Valparaíso | ||||||
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Nickname(s): The Jewel of the Pacific, Valpo | ||||||
Coordinates (city): 33°03′S 71°37′W / 33.050°S 71.617°WCoordinates: 33°03′S 71°37′W / 33.050°S 71.617°W | ||||||
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) |
Historic Quarter of the Seaport City of Valparaíso | |
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Name as inscribed on the World Heritage List | |
Location | Chile |
Type | Cultural |
Criteria | iii |
Reference | 959 |
UNESCO region | Latin America and the Caribbean |
Inscription history | |
Inscription | 2003 (27th Session) |
Valparaíso (/ˌvælpəˈraɪzoʊ/, 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.