Copiapó
- 27.366666666667 - 70.333333333333Koordinaten: 27 ° 22 ' S, 70 ° 20 ' W
Copiapó is a city in the small northern Chile in the Atacama region. It has 129 281 inhabitants (as of 2005).
Geography and climate
Copiapó lies about 800 km north of Santiago in the Copiapó Valley, which is formed by the Río Copiapó. The area is located in the Atacama desert and low rainfall (12 mm / year).
The shore near the valley is relatively fertile. The city itself seems therefore quite green.
History
Already in pre-Hispanic times lived Diaguita in the Copiapó Valley. 40 km southeast of Tierra Amarilla, the small Inca Palace of La Puerta is located at Los Loros.
On June 4, 1536 Diego de Almagro reached the Copiapó Valley. 1662 a Franciscan monastery was founded. Copiapó itself was founded December 8, 1744 by José Antonio Manso de Velasco.
In 1832, the silver deposit was discovered Chañarcillo. In 1851, a railway link has been established to Caldera and inaugurated on December 25. In 1857 the city received a school for mine economy. Around 1870, ended the silver rush, who had made a cultural center of the city.
In 1859 it came to the Revolución Constituyente in Copiapo and Chañarcillo. The mine owners Emiterio Goyenechea resulted in the Atacama region of one of his own silver currency. The city of Copiapo minted its own silver pesos and centavos, because they wanted to secede from the central government. The government of Manuel Montt Torres then sent troops to quell the revolution. On April 29, 1859 Army unit under Lieutenant Salvador Urrutia hit the revolutionaries of General Pedro León Gallo at La Serena.
1865 during the Spanish- South American War in 1865 again Copiapo pesos and centavos were minted.
On November 10, 1922, the city was destroyed by a very severe earthquake to 40%, another earthquake on August 3, 1978 led to the collapse of buildings, 60 % of homes are considered uninhabitable.
On August 5, 2010, a mine disaster occurred in the copper and gold mine San Jose, 45 kilometers north of Copiapo. By a stroke caused by the mountain range collapsed, 33 people were trapped 700 meters below the surface. On 22 August 2010, a rescue hole had success and reached the 33 miners. Subsequently, several rescue holes was taken with 60 cm diameter to the rescue of the miners in attack. On October 9, succeeded by a borehole of sufficient width ( Schramm T130 ) push forward again to the miners. At 05:05 clock (CEST ) began on 13 October 2010, from the rescue capsule and the individual Up conveying the miners direct rescue of the miners. It has been successfully completed with the rescue of the last miner on the following day at 5.30 clock (CEST).
Attractions
The Plaza de Armas is one of the most beautiful places in the country and is covered by ancient pepper trees. In the city you can visit one of the oldest locomotives in South America, the Locomotora Copiapo, this wrong of 1851-1860 between Caldera and the city.
It is well worth the Mineralogical Museum. On the banks of the Río Copiapó Parque Pretil is a forest and small zoo. Much of the history of Copiapo one experiences in the museum Matta, which houses numerous documents and objects from the family history of the famous family Matta.
Nevado Tres Cruces tours in the ( National Park ), with its 590 km ² are particularly appropriate for friends of the mountains.
Economy
Copiapo is considered the center of the mining industry. The copper and iron mines are located south of the city in Tierra Amarilla. The city is located on the Panamerican Highway. 15 km west of Copiapo airport is the Aeropuerto Chamonate. In Copiapó Valley much wine is grown.
Sons and daughters of the town
- Luis Aguirre Pinto (1907-1997), composer
- José Manuel Vicuña (born 1972 ), Photographer