The Historical Evolution of Valparaiso

The aborigines in Valparaiso Bay are Pikunche Indians engaged in agricultural production, and some people say that the local aborigines are nomadic fishing tribes between the crater and Concepcion. The crew of Santiaguillo, the discoverer of Chile and the first European explorer who came here, arrived here on 1536. The purpose of this supply ship is to provide personnel and materials for Almagro's exploration. Captain Juan de Savedra will make this his hometown Valparaiso de Alibaba in Cuenca, Spain.

During the Spanish colonial period, Valparaiso was just a small village with few houses and churches. 18 18 when Chile won its independence from Spain, Valparaiso became the main port of the newly established Chilean navy, and the port was also open to foreign merchant ships. During the Spanish rule, this port was only open to Spain and its colonial ships.

Valparaiso has rapidly developed into a transit point for ships around strait of magellan and Cape Horn at the southern tip of South America. Valparaiso provided important support and supplement for ships going to the United States during the 1848- 1858 California Gold Rush. As an important port city, Valparaiso attracts a large number of immigrants from Europe, mainly from Britain, Germany, France, Switzerland and Italy. German, French, Italian and English are also widely used by urban residents, and newspapers and periodicals are also written and published in these languages. Countless immigrants from Europe have also changed the cultural tradition of this city, making it no longer as rich in Spanish and American Indian cultural traditions as other cities in Chile, such as the establishment of the first non-Catholic cemetery in Chile-the dissident cemetery. Football was introduced to Chile by British immigrants, and the first private Catholic school in Chile was founded by French immigrants in Valparaiso, called Sacred Heart School (French: Le Collège des Sacrés C? Urs), the school has a history of more than 70 years. Immigrants from Scotland and Germany established the first secular schools (different from church schools) respectively. The name of the Scottish school is MacKay School (founded in 1857), and the name of the German school is Deutsche School. Immigrants also established the city's first fire department (still led by volunteers). Urban architecture is also reflected in different European architectural styles, which makes Valparaiso more diversified than other cities in Chile. 1August 906 18 A major earthquake occurred in Valparaiso, causing huge property losses in the city and thousands of residents died. Dr Carlos Van Buren, an immigrant from the United States, won wide acclaim in the process of rescuing earthquake victims. Later, the city's first modern hospital named after him was established in 19 12 (English: Hospital Carlos Van Buren).

Valparaiso's golden age trade came to an end with the opening of the Panama Canal in 19 14. Ships no longer bypass strait of magellan, and the importance of ports has obviously declined, which also led to the great recession of urban economy. It was not until 2 1 century that the city's economy slowly recovered after decades of fruit export growth and Chile's opening to world trade, and large-tonnage cargo ships had to pass through Valparaiso because they could not pass through the Panama Canal. However, the earthquake on February 27, 20 10 still affected the city.