# Talcahuano

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**Talcahuano** (talkaˈ(ɣ)wano) (From [Mapudungun](/source/Mapuche_language) *Tralkawenu*, "Thundering Sky") is a port [city](/source/List_of_cities_in_Chile) and [commune](/source/Communes_of_Chile) in the [Biobío Region](/source/Biob%C3%ADo_Region) of [Chile](/source/Chile). It is part of the [Greater Concepción](/source/Greater_Concepci%C3%B3n) conurbation. Talcahuano is located in the south of the [Central Zone](/source/Zona_Central,_Chile) of Chile.

## Geography

Together with ten other municipalities, it forms part of the [Concepción Province](/source/Concepci%C3%B3n_Province,_Chile), which in turn is one of four provinces that forms the VIII Region of [Biobío Region](/source/Biob%C3%ADo_Region).

## Demographics

According to the 2002 [census](/source/Census) of the [National Statistics Institute](/source/National_Statistics_Institute_(Chile)), Talcahuano spans an area of 145.8 km2 (56 sq mi) and has 250,348 inhabitants (121,778 men and 128,570 women). Of these, 248,964 (99.4%) lived in [urban areas](/source/Urban_area) and 1,384 (0.6%) in [rural areas](/source/Rural_area). The population grew by 59.9% (93,766 persons) between the 1992 and 2002 censuses.[1] With a population density of 1,873 inhabitants per square kilometre, it is the seventh most populated city of the country.

## History

The official foundation date of Talcahuano is 5 November 1764 when [Antonio de Guill y Gonzaga](/source/Antonio_de_Guill_y_Gonzaga) declared it an official port. However, the site of Talcahuano began to appear in history books as early as 1544 when [Genoese](/source/Genoa) captain [Juan Bautista Pastene](/source/Juan_Bautista_Pastene) discovered the mouth of the Biobío river while exploring the coast in his ships *San Pedro* and *Santiaguillo*. In 1601 [Alonso de Ribera](/source/Alonso_de_Ribera) built Fort Talcahueno to defend remaining Spanish settlements near [Concepción](/source/Penco).

The city is named after an Araucanian chief, Talcahueñu, who inhabited the region at the arrival of the Spanish. In [Mapudungun](/source/Mapudungun), the language of the indigenous [Mapuches](/source/Mapuche), Talcahuano means "Thundering Sky".

The port was well known to American whaleships of the 19th century. They often put in for fresh water, food, and various forms of entertainment for the crews.

On 24 January 1939 at around 23.33 the city was hit by a major earthquake of 8.3 which had an epicenter close to the city of [Chillán](/source/Chill%C3%A1n). The Chilean Government requested from the British Government the help of two British cruisers [HMS Ajax (22)](/source/HMS_Ajax_(22)) and [HMS Exeter (68)](/source/HMS_Exeter_(68)) then visiting the city of [Valparaíso](/source/Valpara%C3%ADso) to head south to investigate. The ships arrived at Talcahuano on 25th, many of the city's main buildings had been destroyed with little power, food or water available to the survivors. The two ships crews helped with rubble clearing, rescuing those still trapped, recovering bodies as well as the ships taking trips north to Valparaiso with those injured and refugees.[2]

### 27 February 2010 earthquake

On 27 February 2010 Talcahuano was devastated by the 8.8 magnitude [2010 Chile earthquake](/source/2010_Chile_earthquake) and its subsequent [tsunami](/source/Tsunami). These back-to-back disasters left 80% of the city's residents homeless. [3] The tsunami is estimated to have been more than 7.5 feet high.[4] After a week, there are only 20 reported deaths, and 18 missing. The city government estimates that it will take 10 years to recover from the quake and tsunami. The local government has been turning away tent aid, as they want to make permanent shelters rather than have permanent tent camps.[5]

## Economy

Talcahuano contains Chile's Productive development Pillar of the development of the city, the productive activities represent the motor of the advance of Talcahuano in a globalized world. From tourism, our marine gastronomy, the nautical qualities of the bay, to industry, trade in services, products and the logistics platform. Talcahuano is an integral city that grows hand in hand with the spirit of its inhabitants. main naval base which is home of the historical relic, the [*Huáscar*](/source/Hu%C3%A1scar_(ship)), a Peruvian [ironclad](/source/Ironclad) ship (British-made), which was captured in 1879 during the [War of the Pacific](/source/War_of_the_Pacific). It is also the base of the Chilean submarine fleet and the [ASMAR shipyard](/source/ASMAR).

## Administration

As a commune, Talcahuano is a third-level [administrative division of Chile](/source/Administrative_division_of_Chile) administered by a [municipal council](/source/Municipal_council), headed by an [alcalde](/source/Alcalde) who is directly elected every four years. The 2016 - 2020 alcalde is Henry Campos Coa ([UDI](/source/Independent_Democratic_Union)).[6][7]

The commune of Talcahuano has seventeen districts, the three most populous being Carriel, San Vicente and San Miguel, which together account for about 46% of the population of the commune.[8] Only two of the districts contain any rural population: Tumbes with 5% rural and Carrie with ½%.[8]

- El Portón
- Valdivieso
- Cerro Fuentes
- La Aduana
- Cerro Buenavista
- Tumbes
- [Isla Quiriquina](/source/Quiriquina_Island)
- San Vicente
- Estadio
- [Huachipato](/source/Huachipato,_Chile)
- Estadio Higueras
- San Miguel
- El Arenal
- Carriel
- Las Salinas
- Barranquilla
- [Zunico](/source/Zunico,_Chile)

Within the [electoral divisions of Chile](/source/Electoral_divisions_of_Chile), Talcahuano is represented in the [Chamber of Deputies](/source/Chamber_of_Deputies_of_Chile) by Sergio Bobadilla, Félix González, [Francesca Muñoz](/source/Francesca_Mu%C3%B1oz), José Miguel Ortiz, Leonidas Romero, Gastón Saavedra, Jaime Tohá and Enrique van Rysselberghe as part of the 20th electoral district. The commune is represented in the [Senate](/source/Senate_of_Chile) by Alejandro Navarro Brain ([MAS](/source/Broad_Social_Movement)) and Jacqueline Van Rysselberghe Herrera ([UDI](/source/Independent_Democratic_Union)) as part of the 12th senatorial constituency (Biobío-Cordillera).

## Culture

### Sports

Talcahuano entered [football](/source/Football_(Soccer)) history when [Ramón Unzaga Asla](/source/Ram%C3%B3n_Unzaga), a player for the local club Estrella del Mar, invented the famous [bicycle kick](/source/Bicycle_kick) (also known as "chilena") there in 1914.[citation needed] The city is home to [Club Deportivo Huachipato](/source/Club_Deportivo_Huachipato), a football club in Chile's [Primera División](/source/Liga_Chilena_de_F%C3%BAtbol:_Primera_Divisi%C3%B3n), playing at [Estadio CAP](/source/Estadio_CAP).[citation needed]

The city is also the birthplace of [Sammis Reyes](/source/Sammis_Reyes), a former [Chilean men's national basketball](/source/Chilean_men's_national_basketball) player who converted to [American football](/source/American_football). In 2021 he became the first Chilean to play in the [National Football League](/source/National_Football_League), an American football league based in the United States.[9]

## In literature

It featured prominently in [Miles Smeeton](/source/Miles_Smeeton)'s book *Once Is Enough*, a sailor's classic.[10]

It is mentioned by the character [Charlie Marlow](/source/Charlie_Marlow) in [Joseph Conrad](/source/Joseph_Conrad)'s book *[Lord Jim](/source/Lord_Jim)*.

A chapter of *[In Search of the Castaways](/source/In_Search_of_the_Castaways)* by [Jules Verne](/source/Jules_Verne) is set in its bay.

## Notable people

- [Francisco Varela](/source/Francisco_Varela) (1946–2001), biologist and philosopher, was born in Talcahuano.
- [Juan Onofre Chamorro](/source/Juan_Onofre_Chamorro) (1885–1941), trade union leader, was born in Talcahuano.

## External links

- [http://www.talcahuano.cl](http://www.talcahuano.cl)
- [Satellite view of Talcahuano](https://maps.google.com/maps?q=talcahuano+chile&t=k) (Google Maps)

## References

1. ["National Statistics Institute"](http://www.ine.cl/canales/chile_estadistico/censos_poblacion_vivienda/censo_pobl_vivi.php) (in Spanish). Retrieved 13 December 2010.

1. Holman, D. *The Man They Couldn't Kill* London 1960 pp44-46

1. ["Double tragedy for Chile's beach communities"](https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna35615455). *msnbc.com*. 27 February 2010. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20100301120606/http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/35615455/ns/world_news-chile_earthquake/) 1 March 2010 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 1 March 2010.

1. Padget, Tim (1 March 2010). ["Chile: Prepared for the Quake but Not the Tsunami"](https://web.archive.org/web/20110604143231/http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1968856,00.html?iid=sphere-inline-bottom). *Time Magazine*. Archived from [the original](http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1968856,00.html?iid=sphere-inline-bottom) on 4 June 2011. Retrieved 4 March 2010.

1. Manda, Alexander (7 March 2010). ["Destruction seen everywhere in tsunami-hit Chilean port"](https://web.archive.org/web/20110609204435/http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/indepth/2010-03/08/c_13201676.htm). Xinhua. Archived from [the original](http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/indepth/2010-03/08/c_13201676.htm) on 9 June 2011. Retrieved 8 March 2010.

1. ["Asociación Chilena de Municipalidades"](http://www.talcahuano.cl/) (in Spanish). Retrieved 23 February 2011.

1. ["Municipality of Talcahuano"](http://www.talcahuano.cl/) (in Spanish). Retrieved 23 February 2011.

1. ["División Político Administrativa y Censal"](http://www.ine.cl/canales/chile_estadistico/territorio/division_politico_administrativa/pdf/DPA_COMPLETA.pdf) (in Spanish). Instituto Nacional de Estadísticas (INE). 2007. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20130308201322/http://www.ine.cl/canales/chile_estadistico/territorio/division_politico_administrativa/pdf/DPA_COMPLETA.pdf) 8 March 2013 at the Wayback Machine.

1. Bishop, Greg (August 4, 2021). ["Sammis Reyes and the Path Never Taken"](https://www.si.com/nfl/2021/08/04/wft-rookie-sammis-reyes-incredible-path-to-the-nfl-daily-cover). *[Sports Illustrated](/source/Sports_Illustrated)*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20210804145904/https://www.si.com/nfl/2021/08/04/wft-rookie-sammis-reyes-incredible-path-to-the-nfl-daily-cover) August 4, 2021 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved August 8, 2021.

1. *Once Is Enough*, by Miles Smeeton. International Marine Publishing, 2003. ISBN 0-07-141431-2

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Talcahuano](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talcahuano) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talcahuano?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.