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Valparaíso, Chile

Valparaíso
Montaje de Valparaíso.jpg
Flag
Flag
Coat of arms
Coat of arms
Map of the Valparaíso commune in the Valparaíso Region
Location in Chile
Location in Chile
Valparaíso
Location in Chile
Nickname(s): The Jewel of the Pacific, Valpo
Coordinates (city): 33°03′S 71°37′W / 33.050°S 71.617°W / -33.050; -71.617Coordinates: 33°03′S 71°37′W / 33.050°S 71.617°W / -33.050; -71.617
Country  Chile
Region  Valparaíso
Province Valparaíso
Founded 1536
Capital Valparaíso
Government
 • Type Municipality
 • Alcalde Jorge Sharp Fajardo (Independent)
Area
 • City 401.6 km2 (155.1 sq mi)
Elevation 10 m (30 ft)
Population (2012 census)
 • City 284,630
 • Density 710/km2 (1,800/sq mi)
 • Urban 275,141
 • Metro 930,220
 • Rural 841
Demonym(s) Porteño (m), porteña (f)
Time zone CLT (UTC−4)
 • Summer (DST) CLST (UTC−3)
Area code(s) (country) 56 + (city) 32
Climate Csb
Website Official website (Spanish)
UNESCO World Heritage Site
Historic Quarter of the Seaport City of Valparaíso
Name as inscribed on the World Heritage List
Houses in Valparaíso
Location Chile
Type Cultural
Criteria iii
Reference 959
UNESCO region Latin America and the Caribbean
Inscription history
Inscription 2003 (27th Session)

Valparaíso (/ˌvælpəˈrz/, Spanish: [balpaɾaˈiso]) is a major city, seaport, and educational center in the county or commune of Valparaíso, Chile. Greater Valparaíso is the second largest metropolitan area in the country. Valparaíso is located 111.8 kilometres (69.5 miles) northwest of Santiago and is one of the South Pacific's most important seaports. Valparaíso is the capital of Chile's third most populated administrative region and has been the headquarters for the Chilean National Congress since 1990.

Valparaíso played an important geopolitical role in the second half of the 19th century, when the city served as a major stopover for ships traveling between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans by crossing the Straits of Magellan. Valparaíso mushroomed during its golden age, as a magnet for European immigrants, when the city was known by international sailors as "Little San Francisco" and "The Jewel of the Pacific". In 2003, the historic quarter of Valparaíso was declared a United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage Site.

Notable features include Latin America's oldest , the continent's first volunteer fire department, Chile's first public library, and the oldest Spanish language newspaper in continuous publication in the world, El Mercurio de Valparaíso.


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Wikipedia

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