Iquique
Iquique is a port city and commune in northern Chile, capital of both the Iquique Province and Tarapacá Region. It lies on the Pacific coast, west of the Pampa del Tamarugal, which is part of the Atacama Desert His name is for Iki Iki Aymara Language, Land of dreams. It has a population of 191,468 according to the 2017 census. It is also the main commune of Greater Iquique. The city developed during the heyday of the saltpetre mining in the Atacama Desert in the 19th century. Once a Peruvian city with a large Chilean population, it was conquered by Chile in the War of the Pacific. Today it is one of only two free ports of Chile, the other one being Punta Arenas, in the country's far south.
History
Although the city was founded in the 16th century, there is evidence of habitation in the area by the Chango people as early as 7,000 BC. During colonial times, Iquique was part of the Viceroyalty of Peru as much of South America was at the time, and remained part of Peruvian territory until the end of the 19th century. Iquique's early development was due in large part to the discovery of mineral riches, particularly the presence of large deposits of sodium nitrate in the Atacama Desert ; and guano.In July 1834, Charles Darwin, during his voyage on the Beagle, traveled to Iquique and described it as a town "very much in want of everyday necessities, such as water and firewood". These necessities had to be brought in from considerable distances. Darwin also visited the saltpetre works.
The city has been devastated by several earthquakes, including the 1868 Arica earthquake, the 1877 Iquique earthquake, and the 2005 Tarapacá earthquake. The 2014 Iquique earthquake occurred with a moment magnitude of 8.2 on April 1, 2014.
File:Combate Naval Iquique-Thomas Somerscales.jpg|thumb|right|Naval Battle of Iquique during the War of the Pacific.
Territorial disputes between Bolivia and Chile triggered the War of the Pacific in 1879. The Battle of Iquique was fought in the harbor of Iquique on May 21, 1879, now commemorated as Navy Day, an annual public holiday in Chile. The outcome of the war gave Chile this portion of the Peruvian territory.
Over the years there was substantial emigration from other parts of Chile to this area which was called the Norte Grande. In subsequent years the further exportation of Chilean saltpetre significantly helped in the development of the city, attracting foreigners and rapidly expanding housing projects.
In December 1907, the city was marred by the Santa María de Iquique Massacre when the Chilean Army, under the command of Gen. Roberto Silva Renard, opened fire on thousands of saltpetre miners, and their wives and children, who assembled inside the Santa María School. The workers had marched into town to protest their working conditions and wages. Somewhere between 500 and 2,000 people were killed. The folk group Quilapayún recorded an album in remembrance of the event in 1970. In December 2007 a series of cultural and ceremonial activities were planned, culminating in the week between December 14 to 21, to commemorate the centenary year of the massacre.
Mars 96 was launched by Russia in 1996, but failed to leave the Earth orbit, and re-entered the atmosphere a few hours later. The two RTGs onboard carried 200 g of plutonium in total and are assumed to have survived the re-entry as they were designed to do. They are thought to now lie somewhere in a northeast-southwest running oval long by wide, which is centred east of Iquique, Chile.
Prior to becoming Chilean territory, Iquique was home to some of the greatest Peruvian heroes, namely Alfonso Ugarte, Ramón Zavala, a rich saltpetre entrepreneur; Guillermo Billinghurst, later President of Peru, and Ramón Castilla, thrice president of Peru, who was born in San Lorenzo de Tarapacá and died in the Desert of Tiviliche, Tarapacá, who lived in Iquique during his mandate as Governor of Tarapacá in 1825.
Governance
As a commune, Iquique is a third-level administrative division of Chile administered by a municipal council, headed by an alcalde who is directly elected every four years. The 2012–2016 alcalde is Jorge Soria.Within the electoral divisions of Chile, Iquique is represented in the Chamber of Deputies by Marta Isasi and Hugo Gutiérrez as part of the 2nd electoral district, which includes the entire Tarapacá Region. The commune is represented in the Senate by José Miguel Insulza and José Durana as part of the 1st senatorial constituency.
List of mayors
Since 2016, the incumbent mayor is Mauricio Soria Macchiavello.Economy
The economic activity of Iquique, capital of the Tarapacá Region, is mainly based on international trade through the Iquique Free Trade Zone and the maritime port, large-scale copper mining, tourism, the fishing industry, manufacturing, and construction*In 2018, the number of companies registered in Iquique was 7,404** The Economic Complexity Index in the same year was 0.89, while the economic activities with the highest Revealed Comparative Advantage index were:
- Manufacture of Batteries and Primary Cells
- Judicial Power Activities
Trade
Trade is important, as the region serves as a transit point for Chilean products heading toward the northern countries and Brazil, due to the existing interoceanic corridor* The Iquique Free Trade Zone has spurred commercial development, especially in the sale of automobiles and technological products, which attract a large number of Chileans and foreigners*The city has three shopping centers, one of which is Mall Zofri, part of the free trade system that sells retail products exempt from the 19% VAT; another is Mall Plaza Iquique, which includes Falabella and La Polar stores* This business hub hosts more than 1,650 companies that carry out trade operations worth about 4.7 billion USD annually*
Additionally, the city has a well-established service center where large department stores coexist with banks, public entities, and SMEs mostly covering sectors such as manufacturing, retail, and food services* Around Paseo Baquedano, a highly touristic area, businesses and services thrive to meet the needs of local enterprises, making this part of the city a commercial and business hub due to its comparative advantages and the presence of key institutions like the General Police Station and several fire brigades*
Fishing Industry
The production of fishmeal and fish oil represents 50% and 60% of the national total, respectively* Industrial fishing, which began in the 1950s, provides the largest contribution to the Gross Geographic Product * Iquique is Chile’s largest fishing port, accounting for 35% of the nation’s total catch, with 95% of the production destined for oil and fishmeal, and the remaining 5% for canned, frozen, and other products*Manufacturing
The manufacturing industry accounts for 5% of the Gross Geographic Product* Its main activities include shipyards, which have expanded their building capacity — for instance, the Marco Chilena shipyards, which construct both fishing vessels and luxury yachts* The city’s workshops manufacture spare parts and components serving primarily the mining and fishing industries*Construction
Civil construction has been the driving force behind Iquique’s growth over the past 15 years, giving the sector a highly dynamic character* However, the lack of available urban land has limited housing development, leading to the dominance of high-rise buildings* Many buildings exceed 25 floors, efficiently using the limited land*Currently, residential construction projects are concentrated in the southern area, mainly Bajo Molle, but since it lies outside the urban boundary, it lacks proper infrastructure, resulting in fewer housing projects* Another area with major construction activity is the coastal zone — mainly Cavancha and Playa Brava — where the tallest building in the city is being built*
Mining
Metallic mining mainly involves copper extraction, which takes place in Quebrada Blanca, Cerro Colorado, and Doña Inés de Collahuasi, which began full production in 1999 and has become one of the world’s largest mines*Non-metallic mining mainly focuses on Sodium Chloride, extracted from the Salar Grande salt flat* This mineral has a crystalline body and is nearly pure * More than six million tons are extracted annually*
The production of nitrate and iodine is also significant, obtained by recycling old nitrate works in Huara and Pozo Almonte, as well as from new facilities such as Nueva Victoria *
Tourism
Tourism is highly important for the city as it represents one of its main projected economic resources* It offers essential natural attractions — a city beach safe for swimming thanks to the protection of the peninsula, a mild climate with pleasant temperatures, scenic desert landscapes, and convenient accommodations*Its heritage architecture from the nitrate era also adds to its appeal* Iquique has one of the best-developed tourism industries in the country, with the hotel, restaurant, and commerce sectors accounting for 30.68% of the GDP*
Labor Organizations
Iquique has numerous and influential labor organizations, many affiliated with the Central Unitaria de Trabajadores * The most important include:- Port workers’ unions
- ZOFRI unions
- Mining unions
- Commerce unions
- Public sector unions
- Commerce
- Public employees
- Mining
- Construction, among others
International relations
In the field of international relations and education, the main actors in Iquique are the General Directorate of International Relations and the Institute of International Studies of the Arturo Prat University.