Tacna is a city in southern
Peru
, image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg
, image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg
, other_symbol = Great Seal of the State
, other_symbol_type = Seal (emblem), National seal
, national_motto = "Fi ...
and the regional capital of the
Tacna Region
Tacna (; Aymara & Quechua: Taqna) is the southernmost department and region in Peru. The Chilean Army occupied the present-day Tacna Department during the War of the Pacific from 1885 to 1929 when it was reincorporated into Peruvian soil.
Geogr ...
. A very commercially active city, it is located only north of the border with
Arica y Parinacota Region
The Arica y Parinacota Region ( es, link=no, Región de Arica y Parinacota ) is one of Chile's 16 first order administrative divisions. It comprises two provinces, Arica and Parinacota. It borders Peru's Department of Tacna to the north, Boliv ...
from
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 ...
, inland from the
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean (or, depending on definition, to Antarctica) in the south, and is bounded by the continen ...
and in the valley of the
Caplina River
The Caplina River (''Rio Caplina'') is a river in southern Peru. It runs through the city Tacna, after which it gets dry due to filtration, evaporation
Evaporation is a type of vaporization that occurs on the surface of a liquid as ...
. It is Peru's tenth most populous city.
Initially called San Pedro de Tacna, it has gained a reputation for patriotism, with many monuments and streets named after heroes of Peru's struggle for independence (1821–1824) and 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). Residents of Tacna are known in
Spanish
Spanish might refer to:
* Items from or related to Spain:
**Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain
**Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries
**Spanish cuisine
Other places
* Spanish, Ontario, Can ...
as '.
History
Francisco Antonio De Zela
Francisco Antonio de Zela y Arizaga (born July 24, 1768 in Lima - died July 18, 1819 in Panama City) is notable for sending forth the first libertarian outcry in the Peruvian city of Tacna on June 20, 1811 in an attempt to start the independence ...
, a royal accountant (similar in function to a modern-day income tax auditor), initiated the push for Peruvian Independence from
Spain
, image_flag = Bandera de España.svg
, image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg
, national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond")
, national_anthem = (English: "Royal March")
, i ...
in 1811 in Tacna, leading to a series of commemorative actions for the city, culminating in the 1828 declaration of Tacna as the "Heroic City" (') by President
José de La Mar
José is a predominantly Spanish and Portuguese form of the given name Joseph. While spelled alike, this name is pronounced differently in each language: Spanish ; Portuguese (or ).
In French, the name ''José'', pronounced , is an old vernacul ...
.
It was the capital of the short-lived
Peru-Bolivian Confederation (1836–1839).
(1811)
Protectorate of Peru
The Protectorate of Peru ( es, Protectorado del Perú, italic=yes), also known as the Protectorate of San Martín ( es, Protectorado de San Martín, italic=yes) was a protectorate created in 1821 in present-day Peru after its declaration of in ...
(1821–1822)
Peru
, image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg
, image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg
, other_symbol = Great Seal of the State
, other_symbol_type = Seal (emblem), National seal
, national_motto = "Fi ...
(1822–1836)
(1836–1839;
capital)
Peru
, image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg
, image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg
, other_symbol = Great Seal of the State
, other_symbol_type = Seal (emblem), National seal
, national_motto = "Fi ...
(1839–1841)
(1841;
occupation
Occupation commonly refers to:
*Occupation (human activity), or job, one's role in society, often a regular activity performed for payment
*Occupation (protest), political demonstration by holding public or symbolic spaces
*Military occupation, th ...
)
Peru
, image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg
, image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg
, other_symbol = Great Seal of the State
, other_symbol_type = Seal (emblem), National seal
, national_motto = "Fi ...
(1841–1880)
(1880–1929;
occupation
Occupation commonly refers to:
*Occupation (human activity), or job, one's role in society, often a regular activity performed for payment
*Occupation (protest), political demonstration by holding public or symbolic spaces
*Military occupation, th ...
)
(1929–present)
Tacna was known for its mining industry; it had significant deposits of
sodium nitrate
Sodium nitrate is the chemical compound with the formula . This alkali metal nitrate salt is also known as Chile saltpeter (large deposits of which were historically mined in Chile) to distinguish it from ordinary saltpeter, potassium nitrate. T ...
and other resources.
Its economic prosperity attracted a wave of immigrants from
Italy
Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...
. Today, their
Italian Peruvian
An Italian Peruvian is a Peruvian citizen of Italian people, Italian descent. The term may also refer to someone who has immigrated to Peru from Italy. Among Peruvians of European descent, European Peruvians, Italians were the second largest grou ...
descendants live in the city and many of them still have Italian surnames. This era of successful commerce and agriculture ended drastically with the start of 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 ...
. Hosting a large Peru-Bolivian army under poor sanitary conditions the city lost a substantial part of its population to
infectious disease
An infection is the invasion of tissues by pathogens, their multiplication, and the reaction of host tissues to the infectious agent and the toxins they produce. An infectious disease, also known as a transmissible disease or communicable dise ...
s before its capture by Chile in May 1880 following a
defeat of the allied army in the outskirts of the city by a Chilean force under General
Manuel Baquedano
Manuel Jesús Baquedano González (; January 1, 1823 – September 30, 1897) was a Chilean soldier and politician, who served as Commander-in-chief of the Army during the War of the Pacific, and briefly as President of Chile during the civil war ...
.
Occupation by Chile
During the war, the cities of Tacna and
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 ...
were occupied by the
Chilean Army
The Chilean Army ( es, Ejército de Chile) is the land arm of the Military of Chile. This 80,000-person army (9,200 of which are conscripts) is organized into six divisions, a special operations brigade and an air brigade.
In recent years, and a ...
, with Tacna being incorporated as a
commune
A commune is an alternative term for an intentional community. Commune or comună or comune or other derivations may also refer to:
Administrative-territorial entities
* Commune (administrative division), a municipality or township
** Communes of ...
with a
province of the same name. A peace agreement, the
Treaty of Ancón
The Treaty of Ancón was a peace treaty signed by Chile and Peru on 20 October 1883, in Ancón District, Ancón, near Lima. It was intended to settle the two nations' remaining territorial differences at the conclusion of their involvement in the ...
, was signed in
1883
Events
January–March
* January 4 – ''Life'' magazine is founded in Los Angeles, California, United States.
* January 10 – A fire at the Newhall Hotel in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States, kills 73 people.
* Ja ...
. Under the terms of the treaty, Chile was to occupy the provinces of Tacna and Arica for ten years, taking control of the valuable mineral deposits, after which a plebiscite was to be held to determine the region's sovereignty. But when the ten years had elapsed, the two sides could not agree whether to include a large number of imported Chilean laborers in the vote.
Tacna remained under Chilean control for 50 years, Chilean groups and authorities lead a
campaign of Chilenization in an attempt to persuade the local population to abandon their Peruvian past and accept Chilean nationality.
However, Peruvian
nationalists
Nationalism is an idea and movement that holds that the nation should be congruent with the state. As a movement, nationalism tends to promote the interests of a particular nation (as in a group of people), Smith, Anthony. ''Nationalism: The ...
ensured that the Chilean propaganda failed and the planned plebiscite was never held. Finally, in 1929, the
Treaty of Lima was signed in which Chile kept Arica, whilst Peru
reacquired Tacna and received a $6 million indemnity and other concessions.
Some of the important persons who lived in Tacna during the Chilean administration were
Salvador Allende
Salvador Guillermo Allende Gossens (, , ; 26 June 1908 – 11 September 1973) was a Chilean physician and socialist politician who served as the 28th president of Chile from 3 November 1970 until his death on 11 September 1973. He was the fir ...
and his
family
Family (from la, familia) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its ...
, who lived eight years in the city. Salvador had lived in Tacna since he was a baby; he arrived in 1908 and he studied in the Tacna School (Liceo de Tacna).
Today, Tacna is a mostly commercial city with many migrants from the
Puno Region
Puno () is a department and region in southeastern Peru. It is the fifth largest department in Peru, after Cuzco, Madre de Dios, Ucayali, and Loreto. It is bordered by Bolivia on the east, the departments of Madre de Dios on the north, Cusco ...
living there. Its economy is based on mercantile activities with the north of Chile (Arica and
Iquique
Iquique () is a port city and commune in northern Chile, capital of both the Iquique Province and Tarapacá Region. It lies on the Pacific coast, west of the Pampa del Tamarugal, which is part of the Atacama Desert. It has a population of 191,468 ...
). Since it is part of a
duty-free
A duty-free shop (or store) is a retail outlet whose goods are exempt from the payment of certain local or national taxes and duties, on the requirement that the goods sold will be sold to travelers who will take them out of the country, w ...
zone, Tacna has come to rival
Arequipa
Arequipa (; Aymara and qu, Ariqipa) is a city and capital of province and the eponymous department of Peru. It is the seat of the Constitutional Court of Peru and often dubbed the "legal capital of Peru". It is the second most populated city ...
as southern Peru's main business area. The city has one of the largest artifact markets in the world with imports from
Japan
Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...
and
China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...
, and traditional Peruvian handicrafts.
Geography
The area is generally desert, with a few fertile spots near the mountains. No rivers cross the entire province.
Climate
Tacna has a
desert climate
The desert climate or arid climate (in the Köppen climate classification ''BWh'' and ''BWk''), is a dry climate sub-type in which there is a severe excess of evaporation over precipitation. The typically bald, rocky, or sandy surfaces in desert ...
(''BWk'', according to the
Köppen climate classification
The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, notabl ...
).
Transport
Rail
Tacna was served by a cross-border
Tacna-Arica Railway to
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 ...
,
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 ...
. The line closed in 2012, but as of June 2014, there were plans to reopen it.
It is also the location of the
National Railway Museum of Peru.
Southern Peru Railroads
/ref>
Air
Tacna is served by the Crnl. FAP. Carlos Ciriani Santa Rosa International Airport, with flights to Arequipa
Arequipa (; Aymara and qu, Ariqipa) is a city and capital of province and the eponymous department of Peru. It is the seat of the Constitutional Court of Peru and often dubbed the "legal capital of Peru". It is the second most populated city ...
and Lima
Lima ( ; ), originally founded as Ciudad de Los Reyes (City of The Kings) is the capital and the largest city of Peru. It is located in the valleys of the Chillón River, Chillón, Rímac River, Rímac and Lurín Rivers, in the desert zone of t ...
.
Road
Tacna is also served by Peru Highway 1
Peru Highway 1, most widely known as Carretera Panamericana, is the most important highway in Peru.
This road is the Peruvian portion of the Pan-American Highway. It runs north–south through the whole length of the country and connects all maj ...
which heads south to 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 ...
and north to Moquegua
Moquegua (, founded by the Spanish colonists as Villa de Santa Catalina de Guadalcázar del Valle de Moquegua) is a city in southern Peru, located in the Department of Moquegua, of which it is the capital. It is also capital of Mariscal Nieto Pr ...
.
Tourist attractions
Many monuments are located in this city, including the arch of the Alto de la Alianza
The Alto de la Alianza Monumental Complex ( es, Complejo Monumental Alto de la Alianza) is a historical monument and landmark complex in the south of Peru, near the city of Tacna.
The monument is located in the site of the Battle of Tacna, a ba ...
and the Tacna Parabolic Arch.
Other monuments include a neo-renaissance
The Renaissance ( , ) , from , with the same meanings. is a period in European history marking the transition from the Middle Ages to modernity and covering the 15th and 16th centuries, characterized by an effort to revive and surpass ideas ...
Cathedral
A cathedral is a church that contains the '' cathedra'' () of a bishop, thus serving as the central church of a diocese, conference, or episcopate. Churches with the function of "cathedral" are usually specific to those Christian denomination ...
, the Courthouse, the Alameda Bolognesi Walkway and the caves of Toquepala, where archaeologists
Archaeology or archeology is the scientific study of human activity through the recovery and analysis of material culture. The archaeological record consists of artifacts, architecture, biofacts or ecofacts, sites, and cultural landscap ...
have found some of the oldest human remains in Peru.
Festivities
The most important festivity in the city is the ''Semana de Tacna'' ("Tacna Week"), which runs from August 25–30.
On August 28, a large Peruvian flag
The flag of Peru was adopted by the government of Peru in 1824, and modified in 1950. According to the article 49 of the Constitution of Peru, it is a vertical triband with red outer bands and a single white middle band. Depending on its use, ...
is shown throughout the city during the ', which celebrates the anniversary of the reincorporation of Tacna into Peruvian sovereignty and is one of the most important patriotic demonstrations in the whole country. This tradition started in 1901, during the Chilean occupation of Tacna, by a group of ''tacneños'' who defied the prohibition of showing Peruvian flags imposed by the Chilean authorities.
There is an agrarian and industrial fair as part of these celebrations.
In September, the festival of the Señor de Locumba is celebrated, which draws thousands of faithful people from all over the world.
Gallery
File:Tacna Plaza de Armas.jpg, Tacna Armas Square (Plaza de Armas) in San Martin area
File:Tacna plaza de armas.jpg, Arco Parabólico, Pileta and Glorieta de Tacna, located in the Av. San Martín
File:Mercadoviejo.jpg, Coctel Mercado Viejo
See also
* 2001 southern Peru earthquake
* Tacna Departament
* Tacna Province
Tacna is the largest of four provinces in the Department of Tacna in southern Peru located on the border with Chile and Bolivia. Its capital is Tacna.
Geography
The Tacna Province is bounded to the north by the Jorge Basadre Province and the T ...
* Tacna District
Tacna District is one of ten districts of Tacna Province in Peru. Instituto Nacional de Estadística e Informática
The Instituto Nacional de Estadística e Informática (INEI) ("National Institute of Statistics and Informatics") is a semi-aut ...
* Tarata
* Tacna during Chilean administration (1883–1929)
* Diocese of Tacna y Moquegua
References
External links
*
*
{{Authority control
Populated places in the Tacna Region
Populated places established in 1572
Capitals of former nations
Chile–Peru border crossings
Cities in Peru
1572 establishments in the Spanish Empire
Regional capital cities in Peru