VALPARAISO. The capital of the Province of Valparaiso. Chile, and the chief seaport of the republic, situated on a bay of the Pacific GS miles (116 miles by rail) west-northwest of Santiago, with which it is connected by rail (Map: Chile, C 10). The older and business portion of the city extends along the shore of the bay, while on the slope of the surrounding hills are the finer residence suburbs. Villa del Mar, a few miles to the east, is a noted suburb and seaside resort. Valparaiso enjoys a mild and equable climate, tile average temperature being 58° F., the average for January 63°. and for July 53°. The average annual rainfall is about 13.5 inches. The town has some well-constructed streets and a square with many monnments. The more im portant monuments include statues of Columbus, William Wheelwright, who built the first railway in South America. Thomas Cochrane (tenth Earl of Dundonald), who organized the Chilean navy, and a fine monument to the navy, surmounted by a statue of Admiral Prat. The port is strongly fortified and the Government maintains here a large naval arsenal. The chief manufactures are
cotton goods, machinery, and ironwork; other interests are the manufacture of tobacco, the bottling of mineral water, sugar refining, brew ing, and distilling. The harbor is very accessible and has a complete system of docks, warehouses, and shipyards. Valparaiso exports grain, wool, leather, guano, saltpetre, and copper. In 1898 it had more than 63 per cent. of the Chilean import trade, but less than 17 per cent. of the export. The imports at Valparaiso in 1900 amounted to 79,110,000 pesos (paper) and the exports 12,793, 000 pesos (paper). In 1900, 1027 ships, of 1.386, 884 tons, entered the port. Population, in 1820, 6000; in 1895, 122.447; in 1900, 135,674, of whom some 12,000 were foreigners. Valparaiso has been the port for Santiago since 1544. It was visited by a terrible earthquake in 1855 and bombarded by a Spanish fleet in 1S66. During the civil war of 1891 it was taken and partly sacked by the Congressional troops.