Ilo, Peru
Ilo | |
|---|---|
City | |
      | |
 Flag  Seal | |
  Ilo | |
| Coordinates:17°38′45.09″S71°20′43.13″W/ 17.6458583°S 71.3453139°W | |
| Country |  Peru |
| Region | Moquegua |
| Province | Ilo |
| District | Ilo |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Gerardo Carpio |
| Area | |
| • Total | 295.6 km2(114.1 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 15 m (49 ft) |
| Population (2017) | |
| • Total | 66,118 |
| • Estimate (2015)[1] | 67,428 |
| • Density | 220/km2(580/sq mi) |
| Demonym | Ileños |
| Website | Official website |
17°38′45.09″S71°20′43.13″W/ 17.6458583°S 71.3453139°W
Ilo[a]is aportcity in southernPeru,with 66,118 inhabitants. It is the second largest city in theMoquegua Regionand capital of theIlo Province.
History
[edit]Before the arrival of the Spanish in the 16th century, the area was populated by the people of theChiribaya culture.The Conquistadores were given land grants by Charles V and brought olives to this area. Olive agriculture was the main crop and source of work until the early 20th century. A small settlement, Pacocha, was established by the seashore where theOsmore River(Rio Osmore) flows into the Pacific Ocean. High tides in the late 19th century flooded Pacocha and the population moved to Ilo's actual location, adopting its current name. Until the beginning of the 20th century most of the people lived along the banks of the Rio Osmore, whose waters flow sporadically during the summer months. Ilo was a port of call to the ships travelling from the east to the west coast of the United States viaTierra del Fuego.After the building of a pier in the 19th century, international trade flourished in the region.Italians,Chinese,JapaneseandGermanssettled in Ilo during this time. However, the building of theTranscontinental Rail Roadand thePanama Canalcaused commercial activities to decrease and mostly steamships transporting goods between Peruvian and Chilean ports remained. TheBattle of Pacochatook place near Ilo.
Along with its pier, a railroad was built to connect Ilo toMoquegua.The railroad was named after Calamazo (Spanish pronunciation ofKalamazoo,from the name stamped on the equipment used by the railroad). The main economic activities of the city include fishing and mining. Copper mines originally owned by theSouthern Peru Copper Corporation(SPCC) have provided several jobs to the region. SPCC was established by theAmerican Smelting and Mining Corporationin the middle of the 20th century. Many Americans and Peruvians working for SPCC live in an area of Ilo called Ciudad Nueva. The copper smelting plant and a formerly state-owned refinery located 10 kilometers far from the city have contributed to a large amount of air and water pollution in the region. Ilo's industry appeared in the Canadian documentary filmThe Corporation,as an example of environmental problems caused by industries. Local swimming areas include Pozo de Lisas, Monte Carlo and Puerto Ingles. Bolivia has in the past utilized Ilo as a free gate to the ocean for both recreational and trade purposes.
Transport
[edit]In 1992 the Peruvian government granted a 99-year lease to the government of landlocked Bolivia to develop a port facility, in effect allowing Bolivia to claim to be a "Pacific Ocean nation".[4]Bolivia lost its territory on the Pacific coast following theWar of the Pacificwith Chile in the 19th century. A new metre gauge railway throughBoliviatoBrazilis also proposed.
Climate
[edit]Temperatures in Ilo range between 18 and 28 degrees Celsius year round. Rain is almost non-existent, as Ilo is located north of theAtacama Desert,one of the driest coastal deserts in the world.
| Climate data for Ilo (Punta Coles), elevation 25 m (82 ft), (1991–2020) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 25.5 (77.9) |
25.7 (78.3) |
24.9 (76.8) |
23.3 (73.9) |
21.8 (71.2) |
19.9 (67.8) |
18.8 (65.8) |
18.7 (65.7) |
19.3 (66.7) |
20.9 (69.6) |
22.9 (73.2) |
24.3 (75.7) |
22.2 (71.9) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 19.2 (66.6) |
19.3 (66.7) |
18.7 (65.7) |
17.4 (63.3) |
16.5 (61.7) |
15.6 (60.1) |
14.9 (58.8) |
14.5 (58.1) |
14.7 (58.5) |
15.9 (60.6) |
17.2 (63.0) |
18.0 (64.4) |
16.8 (62.3) |
| Averageprecipitationmm (inches) | 0.4 (0.02) |
0.4 (0.02) |
0.5 (0.02) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.6 (0.02) |
0.4 (0.02) |
3.0 (0.12) |
1.6 (0.06) |
1.8 (0.07) |
0.6 (0.02) |
0.7 (0.03) |
0.0 (0.0) |
10 (0.4) |
| Source: National Meteorology and Hydrology Service of Peru[5] | |||||||||||||
Pacific Ocean terminal of the Interoceanic Highway
[edit]Ilo is the southernmost of the three ports which comprise the Peruvian termini of theInteroceanic Highwaywhich links the state ofAcre,in theAmazon BasininBrazil,across theAndesto thePacific Ocean.
Main sights
[edit]The main attraction is the Urban Center whose landmarks are:
- St. Jerome's temple, built in 1871
- Glorieta José Gálvez, built in 1915
- State Pier, built at the end of 19th century
- Punta Coles
- Peruvian NavyMuseum
- "El Algarrobal" Museum.
- The powerful tubing right hander wave that breaks in the bay
Boliviamar
[edit]BoliviaMar is a narrow strip of beach located 17.5 km to the south, next to the coastal road that connects the departments of Tacna and Moquegua. It is a port concession to Bolivia and the terminus for a planned railway project.[6][7]
In popular culture
[edit]Ilo is referenced in the traditionalsea shanty"Tom's Gone to Hilo".[8]
See also
[edit]Notes
[edit]References
[edit]- ^Perú: Población estimada al 30 de junio y tasa de crecimiento de las ciudades capitales, por departamento, 2011 y 2015.Perú: Estimaciones y proyecciones de población total por sexo de las principales ciudades, 2012-2015(Report).Instituto Nacional de Estadística e Informática.March 2012.Retrieved2015-06-03.
- ^Vivian, Evelyn Charles(1921).Peru: physical features, natural resources, means of communication.D. Appleton & Company.
- ^Dampier, William;Masefield, John (1906).Dampier's voyages: consisting of a New voyage round the world.E. Grant Richards.
- ^BBC (21 October 2010)."Peru deal gives landlocked Bolivia coast for own port".Retrieved24 June2019.
- ^"Normales Climaticás Estándares y Medias 1991-2020".National Meteorology and Hydrology Service of Peru. Archived fromthe originalon 21 August 2023.Retrieved6 November2023.
- ^Emery, Alex (September 4, 2017)."Peru, Bolivia study bi-oceanic railway, Ilo port projects".BNamericas.RetrievedMarch 8,2018.
- ^Bennett, Tess (September 25, 2013)."Bolivia's Long Diplomatic Road to the Coast".The Argentina Independent.RetrievedMarch 8,2018.
- ^Tom's Gone to Hilo/My Johnny's Gone to Hilo
External links
[edit]
- (in Spanish)Ilo official website
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