Morro de Arica is a steep hill located in the

Chile Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in the western part of South America. It is the southernmost country in the world, and the closest to Antarctica, occupying a long and narrow strip of land between the Andes to the east a ...

an city of

Arica Arica ( ; ) is a Communes of Chile, commune and a port city with a population of 222,619 in the Arica Province of northern Chile's Arica y Parinacota Region. It is Chile's northernmost city, being located only south of the border with Peru. The ...

. Its height is 139 metres above sea level. It was the last bulwark of defense for the Peruvian troops who garrisoned the city during the

War of the Pacific The War of the Pacific ( es, link=no, Guerra del Pacífico), also known as the Saltpeter War ( es, link=no, Guerra del salitre) and by multiple other names, was a war between Chile and a Bolivian–Peruvian alliance from 1879 to 1884. Fought ...

(1879–1883). Morro de Arica was assaulted and captured on June 7, 1880, by Chilean troops in the last part of the

Tacna Tacna was known for its mining industry; it had significant deposits of sodium nitrate and other resources. Its economic prosperity attracted a wave of immigrants from Italy. Today, their Italian Peruvian descendants live in the city and many of t ...

and Arica campaign. Morro de Arica rises steeply from the city and the sea, with a more gentle slope towards the east. A giant

flag of Chile A flag is a piece of fabric (most often rectangular or quadrilateral) with a distinctive design and colours. It is used as a symbol, a signalling device, or for decoration. The term ''flag'' is also used to refer to the graphic design employ ...

is flown on its summit. Morro de Arica was declared a

national monument A national monument is a monument constructed in order to commemorate something of importance to national heritage, such as a country's founding, independence, war, or the life and death of a historical figure. The term may also refer to a spec ...

on October 6, 1971.

References

Landforms of Arica y Parinacota Region Cliffs of Chile National Monuments of Chile Arica Battlefields Coasts of Arica y Parinacota Region {{AricaParinacota-geo-stub