open the placemark and it enjoys the photographies of old Valparaiso , photographies taken about 1900
Valparaso is an important Chilean seaport and an increasingly vital cultural center. The city is located in central Chile, where it is capital of the Region of Valparaso. Valparaiso is also home of the National Congress. Built upon dozens of steep hillsides overlooking the Pacific Ocean, Valparaso boasts a labyrinth of streets and cobblestone alleyways, embodyng a rich architectural and cultural legacy. Valparaso is protected as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is often considered to be one of Latin America's most intriguing urban areas.
In 2003, the Chilean Congress declared Valparaso to be "Chile's Cultural Capital" and home for the nation's new cultural ministry. Although technically only Chile's 6th largest city, with 263,499 inhabitants (2002 census), the Greater Valparaso metropolitan area, including the neighboring resort city of Via del Mar, is the second largest in the country (803,683 inhabitants).
Valparaso 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. Always a magnet for European immigrants, Valparaso mushroomed during its golden age, when the city was known by international sailors as "Little San Francisco" or "The Jewel of the Pacific."
Examples of Valparaso's former glory include Latin America's oldest stock exchange, the continent's first volunteer fire department, Chile's first public library, and the oldest Spanish language newspaper in continuous publication in the world. The opening of the Panama Canal and reduction in ship traffic, dealt a staggering blow to Valparaso, though the city has staged an impressive rennaissance in recent years.
Valparaso is located in central Chile, 120 km (74 miles) to the northwest of the capital Santiago. The city is an important educational center with nine universities. Major industries include tourism, culture, and transport. Valparaso stages a major festival attended by hundreds of thousands of participants on the last three days of every year. The festival culminates with a "New Year's by the Sea" fireworks show, attended by a million tourists who fill the coastline and hillsides with a view of the bay.
Approximately 50 international cruise ships call on Valparaso during the 4-month Chilean summer. The port of Valparaso is also an important hub for shipping of container freight, and exports of wine, copper, and fresh fruit.
Travel between Valparaso and Santiago currently takes some 70 minutes on a state-of-the-art toll road.
The Chilean Congress meets in a modern building in the Almendral section of Valparaso, after relocation from Santiago during the last years of the military rule of general Augusto Pinochet. Although congressional activities were to be legally moved by a ruling in 1987, the newly built site only began to function as the seat of Congress during the democratically-elected government of Patricio Aylwin, who followed Pinochet, in 1990.
The historic quarter of Valparaso was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2003.
Valparaiso (wikipedia)
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