Dictionary of Meaning
<<Back
Please select a letter:
A |
B |
C |
D |
E |
F |
G |
H |
I |
J |
K |
L |
M |
N |
O |
P |
Q |
R |
S |
T |
U |
V |
W |
X |
Y |
Z |
0-9
Click here for Shopping
Santiago, Chile
*** Shopping-Tip: Santiago, Chile
Image:Catedral de Santiago.JPG thumb|250px|Santiago's Metropolitan Cathedral
'''Santiago''' (
Spanish language Spanish: ''{{Audio|StgoEsp.ogg|Santiago de Chile}}'') is
Chile's capital and largest city. It is situated in the country's central valley, and administratively is a part of the
Santiago Metropolitan Region. Even though Santiago is the capital,
National Congress of Chile legislative bodies meet in nearby
ValparaÃso.
History
Santiago was founded by
Pedro de Valdivia on
February 12,
1541 with the name ''Santiago de Nueva Extremadura.'' The founding ceremony was held on Huelén Hill (later renamed
Cerro Santa LucÃa). Valdivia chose the location of Santiago because of its moderate climate and the ease with which it could be defended—the
Mapocho River split the area in two, and rejoined further downstream, forming an island.
The first buildings were erected with the help of the native
Picunche Indians. The south bank of the Mapocho River was later drained and converted into a public promenade, known as the ''Alameda'' (now ''Avenida Alameda Libertador Bernardo O'Higgins''). The city was slightly damaged during the
Chilean War of Independence War of Independence (
1810–
1818 18), in the
Battle of Maipú, which was fought south-west of the city. Santiago was named capital in
1818.
During the early 19th century, Santiago remained a small town with few buildings excepting
Palacio de La Moneda, the building used as the Chilean mint during the Spanish period, and a few churches and other civic buildings. In the 1880s extraction of nitrate fertilizer in Northern Chile brought prosperity to the country, and promoted the capital city's development. Important landmarks were built in 1910 during the Centennial celebrations of independence from Spain, such as the National Library and the Museum of Fine Arts.
Santiago began its transformation to a modern city in the 1930s, with the building of the Barrio CÃvico, surrounding El
Palacio de La Moneda. The city also grew in population, due to migration from the north and south of Chile.
In 1985 an earthquake destroyed some historically significant buildings in the downtown area.
Santiago is now often considered an important financial center in Latin America.
Climate
Image:Santiago at dawn.jpg thumb|300px|Upscale Santiago at dawn with the snowcapped [[Andes in the background]]
Santiago has a mild
Mediterranean climate: relatively hot dry summers (November to March) with temperatures reaching up to 35 degrees Celsius on the hottest days; winters (June to August) are more humid, with typical maximum daily temperatures of 15 degrees Celsius, and minimums of a few degrees above freezing. Mean rainfall is 346 mm per year.
Thermal inversion (a meteorological phenomenon whereby a stable layer of warm air holds down colder air close to the ground) causes high levels of
smog and
air pollution to be trapped and concentrate within the Central Valley during winter months. The government has attempted to reduce pollution by giving incentives for heavy industry to move out of the valley but such measures have seen limited results.
The
Mapocho river, which crosses the city from the north-east to the south-west of the Central Valley, is contaminated by industrial and household sewage, dumped unfiltered into the river, and by upstream copper-mining waste (there are a number of copper mines in the Andes east of Santiago). The central government recently passed a law that forces industry and local governments to process all their wastewater by 2006. There are now a number of large wastewater processing and recycling plants under construction.
Sound levels on the main streets are high, mostly because of noisy diesel buses. Diesel trucks and buses are also major contributors to winter smog.
Image:Panorama santiago.jpg thumb|500px|center|Panorama view of eastern Santiago
The people
The population of Santiago's urban agglomeration grew from 1.33 million in 1950 to 2.84 million in 1970 and 4.73 million in 1990. According to the
2002 census, it contains a population of about 5.8 million, equivalent to nearly 40% of the total population of the country, making it one of the largest cities in
Latin America. The government has made great efforts to encourage people to resettle out of Santiago, to relieve the pressure on the city's infrastructure.
Economy
Image:Telefonica building in Santiago Chile.jpg thumb|150px|The [[Telefónica bulding, shaped like a giant
mobile phone cell phone, is the country's second tallest building]]
