Valparaíso

:For other uses, see Valparaiso (disambiguation).

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Valparaíso is one of the main seaports of Chile, on the Pacific Ocean, and the capital of the Valparaíso Region. It is Chile's 6th largest city in terms of population, with 267,800 inhabitants as of 2004. It played an important geopolitical role in the second half of the 19th century, when it served as a major stopover for ships traveling between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans by crossing the Straits of Magellan, before the Panama Canal was built.

Related Topics:
Seaport - Chile - Pacific Ocean - Valparaíso Region - As of 2004 - 19th century - Straits of Magellan - Panama Canal

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Valparaíso is located in central Chile at latitude 33° 01´ S, longitude 71° 38´ W, 120 km from the capital Santiago.

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The Chilean Congress meets in a modern building in the Almendral section of Valparaíso, 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.

Related Topics:
Chilean Congress - Augusto Pinochet - 1987 - Patricio Aylwin - 1990

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The historic quarter of Valparaíso was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2003.

Related Topics:
UNESCO - World Heritage Site - 2003

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