Valparaíso, << `vahl` pah rah EE soh or `val` puh RY soh >> (pop. 282,184), is Chile’s principal seaport and one of its largest cities. It lies on a wide inlet of the Pacific Ocean about 70 miles (110 kilometers) northwest of Santiago, Chile’s capital. Valparaíso means Valley of Paradise in Spanish.
Valparaíso is a modern city and an important manufacturing center. Its chief products include cotton goods, liquor, machinery, refined sugar, and tobacco. The National Congress of Chile moved to Valparaíso from Santiago in 1990. The city has many fine public buildings and schools, as well as famous restaurants. An electric railroad joins Valparaíso with Santiago. Another rail line joins the city with the mining region of inland Chile.
Valparaíso has always been the main port linking Santiago to the Pacific Ocean. In the 1800’s, the city expanded as a trade and financial center where British merchants played a major role. In 1906, a severe earthquake destroyed parts of the city.
In 2003, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) added the historic quarter of Valparaíso to the World Heritage List. This list recognizes outstanding cultural and natural sites. A fire in early 2007 damaged part of historic Valparaíso.
