Chimbote ; qu, Chimputi) is the largest city in the

Ancash Region Ancash ( qu, Anqash; es, Áncash ) is a department and region in northern Peru. It is bordered by the departments of La Libertad on the north, Huánuco and Pasco on the east, Lima on the south, and the Pacific Ocean on the west. Its capital is ...

Peru , image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg , image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg , other_symbol = Great Seal of the State , other_symbol_type = National seal , national_motto = "Firm and Happy f ...

, and the capital of both Santa Province and Chimbote District. The city is located on the coast in Ferrol Bay, 130 km south of Trujillo and north of

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, Rímac and Lurín Rivers, in the desert zone of the central coastal part of ...

on the North Pan-American highway. It is the start of a chain of important cities on the

Peru , image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg , image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg , other_symbol = Great Seal of the State , other_symbol_type = National seal , national_motto = "Firm and Happy f ...

vian north coast like Trujillo, Chiclayo and

Piura Piura is a city in northwestern Peru located in the Sechura Desert on the Piura River. It is the capital of the Piura Region and the Piura Province. Its population was 484,475 as of 2017. It was here that Spanish Conqueror Francisco Pizarro ...

. The advantages of this geographic location made Chimbote into a transshipment junction for the Santa River

valley A valley is an elongated low area often running between hills or mountains, which will typically contain a river or stream running from one end to the other. Most valleys are formed by erosion of the land surface by rivers or streams ove ...

History

In 1835, when General Santa Cruz granted Chimbote's first official acknowledgement, Chimbote was a village of fishermen with a population of no more than 800. In 1871, an agreement was made with Henry Meiggs to build a

railroad Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport that transfers passengers and goods on wheeled vehicles running on rails, which are incorporated in tracks. In contrast to road transport, where the vehicles run on a prep ...

towards the interior of the country. Chimbote was classified as a

port A port is a maritime facility comprising one or more wharves or loading areas, where ships load and discharge cargo and passengers. Although usually situated on a sea coast or estuary, ports can also be found far inland, such as H ...

, even though its population remained around 1,000. The opening of the

Pan-American Highway The Pan-American Highway (french: (Auto)route panaméricaine/transaméricaine; pt, Rodovia/Auto-estrada Pan-americana; es, Autopista/Carretera/Ruta Panamericana) is a network of roads stretching across the Americas and measuring about in to ...

created easy access to Lima in the 1930s. In 1881, there was an attempt to cede a naval base to the U.S. in Chimbote Bay by Peru. The deal was blocked by Chile who sent its marines to occupy Chimbote after learning of the deal to cede a naval base to the U.S. Navy. In 1940, Chimbote was still a small fishing port, with only 2,400 inhabitants in an urbanized area of . In 1943, the government created the Corporación Peruana del Santa (Peruvian Corporation of Santa). This entity assumed ownership of the

, made improvements to the

, and began work on a hydroelectric power station on the Río Santa (in the Cañón del Pato uck Canyon/nowiki> in Huallanca). The first stage of the power station was inaugurated in 1958; also that year, an iron and steel plant was built.The iron and steel plant is currently known as Empresa Siderúrgica del Perú S.A.A. By 1943, the first companies dedicated to the extraction of liver from the Pacific bonito fish arrived. This liver was sold for a high price abroad due to World War II.

Geography

Climate

Chimbote's climate is comfortable, despite being located in the tropics and in a desert. Although classified as subtropical, Chimbote's proximity to the cool

Humboldt current The Humboldt Current, also called the Peru Current, is a cold, low-salinity ocean current that flows north along the western coast of South America.Montecino, Vivian, and Carina B. Lange. "The Humboldt Current System: Ecosystem components and pro ...

leads to temperatures much cooler than those expected for a tropical desert, and is classified as 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 deser ...

. On average, the warmest month is February with temperatures a little over . September is considered the average coolest month, at around . The annual average temperature is around 20 °C (68 °F). The city gets little to no precipitation; however, thick fog predominates through the months of May to November, usually overnight. Rainfall usually comes in February.

Population

A large number of people migrated to Chimbote in the early 1970s. By that time, less than 5 percent of the people from Chimbote would truly consider themselves native; between 1960 and 1970, Chimbote's population multiplied by more than a hundred times. In 1900, the population of the port was 1,400; after 1970, it was 170,000. As of 2005, its population was 324,398. The influx of residents was closely bound to the creation of the Corporación Peruana del Santa, to the start and development of the

fishing Fishing is the activity of trying to catch fish. Fish are often caught as wildlife from the natural environment, but may also be caught from fish stocking, stocked bodies of water such as fish pond, ponds, canals, park wetlands and reservoirs. ...

industry, and to the establishment of the iron and steel plant (" Siderperu"). Together, these multiplied the commercial and productive activities of the port. At the beginning of 1996, as

Peru , image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg , image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg , other_symbol = Great Seal of the State , other_symbol_type = National seal , national_motto = "Firm and Happy f ...

vian public companies were privatized, the Peruvian-Brazilian company Acerco bought Siderperu.

Districts and neighborhoods

The city of Chimbote, being a district itself, comprises 7 more districts: Santa, Coishco, Samanco, Nepeña, Macate, Moro, Cáceres del Perú, and Nuevo Chimbote. The neighborhoods of El Barrio de Acero, Barrio Bolivar, El Progreso, Laderas del norte alto and laderas del norte bajo, Miraflores Alto and Miraflores Bajo surround Chimbote.

Economy

During the 1970s, the El Niño climate pattern, an

earthquake An earthquake (also known as a quake, tremor or temblor) is the shaking of the surface of the Earth resulting from a sudden release of energy in the Earth's lithosphere that creates seismic waves. Earthquakes can range in intensity, fr ...

, and overfishing drastically affected the fishing industry, and restrictions were imposed to ensure its survival. More than 75 percent of Peru's fishing industry is based in Chimbote. Chimbote is the largest fishing port in the world. Chimbote has more than 30 fish factories. Chimbote's active

commerce Commerce is the large-scale organized system of activities, functions, procedures and institutions directly and indirectly related to the exchange (buying and selling) of goods and services among two or more parties within local, regional, natio ...

and its diversified industrial development are characteristic of the city. Its population includes workers who have experience in

, naval,

canning Canning is a method of food preservation in which food is processed and sealed in an airtight container ( jars like Mason jars, and steel and tin cans). Canning provides a shelf life that typically ranges from one to five years, althoug ...

, and the iron-and-steel industry with the company SIDERPERU. Chimbote also has beaches that support tourism.

Peruvian anchoveta "boom"

Shortly after the fish canning industry declined, the industrialization of anchoveta fishing peaked. This attracted people from all over Peru, due to the high wages paid in the fishing industry at the time, fueling Chimbote's suburban growth. The strong migratory wave toward the city increased because of the serious crisis of the countryside in the 1960s, particularly in Ancash,

Cajamarca Cajamarca (), also known by the Quechua name, ''Kashamarka'', is the capital and largest city of the Cajamarca Region as well as an important cultural and commercial center in the northern Andes. It is located in the northern highlands of Peru ...

and the northern part of

La Libertad Region La Libertad (; in English: ''The Liberty'') is a region in northwestern Peru. Formerly it was known as the Department of La Libertad ('). It is bordered by the Lambayeque, Cajamarca and Amazonas regions on the north, the San Martín Region on t ...

. The axis of development moved from the Pima cotton,

sugarcane Sugarcane or sugar cane is a species of (often hybrid) tall, perennial grass (in the genus '' Saccharum'', tribe Andropogoneae) that is used for sugar production. The plants are 2–6 m (6–20 ft) tall with stout, jointed, fibrous stalk ...

, and

rice Rice is the seed of the grass species '' Oryza sativa'' (Asian rice) or less commonly ''Oryza glaberrima'' (African rice). The name wild rice is usually used for species of the genera '' Zizania'' and '' Porteresia'', both wild and domesticat ...

plantations to the large city. In addition, Chimbote was a natural exit channel for the exports of the Santa valley, and a starting point for the entry to the Callejón de Huaylas. The Peruvian anchoveta

boom Boom may refer to: Objects * Boom (containment), a temporary floating barrier used to contain an oil spill * Boom (navigational barrier), an obstacle used to control or block marine navigation * Boom (sailing), a sailboat part * Boom (windsurfin ...

created wealth in the city, but it soon ended due to indiscriminate

that overwhelmed the

bio-mass Biomass is plant-based material used as a fuel for heat or electricity production. It can be in the form of wood, wood residues, energy crops, agricultural residues, and waste from industry, farms, and households. Some people use the terms bi ...

. An

in 1970 damaged to the facilities of the fishing industries, causing

unemployment Unemployment, according to the OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development), is people above a specified age (usually 15) not being in paid employment or self-employment but currently available for work during the refe ...

and impoverishment. During this period, the Diocese of Chimbote created the Social Welfare Commission, to organize diverse popular dining places in conjunction with

UNICEF UNICEF (), originally called the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund in full, now officially United Nations Children's Fund, is an agency of the United Nations responsible for providing humanitarian and developmental aid to c ...

. Since the 1960s, the Roman Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh has served the poor at the Chimbote Mission, raising funds through the Chimbote Foundation.

Tourism

Chimbote is surrounded by two natural bays, the Bay of Chimbote (or Ferrol) and the Bay of Samanco, both with excellent harbor conditions. Chimbote forms a

conurbation A conurbation is a region comprising a number of metropolises, cities, large towns, and other urban areas which through population growth and physical expansion, have merged to form one continuous urban or industrially developed area. In most cas ...

with Nuevo Chimbote District to the south. Between these districts, the Humedales de Villa María, a

swamp A swamp is a forested wetland.Keddy, P.A. 2010. Wetland Ecology: Principles and Conservation (2nd edition). Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK. 497 p. Swamps are considered to be transition zones because both land and water play a role in ...

, is home to a local species of

heron The herons are long-legged, long-necked, freshwater and coastal birds in the family Ardeidae, with 72 recognised species, some of which are referred to as egrets or bitterns rather than herons. Members of the genera ''Botaurus'' and ''Ixobrychu ...

, along with many species of

frog A frog is any member of a diverse and largely Carnivore, carnivorous group of short-bodied, tailless amphibians composing the order (biology), order Anura (ανοὐρά, literally ''without tail'' in Ancient Greek). The oldest fossil "proto-f ...

s and fish. The swamp is formed by the Lacramarca River. To the south of the city, there are many beaches, such as Vesique, Los Chimús, Tortugas, Caleta Colorada and

el Dorado El Dorado (, ; Spanish for "the golden"), originally ''El Hombre Dorado'' ("The Golden Man") or ''El Rey Dorado'' ("The Golden King"), was the term used by the Spanish in the 16th century to describe a mythical tribal chief (''zipa'') or king ...

. Also located near Chimbote is the Isla Blanca (''white isle'', in English), which takes its name from the white color of the ground. Isla Blanca measures approximately in length and in width, and reaches above sea level. Located next to the city is the Cerro de la Juventud (Mountain of Youth), also called Cerro de la Paz (Mountain of Peace). Since 1985, this tourist attraction attracts hundreds annually. Visitors appreciate a panoramic view of Chimbote's bay from the top of this mountain. Tourists can also visit Isla Blanca Boulevard, which has many beautiful marble sculptures and fountains. Cruz Por La Paz - Cross at the top of Cerro de la Juventud aka Cerro de la Paz

Cruz Por La Paz - Cross at the top of Cerro de la Juventud aka Cerro de la Paz

From Chimbote, some short tourist circuits can be taken: * Chimbote -

Casma Casma is a city in the coastal desert of Peru, located northwest of Lima. It is the capital of Casma Province and the third most populous city in the Ancash Region with an estimated population of 29,343 (2015). It is located in the lower Casma ...

- Sechín - Yaután * Chimbote - Nepeña - San Jacinto - Moro - Jimbe * Chimbote - Santa - Huallanca The city is known for its '' ceviche'', a popular Peruvian dish whose ingredients include white fish,

octopus An octopus ( : octopuses or octopodes, see below for variants) is a soft-bodied, eight- limbed mollusc of the order Octopoda (, ). The order consists of some 300 species and is grouped within the class Cephalopoda with squids, cuttlefish, ...

seashell A seashell or sea shell, also known simply as a shell, is a hard, protective outer layer usually created by an animal or organism that lives in the sea. The shell is part of the body of the animal. Empty seashells are often found washe ...

squid True squid are molluscs with an elongated soft body, large eyes, eight arms, and two tentacles in the superorder Decapodiformes, though many other molluscs within the broader Neocoleoidea are also called squid despite not strictly fittin ...

crab Crabs are decapod crustaceans of the infraorder Brachyura, which typically have a very short projecting "tail" (abdomen) ( el, βραχύς , translit=brachys = short, / = tail), usually hidden entirely under the thorax. They live in all th ...

, and red hot pepper. Panoramica chimbote desde Cerro de la Paz

Festivals

Chimbote has two important celebrations during the year: Holy Week and The Festivity of ''San Pedrito of Chimbote'' (also called ''Chimbote's Civic Anniversary''). * Patronal feast of San Pedrito, this festival has its origins in the 16th century with the first fishermen who populated Chimbote coming from

Huanchaco Huanchaco is a popular seaside resort city in province of Trujillo, Peru. Huanchaco is known for its surf breaks, its caballitos de totora and its ceviche, and is near the ancient ruins of Chan Chan. Huanchaco was approved as a World Surfing ...

. It is held from 23 to 30 June in devotion to the patron saint of fishermen San Pedro. The central feast day is on 29 June, the image of the saint is taken out in procession and It is paraded through the bay by boat.

Education

The Academia Preuniversitaria "Perpetuo Socorro" and the Catholic University Los Angeles of Chimbote are located in Chimbote.

Transportation

The Chimbote- Huallanca rail line, built in 1922, serves as a

railway Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport that transfers passengers and goods on wheeled vehicles running on rails, which are incorporated in tracks. In contrast to road transport, where the vehicles run on a p ...

for

coal Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock, formed as rock strata called coal seams. Coal is mostly carbon with variable amounts of other elements, chiefly hydrogen, sulfur, oxygen, and nitrogen. Coal is formed when ...

and

iron Iron () is a chemical element with symbol Fe (from la, ferrum) and atomic number 26. It is a metal that belongs to the first transition series and group 8 of the periodic table. It is, by mass, the most common element on Earth, right in ...

mines on the interior and a railway for the river valley by transporting

cotton Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective case, around the seeds of the cotton plants of the genus '' Gossypium'' in the mallow family Malvaceae. The fiber is almost pure cellulose, and can contain minor pe ...

, and

banana A banana is an elongated, edible fruit – botanically a berry – produced by several kinds of large herbaceous flowering plants in the genus ''Musa''. In some countries, bananas used for cooking may be called "plantains", disting ...

Bus terminal

El Chimbador Bus Terminal is Chimbote's primary ground transportation facility. The bus terminal is located outside of the city. It has become a vital connection for the region's workers, travelers and visitors, serving nearly 6,000 passengers a day. Currently there are 30 bus carriers offering services for national and international travel.

Port

The port of Chimbote is considered by some one of the most beautiful and safest ports in the Peruvian coast. It extends , from Caleta Colorada Bay (Red Creek Bay) in the north, where the present marine facilities are located, to Anconcillo in the south.

Airport

The city is served by the Teniente FAP Jaime Montreuil Morales Airport, operated by CORPAC S.A. It was created in 1957 under the government of President

Manuel Prado Ugarteche Manuel Carlos Prado y Ugarteche (April 21, 1889 – August 15, 1967) was a banker who served twice as President of Peru. Son of former president Mariano Ignacio Prado, he was born in Lima and served as the nation's 43rd (1939 - 1945) and 46th (1 ...

. There are regular flights to Lima by LC Busre.

Sister cities

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Paraguay Paraguay (; ), officially the Republic of Paraguay ( es, República del Paraguay, links=no; gn, Tavakuairetã Paraguái, links=si), is a landlocked country in South America. It is bordered by Argentina to the south and southwest, Brazil to t ...

Buenos Aires Buenos Aires ( or ; ), officially the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires ( es, link=no, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires), is the capital and primate city of Argentina. The city is located on the western shore of the Río de la Plata, on South ...

Argentina Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the List of South American countries by area, second-largest ...

Belo Horizonte Belo Horizonte (, ; ) is the sixth-largest city in Brazil, with a population around 2.7 million and with a metropolitan area of 6 million people. It is the 13th-largest city in South America and the 18th-largest in the Americas. The metropol ...

Brazil Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...

* Huancayo,

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* Pensacola,

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* San José,

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Notes

References

{{Authority control https://chimbotefoundation.org/ Populated places in the Ancash Region Port cities in Peru Cities in Peru

History

Geography

Climate

Population

Districts and neighborhoods

Economy

Peruvian anchoveta "boom"

Tourism

Festivals

Education

Transportation

Bus terminal

Port

Airport

Sister cities

See also

Notes

References