Tarapacá was a
Department of
Peru
Peru, officially the Republic of Peru, is a country in western South America. It is bordered in the north by Ecuador and Colombia, in the east by Brazil, in the southeast by Bolivia, in the south by Chile, and in the south and west by the Pac ...
, which existed between 1878 and 1884, when it was unconditionally ceded to
Chile
Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in western South America. It is the southernmost country in the world and the closest to Antarctica, stretching along a narrow strip of land between the Andes, Andes Mountains and the Paci ...
after the
War of the Pacific
The War of the Pacific (), also known by War of the Pacific#Etymology, multiple other names, was a war between Chile and a Treaty of Defensive Alliance (Bolivia–Peru), Bolivian–Peruvian alliance from 1879 to 1884. Fought over Atacama Desert ...
under the
Treaty of Ancón.
History
The department was located in
southern Peru, near the
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five Borders of the oceans, oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean, or, depending on the definition, to Antarctica in the south, and is ...
. It was limited to the north by the
Arica Province
Arica Province () is one of two provinces of Chile's northernmost region, Arica y Parinacota. The province is bordered on the north by the Tacna Province of Peru, on the south by the Tamarugal Province in the Tarapacá Region, on the east the ...
within
Moquegua Department, in the south and east by
Bolivia
Bolivia, officially the Plurinational State of Bolivia, is a landlocked country located in central South America. The country features diverse geography, including vast Amazonian plains, tropical lowlands, mountains, the Gran Chaco Province, w ...
, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean. The
curaca (tribal chief) of the coastal region in Tarapacá of the Kingdom of
Chucuito was Felipe Lucaya, until the Spanish conquest.
In 1600, parcels Lluta, Arica, Azapa, Tarapacá were handed over to Pedro Mesia Cordova, who then handed over the valleys of Tácana and Sama.
In 1612
Pope Paolo V authorizes the establishment of the
Diocese of Arequipa in which were seven jurisdictions including the district of San Marcos Arica comprising the regions of Tacna, Tarata, Sama, Ilabaya, Locumba, Putina and Tarapacá.
By 1777 the village of
Arica
Arica ( ; ) is a 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 city is the ca ...
was composed of Ilo, Tacna, Arica, Iquique, Pica, Ilabaya, Tarata, Codpa.
In 1837, the
Peru–Bolivian Confederation
The Peru–Bolivian Confederation () was a short-lived state that existed in South America between 1836 and 1839. The country was a loose confederation made up of three states: North Peru and South Peru—states that arose from the division of th ...
established the within
South Peru, separating the provinces of Tacna and Tarapacá from the "Departamento de la Ley" (i.e.
Arequipa
Arequipa (; Aymara language, Aymara and ), also known by its nicknames of ''Ciudad Blanca'' (Spanish for "White City") and ''León del Sur'' (Spanish for "South's Lion"), is a city in Peru and the capital of the eponymous Arequipa (province), ...
).
In 1841, under
Agustín Gamarra's second government a
war
War is an armed conflict between the armed forces of states, or between governmental forces and armed groups that are organized under a certain command structure and have the capacity to sustain military operations, or between such organi ...
between
Peru
Peru, officially the Republic of Peru, is a country in western South America. It is bordered in the north by Ecuador and Colombia, in the east by Brazil, in the southeast by Bolivia, in the south by Chile, and in the south and west by the Pac ...
and
Bolivia
Bolivia, officially the Plurinational State of Bolivia, is a landlocked country located in central South America. The country features diverse geography, including vast Amazonian plains, tropical lowlands, mountains, the Gran Chaco Province, w ...
took place. Gamarra was seeking to annex the former
Upper Peru
Upper Peru (; ) is a name for the land that was governed by the Real Audiencia of Charcas. The name originated in Buenos Aires towards the end of the 18th century after the Audiencia of Charcas was transferred from the Viceroyalty of Peru to th ...
to
Lower Peru, but was defeated at the
Battle of Ingavi in 1841 by General
José Ballivián. Ballivián's troops occupied Puno, Moquegua, Tacna and Tarapacá, until Peruvian José María Lavaysen's troops from Sama defeated the invading army. In Locumba, Colonel
Manuel de Mendiburu also organized forces, as well as Justo Arias Aragüez in 1842.
In 1868, Tarapacá Province was separated from the
department of Moquegua
Moquegua () is a department and region in southern Peru that extends from the coast to the highlands. Its capital is the city of Moquegua, which is among the main Peruvian cities for its high rates of GDP and national education.
Geography
The ...
under the name of "Litoral Province" on December 1.
On August 17, 1878, the Department of Tarapacá was established, replacing the Litoral Province of the same name. After the
War of the Pacific
The War of the Pacific (), also known by War of the Pacific#Etymology, multiple other names, was a war between Chile and a Treaty of Defensive Alliance (Bolivia–Peru), Bolivian–Peruvian alliance from 1879 to 1884. Fought over Atacama Desert ...
, the territory was
occupied by Chile, and the
Treaty of Ancón was signed on October 20, 1883. The territory was formally integrated into Chile on October 31, 1884.
Administrative divisions
Tarapacá was divided into two provinces:
See also
*
Treaty of Ancón
*
War of the Pacific
The War of the Pacific (), also known by War of the Pacific#Etymology, multiple other names, was a war between Chile and a Treaty of Defensive Alliance (Bolivia–Peru), Bolivian–Peruvian alliance from 1879 to 1884. Fought over Atacama Desert ...
*
Tacna Province (Chile)
*
Litoral Department
The Department of the Litoral, also known as the Atacama Department and commonly known as the Bolivian coast, was the description of the extent of the Pacific coast of the Atacama Desert included in the territory of Bolivia from its inception in ...
References
External links
''En la Memoria y en la Historia'' a paper reflecting on the cultural and historical loss that Peru suffered with the territorial loss of Arica, Iquique and Tarapacá.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Tarapaca Department (Peru)
Former subdivisions of Peru
Tarapacá