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santiago: general info
· city links
· history
hostels
· things to do
· tours
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Spanish conquistador Pedro de Valdivia founded Sandiago de la Nueva Extremadura in 1541 at the base of Hueln Hill (now known as Cerro Santa Lucia) because of its moderate climate and the ease with which he thought it could be defended. (The Mapocho River bisected the area in two, and rejoined further downstream, forming an island.) Unfortunately, Santiago didnt get off to the best start. Within six months, the native Araucanian Indians destroyed the settlement. This didnt discourage the Spaniards, who immediately rebuilt, but the Araucanians continued to terrorize the town, besieging the Spaniards for two years on Cerro Santa Lucia. They managed to kill Valdivia in 1553.
Over the years, Santiago came up against floods, earthquakes and wars, which stunted its growth. A relative disinterest in Santiago by the Spanish crown didnt help matters either. It was not until the late 18th century that Santiago started resembling a city. European architects began gracing the capital with elegant works such as the Palacio de la Moneda. The libertarian atmosphere lead to many revolutionary ideas and on September 19, 1810, Chile declared its independence from Spain. From 1891-1941, Santiago experienced rapid urbanization. The population also grew due to a massive migration from the north and south of Chile, which lead to an expansion of the city. Because the city grew so quickly, and continues to do so today, Santiago must now deal with a lot of traffic and, all too often, smog.
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