Lighthouses in Chile facts for kids
Chile has a very long and winding coastline. It stretches for about 4,000 kilometers (2,500 miles). Along this coast, you can find many islands, small islands, narrow waterways, bays, and fjords.
Important sea routes also pass by Chile's shores. These include the Strait of Magellan, the Beagle Channel, and the Drake Passage. These waterways connect the Pacific Ocean and the Atlantic Ocean. To help ships stay safe, Chile has many lighthouses. These lights warn ships about dangerous areas like hidden rocks or shallow waters. They also guide ships safely into harbors. The Chilean authorities look after 650 lighthouses. They are found all the way from the border with Peru to the Atlantic Ocean.
Contents
History of Chilean Lighthouses
First Lighthouses in Chile
The very first lighthouse in Chile was called "Faro Angeles." It opened on September 18, 1857. This important lighthouse was built in the city of Valparaíso.
In 1867, a man from Denmark named Enrique Siemsen became the head of the "Servicio de Faros" (Lighthouse Service). He was a busy builder! He helped create several lighthouses. Some of these included the Faro Corona in Ancud and Punta Caldera in Atacama. He also built Punta Tortugas in Coquimbo and Isla Quiriquina in Quiriquina. Other lighthouses he worked on were Punta Galera and Punta Niebla in Corral.
Lighthouse Fuel and Technology
The first lighthouses in Chile used colza oil to power their lights. This was a type of oil made from plants. But in 1878, they switched to a new fuel. They started using Bunsen burners, which were more modern for the time.
George Slight: A Lighthouse Builder
A Scottish engineer named George Slight made a big difference for lighthouses in Chile. He moved to Chile and later became the head of the Chilean Maritime Signaling Service. In the 1890s, he designed and built more than 70 lighthouses. Many of these are still important historic lighthouses today.
Lighthouses Today
How Many Lighthouses?
As of 2013, there are many lighthouses in Chile. The National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) lists 650 of them. In 2009, a group called Faros de Chile reported that 18 of these lighthouses still had people living and working in them.
Shipwrecks as Lighthouses
Chile does not use special ships called "lightvessels" to mark dangers. Instead, two old shipwrecks are used as bases for lighthouses! One shipwreck is the County of Peebles. It is used as a breakwater (a wall to protect a harbor) in Punta Arenas. The other is the Capitán Leonidas. It sits in the Messier Channel and helps warn ships.
Managing Chilean Lighthouses
The official list of lighthouses in Chile is called the Lista de Faros de la costa de Chile, Costa Oriental de Tierra del Fuego y Territorio Antártico. This list is published by the Hydrographic and Oceanographic Service of the Chilean Navy (SHOA).
The Servicio de Señalización Marítima (Maritime Signalling Service) is in charge of all navigation aids in Chile. This service is part of the Chilean Navy. It helps make sure all lighthouses and other signals work correctly.
Ships for Lighthouse Maintenance
In 1900, a ship named Meteoro was built in Chile. Its job was to help maintain and repair the lighthouses.
Today, the Chilean Navy has a ship named George Slight (BRS-63). This ship is still used to take care of the many lighthouses along Chile's long coast.
NGA List of Lights for Chile
The United States' National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) has its own list of lights. It includes 650 lighthouses in Chile. It also lists 26 lighthouses from Argentina that are in the Beagle Channel area. This NGA list does not include lighthouses found in Chile's Lakes of Chile. It also does not include any Chilean lighthouses in Antarctica.
See also
In Spanish: Faros de Chile para niños
- List of fjords, channels, sounds and straits of Chile
- List of islands of Chile
