CHILE: CAPITAL, INDIVIDUAL PROVINCES, CITIES
CAPITAL
=Santiago=, the capital, with 450,000 inhabitants, is the fourth in
population of the cities of South America, the first three being Buenos
Aires, Rio de Janeiro, and São Paulo. The city is finely located in
the fertile Central Valley, on the Mapocho River. Important as the
Government and social centre, it has much commercial activity. A little
off the direct Trans-Andine line between Valparaiso and Buenos Aires,
it is equally a terminus, as special cars run to each city from Los
Andes where they connect with the narrower mountain railway. Santiago
is the centre of the north and south railway systems which traverse the
country almost from end to end.
A lack of first class hotels has been partially remedied by the
construction of a large one on modern lines, but it may be said that in
all of the capital cities and chief ports of the West Coast additional
accommodations of a higher class are desirable. In Santiago important
improvements recently accomplished include the installment of a
sewerage system and the repavement of the principal streets. Electric
lights have long been enjoyed and an excellent system of electric cars,
one feature of which New York might imitate to advantage, the numbering
of the cars to indicate the various routes. Santiago in addition to its
delightful location may well boast of its fine buildings, especially
its Capitol, the handsome opera house, and many fine residences; still
more of its parks, the far famed Santa Lucía, Parque Cousiño, and
the Quinta Normal; also of the Palace of Fine Arts, and the Cemetery,
especially beautiful in rose time. Most of the streets are narrow, but
there is one splendid broad avenue, the Alameda or Avenida de Delicias
with a central parkway ornamented with statuary.
[Illustration: CHILE, ARGENTINA, PARAGUAY, URUGUAY]
PROVINCES
A brief review of the Provinces follows, beginning at the north. Unless
otherwise stated, the Provinces extend from the coast back to the
mountains, bordering at the east on Bolivia or Argentina.
=Tacna=, formerly a part of Peru, is still claimed by that country,
though in the possession of Chile. It is separated by the Sama River
from the Peruvian Province, Moquegua. Largely mountainous, Tacna has
many peaks above 18,000 feet; the two passes to Bolivia are about
14,000 feet. Of 500,000 acres of possible agricultural land about
one tenth is irrigated, the rest is desert. Alfalfa is the chief
production; beans and maize are important with other vegetables and
fruit. The leading export is sulphur.
The capital, Tacna, is a pleasant town, connected by rail with the port
of Arica, though it is not on the road to La Paz. Arica, with a better
harbor than most of the others, is an important primary port where
all steamers call, as it is the terminus of the Arica-La Paz Railway;
one of the three Pacific outlets for Bolivia. New docks are to be
constructed.
=Tarapacá= follows on the south, this Province containing with other
minerals, extensive, hot, arid plains with nitrate fields. The sloping
coastal section has two important ports, Pisagua and Iquique, besides
smaller ones exclusively for the export of nitrates, in which the two
named are chiefly engaged.
Iquique, the capital and principal port, is of great commercial
importance for such export, and has very large imports from the fact
that these include all eatables as formerly all drinkables, even water.
Now the water comes in pipes 150 miles from the mountains. The soil too
was imported for the few plazas and gardens existing, as nothing will
grow in the native soil. It is an enterprising community with a good
proportion of pleasant British homes, clubs, theatres, etc.
=Antofagasta= comes next, separated from Tarapacá by the River Loa. On
the east it has both Bolivia and a piece of northern Argentina. The
surface descends from the Andes in a series of plateaus. Vegetation
is scanty. This Province, with Atacama on the south, shares in the
activities of the nitrate industry.
The capital city, Antofagasta, is 200 miles south of Iquique, both
ports having very poor harbors, though with enormous commerce for
places of their size. Antofagasta, the terminus of a third railway from
La Paz, the second in Chile, has much Bolivian trade besides export of
nitrates, and lately from Chuquicamata of copper. The Province contains
other ports and cities of consequence, Taltal, Tocopilla, Mejillones,
etc.
=Atacama= on the south borders exclusively at the east on Argentina,
which from here down forms the eastern boundary of Chile. The surface
of the Province is uneven, with mountains, plateaus, and ravines; in
the valleys of Huasco and Copiapó there is some agriculture. Minerals,
as gold, silver, and copper receive attention.
Copiapó, the capital, is an important railway junction.
=Coquimbo=, following, is a narrower Province, the mountains and the
Argentine boundary coming nearer the shore. There are many lofty peaks
at the east; and between spurs running down to the coast are fertile,
well watered valleys, as we now come to the central section where with
a mild climate there is moderate rainfall. Cereals, fruit, wine, and
livestock are exported.
La Serena, the capital, is a pretty town, which has tramway connection
with Coquimbo, a first class port, and a busy city.
=Aconcagua= is next, with the great peak of that name in the range at
the east. Some 15 miles south of the peak is the Uspallata Pass, for
many years the main commercial highway between Chile and Argentina. By
this Pass came Almagro, and later a division of the army of San Martín;
another division by the pass of Los Patos, a little lower and farther
north, by which cattle are often driven into Chile. The Province is
chiefly agricultural and pastoral, with crops of cereals, fruits, hemp,
and tobacco. The finest wine is produced; there are large herds of
cattle; and copper has some exploitation.
=Valparaiso=, one of the two Provinces bordering on Aconcagua at the
south, is next to the smallest in the Republic, and the first coming
from the north which does not extend across the country. With Aconcagua
on the north it has Santiago on the east and south. The surface is
mountainous with extensive valleys, the Coast Range here reaching a
height of 7000 feet. Several rivers and a number of bays are among its
favorable features. With a mild climate and sufficient rain agriculture
is the principal industry aside from the commercial interests of the
chief port of the West Coast, Valparaiso.
=Santiago=, south of Aconcagua and east of Valparaiso, extends from
Argentina on the east, south of Valparaiso to the sea, and has the two
Provinces of O’Higgins and Colchagua on the south. The Central Valley,
which occupies a great part of its area, is here a broad plain, part
of which is well watered and fertile but with some sections arid;
the foothills and valleys are well wooded. The Central Valley slopes
towards the west, having an altitude of nearly 3000 feet at the foot
of the Andes, and about 1000 feet near the hills of the Coast Range.
The highest point of the Andes, here south of Mt. Aconcagua, is less
than 20,000 feet while the Coast Range approaches 8000. Cereals,
vegetables, fruit, and wine are the chief products. Among other towns
in the Province is the port of San Antonio.
=O’Higgins=, a very small Province, occupies what may be called a jog
at the southeast corner of Santiago, which is therefore on the west and
north, while Argentina is east and Colchagua south. Although a rugged
district, irrigation is developed and large crops of cereals and fruit
are grown. Rich in mineral deposits, copper alone is exploited.
=Colchagua=, south of Santiago and O’Higgins, extends across the
country from the sea to the mountains, which have three easy passes
into Argentina. The plains of the Central Valley have a rich soil and
good rainfall, but as the summers are dry, as in Santiago, irrigation
is needful. Crops of wheat, beans, alfalfa, etc., are important, and
also the cattle industry.
=Curicó= follows across the south with similar features and productions.
=Talca= is next, also extending from the coast to Argentina. With a
temperate climate, there are greater extremes of heat and cold on
the plain. Besides the agricultural and cattle industries, the dense
forests here afford opportunity for exploitation. Two Provinces are on
the south.
=Linares=, the more eastern, has Argentina on the east, Nuble south,
and Maule west. With considerable agricultural land, along the lower
slopes of the Andes it has dense woods.
=Maule=, the coast Province south of Talca, has both Linares and Nuble
on the east, and Concepción south. The valleys of the Coast Cordillera,
which are fertile, afford opportunity for increased agriculture, but
unwise deforestation has been injurious.
=Nuble=, again an Andean Province, between Argentina and Maule, is
south of Linares and north of Concepción. Easy passes lead into
Argentina, forests are extensive, and vines and cereals are grown on a
large scale.
=Concepción=, south of Maule and Nuble, extends from the Pacific to
Argentina. Mountainous at the east, it is rather arid in the centre,
but extremely fertile near the coast. The fine crops include grapes and
excellent wine. Large forests and extensive coal deposits are a source
of wealth.
=Arauco= and Bio-Bio are on the south; Arauco along the coast, with
important agriculture and large herds of cattle, has also extensive
forests and mineral deposits, coal mines actively worked, and gold,
both alluvial and quartz.
=Bio-Bio= at the east is mountainous and well watered, as is this
region in general. Cereals are largely grown and viticulture is
practised. The cattle industry is important and the forests are
exploited.
=Malleco=, south of Bio-Bio, is peculiar in the fact that it alone
of the Provinces touches neither the Pacific nor Argentina, having a
strip of Bio-Bio and Cautín on the east and Arauco on the west. The
mountainous eastern section is heavily wooded and the fertile central
plain with a mild damp climate is celebrated for its crops of wheat.
=Cautín=, extending all the way across the country, touches three
Provinces on the north, Arauco, Malleco, and Bio-Bio. Here are plains,
mountains, and valleys, with much rainfall and luxuriant vegetation of
forest, grass, and agriculture. Excellent timber and tannin extracts,
fruit and cattle, produce wealth, and coal and gold await exploitation.
=Valdivia=, south of Cautín, also extends across the country. Here are
lower mountains, many passes into Argentina, extensive forests, several
lakes, much rain; but a healthful climate, luxuriant vegetation, with
profitable agriculture, forest products, and cattle breeding.
=Llanquihue= follows, extending south to the Gulf of Ancud and beyond.
The present southern terminus of the Longitudinal Railway is the
capital, Puerto Montt, at the head of the Gulf. This is largely a
forest region, though in the valley of the lakes are fertile lands
suited to grazing and agriculture, both of which industries are
increasingly followed. The climate is rather cool but equable.
=Chiloé=, the last of the Provinces, consists of the large island of
that name covering about 560 square miles, other islands much smaller,
and a long archipelago called Chonos extending to the peninsula of
Taitao. The island, Chiloé, is largely covered with forests which,
strange to say, have a somewhat tropical character, with fine timber,
dense undergrowth, and trailing vines; for the climate, with excessive
rainfall, is extremely mild for the latitude, which corresponds to that
of Massachusetts. Cereals, potatoes, and fruit are grown, and many pigs
are raised; though forestry, and fishing are of greater importance.
=The Territory of Magallanes= extends from the 47th parallel south
including the mainland and islands, with mountains, rivers, forest,
and plains. On the coast the climate is not severe; in the interior
it is more rigorous. Cattle and sheep raising are the most profitable
industries; whaling and forestry are important.