Chiloé Island
Native name: Isla de Chiloé or Isla Grande de Chiloé | |
---|---|
Geography | |
Location | Pacific Ocean |
Coordinates | 42°40′36″S 73°59′36″W / 42.67667°S 73.99333°W |
Archipelago | Chiloé Archipelago |
Area | 8,394 km2 (3,241 sq mi) |
Length | 190 km (118 mi) |
Width | 65 km (40.4 mi) |
Administration | |
Chile | |
Province | Chiloé Province |
Largest settlement | Castro (pop. 39,366) |
Demographics | |
Population | 154,775 (2002) |
Pop. density | 18.44/km2 (47.76/sq mi) |
Chiloé Island (Spanish: Isla de Chiloé, pronounced [tʃiloˈe], locally [ʃiloˈe]) also known as Greater Island of Chiloé (Isla Grande de Chiloé), is the largest island of the Chiloé Archipelago off the west coast of Chile, in the Pacific Ocean. The island is located in southern Chile, in the Los Lagos Region.
Of roughly rectangular shape, the southwestern half of the island is a wilderness of contiguous forests and swamps. Mountains in the island form a belt running from the northwestern to the southeastern corner of the island.
Geographically, the bulk of the island is a continuation of the Chilean Coast Range, with the sea of Chiloé being a submerged portion of the Chilean Central Valley.[1] The climate is cool temperate oceanic with Mediterranean precipitation pattern.
Geography
With an area of 8,394 square kilometres (3,241 sq mi), Chiloé Island is the second largest
Chiloé Island and the Chonos Archipelago are a southern extension of the Chilean coastal range at Chilean Patagonia, which runs north and south, parallel to the Pacific coast and the
Climate
Chiloé runs from 41º47'S to 43º26'S, and has a humid, cool
, is located on the island's southern shore. Both include parts of the coastal range. The eastern shore, in the rain shadow of the interior mountains, is warmer and drier.Alfaguara project
The northwestern of Chiloé Island in
. Nevertheless, this relatively undisturbed area faces different threats, like urban development, habitat degradation, land and marine pollution.The Alfaguara project (blue whale project), conducted by the Cetacean Conservation Center, is based at Puñihuil on the northwest coast. The project combines long-term research, educational and capacity building programs for marine conservation combined with the sustainable development of the local communities.[2] The Islotes de Puñihuil Natural Monument is a group of three islets to the west and north of Puñihuil. The monument is the only known shared breeding site for Humboldt and Magellanic penguins. It is also a breeding area for other species, such as the red-legged cormorant and kelp gull.[3]
History
Chiloé has been described by Renato Cárdenas, historian at the
Chiloé's history began with the arrival of its first human inhabitants more than 7,000 years ago.[5] Spread along the coast of Chiloé are a number of middens - ancient dumps for domestic waste, containing mollusc shells, stone tools and bonfire remains. All of these remains indicate the presence of nomadic groups dedicated to the collection of marine creatures (clams, mussels and Choromytilus chorus, among others) and to hunting and fishing.[6]
When the Spanish conquistadores arrived on Chiloé Island in the 16th century, the island was inhabited by the Chono, Huilliche and Cunco peoples. The original peoples navigated the treacherous waters of the Chiloé Archipelago in boats called dalcas with skill that impressed the Spaniards.[7]
The first Spaniard to sight the coast of Chiloé was the explorer Alonso de Camargo in 1540, as he was travelling to Peru.[8] However, in an expedition ordered by Pedro de Valdivia, captain Francisco de Ulloa reached the Chacao Channel in 1553 and explored the islands forming the archipelago, and is thus considered the first European discoverer of Chiloé.[7] In 1558, Spanish soldier García Hurtado de Mendoza began an expedition which would culminate in the Chiloé archipelago being claimed for the Spanish crown.
The city of Castro was founded in 1567.[9] The island was originally called New
Chiloé only became part of the Chilean republic in 1826, eight years after independence and following the two failed campaigns for independence in 1820 and 1824.[12] From 1843, a large number of Chilotes (as inhabitants of the island are called) migrated to Patagonia in search of work, mainly in Punta Arenas, but as living and working conditions in Chiloé improved in the following century this migration began gradually to decrease.[13]
In the 19th century, Chiloé was a center for foreign whalers, particularly French whalers. From the middle of the 19th century and until the beginning of the 20th century, Chiloé was the main producer of railroad ties for the whole continent.[14] From this point on, new towns dedicated to this industry were formed, including Quellón, Dalcahue, Chonchi and Quemchi were established. From 1895, lands were given to European settlers and also to large manufacturing industries.
With the rise of farming, inland areas of Chiloé Island began to be occupied; previously only the coastline had been inhabited. With the construction of the railroad between
On December 10, 2021, a wildfire spread across Chiloe, including the city of Castro, burning houses, churches and schools, and causing many residents to evacuate.[16]
Access
In late 2012, LAN Airlines became the first airline to offer flights to Chiloé Island, inaugurating a regular service between
A project to build a bridge from Chiloé Island to the mainland of Chile was initially proposed in 1972 and was eventually launched under the government of Ricardo Lagos (2000-2006) who launched the project as part of works to celebrate the Bicentennial of Chile. In 2006, however, the Chacao Channel bridge project was cancelled by the Ministry of Public Works after concerns about its total cost, which was estimated to be higher than the initial budget for the project. In May 2012, President Sebastián Piñera again revived the project, announcing an international bidding process would be opened to present the best solution for the construction of the bridge, with a US$740 million investment limit.[19][20]
See also
- 1712 Huilliche rebellion
- Chacao Channel bridge
- Chiloé Archipelago
- Churches of Chiloé
- Ecotourism in the Valdivian Temperate Rainforest
References
- ^ Börger Olivares, Reinaldo (1983). Geografía de Chile (in Spanish). Vol. Tomo II: Geomorfología. Instituto Geográfico Militar.
- Rufford Small Grants Foundation. January 2008. Archived from the original(PDF) on 2012-02-18. Retrieved 2012-04-01.
- JSTOR 1521654.
- ^ a b Larry Rohter. For some on island, a planned project is a bridge too near. NY Times. August 3, 2006. Retrieved 19 January 2013.
- ISSN 0717-7356
- ISSN 0717-7356.
- ^ a b Breve Historia de Chiloé. Mav.cl (Museo de Arte Visual: Visual Arts Museum). Retrieved 14 January 2013.
- ^ a b Ramón Gutiérrez. Las misiones circulares de los jesuitas en Chiloé. Apuntes para una historia singular de la evangelización. Apuntes Vol.20, No.1: 50-61.
- ^ a b Rodrigo A. Moreno J. Chiloé Archipelago and the Jesuits: The geographic environment of the mission in the XVII and XVIII centuries. ISSN 0718-2244. in Spanish. MAGALLANIA (Chile), 2011. Vol. 39(2):47-55.
- ^ Isla Chiloé: History. Trip Advisor. Retrieved 19 January 2013.
- ^ World Heritage Committee Inscribes 61 New Sites on World Heritage List. whc.unesco.org. November 30, 2000. Retrieved 6 January 2013.
- ^ Diego Barros Arana. Las campañas de Chiloé (1820-1826). 1856. Documento Justificativo Nº 14. Memoria histórica presentada a la Universidad de Chile en la sesión solemne de 7 de diciembre de 1856. Santiago de Chile
- ^ El influjo de los chilotes en la Patagonia Archived 2013-10-03 at the Wayback Machine. Santiago de Chile: Anaquel Austral (7 de octubre de 2010). Retrieved 14 January 2013.
- ^ Roberto Maldonado C. Estudios geográficos é hidrográficos sobre Chiloé. Departamento de Navegación e Hidrografía, Chile. 1897. Establecimiento Poligráfico "Roma". Santiago de Chile. P.379
- ^ Danilo Vega. Tras el tren Chilote: Los Cazadores del Camahueto. El Repuertero. 27 October 2009. Retrieved 19 January 2013
- ^ Incendio forestal consume casas en Castro, Chiloé. YouTube. Archived from the original on 2021-12-11.
- ^ Aerolínea Lan realiza primer vuelo hacia la isla de Chiloé Archived 2016-03-04 at the Wayback Machine. La Tercera. 6 November 2012. Retrieved 19 January 2013.
- ^ "Inío, la localidad más apartada de la Región de Los Lagos, ya cuenta con aeródromo, Plataforma Urbana". www.plataformaurbana.cl. Retrieved 2021-08-20.
- ^ "Anuncio de bono de alimentación y puente en Chiloé destacan en cuenta pública de Piñera". Emol.com. Retrieved 2012-05-23.
- ^ "Licitación por puente Chacao será por US$ 740 millones" (PDF) (in Spanish). La Tercera. 2012-05-22. p. 10. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-02-16. Retrieved 2012-05-23.
External links
Chiloe Island travel guide from Wikivoyage