Tocopilla

Coordinates: 22°5′20″S 70°11′45″W / 22.08889°S 70.19583°W / -22.08889; -70.19583
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Tocopilla
City and Commune
Port of Tocopilla
Port of Tocopilla


Coat of arms
Coat of arms
Map of Tocopilla commune in Antofagasta Region
Map of Tocopilla commune in Antofagasta Region
UTC−3 (CLST)
Area code+56 552
ClimateBWh
WebsiteOfficial website (in Spanish)

Tocopilla is a

commune in the Antofagasta Region, in the north of Chile. It is the capital of the province that bears the same name
.

Every year Tocopilla celebrates its anniversary on 29 September with a big show the day before, which includes a parade down in the main street of the city, food and a fireworks display at midnight.

The city is divided into two main parts consisting of the central city and smaller portion known as La Villa Sur (in which the more luxurious houses are located). The two parts are divided by the

thermoelectric power plant and a large saltpeter
processing and shipping plant, with the coastal highway connecting the two portions. The northern portion of Tocopilla is home of the municipal buildings, the central square and many stores and shops. The steep gradient of the city from beach to vertical hillside is covered in houses and apartments crammed together to save space. A large artificial beach called "Covadonga" and a small artificial beach called "Caleta Boy" are the main attractions during summer months and serve as a focus away from the heat of the
Atacama
. On the north side of the city, there is a black sandy beach called "El Panteón".

Tocopilla is the birthplace of artist Alejandro Jodorowsky and footballer Alexis Sánchez.

Toponymy

Tocopilla means "the devil's corner" in the Quechua language.[2][3]

Jodorowsky explains the etymology further in his autobiography The Dance of Reality: "In the Andean language of Quechua, Toco means "double sacred square" and Pilla means "devil." In this case, the devil is not the incarnation of evil but a being of the subterranean dimension who gazes through a window made of both spirit and matter—that is, the body—in order to observe the world and share his knowledge with it. Among the Mapuche, Pillán means "the soul, the human spirit arrived at its final destination."[4]

2007 earthquake

On 14 November 2007, a

magnitude 7.7 earthquake occurred 40 km (25 mi) east-southeast of Tocopilla, followed by aftershocks of magnitude up to 6.8. As a consequence, 1,200 homes were destroyed in Tocopilla, leaving 4,000 of its 27,000 inhabitants homeless. There were two fatalities, and at least 115 were injured.[5][6]

Demographics

According to the 2002 census of the National Statistics Institute, Tocopilla had 23,986 inhabitants (12,050 men and 11,936 women). Of these, 23,352 (97.4%) lived in urban areas and 634 (2.6%) in rural areas. The population fell by 4.0% (999 persons) between the 1992 and 2002 censuses.[1]

Administration

As a commune, Tocopilla 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 2013-2016 alcalde is Fernando San Román Bascuñán (Ind./PRO).

Within the

Ind.
) as part of the 2nd senatorial constituency (Antofagasta Region).

Sport

The city has one association football team called

Tercera B (Chile)
.

Former Arsenal F.C., Manchester United F.C. forward Alexis was also born in Tocopilla and currently competes in Serie A for Udinese

Economy

This city generates electricity for the entire region and is therefore known as "the city of energy". When saltpeter exportation in Chile was at its highest point, Tocopilla was especially significant as an export point. Nowadays, even when the saltpeter is not so profitable, Tocopilla is still home of companies focused on its extraction.

Its position along the coast allows it to have an active fishing activity, that along with the mining activity are the main resources. It is a fishing port, with

power plant. Due to these activities, Tocopilla is a dormitory city
, since many people work outside the city.

Two other important sports are volleyball, with relative success at school and federated level.

In media

The Dance of Reality, a 2013 Chilean-French film by Alejandro Jodorowsky, was filmed in Tocopilla.[7]

The city is mentioned in the Hank Snow and Johnny Cash song "I've Been Everywhere."

References

  1. ^ a b c d "National Statistics Institute" (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 6 January 2019. Retrieved 1 November 2010.
  2. ISBN 978-956-345-727-8
    .
  3. ^ Lowe, Sid (15 August 2014). "Arsenal's Alexis Sánchez: the 'squirrel' who scurried his way to the top". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 14 August 2020.
  4. ISBN 978-1-62055-282-7
    .
  5. ^ Chile rattled by big aftershocks Archived 18 March 2022 at the Wayback Machine, BBC News
  6. ^ "Terremoto en Tocopilla earthquake photos". Archived from the original on 3 February 2008. Retrieved 23 January 2008.
  7. ^ "The Dance of Reality: Cannes Review". The Hollywood Reporter. 19 May 2013. Archived from the original on 19 August 2014. Retrieved 27 January 2016.
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