Valdivia is a city and commune in southern Chile administered by the Municipality of Valdivia. The city is named after its founder Pedro de Valdivia and is located at the confluence of the Calle-Calle, Valdivia and Cau-Cau Rivers, approximately 15 km east of the coastal town of Corral. Valdivia is in Los Lagos Region and is the capital of Valdivia Province. It will be the capital of the newly created Los Rios Region in October 2007.
Valdivia had 140,559 inhabitants (Valdivianos) according to the 2002 census. http://www.ine.cl/cd2002/sintesiscensal.pdf "Censo 2002. Sintesis de Resultados," Instituto Nacional de Estadisticas The main economic activities include tourism, paper manufacturing, forestry, metallurgy, and beer production. The city is also the home of the Universidad Austral de Chile, founded in 1954.
The city of Valdivia and Chiloe Island were the two southernmost enclaves of the Spanish Empire. The city depended during some periods directly from the Viceroyalty of Peru that financed the building of the Valdivian fort system, witch turned Valdivia into one of the most fortified cities of the New World. In the second half of 19th century, Valdivia was the port of entry for German immigrants who were given land and settled in the surrounding areas. The city was severely damaged by the Great Chilean Earthquake of 1960 — the most powerful earthquake ever recorded.U.S. Geological Survey (March 7, 2006). Historic Earthquakes - Chile - 1960 May 22 19:11:14 UTC - Magnitude 9.5: The Largest Earthquake in the World. Retrieved on 2007-01-09 Debris and destroyed buildings from the earthquake can still be found in the suburban areas — land subsidence and sediments make navigation of the local rivers complex, with some ruined buildings still adjoining the water.
History
Prehispanic times (12,000 B.C.-1543)
According to archaeological discoveries in Monte VerdeDillehay, Tom Monteverde. A late Pleistocene settlement in Chile (Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington, 1989) (less than 210 km south of Valdivia), the southern part of Chile has been populated since 12,000 – 11,800 B.C, which would place it about a thousand years before the Clovis culture in North America. This suggests to some historians that the first humans in America traveled by boat and not a land-bridge across the Bering Strait.
By the time of the arrival of the Spanish conquistadores, Valdivia was inhabited by Huilliches (Mapudungun: People of the South). Huilliches and Mapuches were both referred by the Spaniards as Araucanos. Their main language was a variant of Mapudungun, the Mapuche language.
There was a large village called Ainil in present day downtown Valdivia, and the Valdivia River was called Ainilebu. Ainil seemed to have been an important trade center due to its ease of access to the sea and the interior using the river network of the Cruces and Calle-Calle Rivers, both tributaries of the Valdivia. Ainil may be described as "a kind of little Venice" as it had large areas of wetlands and canals, all of them drained or filled nowadays. The market in Ainil received shellfish and fish from the coast, legumes from Punucapa, and other foods from San Jose de la Mariquina a agricultural zone north east of Valdivia. Remains of this ancient trade is the modern Feria Fluvial (English: Riverside Market) on the banks of Valdivia River. The surroundings of Valdivia were described as large plains having a large population that cultivated potatoes, maize, quinoa and legumes among other crops.Marino de Lobera, Pedro, ''Cronica del reino de Chile, Coleccion de historiadores de Chile, Imprenta del Ferrocarril, 1865. Available in www.memoriachilena.cl The population have been estimated by some historians as 30-40 thousand inhabitants as of 1548Guarda, Gabriel Nueva historia de Valdivia (Editorial Universidad Catolica de Chile, Santiago, 2001) based on descriptions made by the conquistadors. Other historians consider this number to high and argue that early Spaniards usually exaggerated in their descriptions. Later Charles Darwin would state that "there is not much cleared land near Valdivia" which suggests that pre-Hispanic agriculture in Valdivia was far more extensive than the agriculture practiced in the early 19th century.
Spanish colony (1544-1810)
The first European to visit Valdivia River's estuary was the Genovese captain Juan Bautista Pastene, who took possession of it in 1544 in the name of the Spanish king, Carlos I. He named the river after the Governor of Chile Pedro de Valdivia.
Pedro de Valdivia later traveled by land to the river described by Pastene, and founded the city of Valdivia in 1552 as Santa Maria la Blanca de Valdivia. At the time it was the southernmost European settlement in the world. After Pedro de Valdivia's death the war with the Mapuches, called the War of Arauco, continued as the Spanish made many attempts to defeat the Mapuche and defend the cities and forts built on their territory. In 1575 the city was damaged by an earthquake similar to the Great Chilean Earthquake of 1960.
After the Disaster of Curalaba in 1598 in which the entire Spanish army was defeated and the Mapuches killed a governor for second time, the Kingdom of Chile was left defenseless. Mapuches proceeded to destroy all the Spanish settlements and forts in their lands in what came to be known as the Destruction of the Seven Cities. On 24 November, 1599 Mapuches destroyed and plundered Valdivia. The border of the Spanish Empire shifted north of the Bio-Bio River, while the later refounded city of Valdivia remained a Spanish enclave surrounded by native Huilliche territory, and along with the island of Chiloe, continued to be the southernmost colonies of the Empire.
Eleven days after the first destruction of Valdivia, a group of 270 Spanish soldiers arrived from Peru. The commander of the troops, colonel Francisco del Campo was convinced that the city of Valdivia needed to be repopulated. When Francisco del Campo's expedition had left the Dutch corsair Sebastian de Cordes occupied the site of Valdivia for some months giving the Dutch knowledge of this abandoned part of the Spanish Empire. The 13 March of 1602 Spaniards returned, captain Francisco Hernandez Ortiz established a fort on the ruins of the city. On September 24th natives attacked the fort unsuccessfully, but laid siege. The Spaniards could not acquire food or supplies, and on 3 February, 1604 abandoned the fort, with the last starving survivors rescued by ship.
The Dutch governor of the East Indies Hendrik Brouwer, learned about the situation in Valdivia, and decided to establish a base there for further attacks against the Viceroy of Peru. This plan was well accepted as the Netherlands was at war with Spain. The Dutch had previously taken the North of Brazil from the Spanish-Portuguese crown, and the idea of creating a South American empire was attractive. In spite of his advanced age, Hendrik Brouwer left his post as governor in the East Indies to personally lead the expedition. The Dutch fleet destroyed the Fort of Carelmapu and the city of Castro before arriving at Corral Bay at the mouth of the Valdivia River. Hendrik Brouwer died in Puerto Ingles while waiting for spring to sail north to Valdivia. John Maurice of Nassau while in charge of the Dutch part of Brazil had equipped the expedition and had secretly appointed Elias Herckman as commander if Brouwer died. Herckman finally occupied the ruins of Valdivia in 1643. The Dutch did not find the gold mines they expected and the hostility of the natives forced them to leave on 28 October, 1643.
Pedro Alvarez de Toledo y Leiva Viceroy of Peru (1639-1648) knew of the strategic importance of Valdivia and decided to repopulate and fortify it once for all. He financed partly with his own capital the reconstruction of the city. The local government of Chile hadn't the will or the resources to secure Valdivia so the enclave was placed directly under the control of the Viceroyalty of Peru. The viceroyalty of Peru administered Valdivia from its repopulation in 1645 until 1740. Corral, located on the river entrance to Valdivia, became one of the most fortified bay at the time, with 17 forts. Valdivia's original site, downtown of modern Valdivia was repopulated in 1684.
Since the 16th century there had been roumours about a fabulous city called Trapananda, Lin Lin or City of the Caesars (Spanish: Ciudad de los Cesares) that was situated in the unexplored lands of Patagonia. Ignacio Pinuer, comisary of the Valdivian territory, sent the Spainish king a document with stories about this city (or cities). The Consejo de Indias that ruled America in the name of Spanish king ordered to investigate the rumour. In 1774 the General Captain of Chile, Agustin de Jauregui received the orders and Joaquin de Espinoza y Davalos, the governor of Valdivia had to organize an expedition. 80 soldiers and the Franciscan chaplain Francisco de Arique left Valdivia under command of Ignacio Pinuer. The expedition headed south to the Llanos (plains) and came to the place of Rio Bueno in 1777. Fearing a Huilliche attack the expedition established contact with the local chief Juan Queipul, who allowed them to establish a mission and a fort. In 1792 Ambrosio O'Higgins ordered the repopulation of ruins of Osorno. To secure supplies and communications to Osorno from Valdivia a fort was established in Rio Bueno in 1795. The city of Osorno became officially repopulated in 1796.
Independence and growth (1811-1959)
Self governing juntas appeared in Spanish America and Spain after Napoleon occupied Spain and held the Spanish king Fernando VII captive. Many juntas, as was the case of Chile, declared plans to rule their territory in the absence of the legitimate king. At the time of the first governing junta of Chile in 1810 the Valdivian governor, an Irishman, Albert Alexander Eagar, led the celebration of what was seen as an affirmation of the legitimacy of the Spanish king. However, Valdivian independentists, such as Camilo Henriquez, perceived an opportunity to gain absolute independence from Spain, organized a coup on 1 November of 1811, and joined other Chilean cities that were already revolting against the old order. Four months after the coup, on 16 March of 1812 a counterrevolutionary coup took control of the city and created a War Council. The War Council broke trade relations with the rest of Chile and confirmed Valdivia's loyalty to the Spanish government.
Even after several defeats of the Spanish troops during the Chilean Independence War, Valdivia and Chiloe remained loyal to the Spanish King. By 1820 the newly created Chilean Navy, commanded by Lord Thomas Cochrane, captured Valdivia, but failed in campaign to liberate Chiloe. Cochrane's attack took the Spanish by surprise, avoiding a direct confrontation with the highly-defended forts at the entrance to Valdivia River. When loyal troops in Valdivia heard the news about the fall of Corral they sacked the city and fled south to reinforce Chiloe, passing by Osorno.
Chilean Supreme Director, and Libertador, Bernardo O'Higgins founded the city of La Union south of Valdivia in 1821, to secure the way to Osorno, city that had been repopulated in 1796 by his father Ambrosio O'Higgins. Valdivia had been a province of the General Captaincy of Chile and was in 1826 incorporated as one of the eight provinces of Chile.
On February 20 1835, Valdivia was affected by the worst earthquake occurred in the area in several decades, event of which Charles Darwin was witness. He also stated that "there is not much cleared land near Valdivia" which contrasted with the description large fields and croplands made by early Spaniards.
The expansion and economic development of the city were limited in the early 19th century. To jump-start economic development, the Chilean government initiated a highly focused immigration program under Vicente Perez Rosales as government agent. Through this program, thousands of Germans settled in the area, incorporating then-modern technology and know-how to develop agriculture and industry. While immigrants that arrived to the Llanquihue area where often poor farmers, Valdivia received far more people with education, such as political exiles and merchants. Many of the immigrants that arrived to Valdivia decided to stay in the city despite of land offers. One of the most famous immigrants was Carlos Anwandter, a exile from Luckenwalde who arrived to Valdivia in 1850 and grounded Chile's oldest German school in 1858. Other Germans leaved the city and became settlers, drawn by the promise of land. They were often given forested land, which they cut down to turn into farmsLuis Otero, La Huella del Fuego: Historia de los bosques y cambios en el paisaje del sur de Chile (Valdivia, Editorial Pehuen). Native Mapuche and Huilliche either sold their land or were pushed into reservations. The Osorno department of Valdivia Province was moved to Llanquihue Province (created in 1853) as consequence of German immigration to the Llaquihue area.
Valdivia prospered with industries, including shipyards, the Hoffmann Gristmill, the Rudloff shoe factory, the Andwanter beer company and many more. The steel mills of Corral were the biggest recorded private investment in Chile at the time, and were the first steel mills in South America. In 1891 Valdivia became a commune according to a law that created that subdivisions in Chile. After that the Malleco Viaduct had been built in 1890 the railroads advanced further south reaching Valdivia in 1895. The first train with passengers arrived in 1899. In 1909 a fire destroyed 18 city blocks in downtown Valdivia, it was rebuilt with modern concrete buildings.
The prosperity of Valdivia continued throughout the first half of the 19th Century, on 1917 the first "Valdivian Week" (Spanish: Semana Valdiviana) was celebrated. Also Chiles oldest beauty content, "Queen of The Rivers" (Spanish: Reina de Los Rios) begun that year. The city evolved to an early tourism centre in Chile, popular songs named Valdivia and the Calle-Calle River which became well known in Chilean popular culture. The Pedro de Valdivia Bridge that crossed the Valdivia River was built in 1954. Valdivia came to be one of the most important industrial centre in Chile after the capital Santiago and the main port city, Valparaiso.
Great Chilean Earthquake and Valdivia in Los Lagos Region (1960-2006)
On May 22 1960, south-central Chile suffered the most powerful earthquake ever recorded, rating 9.5 on the Moment magnitude scale, with Valdivia only 10km from its epicenter. The earthquake generated devastating tsunamis that affected Japan and Hawaii. Spanish-colonial forts around Valdivia were severely damaged, while soil subsidence destroyed buildings, deepened local rivers, and created wetlands of the Rio Cruces y Chorocomayo - a new aquatic park north of the city.
Large sections of the city flooded after the earthquake, and a landslide near the Tralcan Mount dammed the Rinihue Lake. Water levels in Lake Rinihue rose more than 20 meters, raising the danger of a catastrophic break and of destroying everything downriver. Government authorities drew plans for evacuating the city, but many people left on their own. Danger to the city was reduced after a large team of workers was able to open a drainage channel in the landslide, allowing water levels of the lake to slowly reduce to normal levels. There is evidence that a similar landslide and earthquake happened in 1575.
After the Great Chilean Earthquake Valdivia's economy and political status declined. Much of the city was destroyed and many people left. By 1974, the military junta reorganized the political divisions of Chile and decided that Valdivia would no longer be a first class administrative territory capital. Because of this, it was declared a province of the Los Lagos Region in which Puerto Montt was to be the regional capital. Many Valdivians resented the decision, and feel theirs should be the legitimate regional capital. While Valdivia was founded in 1552, and had resisted pirate attacks, hostile natives and several earthquakes since then, Puerto Montt was a relatively new city founded in 1853 (three hundred and one years later).
Since the liberalization of the economy in Chile in the 80s the forestry sector in Valdivia boomed, first by exporting wood chips to Japan from Corral and then by producing woodpulp in Mariquina (25 km northeast of Valdivia). This led to deforestation and substitution of native Valdivian temperate rainforests to plant pines and eucalyptus, but also created new jobs for people with minor education. Valdivia also benefited from the growing of salmon aquaculture in the 90s, but in much lesser extent than other places such as Puerto Montt and Chiloe.
Culture
Valdivia is often promoted for its unique characteristics, that make it different from other cities in Chile: Valdivia has an early Spanish colonial past, plus a later history of German colonization. Both eras left visible landmarks such as the forts of Corral Bay and the German-style wood houses. The governments of Spain and Germany currently maintain consulates in Valdivia. The city is commonly seen as a tourist magnet in Chile, and sometimes described as La Perla del Sur (The Pearl of the South) and as La ciudad mas linda de Chile (Chile's most beautiful city). In recent years Valdivians have showed an increasing interest in nature and ecotourism. An example of this was the formation of Accion por los Cisnes an ecologist group formed to protect black-necked swans and the natural environment that surrounds the city, particularly wetlands created or expanded by the Great Chilean Earthquake. With the founding of Universidad Austral in 1954 and the arrival of the CECS research center, Valdivia is now considered a major research center in Chile, particularly in areas related to nature such a Glaciology and Ecology. The Great Chilean Earthquake and the national government's creation of the Los Lagos Region were difficult for Valdivian society. Valdivians resented to be punished first by a major earthquake and then by being placed under the administration of what they perceived to be a less-deserving city, Puerto Montt. The recent creation of political entity of the Los Rios Region, with headquarters in Valdivia, reduced the previous stigma.
Spanish colonial influences
During much of the colonial period, Valdivia was essentially a military camp, a walled city surrounded by hostile natives. The coastal defenses were obvious and soldiers made up a large part of the population. After several fires and earthquakes, nearly all buildings from this period were destroyed, with the exception of the military defenses. Valdivia's best known historical landmarks are now the two towers built by the Spaniards to defend the city, known as Los Torreones. Many of Valdivia's oldest families have their roots in Peru as Valdivia historically depended on the Viceroyalty of Peru.
German influences
Since the first Germans migrated to Valdivia in the mid 1850s German cultural influence has been visible in the city. Germans in Valdivia settled mostly in the Isla Teja and Collico suburban areas. Until the building of Pedro de Valdivia Bridge inhabitants of Isla Teja lived isolated from the city, where it was common that children first learned to speak German before Spanish. Nowadays the German language is preserved by the Instituto Aleman Carlos Andwanter one of Latin Americas oldest German schools. German descendants also form Valdivia's oldest fire station Germania, located in Isla Teja.
German immigrants and their descendants formed their social club Club Aleman, which after World War II changed names to Club la Union. German workers had once their own club simply called El Aleman (The German).
Valdivia also hosts Bierfest Valdivia, a celebration that could be described as a small, regional Oktoberfest, despite being celebrated in late January or February of every year (during the local summer, when there is the largest influx of tourists). The main sponsor and organizer is Kunstmann Beer, Valdivia's local beer company, founded by German nationals, but since bought out by the largest beer company in Chile.
Arts and Scientific research
The Southern University of Chile (Universidad Austral de Chile, UACh), one of the original eight Chilean state universities, has its main campus in Valdivia. In the last decade Valdivia gained prestige as an important cultural and scientific venue: the Valdivia Film Festival became the most important in Chile, and the Centro de Estudios Cientificos del Sur (CECS) is now housed in the recently modernized, German-style hotel Schuster located by the Valdivia River. Claudio Bunster, a physicist and winner of Chile's National Prize in Exact Sciences, is the director of CECS, which has led to accusations against him of using his personal influence among politicians and the Council of Innovation for Competitiveness (of which he is member of) to gain more resources"http://www.lannacion.cl" La Nacion. Some research areas where CECS and UACH have gained widespread recognition include:
- Agronomy (UACh)
- Biophysics and molecular physiology (CECS)
- Ecology (UACh)
- Forestry (UACh)
- Glaciology (CECS)
- Physics (CECS)
- Veterinary (UACh)
Ecological action
In response to the alleged contamination of Cruces River by the Celco cellulose pulp mill, a group of citizens formed the Accion por los Cisnes (Action for the Swans) ecology group. Action for the Swans attracted the attention of the national newspapers and succeeded in temporarily closing down the pulp mill through a court order.
The city is surrounded by many nature reserves and large areas of forest plantations, wetlands and Valdivian temperate rainforest that, together with the numerous rivers that circle the city, have heightened the residents' awareness of living close to nature.
Museums and landmarks
!!! Notable colonial landmarks
- Los Torreones (Spanish: The Towers) are two towers built once in what was the outskirts of Valdivia to protect the city against land attacks. The towers are now a local landmark and are used as logo by the local newspaper Diario Austral de Valdivia.
- Niebla fort faces Corral Fort and lies at the northern entrance of Valdivia River. The fort was ungoing a an enlargement when works stopped in 1810. In 1834, when controlled by Chile it worked as deposit for the whole system. Now the fort is a museum.
- Corral fort at the southern side of Corral Bay was the headquarters of the coastal defences. It was built in 1645 by order of the viceroy Pedro Alvarez de Toledo y Leiva. Each summer there is representation of the Battle of Corral in Corral Fort.
- Isla Mancera fort lies between Niebla and Corral. Due to its strategical location, several times the city of Valdivia was proposed to be moved into the small Mancera Island - a proposal Valdivias citizens opposed.
- San Luis de Alba fort is located in the shores Cruces River north of Valdivia. It was built to secure the land way (Camino Real) to Valdivia, that on that place went by the river.
!!! Notable German landmarks
- Casa Prochelle
- Hotel Schuster, a recently modernized and restored German-style hotel where Centro de Estudios Cientificos del Sur (CECS) is housed.
!!! Other museums and landmarks
- Museo de Arte Contemporanea (MAC), a contemporary arts museum located in Isla Teja.
- Museo Historico y Antropologico Mauricio van de Maele, a historic and anthropologic museum.
- Museo de la Cerveza, a small exposition about beer production in Kunstmanns Beer restaurant.
Trivia
In addition to being know as the City of Rivers, Valdivia has also been called The pearl of the South, The key of the South seas, Gibraltar of the Pacific, and Chile's most beautiful city. The nickname Valdilluvia is a mix of the Spanish word for rain - lluvia and Valdivia referring to the rainy climate of the city.
Climate and Geography
Climate
Valdivia has a temperate and oceanic climate. During the summer months (December, January and February) the average temperature is about 17 °C, while in winter descends to 9 °C. Average annual precipitation is 2593 mm, distributed through the year, but primarily between March and December. Hail occurs with some frequency during winter, but snow falls rarely. The last times it snowed in Valdivia were in July 2007 and in August of 1995 during the so-called Terremoto Blanco (White Earthquake).
Geography
The city is situated above a sedimentary plain created by the confluence of Calle-Calle and Cruces River that penetrates the Chilean Coast Range. Forested ranges of the Valdivian Coastal Range (part of the greater Chilean Coast Range) surrounds Valdivia's plain by all side except to the north where the plain connects to Mariquina's agricultural flatlands. Valdivia lost a considerable surface of arable land, as a result of the Great Chilean Earthquake, because the soil surface went down 2 meters, creating and expanding existing wetlands and swamps. Many of the city's buildings are built over former wetlands and lagoons making their foundations unstable.
- Altitude: 5 meters.
- Latitude: 39°48′00″S
- Longitude: 73°13′59″W
Government and politics
The commune of Valdivia is governed by an elected mayor and assembly. The city's current mayor is Bernardo Berger Fett, a member of the right-wing National Renewal Party. The two senators elected in Valdivias electoral district that is shared with Osorno are Eduardo Frei Ruiz-Tagle (former president of Chile) and Andres Allamand (National Renewal Party). None of them are native to Valdivia.
The creation of Los Rios Region and environmental issues have dominated the politic scene of Valdivia in recent years. The communist lawyer Wladimir Riesco headed the legal actions against pulp mill enterprise CELCO after the deaths of Black-necked Swans in Carlos Anwandter Nature Sanctuary in 2004.
Economy
The main economic activities of Valdivia include metallurgy, naval construction (Asenav), aquaculture and food prosesing. The city has also large forestry oriented economic sector that include harvesting of wood from nearby plantations of eucalyptus and pines. Large enterprises such as CELCO and Bomasil, and Louisiana-Pacific have established wood processing factories near Valdivia. High quality beer and chocolate (Entrelagos) are also part of the Valdivian exports.
Valdivia is an old tourist destination in Chile that is valued most for its natural beauty and culture. In 1917 "Valdivian Week" (Spanish: Semana Valdiviana) was celebrated for the first time, and the city began to distinguish itself as a tourism centre in Chile.
Education
Universities and colleges
Valdivia is home to several public and private schools and universities. The largest and most well-known university is the state run Universidad Austral de Chile (UACh) that was founded by decree in 1954 as one of Chiles seven original Chilean Traditional Universities. Its main campus is located in Isla Teja but it has other minor campus and properties spread through the city and Valdivia Province. Since the liberalization of higher education in Chile in the 80s other universities have established campuses in Valdivia, including Universidad Arturo Prat, Universidad San Sebastian and Universidad de Los Lagos.
Schools
Like in the rest of Chile, most of Valdivias best schools are private. Instituto Aleman Carlos Andwandter (Deutsche Schule Valdivia) founded in 1858 is Chiles oldest German school. Other notable private schools are Windsor School and Colegio San Luis de Alba. Among public schools Liceo Rector Armando Robles Rivera and Liceo Comercial have reached good results.
Sports
Facilities for playing football, tennis, rowing, rugby, golf, indoors swimming, indoors and outdors basketball and some other sports are available throughout the area. Rowing is practised in Valdivia in three clubs; Club Deportivo Phoenix Valdivia, Club Centenario de Remeros and Club Arturo Prat. Valdivian rowers Cristian Yantani and Miguel Cerda won the first place double in the world championship in Seville, 2002. The football club Club Deportivo Valdivia, founded in 2003, plays currently in the Chilean third division.
Transport
Roads and bridges
Most of Valdivia lies on the southern side of the Valdivia and Calle-Calle Rivers but other areas of the city such as Isla Teja and Las Animas are connected by bridges. The main accesses to the city are Calle-Calle Bridge from the north and a southern access. Both accesses connect the city with the Pan-American Highway and run through forested areas and wetlands.
Calle-Calle Bridge, the first bridge built, connects the city with Las Animas and forms the northern highway access to the city. Pedro de Valdivia Bridge was built in 1954 and connects Isla Teja island, where many German immigrants lived. During the Great Chilean Earthquake only the minor Caucau Bridge (Las Animas-Isla Teja) was destroyed, while all other bridges were repaired and are still in use. In 1987 Augusto Pinochet opened Rio Cruces Bridge making the coastal town of Niebla accessible by road, and also Torobayo and Punucapa. Calle-Calle Bridge, the main access to the city was enlarged in the 1990s.
Waterways
Until highway bridges were built, Valdivia's economy and citizenry depended upon boat traffic on the surrounding rivers. Nowadays the rivers are used mainly by tourist boats and by commercial ships built or repaired in Asenav, one of Chile's most important shipyard companies. Fishing boats travel inland from the coast to sell fish at the Feria Fluvial market. Only one ferry operation remains significant, the Niebla-Corral line, as is it much shorter to reach Corral by ferry than following a circuitous road. Some of the locations that are regularly reached by tourist boats include Mancera Island and Punucapa.
Airports
The city is served mainly by Pichoy Airport that lies 32km northeast of the city following the north entrance road that connects the city with the Pan American Highway. The smaller but much nearer Las Marias Airport is used mainly by minor airplanes and no Airline operates there.
Sister cities
- Mount Pleasant, Michigan, USA
- Tacoma, Washington, USA
See also
- Valdivian Coastal Reserve
- Flag of Valdivia
- Pilolcura
- Punucapa
- Ecuatorian Valdivia Culture (Completely unrelated with the city of Valdivia, Chile.)
References
External links
Other pages about Capitals of Chilean provinces
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Other pages about Communes of Chile
-Alto Hospicio -Ancud -Andacollo -Angol -Antartica, Chile -Antofagasta -Arica, Chile -Buin, Chile -Calama, Chile -Caldera, Chile -Canete, Chile -Castro, Chile -Cauquenes -Cerrillos, Chile -Cerro Navia -Chaiten, Chile -Chanaral -Chanco, Chile -Chile Chico -Chillan -Chimbarongo -Cobquecura -Cochrane, Chile -Colbun -Colchane -Colina, Chile -Collipulli -Concepcion, Chile -Conchali -Concon, Chile -Constitucion, Chile -Copiapo -Coquimbo -Coronel, Chile -Corral, Chile -Coyhaique -Curacautin -Curanipe -Curarrehue, Chile -Curepto -Curico -Dalcahue -El Bosque, Chile -El Salvador, Chile -Empedrado, Chile -Estacion Central, Chile -Frutillar -Futrono -General Lagos -Hanga Roa -Hualane -Huara -Huasco, Chile -Huechuraba -Illapel -Independencia, Chile -Iquique -La Calera, Chile -La Cisterna -La Florida -La Granja, Chile -La Pintana -La Reina -La Serena, Chile -La Union, Chile -Lago Ranco, Chile -Lampa, Chile -Lanco -Las Condes -Licanten -Limache -Linares, Chile -Lo Barnechea -Lo Espejo -Lo Prado -Lolol -Loncoche -Longavi -Lonquimay -Los Andes, Chile -Los Angeles -Los Lagos, Chile -Los Vilos -Lota, Chile -Macul -Mafil -Maipu, Chile -Maule, Chile -Mejillones -Melipeuco -Melipilla -Molina, Chile -Mulchen -Nacimiento, Chile -Nueva Tolten -Nunoa -Ollague, Chile -Osorno, Chile -Ovalle, Chile -Paillaco -Paine, Chile -Panguipulli, Chile -Parral, Chile -Pedro Aguirre Cerda, Chile -Pelarco -Pelluhue -Penalolen -Pencahue -Penco -Perquenco -Pica, Chile -Pichilemu -Pirque -Porvenir -Pozo Almonte -Primavera, Chile -Providencia, Chile -Pucon -Pudahuel -Puente Alto -Puerto Montt, Chile -Puerto Natales -Puerto Octay -Puerto Varas -Puerto Williams -Punta Arenas, Chile -Puren -Purranque -Putre -Puyehue, Chile -Quellon -Quilicura -Quillota -Quilpue -Quinta Normal -Quintero -Quirihue -Rancagua -Rauco -Recoleta, Chile -Renaico, Chile -Renca -Rengo, Chile -Retiro, Chile -Rio Bueno, Chile -Rio Claro, Chile -Rio Negro, Chile -Romeral -Saavedra, Chile -Sagrada Familia, Chile -Salamanca, Chile -San Antonio, Chile -San Carlos, Chile -San Clemente, Chile -San Fabian, Chile -San Felipe, Chile -San Fernando, Chile -San Javier, Chile -San Joaquin -San Jose de Maipo -San Jose de la Mariquina, Chile -San Miguel, Chile -San Pedro de Atacama -San Pedro de la Paz -San Rafael, Chile -San Ramon, Chile -Santa Cruz, Chile -Santiago, Chile -Santo Domingo, Chile -Talca -Talcahuano -Temuco -Teno -Til-Til -Tocopilla -Valdivia, Chile -Vallenar, Chile -Valparaiso -Vichuquen -Vicuna, Chile -Villa Alegre, Chile -Villa Alemana -Villarrica, Chile -Vina del Mar -Vitacura -Yerbas Buenas -Yumbel
Other pages about Port cities in Chile
-Ancud -Antofagasta -Arica, Chile -Caldera, Chile -Castro, Chile -Chanaral -Concon, Chile -Constitucion, Chile -Coquimbo -Coronel, Chile -Corral, Chile -Curanipe -Hanga Roa -Iquique -La Calera, Chile -Los Vilos -Mejillones -Porvenir -Puerto Chacabuco -Puerto Montt, Chile -Puerto Natales -Puerto Williams -Punta Arenas, Chile -Quellon -Quintero -San Antonio, Chile -Talcahuano -Tocopilla -Valdivia, Chile -Valparaiso -Villa Puerto Eden
This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article Valdivia,_Chile
