BUEN-AYRE 223 BUFFALO BUEN-AYRE, French Bonaire (bwan- I-ra), a West Indian island, 60 miles from the coast of Venezuela, and 30 E. of Curasao, like which it belongs to the Dutch. It produces timber, cattle, cochineal, and salt. Area, 95 square miles; pop. about 7,000. BUENOS AIRES, the largest province of Argentina. It has an area of 117,- 807 square miles. The southern part is crossed by two mountain chains. With this exception the province consists of an extensive plain, for the most part tree- less. The coasts are low and sandy. The chief rivers are the Parana and the Rio Salado. The chief industry of the province is cattle-raising and the grow- ing of cereals, and the interest in the former was greatly stimulated by the demand of meat products as a result of the World War. Wheat growing has developed in the province in recent years. There are over 3,000 miles of railway. Through its geographical position the province controls the foreign commerce of Argentina. The chief exports are wool, beef, and other animal products. The province is independent of the cen- tral government in its administration. The capital is La Plata. Pop. of the province in 1918 was 2,290,102. BUENOS AIRES, the capital of Ar- gentina and the largest city of the southern hemisphere. It has a popu- lation of 1,637,155 (1918). It is situated on the right bank of the La Plata river, twelve miles from its mouth. It ex- tends eleven and a half miles from N. to S. and fifteen and a half miles from E. to W. The plan of the city is quad- rangular. It is well paved and abounds with beautiful structures. The commerce of Buenos Aires vastly exceeds that of any city in South America. There are ten trans-atlantic lines of steamships which connect it with Europe, and rail- road connections with Patagonia, Chile, and Bolivia. It has a harbor, largely artificial, that cost $35,000,000 and covers an area of 165 acres, and twenty-four warehouses with the capacity of 24,000- 000 tons of merchandise. Although Argentina is essentially a grazing and agricultural country, there are 10,350 industrial establishments in the capitol, employing about 119,000 workmen. The principal manufactures are chemical products, construction materials, hide products, furniture, carpets, and pre- served foods. There are twenty-one banks in Buenos Aires with a combined capital of $100,000,000. There are a number of branches of American and European banks. The annual clearings amount to $3,000,000,000. There are 250 public schools with 3,000 teachers and an en- rolment of 300,000 pupils. The uni- versity has about 4,700 students. There are several technical schoolls, normal schools, and business colleges. The public libraries hold 50,000 volumes. The city is governed on a commission plan, and the amount of annual expenditure is about $100,000,000. BUFFALO, city and county-seat of Erie co., N. Y., second city in population and importance in New York. It is built at the E. end of Lake Erie, at the head of the Niagara river, 20 miles above the Falls. It is the W. terminus of the Erie canal, and has a navigable water front of 8 miles, with numerous piers, break- waters, basins and canals, giving it one of the finest harbors on the lakes and making it a great commercial center. The city is connected by several steamship lines with the chief lake ports, and by ferries with Victoria and Fort Erie, on the Canadian side. The International Bridge, costing $1,500,000 and com- pleted in 1873, connects Buffalo with these towns. Area, 42 square miles; pop. (1890> 255,664; (1900) 352,387; (1910) 423,715; 1920) 506,775. Topography. — Buffalo is situated on an elevated plain, 50 feet above the lake and 600 feet above sea-level. From this plain the ground slopes gradually to the lake. It is bordered on three sides by water, the Niagara river, Lake Erie, and Buffalo river. Buffalo river is navigable for 2 miles, and two canals pass between the river and the lake. The city is noted for its wide and beautiful streets, and the abundance of shrubbery and trees decorating them. The principal streets are Main, Niagara, Delaware, Broad- way, and Linwood and Elmwood ave- nues, 120 feet wide, and all over 5 miles in length. Municipal Improvements. — The city owns an extensive waterworks system, costing $9,000,000. The water is dis- tributed through 600 miles of mains. The sewerage system has about 525 miles of pipe, and the sewage is carried off, by means of a tunnel, into the Niagara river. The city is lighted by gas and electricity. Much natural gas, piped from Pennsylvania and Canada, is used for heating and manufacturing purposes. There are more than 225 miles of street railways and a steam belt-line connects with the suburbs. Public Parks. — Buffalo has an ex- tensive park system. There are several attractive parks and squares in the busi- ness portions of the city, among them Lafayette, Niagara, and Franklin. La- fayette square contains the Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument, erected at a cost of $50,000, and the Buffalo Library. A
