La Plata

La Plata, city in eastern Argentina, capital of Buenos Aires Province, on the western bank of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, near Buenos Aires. A modern, well-planned city, it is laid out in a 5-km (3-mi) square with straight, wide avenues and numerous parks and plazas. It is primarily an administrative center and university town. The city has excellent rail and highway connections and is adjacent to deepwater port facilities in Ensenada. Industries include oil refining, meat packing, flour milling, and the manufacture of textiles and machinery. La Plata is the site of the National University of La Plata (1905), the Catholic University of La Plata (1968), and the Argentine University for Lawyers (1965). It also has a museum of natural history, with a world-renowned department of paleontology. It was founded as the provincial capital in 1882, after the former provincial capital, Buenos Aires, had been made the national capital. Population (2001) 520,647.