Melinka

{{for|the ship|Melinka (ship)}} {{Infobox settlement |official_name = Melinka |native_name = Isla Melinca |image_skyline = Melinka.jpg |imagesize = 225px |image_caption = Aerial view of Melinka |image_flag = |image_seal = |image_shield = |image_map = Comuna de Guaitecas.svg |map_caption = |coordinates = {{coord|43|53|52|S|73|44|38|W|region:CL-AI|display=inline,title}} |coordinates_footnotes = |coor_pinpoint = | pushpin_map = Chile | pushpin_map_narrow = yes | pushpin_label_position = bottom | pushpin_map_alt = Location in Chile | pushpin_map_caption = Location in Chile |subdivision_type = Region |subdivision_name = Aisén |subdivision_type1 = Province |subdivision_name1 = Aisén |subdivision_type2 = Commune |subdivision_name2 = Guaitecas |subdivision_type3 = |subdivision_name3 = |subdivision_type4 = |subdivision_name4 = |government_type = |leader_title = Alcalde |leader_name = Luis Antonio Miranda Chiguay |leader_title1 =  |leader_name1 = |leader_title2 = |leader_name2 = |leader_title3 = |leader_name3 = |established_title =  |established_date = |established_title2 =  |established_date2 = |established_title3 =  |established_date3 = |area_magnitude = |area_total = |TotalArea_sq_mi = |area_land = |LandArea_sq_mi = |area_water = |WaterArea_sq_mi = |area_water_percent = |area_urban = |UrbanArea_sq_mi = |area_metro = |MetroArea_sq_mi = |population_as_of = 2017<ref name="INE">{{cite web |url=https://geoarchivos.ine.cl/File/pub/Cd_Pb_Al_Cs_2019.pdf |title=Ciudades, pueblos, aldeas y caceríos 2019 |publisher= National Statistics Institute|date=2019 |access-date=November 1, 2020|language=es}}</ref> |population_note = |population_total = 1329 |population_density = |population_density_mi2 = |population_metro = |population_density_metro_km2 = |population_density_metro_mi2 = |population_urban = |population_density_urban_km2 = |population_density_urban_mi2 = |timezone = Chilean Standard |utc_offset = −04:00 |timezone_DST = Chilean Daylight |utc_offset_DST = −03:00 |elevation = |postal_code_type =  |postal_code = |area_code = |blank_name = Climate |blank_info = Cfb |website = |footnotes = | demographics_type1 = Sex | demographics1_footnotes = <ref name="INE"/> | demographics1_title1 = Men | demographics1_info1 = 717 | demographics1_title2 = Women | demographics1_info2 = 612 }}

'''Melinka''' is a Chilean town in Aysén Province, Aysén Region. It is located on Ascención Island and is the administrative center of the commune of Guaitecas since 1979.

The town is on a small peninsula off the main island, and shelters a small harbor. The island is in the Guaitecas Archipelago, at the southern end of the Gulf of Corcovado.<ref>[https://www.google.com/maps/@-43.8949934,-73.7498654,29208m/data=!3m1!1e3 Google Maps] - Melinka</ref><ref>[https://www.openstreetmap.org/#map=15/-43.8941/-73.7427 OpenStreetMap] - Melinka</ref> Melinka is served by Melinka Airport and is connected by gravel road to the hamlets of Repollal.

Melinka is culturally similar to Chiloé Archipelago<ref name=Saavedra2011>{{cite journal |last1=Saavedra Gallo |first1=Gonzalo |date=2011 |title=Tensiones modernizantes y condicionantes culturales del desarrollo en el borde costero del Sur Austral chileno |trans-title=Modernizing tensions and cultural conditioners of development in the south austral Chilean coastal seaboard |journal=Revista Lider|language=es |volume=19 |pages=201–219 }}</ref> but its inhabitants custom to bring dogs on board in their travels is likely rooted in native Chono traditions.<ref name=Alvarezetal2015>{{cite journal |last1=Álvarez A. |first1=Ricardo |last2=Navarro P. |first2=Magdalena |last4=Donoso C. |first4=Cristián|last3=Saavedra G. |first3=Gonzalo |date=2015 |title=Referencias exploratorias sobre el lago Presidente Ríos, para sortear el Istmo de Ofqui, Península de Taitao, Región de Aysén |url=https://scielo.conicyt.cl/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0718-22442015000100006 |journal=Magallania|trans-title=Exploratory references on Presidente Ríos lake, for routes round the Ofqui Isthmus, Taitao Peninsula, Aysén Region, Chile|language=es |volume=43 |issue=1 |doi=10.4067/S0718-22442015000100006 |access-date=December 21, 2019|doi-access=free }}</ref><ref>Alvarez, R. & Navarro, M. (2008). Informes Levantamiento de Información Etnográfica Usos Tradicionales del Borde Costero Provincia de Chiloé (región de Los Lagos) y Comuna de Las Guaitecas (región de Aysén). Valdivia: ONG Centro Ballena Azul, World Wildlife Fund (WWF).</ref>

In 2017 Melinka had a population of 1329 inhabitants down from 1411 in 2002.<ref name="INE"/><ref name=INE2002>{{Citation | url = http://www.ine.cl/canales/chile_estadistico/demografia_y_vitales/demografia/demografia.php | title = Chile: Ciudades, pueblos, aldeas y caseríos | publisher = Instituto nacional de estadísticas | publication-date = June 2005 | accessdate = January 10, 2014 }}</ref>

==History== Prior to its founding in 1860 the location of Melinka was known as ''Puerto Arenas'' (literally "Port Sand") by whalers who visited the area regularly.<ref name=Solano1899>{{cite book |last=Solano Astaburuaga |first=Francisco|edition=2nd|orig-year=1867 |date=1899 |title=Diccionario Geográfico de la República de Chile |page=437 |language=es }}</ref> Melinka was founded in 1860 by the German immigrant, Felipe Arnold Westhoff.<ref name=divisadero/> Westhoff had been commissioned to supply railway sleepers to Ferrocarril Central Andino in Peru.<ref name=divisadero>{{cite web |url=http://www.eldivisadero.cl/noticia-7782 |title=¿Quién era Felipe Westhoff Rodhius? |author= |date=July 28, 2012 |website=eldivisadero.cl |publisher=Diario El Divisadero |access-date=January 10, 2019|language=es }}</ref> At the time the Guaitecas Archipelago was still part of Chiloé Province.{{citation needed|date=January 2019}} In the first years of Melinka a series of indigenous tombs were discovered while building houses.<ref name=West1867>{{cite journal |last1=Westhoff |first1=Felipe |date=1867 |title=Jeografía i meteorolojía chilena.-Memoria del subdelegado marítimo del archipiélago de los Chono o Guaitecas |url=https://revistas.uchile.cl/index.php/ANUC/article/view/27200/28818|language=es |journal=Anales de la Universidad de Chile |volume=XXIX |issue=7 |pages=445–450 |access-date=January 12, 2019}}</ref> From Melinka Westhoff exported ''Pilgerodendron uviferum'' ({{langx|es|ciprés de las Guaitecas}}) that made excellent wood for sleepers.<ref name=divisadero/> In 1870 the port was charted by Enrique Simpson on board ''Chacabuco''.<ref>Simpson, E. (1874). ''Esploraciones hechas por la Corbeta Chacabuco al mando del capitán de fragata don Enrique M. Simpson en los Archipiélagos de Guaitecas, Chonos i Taitao''. Santiago. Imprenta Nacional.</ref>

The famous pirate Pedro Ñancúpel was captured in Melinka in 1886 and bought into justice in Ancud the same year.<ref name=marin>{{cite journal |last1=Marín Lleucún |first1=Alejandro |date=2015 |title= Puerto Gala y Puerto Gaviota (1985-1993): Una mirada desde el triángulo de la violencia|trans-title=Port of Gala and Port of Gaviota (1985-1993): A look from the triangle of violence |url=https://scielo.conicyt.cl/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0718-22442015000200004 |journal=Magallania |volume=43 |issue=2 |access-date=January 10, 2019|language=es }}</ref><ref name=Renato>{{cite web |url=http://www.ellanquihue.cl/prontus4_nots/site/artic/20050116/pags/20050116234026.html |title=La historia del pirata chilote Pedro Ñancúpel |language=es |last=Cárdenas Álvarez |first=Renato |date=January 17, 2005 |publisher=El Llanquihue |access-date=January 10, 2019|quote=Cuando es capturado en Melinka ya era una leyenda porque había evadido la persecución.}}</ref>

According to a local tradition the word ''melinka'' comes from Russian and means lovely. In fact, there is the Russian archaic colloquialism ''милёнка'' (transl. ''milyonka'') which means "lovely."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://enc-dic.com/ushakov/Milenok-29889.html |script-title=ru:Толковый словарь русского языка - Милёнок |language=ru|year=1937 |access-date=2013-02-12 |quote=милёнка, м. (простореч.).}}</ref> Westhoff who came from Lithuania in the Russian Empire named Melinka after his sister.<ref name=Renato/>

==Climate== Melinka has a wet oceanic climate (Köppen climate classification: ''Cfb'').

{{Weather box |location = Melinka |metric first = yes |single line = yes |Jan high C = 17.4 |Feb high C = 17.2 |Mar high C = 15.9 |Apr high C = 13.6 |May high C = 11.3 |Jun high C = 10.1 |Jul high C = 10.0 |Aug high C = 10.0 |Sep high C = 10.9 |Oct high C = 13.2 |Nov high C = 13.8 |Dec high C = 15.7 |year high C = 13.3 |Jan mean C = 13.3 |Feb mean C = 13.2 |Mar mean C = 12.0 |Apr mean C = 10.4 |May mean C = 8.8 |Jun mean C = 7.7 |Jul mean C = 7.6 |Aug mean C = 7.3 |Sep mean C = 7.8 |Oct mean C = 9.5 |Nov mean C = 10.3 |Dec mean C = 12.0 |year mean C = 10.0 |Jan low C = 9.6 |Feb low C = 9.5 |Mar low C = 8.7 |Apr low C = 7.4 |May low C = 6.0 |Jun low C = 5.0 |Jul low C = 5.0 |Aug low C = 4.6 |Sep low C = 4.8 |Oct low C = 6.1 |Nov low C = 7.0 |Dec low C = 8.5 |year low C = 6.9 |precipitation colour = green |Jan precipitation mm = 152.2 |Feb precipitation mm = 168.2 |Mar precipitation mm = 216.8 |Apr precipitation mm = 270.1 |May precipitation mm = 349.4 |Jun precipitation mm = 367.8 |Jul precipitation mm = 382.5 |Aug precipitation mm = 325.2 |Sep precipitation mm = 256.9 |Oct precipitation mm = 191.6 |Nov precipitation mm = 247.0 |Dec precipitation mm = 246.0 |year precipitation mm = 3137.7 |source 1 = Bioclimatografia de Chile<ref>{{cite web | first1 = Ernst | last1 = Hajek | first2 = Francesco | last2 = Castri | url = http://www.ecolyma.cl/documentos/bioclimatografia_de_chile.pdf | title = Bioclimatografia de Chile | access-date = 23 April 2016 | language = es | year = 1975}}</ref> }}

==See also== * List of towns in Chile

==References== {{reflist}}

Category:Guaitecas Archipelago Category:Ports and harbours of Chile Category:Populated places in Aysén Province Category:Populated places in the fjords and channels of Chile Category:Long stubs with short prose