Chile Chico

Chile Chico is a city in the south of the South American Andean country Chile. It is situated in the Región de Aysen (Region XI). The city is located about 130 km south east of Coyhaique in Chile's largest lake, the Lago Buenos Aires / General Carrera lake. It has around 4,444 inhabitants ( 2005).

Geography

The city is situated on the southern shore of the huge lake Lago General Carrera opens. The city is an important border town with Argentina.

The Lago General Carrera has an area of ​​approximately 2200 km ².

The climate is more pleasant due to the lakeside for the southern location, the city is also called Ciudad del Sol.

History

The first families arrived around 1909 from Argentina to Chile Chico. In 1917 it came to war over land rights, the ' Guerra de Chile Chico '. The state had allocated the land rights to the Swede Carlos of Flack and the settlers virtually expropriated. The uprising of the settlers became known throughout Chile, so the government in 1918 returned the land rights back to the settlers.

The town was officially founded on 21 May 1929. The connection to the great highway Carretera Austral was the early 90s.

1971 and 1991, the city was covered by large ash fall of Cerro Hudson volcano. The volcano is located northwest of the city with a height of 1,905 m.

Economy

The city lives mainly from fishing, farming with sheep farming, fruit such as apricots and cherries, which ripen very well in this climate, to the freight to Argentina and from tourism to the Lago General Carrera / Lago Buenos Aires. West of the city are some gold mines.

Tourism

Ferry trips on Lake General Carrera are popular tourist excursions. It performs a ferry from Chile Chico to Puerto Ingeniero Ibáñez on the northern side of the lake. In the vicinity is the largest and most important airport of the region, El Portezuelo and Los Antiguos in Argentina.

West of the city leads the winding road Paso Las Llaves through beautiful mountain areas.

The Chile - Chico Museum and Cultural Center shows typical art, fossils and minerals. It is the museum ship El Andes be visited, which used the Lago General Carrera sailed.

60 km south of the town the nature reserve Lake Jeinimeni is with great forests.