Taltal is a commune and city in Antofagasta Province, Antofagasta Region. According to the 2012 census, the commune has a population of 11,132 and has an area of .
The commune of Taltal hosts multiple copper mines including Franke mine, Altamira mine and Las Luces; all operated and owned by Grupo Minero Las Cenizas.
Etymology
It has been claimed the etymological origin of the name is the
Mapuche language word
Thalthal, which means “night bird.”
This would make it one of the northernmost Mapuche toponyms in Chile.
History
The history of Taltal begins with the opening of the copper mine "El Cobre" by José Antonio Moreno in 1850 about 20 kilometers north of Taltal. This brought miners and prospectors to the area. In 1855 Moreno expanded his operations to include Taltal.
The discovery of copper in 1858 on nearby Mount Cachiyuyal increased pressure on the port, which had to utilize customs officials from
Copiapo. So Moreno requested official recognition of the port which was granted by decree
[Decreto Supremo Nº 91 signed by Chilean President Manuel Montt Torres.] on 12 July 1858.
However, the real boom began in 1876 with the opening of nitrate mines, in particular potassium nitrate.
On 18 June 1991, following an unusual rainfall event, a series of mudflows devastated part of the city.
Demographics
According to the 2002
census of the National Statistics Institute, Taltal had 11,000 inhabitants (6,182 men and 4,918 women). Of these, 9,564 (86%) lived in
and 1,536 (14%) in
. The population grew by 2.3% (11,148 persons) between the 1992 and 2002 censuses.
Administration
As a commune, Taltal 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 2008-2012 alcalde is Guillermo Hidalgo Ocampo.
Within the electoral divisions of Chile, Taltal is represented in the Chamber of Deputies by Pedro Araya (PRI) and Manuel Rojas (UDI) as part of the 4th electoral district, together with Antofagasta, Mejillones and Sierra Gorda. The commune is represented in the Senate by Jorge Soria (Ind., 2018–2026) and Luz Ebensperger (UDI, 2018–2022) as part of the 2nd senatorial constituency (Antofagasta Region).
Tourism
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Llullaillaco National Park is an area of 268,670 ha protected by the National Forestry Corporation (CONAF). It lies in the Andes at an altitude of between 3,000 and 6,700 meters, and includes the Llullaillaco Volcano (6,739 meters), Cerro de la Pena Mountain (5260 m) and Cerro Aguas Calientes Mountain (5,060 m). The park is home to vicuñas and , with the highest population density of these species in the region. The park is part of the protected area of the Montano Desert that lies in the Cordillera Domeyko the desert steppe and the Andean salt flats.
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Cifuncho bay, located 30 km south of Taltal. With an extensive and beautiful beach of white sand and turquoise water, it is considered one of the five most beautiful beaches in Chile.
[ CIFUNCHO La Belleza Naturalmente Atractiva de Taltal www.taltal.cl retrieved 1 September 2013]
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El Medano canyon, located 90 kilometres north of Taltal, is one of the most important sites to observe in the northern coast of Chile. This paintings are the remains of an extinct culture called the Chango people, who drew their experiences of hunting , and . It is believed that the paintings are between 500 and 1,000 years old.
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Caleta Paposo is 54 km north of Taltal. It was once a mining centre and was inhabited by the pre-Hispanic Chango people. Surrounded by pastures irrigated by moisture coming off the sea, the area has a very rich flora and fauna and was once a border between Chile and Bolivia in the nineteenth century.
Notable sites
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Paranal Observatory, located on Cerro Paranal in the Atacama Desert, 110 km north of the city and administered by the European Southern Observatory. Soon the commune will also be home to the E-ELT (European Extremely Large Telescope) to be located on
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The ESO Hotel at Paranal, featured in the 2008 James Bond film Quantum of Solace. This facility is used by ESO scientists and engineers. It is not a commercial hotel, and the public cannot book rooms.
[ Hotel on Mars]
Architectural heritage
The city of Taltal contains many houses that are registered in the Inventory of Cultural Heritage Properties in Chile. Highlights include the Alhambra Theatre (1921), the Augusto Capdeville Museum (1885), the railroad houses (1886), the Plaza Hotel (1898), houses in the downtown area, the Catholic church (which was completely devastated by a fire in January 2007 but is now rebuilt) and the Protestant church (1896).
Taltal wind farm
The company Enel Green Power has begun the construction of the new Taltal Wind Farm, which will be located in the commune of Taltal,
Chile, approximately 1,500 kilometers north of
Santiago, the
capital.
The project will require a total investment of $190 million US dollars and will produce a total of 99 megawatts (MW). It will have 33 windmills, making it the biggest wind farm in Chile.
Climate
See also
External links
