0ULzxD3w_c8
TOKYO: Earth's Model MEGACITY youtube.com/watch?v=-SL9KRvzVmo
PARIS: Europe's MEGACITY youtube.com/watch?v=bdObzSwVAw4
SAO PAULO: South America's MEGACITY youtube.com/watch?v=sNEeY_gXFBc
DHAKA: Fastest Growing MEGACITY youtube.com/watch?v=vKGITvyWMH0
CAIRO: Middle East youtube.com/watch?v=0tKphKvodLQ
DELHI: India's Capital youtube.com/watch?v=OUPTGDrXDy4
SHANGHAI: China's Largest MEGACITY youtube.com/watch?v=N6XZekbQ0SE
MEXICO CITY: Largest MEGACITY in the Americas youtu.be/8dEKLuZXrUc
Obama Makes Baby Stop Crying youtube.com/watch?v=uqhzWlqN3uc
President Obama's Anger Translator at White House Correspondent's Dinner youtube.com/watch?v=G6NfRMv-4OY
Greatest Recorded Speeches in American History (1933-2008) youtube.com/watch?v=vnVwvPpdFeY
Bill Nye Destroys Noah's Ark youtube.com/watch?v=F4OhXQTMOEc
President Obama Walks The Streets of Washington youtube.com/watch?v=nEEtBVPiI44
Trump Destroyed by Comedian Hasan Minhaj at 2017 White House Correspondents Dinner youtube.com/watch?v=DHLRj1LaPiQ
Seth Rogen Testifies Before Congress youtube.com/watch?v=hvdbHSGWAgs
President Obama's Anger Translator: Behind The Scenes youtube.com/watch?v=xThj8BJIjUg
Chapters:
0:00 Introduction
0:29 Geography of Buenos Aires
0:40 Founding of the megacity
1:20 Colony of Spain
1:48 Revolution for independence
2:17 Buenos Aires becomes a global city
2:54 Rapid population growth
3:18 A European-style capital
4:09 The Party Ends
5:13 Rise of Juan and Eva "Evita" Peron
6:08 Political and economic struggles continue
6:41 A lot to feel good about
7:03 Improved life in slums
7:20 University of Buenos Aires
7:32 Argentina's lithium mining boom
8:08 Argentina's religion: Futbol (soccer)
8:16 2022 World Cup Champions (Messi)
8:27 An intellectual capital
8:52 Spectacular National Cultural Center
9:15 Champions of individual rights
9:25 Autonomous city
9:56 Areas for improvement (parks and energy grid stability)
10:43 Brilliant sponsorship
Juan Peron Eva Duarte Evita Peron Porteno Porteño Porteña Universidad de Buenos Aires Lionel Messi Maradona Yerba Mate tea nightlife walk 4k plaza de mayo villas miseria beef meat Juan De Garay fair winds mendoza subte subway asuncion Juan Manuel de Rosas province unification ranchero conventillos Italy spain Portugal Portuguese france germany president Madrid Barcelona colectivos bus police partidos Pope Francis Bolivia Ecuador Medellin Chile Santiago Antarctica
