Tocopilla | |
|---|---|
 Port of Tocopilla | |
 Coat of arms  Map of Tocopilla commune in Antofagasta Region   Tocopilla Location in Chile | |
| Coordinates:22°5′20″S70°11′45″W / 22.08889°S 70.19583°W /-22.08889; -70.19583 | |
| Country |  Chile |
| Region |  Antofagasta |
| Province | Tocopilla |
| Founded | 1843 |
| Government | |
| • Type | Municipal council |
| • Mayor | Fernando San Román Bascuñán |
| Area | |
• Total | 4,038.8 km2 (1,559.4 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 154 m (505 ft) |
| Population (2012 Census)[1] | |
• Total | 24,247 |
| • Density | 6.0/km2 (16/sq mi) |
| • Urban | 23,352 |
| • Rural | 634 |
| Demonym | Tocopillian |
| Sex | |
| • Men | 12,050 |
| • Women | 11,936 |
| Time zone | UTC−4 (CLT) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−3 (CLST) |
| Area code | +56 552 |
| Climate | BWh |
| Website | Official website(in Spanish) |
Tocopilla is acity andcommune in theAntofagasta Region, in the north of Chile. It is the capital of theprovince that bears thesame name.
Every year Tocopilla celebrates its anniversary on 29 September with a big show the day before, which includes a parade down in the main street of the city, food and a fireworks display at midnight.
The city is divided into two main parts consisting of the central city and smaller portion known asLa Villa Sur (in which the more luxurious houses are located). The two parts are divided by thethermoelectric power plant and a largesaltpeter processing and shipping plant, with the coastal highway connecting the two portions.The northern portion of Tocopilla is home of the municipal buildings, the central square and many stores and shops. The steep gradient of the city from beach to vertical hillside is covered in houses and apartments crammed together to save space. A large artificial beach called "Covadonga" and a small artificial beach called "Caleta Boy" are the main attractions during summer months and serve as a focus away from the heat of theAtacama. On the north side of the city, there is a black sandy beach called "El Panteón".
Tocopilla is the birthplace of artistAlejandro Jodorowsky and footballerAlexis Sánchez.
Tocopilla means "the devil's corner" in theQuechua language.[2][3]
Jodorowsky explains the etymology further in his autobiographyThe Dance of Reality: "In the Andean language of Quechua,Toco means "double sacred square" andPilla means "devil." In this case, the devil is not the incarnation of evil but a being of the subterranean dimension who gazes through a window made of both spirit and matter—that is, the body—in order to observe the world and share his knowledge with it. Among theMapuche,Pillán means "the soul, the human spirit arrived at its final destination."[4]
On 14 November 2007, amagnitude 7.7 earthquake occurred 40 km (25 mi) east-southeast of Tocopilla, followed by aftershocks of magnitude up to 6.8. As a consequence, 1,200 homes were destroyed in Tocopilla, leaving 4,000 of its 27,000 inhabitants homeless. There were two fatalities, and at least 115 were injured.[5][6]
According to the 2002 census of theNational Statistics Institute, Tocopilla had 23,986 inhabitants (12,050 men and 11,936 women). Of these, 23,352 (97.4%) lived in urban areas and 634 (2.6%) in rural areas. The population fell by 4.0% (999 persons) between the 1992 and 2002 censuses.[1]
As a commune, Tocopilla is a third-leveladministrative division of Chile administered by amunicipal council, headed by analcalde who is directly elected every four years. The 2013-2016 alcalde is Fernando San Román Bascuñán (Ind./PRO).
Within theelectoral divisions of Chile, Tocopilla is represented in theChamber of Deputies by Marcos Espinosa (PRSD) and Felipe Ward (UDI) as part of the 3rd electoral district, (together withMaría Elena,Calama,Ollagüe andSan Pedro de Atacama). The commune is represented in theSenate by Pedro Araya Guerrero (Ind.) and Alejandro Guillier (Ind.) as part of the 2nd senatorial constituency (Antofagasta Region).
The city has one association football team calledDeportes Tocopilla who currently play inTercera B (Chile).
FormerArsenal F.C.,Manchester United F.C. forwardAlexis was also born in Tocopilla and currently competes inSerie A for Udinese
This city generates electricity for the entireregion and is therefore known as "the city of energy". Whensaltpeter exportation in Chile was at its highest point, Tocopilla was especially significant as an export point. Nowadays, even when the saltpeter is not so profitable, Tocopilla is still home of companies focused on its extraction.
Its position along the coast allows it to have an active fishing activity, that along with the mining activity are the main resources. It is a fishing port, withfishmeal and canned fish factories. Through its port the copper fromChuquicamata and saltpeter from El Toco are exported. Tocopilla hasmetallurgic,chemical and nitrate treatment industries, along with thepower plant. Due to these activities, Tocopilla is adormitory city, since many people work outside the city.
Two other important sports are volleyball, with relative success at school and federated level.
The Dance of Reality, a 2013 Chilean-French film byAlejandro Jodorowsky, was filmed in Tocopilla.[7]
The city is mentioned in theHank Snow andJohnny Cash song "I've Been Everywhere."
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