Valparaíso

General information

Valparaíso is a Chilean, capital city of the Région of Valparaíso (Fifth Area) and province of the same name (Province of Valparaíso). It is the first port and the second city of the Chile.

The harbor city of Valparaiso, literally “Valley of the Paradise”, whose historical center was declared in 2003 Patrimoine of Humanity by UNESCO, is one of the most beautiful and picturesque places of the central area of Chile.

The city accommodates several authorities of national range: the congress, commandanture as a chief of the Army of Chile, customs and the national council of the Culture and Arts.

It is also a intellectual city, with four universities and the Spanish-speaking newspaper oldest of the world: El Mercurio de Valparaíso, going back to 1827.

Geography

Valparaíso is located at 115 km of Santiago, capital of Chile, with the latitude 33º01'S, and longitude 71º37W.

The urban configuration of Valparaiso is determined by the topography of bay, dominated by 44 hills forming a natural amphitheater giving over the Pacific Ocean.

The city can be divided into two distinct parts:

  • On the one hand “El Plan”, located on the punt part of the city. It shelters the port as well as a large majority of the trade of the city. (= " basse" city;).
  • higher, the “Cerros”, hills, dominating the city. It is in these hills that the majority of the population saw, and they are their sheet houses to the colors if varied which give to the city its single pace. (= " haute" city;).

The 300.000 inhabitants of Valparaiso are called in Spanish the " Porteños". 94% of them live in the hills served by 15 " ascensores" who lead to the " cerros" (= high districts).

The city can be visited by using the Funiculaire S, called " ascensores" in Spanish, many, which gives access the districts located on the hills of the city. It is possible there to see all bay of Valparaíso, with its port and with far the town of Viña del Mar.

History

The first known inhabitants of bay of Valparaiso were the Indians Changos.

Valparaiso was founded the September 13rd 1544 per gift Pedro de Valdivia which by this foundation gave a port to the town of Santiago located 120 km at the south-east from there.

From 1559 to 1615, the English pirates attacked on several occasions Valparaiso to seize the gold stored in the port. In 1594 the governor of the Chile makes build a fort with the foot of current the " cerro Artilleria" and makes protect the port by soldiers.

As of second half of the 18th century, the port activity of the site strongly increased. It is from there that the wine, the leather and the cheese leave which are sent to Peru. Several ships coming from the metropolis stop there too. In 1730 one counts 100 houses and 4 churches there.

With the independence of Chile and the new freedom of trade, Valparaiso became the most important port of the new nation and the stopover obliged for the ships going of the Atlantic in the Pacific via the Magellan Strait.

The port between declining with the construction of the Panama Canal.

This city is also the birthplace of Augusto Pinochet as well as Salvador Allende.

The August 16th 1906, a seism magnitude of 8,2 on the open scales of Richter had caused the death of 3000 people and makes 20.000 wounded with Valparaiso.

Famous personalities

Bonds

  • Municipality of Spanish Valparaíso
  • Tourist bureau
  • Foundation Valparaíso
  • University of catholic Valparaíso
  • University of Valparaíso
  • University of Playa Ancha
  • University Federico Santa María
  • Mercociudades: Network of the cities associated with the MERCOSUR
  • Museum with natural history
  • the newspaper " El Mercurio de Valparaíso"
  • the museum Pablo Neruda
  • Information on the port of Valparaiso
  • naval and maritime Museum
  • Naval college Arturo Prat
  • University of Viña del Mar
  • RutaValparaíso

Gallery

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