Tocopilla facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Tocopilla
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Port of Tocopilla
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| Country |  Chile |
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| Region |  Antofagasta |
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| Province | Tocopilla | ||||
| Founded | 1843 | ||||
| Government | |||||
| • Type | Municipal council | ||||
| Area | |||||
| • Total | 4,038.8 km2 (1,559.4 sq mi) | ||||
| Elevation | 154 m (505 ft) | ||||
| Population
(2012 Census)
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| • Total | 24,247 | ||||
| • Density | 6.00352/km2 (15.5490/sq mi) | ||||
| • Urban | 23,352 | ||||
| • Rural | 634 | ||||
| Demonym(s) | Tocopillian | ||||
| Sex | |||||
| • Men | 12,050 | ||||
| • Women | 11,936 | ||||
| Time zone | UTC−4 (CLT) | ||||
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−3 (CLST) | ||||
| Area code(s) | +56 552 | ||||
| Climate | BWh | ||||
| Website | Official website: http://www.imtocopilla.cl/ | ||||
Tocopilla is a city and commune located in the Antofagasta Region in northern Chile. It is the main city of the Tocopilla Province.
Every year, Tocopilla celebrates its birthday on September 29. The day before, there is a big show. This event includes a parade on the main street, local food, and a fireworks display at midnight.
The city has two main parts. There is the central city and a smaller area called La Villa Sur. The Villa Sur has more fancy houses. A power plant and a large saltpeter processing factory separate these two parts. A coastal highway connects them.
The northern part of Tocopilla has the city's main buildings and shops. Houses are built close together on the steep hillsides. There are two artificial beaches, "Covadonga" and "Caleta Boy". These beaches are popular in summer. They offer a cool escape from the desert heat. There is also a black sand beach called "El Panteón" on the north side.
Tocopilla is famous for being the birthplace of two well-known people. One is the artist Alejandro Jodorowsky. The other is the famous football player Alexis Sánchez.
Contents
What Does the Name Tocopilla Mean?
The name Tocopilla comes from the Quechua language. It means "the devil's corner."
Alejandro Jodorowsky, who was born in Tocopilla, explained the name more. He said that in Quechua, Toco means "double sacred square." Pilla means "devil." He explained that the "devil" here is not evil. Instead, it is a being from an underground world. This being looks at the world and shares its knowledge. Among the Mapuche people, Pillán means "the soul" or "human spirit."
The 2007 Earthquake
On November 14, 2007, a strong earthquake hit near Tocopilla. It was a magnitude 7.7 earthquake. It happened about 40 kilometers (25 miles) east-southeast of the city. Aftershocks, which are smaller earthquakes, followed. Some of these were as strong as magnitude 6.8.
This earthquake caused a lot of damage in Tocopilla. About 1,200 homes were destroyed. This left 4,000 people without a place to live. Sadly, two people died. At least 115 people were hurt.
How Many People Live in Tocopilla?
According to a census from 2002, Tocopilla had 23,986 people living there. This included 12,050 men and 11,936 women. Most of these people, about 97.4%, lived in the city area. The remaining 2.6% lived in the countryside. The population of Tocopilla went down by 4% between 1992 and 2002.
How Tocopilla is Governed
Tocopilla is a commune. This means it is a local area managed by a municipal council. The council is led by an alcalde, which is like a mayor. The alcalde is chosen by the people in an election every four years. The alcalde from 2013 to 2016 was Fernando San Román Bascuñán.
Sports in Tocopilla
Tocopilla has its own association football team. They are called Deportes Tocopilla. They play in a league called Tercera B (Chile).
A very famous football player, Alexis Sánchez, was born in Tocopilla. He used to play for big teams like Arsenal F.C. and Manchester United F.C.. Now he plays for Inter Milan in Serie A.
Another important sport in the city is volleyball. Tocopilla has had good success in volleyball at both school and club levels.
Tocopilla's Economy
Tocopilla is known as "the city of energy." This is because it produces electricity for the whole Antofagasta Region. In the past, when saltpeter was very important, Tocopilla was a key place for exporting it. Even today, companies in Tocopilla still work with saltpeter.
The city is on the coast, so fishing is a big part of its economy. There are factories that make fishmeal and canned fish. The port of Tocopilla is also used to export copper from Chuquicamata and saltpeter from El Toco.
Tocopilla also has industries that work with metals, chemicals, and nitrate. These activities, along with the power plant, mean that many people work outside the city. Because of this, Tocopilla is sometimes called a "dormitory city." This means many people live there but travel to work in other places.
See also
In Spanish: Tocopilla para niños
