Arica is a port city in northern Chile, located only 18 km (11 miles) south of the border with Peru. The site of Arica was inhabitated by differents native groups since at least ten thousand years ago, as archaelogy has stated. It was founded by spanish captain Lucas Martinez de Begazo in 1541, and in 1570 this city was entitled as "La Muy Ilustre y Real Ciudad San Marcos de Arica" (the very illustrious and royal city of San Marcos of Arica). This city was since 1545 the port for exportation for the Silver of Potosi. Since june 7 of 1880, this city belongs to Chile and currently it is the capital of the recently crated Arica and Parinacota Region(october, 2007), has a population of approximately 200,000, and is also known as the "city of the eternal spring". The city was part of Peru until 1880, when it was taken by Chilean forces during the War of the Pacific. The taking of the Morro de Arica ("Arica Cape"), one of the war's most famous actions, happened in this city.

Features

The Potosi Silver mine was the greatest of the world ever founded, then Arica becomes a crucial port for the Spanish Empire. This port was visited (and looted) by the famous pirats and bucaneers as Francis Drake, Thomas Cavendish, Richard Hawkins, Joris van Spilbergen, Watling, Simon de Cordes, Leandro de Valencia, Sharp, Dampier, Clipperton. There is a important legend about the Drake's treasure (some 10 billion dolars in gold and jewelry), that is allegedly buried in some place near the city.

In 1855 the peruvian government inaugured the train Arica-Tacna (53 km long), one of the first in all America, and still in functions.

The Morro de Arica is a steep and tall hill located in the city. Its height is 139 meters above sea level. It was the last bulwark of defence for the Peruvian troops standing in the city. It was assaulted and captured on June 7, 1880 by Chilean troops in the last part of their Campana del Desierto (Desert Campaign) during the War of the Pacific.

Near the city is the Azapa Valley, an oasis where vegetables and Azapa olives are grown. Economically, it is an important port for Chilean ore, and its tropical latitute, dry climate, and the city's beach, have made Arica a popular tourist destination. It is also a centre of rail communication with Bolivia and has its own international airport. Arica has strong ties with the city of Tacna, Peru; many people cross the border everyday to visit this city, and also because many services (for example, dentists) are cheaper on the Peruvian side. Arica is connected to Tacna and to La Paz, Bolivia by separate railroad lines.

Arica is also known as one of the driest inhabited places on Earth, at least as measured by rainfall: average annual precipitation is 0.76 mm (0.03 inches), as measured at the airport meteorological station. Oxford geographer Nick Middleton's book on people who live in extreme climates, Going to Extremes (ISBN 0-330-49384-1), discusses his visit to this city.

Important events

On August 16 1868, the Peruvian port of Arica was devastated by a tsunami which followed a magnitude 8.5 earthquake in the Peru-Bolivia border off the coast. The earthquake and tsunami killed an estimated 15,000 people in Arica and perhaps 25,000 people in all, this tsunami is well documented by press and photo. An officer of the US ship Wateree, L.G. Billings, who later became a rear admiral, in 1915 published a horrifying account of his experience as a witness of this earthquake in the Peruvian coast.
Arica was one of the four host cities of the 1962 football (soccer) World Cup.
Arica is the venue for the Rip Curl Search surfing event, that took place from June 20 to July 1 2007.