Valparaíso

"Valparaíso es una ciudad y comuna ubicada en el litoral central del territorio continental de Chile. Es la capital de la región y de la provincia homónimas, que en conjunto con las comunas de Viña del Mar, Quilpué, Villa Alemana y Concón, forman el área metropolitana del Gran Valparaíso, convirtiéndola en su centro histórico y principal núcleo urbano. Con una población que supera las 300.000 personas, que asciende a 1.040.000 habitantes si incluimos su conurbación, la transformán en la tercera ciudad y área metropolitana más poblada de Chile, por detrás del Gran Santiago y el Gran Concepción. La ciudad es la sede del Congreso Nacional, la Comandancia en Jefe de la Armada de Chile y de otros servicios públicos e instituciones del Estado de carácter nacional como el Consejo de la Cultura y las Artes, la Subsecretaría de Pesca, los servicios de Aduanas y de Pesca y Acuicultura. Su terminal portuario es uno de los principales del Pacífico Sur. La ciudad cuenta con 4 universidades, denominadas tradicionales: la Católica de Valparaíso, la de Playa Ancha, la de Valparaíso y la Técnica Federico Santa María. Geográficamente, Valparaíso se presenta en forma de un gran anfiteatro natural, emplazada en la bahía homónima y rodeada de cerros, en los cuales vive la mayor parte de la población. Entre el pie de los cerros y el mar se forma el Plan, centro administrativo, comercial y financiero de la ciudad; mientras el bordemar es ocupado por el puerto. Debido a su riqueza arquitectónica desarrollada principalmente a fines del siglo XIX, en 2003 su centro histórico fue declarado Patrimonio de la Humanidad por la Unesco, convirtiéndose en el tercer sitio chileno protegido por el organismo internacional, tras el Parque nacional Rapa Nui y 16 iglesias de Chiloé."

"Valparaíso (/vælprazo/, Spanish: [balpaaiso]) is a major city, seaport, and educational center in the county or commune of Valparaíso, Chile. Greater Valparaíso is the second largest metropolitan area in the country. Valparaíso is located 111.8 kilometres (69.5 miles) northwest of Santiago and is one of the South Pacific's most important seaports. Valparaíso is the capital of Chile's third most populated administrative region and has been the headquarters for the Chilean National Congress since 1990. Valparaíso 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. Valparaíso mushroomed during its golden age, as a magnet for European immigrants, when the city was known by international sailors as "Little San Francisco" and "The Jewel of the Pacific". In 2003, the historic quarter of Valparaíso was declared a United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage Site. Examples of Valparaíso's renown 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, El Mercurio de Valparaíso. The second half of the twentieth century was not kind to Valparaíso, as many wealthy families abandoned the city. The opening of the Panama Canal and reduction inship traffic dealt a staggering blow to Valparaíso's port-based economy. However, over the past 15 years, the city has staged an impressive renaissance, attracting many artists and cultural entrepreneurs who have set up shop in the city's hillside historic districts. Today, many thousands of tourists visit Valparaíso from around the world to marvel at the city's uniquelabyrinth of cobbled alleys and colorful buildings. The port of Valparaíso continues to be a major distribution center for container traffic, copper, and fruit exports. Valparaíso also receives growing attention from cruise ships thatvisit during the South American summer. Most significantly, Valparaíso hastransformed itself into a major educational center with four large traditional universities and several large vocational colleges. The city exemplifies Chilean culture, with festivals every year, and a number of street artists and musicians."