Santiago de Cuba
—  City  —
Santiago de Cuba Location of Santiago de Cuba in Cuba
Coordinates: 20°01′11.4″N 75°48′50.1″W / 20.019833°N 75.813917°W / 20.019833; -75.813917Coordinates: 20°01′11.4″N 75°48′50.1″W / 20.019833°N 75.813917°W / 20.019833; -75.813917
Country	Cuba
Province	Santiago de Cuba
Established	1515
Area
• Total	1,023.8 km2 (395.3 sq mi)
Elevation	82 m (269 ft)
Population (2004)[1]
• Total	472,255
• Density	461.3/km2 (1,195/sq mi)
Area code(s)	+53-22
Website	Santiago.cu

Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city of Cuba and capital city of Santiago de Cuba Province in the south-eastern area of the island, some 540 miles (870 km) south-east of the Cuban capital of Havana.

The municipality extends over 1,023.8 square kilometers (395.3 sq mi),^[2] and contains the communities of El Caney, Guilera, Antonio Maceo, Bravo, Castillo Duany, Leyte Vidal and Moncada.^[3]

Historically Santiago de Cuba has long been the second most important city on the island after Havana, and still remains the second largest. It is on a bay connected to the Caribbean Sea and is an important sea port. In 2004 the city of Santiago de Cuba had a population of about 494,337 people.^[4]

History[link]

Santiago de Cuba was founded by Spanish conquistador Diego Velázquez de Cuéllar on June 28, 1514. In 1516 the settlement was destroyed by fire, and was immediately rebuilt. This was the starting point of the expeditions led by Juan de Grijalba and Hernán Cortés to the coasts of Mexico in 1518, and in 1538 by Hernando de Soto's expedition to Florida. The first cathedral was built in the city in 1528. From 1522 until 1589 Santiago was the capital of the Spanish colony of Cuba.

The city was plundered by French forces in 1553, and by British forces under Christopher Myngs in 1662.

The city experienced an influx of French immigrants in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, many coming from Haiti after the Haitian slave revolt of 1791. This added to the city's eclectic cultural mix, already rich with Spanish and African culture.

It was also the location where Spanish troops faced their main defeat at San Juan Hill on July 1, 1898, during the Spanish-American War. Spain later surrendered to the United States after the destruction of its Atlantic fleet just outside Santiago's harbor.^[5]

Cuban poet, writer, and national hero, José Martí, is buried in Cementerio Santa Efigenia.

Role in the Cuban Revolution[link]

Santiago was also the home of the revolutionary hero, Frank País. On July 26, 1953, the Cuban Revolution began with an ill-prepared armed attack on the Moncada Barracks by a small contingent of rebels led by Fidel Castro. Shortly after this disastrous incident, País began talking with students and young working people informally, drawing around him what became an extremely effective urban revolutionary alliance. This developed into highly organized cells coordinating a large scale urban resistance that became instrumental in the success of the Cuban Revolution.^[6]

País' group prepared carefully, accruing weapons, collecting money, collecting medical supplies. They published a cheap newsletter that reported news that criticized the government, attempting to counter Batista's censorship.^[7]

In the summer of 1955, País’ organization merged with Castro's July 26 Movement. País became the leader of the new organization in Oriente province.

On January 1, 1959, Fidel Castro proclaimed the victory of the Cuban Revolution from a balcony on Santiago de Cuba's city hall.

Culture[link]

San Pedro de la Roca Castle, Santiago de Cuba *
UNESCO World Heritage Site
Country	Cuba
Type	Cultural
Criteria	iv, v
Reference	841
Region **	Latin America and the Caribbean
Inscription history
Inscription	1997 (21st Session)
* Name as inscribed on World Heritage List ** Region as classified by UNESCO

Santiago de Cuba was the hometown of poet José María Heredia. It houses a museum that displays the extensive art collection of the Bacardí family.

Santiago de Cuba is well known for its cultural life. Some of Cuba's most famous musicians, including Compay Segundo, Ibrahim Ferrer and Eliades Ochoa (all of whom participated in the Buena Vista Social Club) and trova composer Ñico Saquito (Benito Antonio Fernández Ortiz) were born in the city or in one of the villages surrounding it. They have contributed to the typical, country-like music of the city.

Furthermore, Santiago de Cuba is well known for its traditional dances, most notably son, from which salsa has been derived, and guaguancó, which is accompanied by percussion music only. The city is also well known for its Carnival, which is strangely enough celebrated in July. During Carnival, traditional conga music is played in the streets on a traditional pentatonic trumpet, called the trompeta china.

A relatively high number of residents of the city adhere to Afro-Cuban religions, most notably santería. The city hosts an important community of descendants from Haitian immigrants from the 19th century. Some aspects of the religious "vodún" heritage of the city can be traced back to this community.

In the city there are multiple architectural styles, from Baroque to neoclassical. Of special interest are the wooded parks, the steep streets, colonial buildings with huge windows and crowded balconies. Preserved historical treasures include the first home in the Americas, the first cathedral in Cuba, the first copper mine opened in the Americas and the first Cuban museum.

World Heritage Site[link]

The local citadel of San Pedro de la Roca is inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List as "the most complete, best-preserved example of Spanish-American military architecture, based on Italian and Renaissance design principles"^[8]

World Heritage Biosphere Reserve[link]

The Baconao Park was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage Biosphere Reserve List in 1987.^[9]

Geography[link]

Santiago de Cuba is located in the southeast of the island at coordinates 20 ° 01'17 .42 "N 75 ° 49'45 .75" O, some 540 miles (870 km) of the capital, Havana. Historically Santiago de Cuba has been the second largest city in Cuba, behind Havana. It features a bay connected to the Caribbean Sea and is a major port. The municipality of Santiago de Cuba, where is its capital city, is the most populated of Cuba.

The city has been growing at the bottom of the bay and is surrounded on land by the Sierra Maestra. This determines the hot and humid climate of the place, the landscapes features rich composition of urban elements, natural and marine at the same time. It has an irregular offset, which contributed to the development of an urban setting where the avenues and streets are steep or descend.

Climate[link]

Demographics[link]

In 2004, the municipality of Santiago de Cuba had a population of 494,337.^[1] With a total area of 1,024 km² (395 sq mi), it has a population density of 482.8 /km² (1,250 /sq mi).

Transportation[link]

Santiago is served by Antonio Maceo Airport. Cubana de Aviación connects the city with Havana, Montréal, Madrid and Paris-Orly, other airlines connect the city with the rest of the Caribbean and North America.

The public transit in the city, like Havana, is carried out by two divisions, Omnibus Metropolitanos (OM) and Metrobus.^[11] The Metrobus serves the inner-city urban area, with a maximum distance of 20 km.^[11] Omnibus Metropolitanos (OM) connects the adjacent towns and municipalities in the metropolitan area with the city center, with a maximum distance of 40 km.^[11]

Ferrocarriles de Cuba railways and ASTRO inter-city buses connect the city with Havana's Central Railway Station and with most other main cities of Cuba.

Schools[link]

The main secondary education institution is the University of Santiago de Cuba (Universidad de Oriente - Santiago de Cuba, UO).

Natives and residents[link]

• Desi Arnaz - television/film actor, producer and bandleader
• Emilio Bacardí - industrialist and philanthropist
• Orestes Destrade -professional baseball Player
• Emilio Estefan - music producer and husband of singer Gloria Estefan
• Ibrahim Ferrer - musician
• Sindo Garay - musician
• José María Heredia y Heredia - poet
• Pancho Herrera- professional baseball player
• Alberto Juantorena - Olympic gold medallist, 1976 Olympics
• Faizon Love - television/film actor, comedian
• Konnan - professional wrestler
• Olga Guillot - singer
• La Lupe - salsa singer
• Antonio Maceo Grajales - independence hero
• Rita Marley- singer and wife of reggae singer Bob Marley
• José Martí - independence hero; interred in Santiago de Cuba
• Miguel Matamoros - musician
• Eliades Ochoa - musician
• Frank Pais - revolutionary and urban organizer for the 26th of July Movement
• Richard Pérez-Peña - New York Times reporter
• Jorge Reyes - author
• Esteban Salas y Castro - Baroque composer
• Ñico Saquito (Benito Antonio Fernández Ortiz) - musician and trova composer
• Compay Segundo - musician

See also[link]

	Cuba portal
	New Spain portal

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Santiago de Cuba

• Battle of Santiago de Cuba, 1898
• List of places in Cuba
• Carnaval of Santiago de Cuba
• Oriente

References[link]

External links[link]

• Tourist info and news about Santiago de Cuba
• Online travel guide for Santiago de Cuba^{[dead link]}
• Homepage
• Municipality webpage (Spanish)

	Palma Soriano	San Luis	Songo-La Maya El Caney
	Guamá		Caimanera
		Santiago de Cuba    East
	Puerto de Santiago	Puerto Siboney Caribbean Sea	Guantánamo Bay Windward Passage

v t e Provinces of Cuba Current Artemisa Camagüey Ciego de Ávila Cienfuegos Ciudad de La Habana Granma Guantánamo Holguín Isla de la Juventud Las Tunas Matanzas Mayabeque Pinar del Río Sancti Spíritus Santiago de Cuba Villa Clara Historical La Habana Santa Clara (Las Villas) Camagüey (Puerto Principe) Oriente (Santiago de Cuba) Provincial capitals Bayamo Camagüey Ciego de Ávila Cienfuegos Guantánamo Havana Holguín Victoria de Las Tunas Matanzas Pinar del Río Sancti Spíritus Santa Clara Santiago de Cuba Municipalities of Santiago de Cuba Contramaestre Guamá Mella Palma Soriano San Luis Santiago de Cuba Secundo Frente Songo – La Maya Tercer Frente

v t e World Heritage Sites in Cuba Alejandro de Humboldt National Park Historic Centre of Camagüey Urban Historic Centre of Cienfuegos Archaeological Landscape of the First Coffee Plantations in the South-East of Cuba Desembarco del Granma National Park Old Havana and its Fortifications San Pedro de la Roca Castle, Santiago de Cuba Trinidad and the Valley de los Ingenios Viñales Valley

Santiago de Chile
Santiago de Chile Location in Chile
Coordinates: 33°27′0″S 70°40′0″W / 33.45°S 70.666667°W / -33.45; -70.666667
Country	Chile
Region	Santiago Metropolitan Region
Province	Santiago Province
Foundation	February 12, 1541
Government
• Mayor	Pablo Zalaquett Said (UDI)
Area
• City	641 km2 (247.6 sq mi)
Elevation	520 m (1,706 ft)
Population (2002)
• City	5,428,590
• Density	8,464/km2 (3,267.9/sq mi)
• Urban	6,676,745
• Metro	7.2 Million
Demonym	Santiaguinos (-as)
Time zone	CLT (UTC−4)
• Summer (DST)	CLST (UTC−3)
Website	municipalidaddesantiago.cl

Santiago (Spanish:  Santiago de Chile (help·info)), also Santiago de Chile, is the capital and largest city of Chile, and the center of its largest conurbation (Greater Santiago). It is located in the country's central valley, at an elevation of 520 m (1,706.04 ft) above mean sea level. Although Santiago is the capital, the National Congress of Chile meets in the coastal town of Valparaíso, 120 km to the west.

Chile's steady economic growth has transformed Santiago into Latin America's most modern metropolitan area, with extensive suburban development, dozens of shopping centers, and impressive high-rise architecture. It has a very modern transport infrastructure, including the steadily growing underground Santiago Metro, an effort at modernizing public bus transport and a free flow toll-based ring road and inner city highway system, part of which is tunneled underneath a large section of the city's main river Mapocho connecting the Eastern and Western end of the city in a 25-minute drive. Santiago is the regional headquarters to many multinationals and a financial center.

Usage note[link]

Municipality of Santiago Commune

In Chile, there are several entities which bear the name of Santiago that are often confused. The Municipality of Santiago (sometimes referred to as Santiago Centro, English: Central Santiago or downtown Santiago), is an administrative division that comprises roughly the area occupied by the city during its colonial period. The Municipality of Santiago, which is administered by a city council and headed by a mayor, is part of the Santiago Province (headed by a Provincial Governor), which is in itself a subdivision of the Santiago Metropolitan Region (headed by an Intendant). Still, throughout this article, and as it is widely accepted, the term Santiago will refer to what is commonly known as Greater Santiago (Spanish: Gran Santiago), a territorial extension defined by its urban continuity that includes the Commune of Santiago in addition to 36 other communes, which together comprise the majority of the Santiago Province and some areas of neighboring provinces (see Political divisions). The Greater Santiago inhabitants/natives are called santiaguinos (m) or santiaguinas (f).

History[link]

Founding of the city[link]

1541 founding of Santiago

Santiago was founded by Spanish Conquistador Pedro de Valdivia on February 12, 1541 with the name Santiago de Nueva Extremadura, as a homage to Saint James and Extremadura and in relation with the first name given to Chile, Nueva Extremadura. Extremadura was Valdivia's birth place in Spain.^[1] The founding ceremony was held on Huelén Hill (later renamed Cerro Santa Lucía). Valdivia chose the location of Santiago because of its climate, abundant vegetation and the ease with which it could be defended—the Mapocho River then split into two branches and rejoined further downstream, forming an island.^[2] The Inca ruler Manco Cápac II warned the new rulers that his people would be hostile to the occupiers. The Spanish invaders had to battle against hunger caused by this resistance. Pedro de Valdivia ultimately succeeded in stabilizing the food supply and other resources needed for Santiago to thrive.^[3]

The layout of the new town consisted of straight roads of 12 varas (14.35 m, 47.1 ft) width, in equal intervals of 138 varas (165.08 m, 541.6 ft) perpendicular to each other. With nine roads in the east-west direction and 15 in the north-south direction, there were 126 blocks that formed the so-called manzanas, or square cut.^[4]

Attempted destruction[link]

The continued resistance of the indigenous population resulted in a series of further conflicts. On September 11, 1541, the Picunche chief, Michimalonco, led an attack on Santiago, beginning a three-year-long war. At the time, the Conquistadores were in a precarious situation, suffering persistent food shortages in almost complete isolation from the rest of the world.^[5]

In January 1542, Pedro de Valdivia sent an emissary, Alonso de Monroy, to Peru to request help. The Conquistadors suffered 20 harsh months until de Monroy returned from Peru with reinforcements, ending the isolation and demoralizing situation of the soldiers in Santiago. The uprising ultimately failed and the indigenous population moved south.^[5]

Colonial Santiago[link]

Map of Santiago at the beginning of the colonial 18th century. The top of the image points south.

Despite threats from Indian attacks, and natural disasters such as earthquakes, and floods, Santiago was rapidly settled.^{[citation needed]} Of the 126 blocks designed by Gamboa in 1558, 40 were occupied by 1580, while nearby lands supported tens of thousands of livestock. These early settlers constructed the first important buildings in the city, including the first Cathedral in 1561 and the Church of San Francisco, built in 1618.^[6] Both structures were built primarily of adobe and stone.

The bridge Calicanto over the Mapocho River was the main symbol of the city after its completion in 1779.

In 1767, the corregidor Luis Manuel de Zañartu began construction on the Calicanto Bridge, one of the most important architectural works of the entire colonial period in Chile. The bridge was completed in 1779 and linked the two halves of the city across the Mapocho River.

In 1770, Governor Agustín de Jáuregui hired the Italian architect Joaquín Toesca to design, among other important works, the facade of the Santiago Metropolitan Cathedral and La Moneda, the presidential palace. ^[7] The government of Ambrosio O'Higgins opened a major road to Valparaíso in 1791.

Independence[link]

Battle of Maipú, 1818

On 12 February 1817, the Battle of Chacabuco was fought a short distance north of Santiago in the town of Colina. Argentine and Chilean armies, led by José de San Martín and Bernardo O'Higgins, fought Spanish royalists. On the same day, Chile proclaimed its independence.^[5]

During the authoritarian era of the so-called Republic, from 1830 to 1891, the school system was introduced and cultural life started to flourish. In 1843 the Universidad de Chile was founded, followed by the Universidad Pontificia Católica in 1888. By 1885, the population of Santiago had reached 189,322.^[5]

Nineteenth century[link]

During the years of the Republican era, institutions such as the University of Chile (Universidad de Chile), the Normal School of Preceptors, the School of Arts and Crafts, and the Quinta Normal, which included the Museum of Fine Arts (now Museum of Science and Technology) and the National Museum of Natural History, were founded. Created primarily for educational use, they also became examples of public planning during that period. In 1851, the first telegraph system connecting the capital with the Port of Valparaíso was inaugurated.^[5]

Cerro Santa Lucía

A new momentum in the urban development of the capital took place during the so-called "Liberal Republic" and the administration of the city's mayor, Benjamín Vicuña Mackenna. Among the main works during this period are the remodeling of the Cerro Santa Lucía which, despite its central location, had been in very poor shape.^[5] In an effort to transform Santiago, Vicuña Mackenna began construction of the Camino de Cintura, a road surrounding the entire city. A new redevelopment of the Alameda Avenue turned it into the main traffic artery of the city.

Also during this time and with the work of European landscapers in 1873, O'Higgins Park came to existence. The park, open to the public, became a point of interest in Santiago due to its large gardens, lakes, and carriages. Other important buildings were opened during this era, such as the Teatro Municipal opera house, and the Club Hípico de Santiago. At the same time, the 1875 International Exposition was held in the grounds of the Quinta Normal. ^[8]

The city also became the main hub of the national railway system. The first railroad reached the city on September 14, 1857 at the Central Station of Santiago. Under construction at the time, the station would be opened permanently in 1884. During those years, railways connected the city to Valparaíso as well as regions in the north and south of Chile. The streets of Santiago were paved and by 1875 and there were 1,107 cars in the city during that year, while 45,000 people used tram services on a daily basis.

Growth and development[link]

The 1930s saw the beginning of a transformation of the city into a modern, industrialized one. In the following decades, Santiago flourished and continued to grow rapidly due to emigration from Chile's northern and southern regions.^[9] In 1940 the city was home to 952,075 people, rising to 1,350,409 in 1952 and 1,907,378 by 1960.^[9]

Map of Santiago in 1895.

Santiago in 1891

Santiago in 1930

Greater Santiago, 1965.

Santiago's growth was reflected in the appearance of poverty-stricken neighborhoods in some areas of the city, while rural areas on the periphery of the city were increasingly urbanized. In 1930 the urban city center had an area of 6,500 hectares, increasing to 20,900 by 1960 and 38,296 by 1980. Although most of the communities continued to expand, growth was concentrated in outlying communities such as Barrancas to the west of the city, Conchalí to the north, La Cisterna and La Granja to the south. The wealthier sections of society became concentrated in areas such as Las Condes and La Reina. In contrast, the center of Santiago gradually decreased in population, leaving space for the development of trade, banking and government activities.^[10]

While the majority of Santiago's growth took place without any regulation, various development plans for Greater Santiago began to be implemented in the late 1950s. In 1958 a plan was launched to regulate urban areas, setting a size limit of 38,600 hectares for the city, for a maximum population of 3,260,000 inhabitants. New roads such as the Avenida Américo Vespucio Ring-Road and the Pan American Highway were constructed, while existing industrial centers were enlarged and new ones established. The hosting of the World Cup in 1962 gave new impetus to the improvement of public works within the city. In 1966 the Metropolitan Park of Santiago was established in the Cerro San Cristóbal and the Department of Housing and Urban Planning (Ministerio de Vivienda y Urbanismo, MINVU) began eradicating shanty towns, replacing them with the construction of new homes. San Borja, built near the Diego Portales Building, was also remodeled at this time.^[10]

The new international Pudahuel Airport opened in 1968 and, after years of debate, construction of the Santiago Metro began in 1969 and was completed in 1975. The Metro was very successful and in subsequent years expanded, comprising two perpendicular lines by the end of 1978. Telecommunications were also improved with the construction of the Torre Entel in 1975, which would become one of the symbols of the capital and the tallest structure in the country for two decades.^[10]

After the coup of 1973 and the establishment of a military regime, no major changes were made to urban planning until the beginning of 1980, when the government adopted a neoliberal economic model and took on the role of supervisor of a market economy. In 1979 the master plan was amended, extending the urban area to more than 62,000 hectares. Expansion has been particularly acute in La Florida, the country's most populous municipality with 328,881 inhabitants at the time of the 1992 census.

A strong earthquake struck the city on March 3, 1985, causing few casualties but leaving thousands homeless and destroying many old buildings.^[10] Another earthquake, on February 27, 2010, caused massive destruction and 82 deaths in other regions of Chile but little recorded damage in Santiago.^[11]

Geography[link]

Astronaut View of Santiago

The city lies in the center of the Santiago Basin, a large bowl-shaped valley consisting of a broad and fertile lands surrounded by mountains. The city has a varying elevation, with 400 m (1,312 ft) in the western areas and 540 m (1,772 ft) in the Plaza Baquedano.^[12] It is flanked by the main chain of the Andes on the east and the Chilean Coastal Range on the west. On the north, it is bounded by the Cordón de Chacabuco, a mountain range of the Andes. The Andes mountains around Santiago are quite tall; the tallest of which is the Tupungato volcano at 6,570 m (21,555 ft). Other volcanoes include Tupungatito, San José and Maipo. Cerro El Plomo is the highest mountain visible from Santiago's urban area. At the southern border lies the Angostura de Paine, an elongated spur of the Andes that almost reaches the coast. The Santiago Basin is part of the Intermediate Depression and is remarkably flat, interrupted only by a few hills; among them are Cerro Renca, Cerro Blanco and Cerro Santa Lucía. This basin is approximately 80 km in a north-south direction and 35 km from east to west.

Hundreds of millions of years ago, the area comprising most of the present-day city was undersea. The only nearby landmass was what is now the Coastal Range. South America was one of several continents that belonged to the supercontinent of Gondwana. The morphology of the region began to take on its present shape in the late Paleozoic when the Nazca Plate began subducting beneath the South American plate. This collision folded the crust until the Triassic, lifting the rocks that gave rise to the Andes. Subsequent tectonic activities raised much of Chile's coastal seabed above water, forming the Intermediate Depression.^[13]

During recent decades, urban growth has expanded the boundaries of the city to the east closer to the Andean Precordillera. Even in areas such as La Dehesa, Lo Curro and El Arrayan has been reached to overcome the barrier of 1000 metres of altitude.^[14] Some low-lying foothills of the Andes emerge and goes into the basin, as is the If the mountain range of The Pyramid and the hill Cerro San Cristobal, in the northeastern sector of Santiago.

To the east stands the massive Sierra de Ramón, a mountain chain formed in the foothills of the Precordillera due to the action of the San Ramón Fault, reaching 3296 metres at the Cerro de Ramón. 20 km further east is the Cordillera of the Andes with its mountain ranges and volcanoes, many of which exceed 6,000 m (19,685.04 ft) and in which some glaciers are maintained. The higher the Tupungato volcano with 6570 metres, located near the volcano Tupungatito of 5913 metres of altitude. To the northeast lie Cerro El Plomo (5,424 m) and Nevado El Plomo (6070 metres in altitude). Whereas that, to the southeast of the capital are located the Nevado Piuquenes (6,019 m), San José volcano (5,855 m) and the Maipo volcano (5,323 m). Among these peaks, the Tupungatito, as well as the San José and Maipo are active volcanoes.

Ski Center El Colorado.

Cerro San Cristobal.

Santiago in winter.

Santiago in summer.

Climate[link]

Santiago has a somewhat cooler Mediterranean climate: relatively hot dry summers (November to March) with temperatures reaching up to 35 °C (95.0 °F) on the hottest days; winters (June to August) are more humid with cold mornings, typical maximum daily temperatures of 13 °C (55.4 °F), and minimums of a few degrees above freezing. According to the Köppen climate classification, the climate in Santiago is Csb, and it closely borders a semi-arid climate (BSh/BSk).

Mean rainfall is 360 mm (14.2 in) per year and is heavily concentrated in the cooler months. Snowfall is extremely rare in most of the city, but no so much in eastern districts (above 700 metres [2300 feet]).

Among the main climatic features of Santiago is the concentration of about 80% of the precipitation during the austral winter months (May to September), varying between 50 and 80 mm of rainfall during these months. That amount contrasts with figures for the months corresponding to a very dry season, caused by an anticyclonic dominance continued for about seven or eight months, mainly during the summer months between December and March. Rainfall does not exceed 4 mm on average. Precipitation is usually only rain, as snowfall only occurs in the Andes and in the Precordillera. On winter, mean snow level is about 2100 metres (6900 feet), and it range from 1500 metres (4900 feet) up to 2900 metres (9500 feet).^[17]

The temperatures vary throughout the year from an average of 20 °C (68 °F) in January to 8 °C (46 °F) in June and July. In the summer, January is hot, easily reaching over 30 °C (86 °F) and a record high close to 37 °C (99 °F), while nights are generally pleasant and slightly cooler without lowering of 15 °C (59 °F). For his part, during autumn and winter the temperature drops and is slightly lower than the 10 °C (50 °F), the temperature may even drop slightly from 0 °C (32 °F), especially during the morning, and its historic low of −6.8 °C (20 °F) in 1976.^{[citation needed]}

Santiago's location within a watershed is one of the most important factors in the climate of the city. The coastal mountain range serves as a "screen climate" to oppose the spread of marine influence, contributing to the increase in annual and daily thermal oscillation (the difference between the maximum and minimum daily temperatures can reach 14°C) and maintaining low relative humidity close to an annual average of 70%. It also prevents the entry of air masses with the exception of some coastal low clouds that penetrate to the basin through the river valleys.^{[citation needed]}

Prevailing winds are from the southwest direction, with an average of 15 km / h, especially during the summer as in winter calm prevail.

Environmental issues[link]

Thermal inversion (a meteorological phenomenon whereby a stable layer of warm air holds down colder air close to the ground) causes high levels of smog and air pollution to be trapped and concentrate within the Central Valley during winter months. In the 1990s air pollution fell by about one-third, but there has been little progress since 2000.^[18]

As of March 2007, only 61% of the wastewater in Santiago was treated,^[19] which increased up to 71% by the end of the same year. However, the Mapocho River, which crosses the city from the north-east to the south-west of the Central Valley, remains contaminated by household, agricultural and industrial sewage, and by upstream copper-mining waste (there are a number of copper mines in the Andes east of Santiago), which is dumped unfiltered into the river.^[20] Laws require industry and local governments to process all their wastewater, but are loosely enforced.^[21] There are now a number of large wastewater processing and recycling plants under construction. There are ongoing plans to decontaminate the river^[22] and make it navigable.^[23]

Noise levels on the main streets are high,^[24] mostly because of noisy diesel buses. Diesel trucks and buses are also major contributors to winter smog. A lengthy replacement process of the bus system began in 2005 and will last until 2010 (see Transport section below). However, a major source of Santiago air pollution year-round is the smelter of El Teniente copper mine.^[25][26] Nevertheless, the government does not usually report it as being a local pollution source as it is just outside the reporting area of the Santiago Metropolitan Region, being 110 km. (70 miles) from downtown.^[27][28]

Panoramic view of northeastern Santiago, as seen from the hills of Parque Metropolitano in Providencia. Visible in the background are Apoquindo and Sierra de Ramón.

Urban issues[link]

Santiago, as with Chile in general,^[29] is an economically divided city (Gini coefficient of 0.47).^[30] The western half (zona poniente) of the city is much poorer than the eastern side. Accordingly, graffiti and crime are much more prevalent on the Western side. Public facilities such as buildings or transport are often severely overcrowded.

The downtown area has a large number of homeless.^[31] Beggars are also common.

In Santiago, as with much of Chile, stray dogs are very common.^[32][33] Rabies is practically non-existent in Chile.^[34]

Demographics[link]

Population of Santiago from 1820 to 2020.

Santiago by Human Development Index on a commune-basis. Greener is higher. The blue line denotes the main areas of the city.

According to data collected in the 2002 census by the National Institute of Statistics, the Santiago metropolitan area population reached 5,428,590 inhabitants, equivalent to 35.91% of the national total and 89.56 % of total regional inhabitants. This figure reflects broad growth in the population of the city during the 20th century: in 1907 had 383,587 inhabitants, 1,010,102 in 1940, 2,009,118 in 1960, 3,899,619 in 1982 and 4,729,118 in 1992.^[35] (percentage of total population, 2007)^[36]

The growth of Santiago has undergone several changes over the course of its history. In its early years, the city had a rate of growth 2.68% annually until the 17th century, then down to less than 2% per year until the early 20th century figures. The middle of this century was a demographic explosion explaining as, in its capacity as capital, absorbed on migration from mining camps in northern Chile during the crisis of the 1930s and from population from rural sectors between 1940 and 1960, mainly. Lots of migration coupled with the high fertility rate at that time were reflected in figures annual growth reached 4.92% between 1952 and 1960. However, since the end of this century, growth figures had reduced again, reaching 1.35% in the early 2000s. Similarly, the size of the city expanded constantly. The 20,000 hectares covering Santiago in 1960 doubled by 1980, reaching 64,140 hectares in 2002. Thus the density of population in Santiago is 8,464 inhabitants/km².

The population of Santiago^[35] has seen a steady increase over the years. For 2007, it is estimated that 32.89% of men and 30.73% of women were less than 20 years old, while 10.23% of men and 13.43% of women were over 60 years. In contrast, in 1990 the total population under 20 years was 38.04 % and 8.86% were over 60. For the year 2020, it is estimated that both figures will be 26.69% and 16.79%.

4,313,719 people in Chile say they were born in one of the communes of the Santiago Metropolitan Region^[35] which according to the 2002 census amounts to 28.54% of the national total. 67.6% of the current inhabitants of Santiago claim to been born in one of the communes of the metropolitan area. 2.11% of the inhabitants are immigrants mainly from other Latin American countries such as Argentina and Peru.

Economy[link]

Avenue Apoquindo, financial center

Santiago is the industrial and financial center of Chile, and generates 45% of the country's GDP.^[37] Some international institutions, such as ECLAC (Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean), have their offices in Santiago. Currently under construction is the Costanera Center, a mega project in Santiago's Financial District. This includes a 280,000-square-metre (3,000,000 sq ft) mall, a 300-metre (980 ft) tower, two office towers of 170 metres (558 ft) each, and a hotel 105 metres (344 ft) tall. In January 2009 the retailer in charge, Cencosud, said in a statement that the construction of the mega-mall would gradually be reduced until financial uncertainty is cleared.^[38] In January 2010, Cencosud announced the re-start of the project, and this was taken generally as a symbol of the country's success over the global financial crisis. Close to Costanera Center another skyscraper is already in use, Titanium La Portada, 190 metres (623 ft) tall. Although these are the two biggest projects, there are many other office buildings under construction in Santiago, as well as hundreds of high rise residential buildings. In February 2011, Gran Torre Santiago, part of the Costanera Center project, reached the 300 meters mark, officially becoming the tallest structure in Latin America.^[39] The strong economy and low government debt is attracting migrants from Europe and the United States.^[40]

Industry[link]

LAN Airlines headquarters

Santiago Financial Center

Santiago is Chile’s major industrial and agricultural region. The bulk of Chile’s industrial and commercial activity is concentrated in the national and regional capital of Santiago, but there are important farm-supply, marketing, and processing activities at San Bernardo (location of major railroad shops), Puente Alto (a paper- and gypsum-processing center), Melipilla, Talagante, and Buin. Dairying and beef production are significant; the main crops are grains, grapes, potatoes, and beans. Copper, gypsum, and limestone are mined. Marketing is facilitated by the proximity of urban centers, by main-line railroad communications, and by the best-developed regional road system in Chile.

Commerce[link]

Santiago is Chile's retail capital. Falabella, Paris, Mega Johnsons, Ripley, La Polar and several other department stores dot the mall landscape of Chile. The east side neighborhoods like Vitacura, La Dehesa, and Las Condes are home to Santiago's swanky Alonso de Cordova street and malls like Parque Arauco, Alto Las Condes and the brand Costanera Center, all known for their luxurious shopping scene. Alonso de Cordova is Santiago's equivalent to Rodeo Drive or Rua Oscar Freire in São Paulo, with exclusive stores like Louis Vuitton, Hermès, Emporio Armani, Salvatore Ferragamo, Ermenegildo Zegna, Swarovski, MaxMara, Longchamp, and many more stores that carry exclusive brands and Costanera Center have exclusive stores like Armani, Ermenegildo Zegna, Zara, Hugo Boss and Gucci. Alonso de Cordova also houses some of Santiago's most famous restaurants, art galleries, wine showrooms and furniture stores. There are also plans for a Saks Fifth Avenue in Santiago. For a more bohemian scene there are several mercados in the city that sell local goods and Bellavista where some of the most exclusive night clubs and chic cafes are located.

Transport[link]

Air[link]

Comodoro Arturo Merino Benítez International Airport is Santiago's national and international airport and the principal hub of LAN Airlines and Sky Airline. The largest airport in Chile and one of the world's busiest airports by passenger traffic, it is ranked fifth among Latin American airports, with 10,315,319 passengers in 2010. It is 15 minutes from the city centre.

Rail[link]

Central Station

TerraSur trains operated by Chile's national railways company, Empresa de los Ferrocarriles del Estado, connect Santiago to Chillán, in the central-southern part of the country. All such trains arrive and depart from the Estación Central (Central Station) which can be accessed by bus or subway.^[41]

The main stops are:

• Rancagua, O'Higgins Region
• San Fernando, O'Higgins Region
• Curicó, Maule Region
• Talca, Maule Region
• Chillán, Biobio Region.

Inter-urban buses[link]

Bus companies provide passenger transportation from Santiago to most areas of the country, while some also provide parcel-shipping and delivery services.

There are several bus terminals in Santiago:

• Terminal San Borja: located in Metro station "Estación Central". Provides buses to all destinations in Chile and to some towns around Santiago.
• Terminal Alameda: located in Metro station "Universidad de Santiago". Provides buses to all destinations in Chile.
• Terminal Santiago: located one block west of Terminal Alameda. Provides buses to all destinations in Chile as well as destinations in most countries in South America, except Bolivia.
• Terrapuerto Los Héroes: located two blocks east of Metro station "Los Héroes". Provides buses to south of Chile and some northern cities, as well as Argentina (Mendoza and Buenos Aires) and Paraguay (Asunción).
• Terminal Pajaritos: located in Metro station "Pajaritos". Provides buses to the international airport, inter-regional services to Valparaíso, Viña del Mar and several other coastal cities and towns.
• Terminal La Cisterna: located in Metro station "La Cisterna". Provides buses to towns around southern Santiago, Viña del Mar, Temuco and Puerto Montt.
• Terminal La Paz: located about two blocks away from La Vega Central fruit market; the closest Metro station is "Puente Cal y Canto". It connects the rural areas north of Santiago.

Highways[link]

A network of free flow toll highways connect the various areas of the city. They include, the Vespucio Norte and Vespucio Sur highways, which surround the city completing a nearly full circle; Autopista Central, the section of the Pan American highway crossing the city from north to south, divided in two highways 3 km apart; and the Costanera Norte, running next to the Mapocho River and connecting the international airport with the downtown and with the wealthier areas of the city to the east, where it divides into two highways.

Other non-free flow toll roads connect Santiago to other cities. Rutas del Pacífico (Ruta 68), the continuation of the Alameda avenue to the west, provides direct access to Valparaíso and Viña del Mar; Autopista del Sol (Ruta 78), connects Melipilla and the port of San Antonio with the capital; Autopista del Maipo is an alternative to the Pan American highway to access the various localities south of Santiago; Autopista Los Libertadores provides access to the main border crossing to Argentina, via Colina and Los Andes; and Autopista Nororiente, which provides access to the suburban development known as Chicureo, north of the capital.

Public transport[link]

Baquedano Metro station.

Estación Central.

Santiago has 37% of Chile's vehicles, with a total of 991,838 vehicles; 979,346 of which are motorized. 805,220 cars pass through the city, which is equivalent to 38% of the national and at a rate of one car for every seven people.^{[citation needed]} To support this huge number of cars there is an extensive network of streets and avenues stretching across Santiago to facilitate travel between the different communities that make up the metropolitan area.

In the 1990s the government attempted to reorganize the public transport system. New routes were introduced in 1994 and the buses were painted yellow. The system, however, had serious issues with routes overlapping, high levels of air and noise pollution and safety problems for both riders and drivers. To tackle these issues a new transport system, called Transantiago, was devised. The system was launched in earnest on 10 February 2007, combining core services across the city with the subway and with local feeder routes, under a unified system of payment through a contactless smartcard called "Tarjeta bip!". The radical change was not well received by users, who complained of lack of buses, too many bus-to-bus transfers and diminished coverage. Some of these problems were resolved, but the system earned a bad reputation which it hasn't been able to shake off. As of 2011, the fare evasion rate is stubbornly high.

The Metro de Santiago subway carries over two million passengers daily through its five lines (1, 2, 4, 4A and 5), extending over 84 km and 89 stations. In 2010, a new extension to the commune of Maipú expanded the Metro to more than 105 km in length. Construction of two new lines (3 and 6) was confirmed recently by president Sebastián Piñera, and is expected to be operating in 2014.^[42]

Other local transport systems include 25,000 taxis,^{[citation needed]} identified by black colour cars and yellow roof. In recent years many cycle paths have been constructed, but so far the number is limited and with little connections between the routes. Most cyclists ride on the street, and the use of helmets and lights is not extended, even though it is mandatory.

Metro[link]

Vicente Valdés station.

Santiago Metro map.

With 108 stations currently in operation and 19 other planned or under construction, the Santiago Metro is South America's most extensive metro system. The system has five operating lines and carries around 2,400,000 passengers per day. Two underground lines (Line 4 and 4A) and an extension of Line 2 were inaugurated during late 2005 and beginning of 2006.^[43] Further extensions are currently under way on Lines 1 and 5.^[44] An announcement of plans for a new line was made by President Bachelet. The South Express Line, Line 6, will be finished by 2014, adding 12 stations to the network and approximately 15 km of track.^[44]

Commuter rail[link]

The company Trenes Metropolitanos S.A. provides suburban rail service under the brandname of Metrotren. There is only one southbound route, serving 18 stations between the Central Station of Santiago at Alameda and San Fernando, via Paine and Graneros. The electrified service expands over 138 km (85.75 mi). About 10 daily trains operate the full distance in each direction, with up to 30 trains between Santiago and Graneros.^[45]

Bus[link]

Transantiago Bus

Transantiago is the name for the city's public transport system. It works by combining local (feeder) bus lines, main bus lines and the Metro network. It includes an integrated fare system, which allows passengers to make bus-to-bus or bus-to-metro transfers for the price of one ticket, using a contactless smartcard. Fares cannot be paid in cash, and if the card does not have enough credit, it must be recharged before a trip.

Taxi[link]

Taxicabs are common in Santiago and are painted black with yellow roofs and have orange license plates. So-called radiotaxis may be called up by telephone and can be any make, model, or color but should always have the orange plates. Colectivos are shared taxicabs that carry passengers along a specific route for a fixed fee.

Political divisions[link]

Greater Santiago lacks a metropolitan government for its administration, which is currently distributed between various authorities, complicating the operation of the city as a single entity.^[46] The highest authority in Santiago is considered to be the intendant of the Santiago Metropolitan Region, an unelected delegate of the president.

The whole of Greater Santiago does not fit perfectly into any administrative division, extending throughout four different provinces and 37 communes. The majority of its 641.4 km² (247.65 sq mi) (as of 2002)^[47] lie within Santiago Province, with some peripheral areas contained in the provinces of Cordillera, Maipo and Talagante.

Note: Communes in the peripheries are not shown to their full extent.

Culture[link]

This article may require copy editing for grammar, style, cohesion, tone, or spelling. You can assist by editing it. (March 2012)

Municipal Theatre of Santiago

Palacio de La Moneda

Despite its long history, there are only a few historical buildings from the Spanish colonial period left in the city, because Santiago - as the rest of the country - is regularly hit by earthquakes. The buildings from this period include the Casa Colorada (1769), the San Francisco Church (1586) and Posada del Corregidor (1750). Another reason for which it lacks of old buildings from that time is the relatively new prosperity of Chile; at the time of the Spanish colony, the city had a low economic impact, the upswing came after the independence of the country. This explains the newness of the buildings built mainly in a neoclassical style.

Contemporary Art Museum of Santiago

The Cathedral on the central square (Plaza de Armas) is a sight that ranks as high as the Palacio de La Moneda, the Presidential Palace. The original building was built between 1784 and 1805, and architect Joaquín Toesca was in charge of its construction. Other buildings surrounding the Plaza de Armas are the Central Post Office Building, which was finished in 1882, and the Palacio de la Real Audiencia de Santiago, built between 1804 and 1807. It houses the Chilean National History Museum with 12,000 objects that can be exhibited. On the southeast corner of the square stands the green cast-iron Commercial Edwards building, which was built in 1893 and going east is the 1769-finished colonial building of the Casa Colorada, which houses the Museum of Santiago. Close is the Municipal Theatre of Santiago, which was built in 1857 by the French architect Brunet of Edward Baines. It was badly damaged by an earthquake in 1906. Not far from the theatre is the Subercaseaux Mansion and the National Library, one of the largest libraries of South America.

Fine Arts Museum

The former building of the Congress, the Justice Palace, and the Royal Customs Palace (Palacio de la Real Aduana de Santiago) are located close to each other. The latter houses the Museum of pre-Columbian art. A fire destroyed the building of the Congress in 1895, which was then rebuilt in a neoclassical style and reopened in 1901. The Congress was deposed under the military dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet (1973–1989) and after the dictatorship was newly constituted on March 11, 1990 in Valparaíso.

The building of the Justice Palace (Palacio de Tribunales) is located on the south side of the Montt Square. It was designed by the architect Emilio Doyére and built between 1907 and 1926. The building is home to the Supreme Court of Chile. The panel of 21 judges is the highest judicial power in Chile. The judges be proposed by the judges of the Supreme Court and appointed by the President on lifetime. The building is also headquarters of the Court of Appeals of Santiago.

Biblioteca Nacional de Chile

Former Congress building

Bandera street leads toward the building of the Santiago Stock Exchange (the Bolsa de Comercio), completed in 1917, the Club de la Unión (its building was opened in 1925), the Universidad de Chile (1872), and toward the oldest churchhouse in the city, the San Francisco Church (constructed between 1586 and 1628), with its Marian statue of the Virgen del Socorro ("Our Lady of Help"), which was brought to Chile by Pedro de Valdivia. North of the Plaza de Armas ("Place of Arms", where the colonial militia was mustered), are the Paseo Puente, the Santo Domingo Church (1771) and the Central Market (Mercado Central), an ornamental iron building. Also in downtown Santiago is the Torre Entel, a 127.4-meter-high television tower with observation deck, all completed in 1974; the tower serves as a communication center for the communications company, ENTEL Chile.

With the Costanera Center, a commercial and architectural landmark of the capital. When completed in 2009 is a combination of jobs, housing, shopping and entertainment venues have been achieved. The project with a total area of 600,000 square meters, includes the 300-meter high Gran Torre Santiago (South America's tallest building) and three other commercial buildings with shopping malls, shops, cinemas, an amusement centre, restaurants, hotels, offices and luxury apartments. The four office towers extensive building complex is replaced by a highway and subway connections.^[48]

Music[link]

There are two symphonic orchestras:

• Orquesta Filarmónica de Santiago ("Philharmonic Orchestra of Santiago"), which performs in the Teatro Municipal ("Municipal Theater")
• Orquesta Sinfónica de Chile ("Symphonic Orchestra of Chile"), dependent of the Universidad de Chile, performs in its theater.

There are a number of jazz establishments, some of them, including "El Perseguidor", "Thelonious", and "Le Fournil Jazz Club", are located in Bellavista, one of Santiago's "hippest" neighborhoods, though "Club de Jazz de Santiago", the oldest and most traditional one, is in Ñuñoa.^[49]

Annual festivals feature in Santiago with various acts such as Lollapalooza and Maquinaria festival

Newspapers[link]

The most widely circulated newspapers in Chile are published by El Mercurio and Copesa and have earned more than the 91% of revenues generated in printed advertising in Chile.^[50]

Some of the most popular newspapers available in Santiago are:

• El Mercurio
• La Tercera
• La Cuarta
• Las Últimas Noticias
• La Segunda
• The Clinic
• The Santiago Times ^[51]

Sports[link]

Santiago is home of Chile's most successful football clubs. One of the most successful of them is Colo-Colo. It was founded on April 19, 1925. It has a long tradition and plays since the establishment of the first Chilean league in 1933 continuously in the highest league. 29 national titles, 10 Copa Chile successes and in 1991 champions of Copa Libertadores, Chile's only team that ever won the tournament. The club hosts its home games in the Estadio Monumental, in the commune of Macul.

Another great club is Universidad de Chile. The club is considered one of the best known and most successful with 15 national titles, 3 Copa Chile and in 2011 champions of Copa Sudamericana, Chile's only team that ever won the tournament. It was founded on May 24, 1927 under the name Club Deportivo Universitario as a union of Club Náutico and Federación Universitaria. The founders were students of the University of Chile. In 1980, the organization separated from the University of Chile and the club is now completely independent. The team plays its home games in the Estadio Nacional de Chile, in the commune of Ñuñoa.

Estadio Nacional de Chile

Club Deportivo Universidad Católica was founded on April 21, 1937 and is also often referred to briefly as UC. It consists of fourteen different departments responsible for the students of the same university are excluded. Far beyond the borders of Chile is known mainly for his club soccer team. This team plays its home games in Estadio San Carlos de Apoquindo. Universidad Católica has 10 national titles, making it the third most successful football club in the country. It has played the Copa Libertadores more than 20 times, reaching the final in 1993, losing to São Paulo FC.

Several other football clubs are based in Santiago, the most important of them being Unión Española, Audax Italiano, Palestino, Santiago Morning and Magallanes.

In addition to football, several sports are played in the city, tennis and basketball being the main ones.

Through the entire metropolitan area are distributed Wettstuben (called "Teletrack"), in which mainly the male population of Santiago bets on horse racing, watching the races at large screens.^{[citation needed]} The Club Hípico de Santiago and the Hipódromo Chile are the two Horseracing tracks in the city where the action takes place.

Other Sports includes Volleyball, Field Hockey, Chilean Rodeo, Rowing and Canoeing, which is practiced in two Lakes nearby. The first is Laguna Carén, which is reachable with Public Transport (Buses J-11 and J-12 which departs from Metro Station "Pajaritos" (Line 1) or "Barrancas" (Line 5), 5 minute ride by bus). The other option is Aculeo which is located 40 km south. More Information at www.remometropolitano.cl Remo Metropolitano

Recreation[link]

There is an extensive network of bicycle trails in the city, especially in the Providencia comuna. The longest section is the Americo Vespuccio road, which contains a very wide dirt path with many trees through the center of a street used by motorists on both sides. The next longest path is along the Mapocho River along avenida Andrés Bello. Many people use folding bicycles to commute to work.^[52]

The city's main parks are:

• Cerro San Cristóbal - San Cristóbal Hill, which includes the Santiago Metropolitan Park Zoo
• Parque O'Higgins - O'Higgins Park
• Parque Forestal - Forestal Park, park located at the city center alongside Mapocho river
• Cerro Santa Lucía - Santa Lucía Hill
• Parque Araucano in Las Condes adjacent to the Parque Arauco shopping mall contains 30 hectares of gardens. It is closed for maintenance on Mondays.
• Parque Inés de Suarez, Providencia.
• Parque Padre Hurtado(a.k.a. Parque Intercomunal).

There are ski resorts to the east of the city (Valle Nevado, La Parva, El Colorado) and wineries in the plains west of the city.

Cultural places to visit include:

• Museo de Bellas Artes - Fine Arts Museum
• Barrio Bellavista, cultural and bohemian neighborhood
• Central Station, railway station designed by Gustave Eiffel
• Víctor Jara Stadium
• Ex National Congress
• Plaza de Armas, central square
• Palacio de La Moneda, government palace

The main sport venues are Estadio Nacional (site of the 1962 World Cup final), Estadio Monumental David Arellano, Estadio Santa Laura and Estadio San Carlos de Apoquindo.

Religion[link]

Santiago's Metropolitan Cathedral

As in most of Chile, the majority of the population of Santiago is Catholic. According to the National Census, carried out in 2002 by the National Statistics Bureau (INE), in the Santiago Metropolitan Region, 3,129,249 people 15 and older identified themselves as Catholics, equivalent to 68.7% of the total population, while 595,173 (13.1%) described themselves as Evangelical Protestants. Around 1.2% of the population declared themselves as being Jehovah's Witnesses, while 0.9% identified themselves as Latter-day Saints (Mormons), 0.25% as Jewish, 0.11% as Orthodox and 0.03% as Muslim. Approximately 10.4% of the population of the Metropolitan Region stated that they were atheist or agnostic, while 5.4% declared that they followed other religions.^[53]

Education[link]

Universidad de Chile

The city is home to numerous universities, colleges, research institutions and libraries.

The largest university and one of the oldest on the American continent is Universidad de Chile. The roots of the University date back to the year 1622, as on 19 August the first university in Chile under the name of Santo Tomás de Aquino was founded. On 28 July 1738, it was named the Real Universidad de San Felipe in honor of King Philip V of Spain. In the vernacular, it is also known as Casa de Bello (Spanish: Bellos house - after their first Rector, Andrés Bello) known. On 17 April 1839, after Chile from the mother country, the Kingdom of Spain, became independent, was officially to the University Universidad de Chile, and opened on 17 September 1843.

Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile

The Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile (PUC) was founded in June 1888. On 11 February 1930 was the university by a decree by Pope Pius XI. to an appointed Pontifical University, 1931, the full recognition by the Chilean government. Joaquín Larraín Gandarillas (1822–1897), Archbishop of Anazarba, was the founder and first rector of the PUC. The PUC is a modern university; the campus of San Joaquin has a number of contemporary buildings and offers many parks and sports facilities. Several courses are conducted in English. The current president Sebastián Piñera, minister Ricardo Raineri, and minister Hernán de Solminihac all attended PUC as students and worked in PUC as professors. In the 2010 admission process, approximately 48% of the students who achieved the best score in the Prueba de Selección Universitaria matriculated in the UC.^[54]

Higher education[link]

Traditional[link]

• Universidad de Chile (U or UCH)
• Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile (PUC)
• Universidad de Santiago de Chile (USACH)
• Universidad Metropolitana de Ciencias de la Educación (UMCE)
• Universidad Tecnológica Metropolitana (UTEM)
• Universidad Técnica Federico Santa María (UTFSM)

Non-traditional[link]

• Universidad Academia de Humanismo Cristiano (UAHC)
• Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez (UAI)
• Universidad Alberto Hurtado (UAH)
• Universidad Bolivariana
• Universidad Católica Raúl Silva Henríquez
• Universidad Central de Chile
• Universidad de Artes y Ciencias Sociales (Arcis)
• Universidad de Artes, Ciencias y Comunicación (UNIACC)
• Universidad de Ciencias de la Informática (UCINF) [www.ucinf.cl/]
• Universidad de las Américas
• Universidad de Los Andes
• Universidad del Desarrollo
• Universidad del Pacífico
• Universidad Diego Portales
• Universidad Europea de Negocios
• Universidad Finis Terrae
• Universidad Gabriela Mistral (UGM)
• Universidad Mayor (UM) [1]
• Universidad Nacional Andrés Bello (Unab)
• Universidad Pedro de Valdivia (Upv)
• Universidad Santo Tomás
• Universidad San Sebastián
• Universidad Tecnológica Vicente Pérez Rosales
• Instituto profesional DuocUC, de la Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile, DuocUC, [2], es:DuocUC
• Instituto profesional INACAP

Other[link]

• Ruprecht Karl University of Heidelberg's Postgraduierten- und Weiterbildungszentrum der Universität Heidelberg in Santiago
• David Rockefeller Center for Latin American Studies (DRCLAS) Regional Office in Santiago
• Stanford Faculty in Santiago

International relations[link]

Twin towns and sister cities[link]

Santiago is twinned with:

Partner city[link]

• Paris, France (1997, "Friendship Pact")

Gallery[link]

• 

  Club de La Unión

• 
• 
• 

  Titanium La Portada, Santiago 2nd tallest skyscraper

• 

  Basílica del Salvador

• 

  Paseo Bulnes, downtown Santiago

• 

  Paseo Ahumada, downtown Santiago

• 

  Entel Tower