Santiago, the capital, with 450,000 inhabitants, is the fourth in population of the cities of South America, the first three being Buenos Aires, Rio de Janeiro, and São Paulo. The city is finely located in the fertile Central Valley, on the Mapocho River. Important as the Government and social centre, it has much commercial activity. A little off the direct Trans-Andine line between Valparaiso and Buenos Aires, it is equally a terminus, as special cars run to each city from Los Andes where they connect with the narrower mountain railway. Santiago is the centre of the north and south railway systems which traverse the country almost from end to end.
A lack of first class hotels has been partially remedied by the construction of a large one on modern lines, but it may be said that in all of the capital cities and chief ports of the West Coast additional accommodations of a higher class are desirable. In Santiago important improvements recently accomplished include the installment of a sewerage system and the repavement of the principal streets. Electric lights have long been enjoyed and an excellent system of electric cars, one feature of which New York might imitate to advantage, the numbering of the cars to indicate the various routes. Santiago in addition to its delightful location may well boast of its fine buildings, especially its Capitol, the handsome opera house, and many fine residences; still more of its parks, the far famed Santa Lucía, Parque Cousiño, and the Quinta Normal; also of the Palace of Fine Arts, and the Cemetery, especially beautiful in rose time. Most of the streets are narrow, but there is one splendid broad avenue, the Alameda or Avenida de Delicias with a central parkway ornamented with statuary.
CHILE, ARGENTINA, PARAGUAY, URUGUAY
Provinces
A brief review of the Provinces follows, beginning at the north. Unless otherwise stated, the Provinces extend from the coast back to the mountains, bordering at the east on Bolivia or Argentina.
Tacna, formerly a part of Peru, is still claimed by that country, though in the possession of Chile. It is separated by the Sama River from the Peruvian Province, Moquegua. Largely mountainous, Tacna has many peaks above 18,000 feet; the two passes to Bolivia are about 14,000 feet. Of 500,000 acres of possible agricultural land about one tenth is irrigated, the rest is desert. Alfalfa is the chief production; beans and maize are important with other vegetables and fruit. The leading export is sulphur.
The capital, Tacna, is a pleasant town, connected by rail with the port of Arica, though it is not on the road to La Paz. Arica, with a better harbor than most of the others, is an important primary port where all steamers call, as it is the terminus of the Arica-La Paz Railway; one of the three Pacific outlets for Bolivia. New docks are to be constructed.
Tarapacá follows on the south, this Province containing with other minerals, extensive, hot, arid plains with nitrate fields. The sloping coastal section has two important ports, Pisagua and Iquique, besides smaller ones exclusively for the export of nitrates, in which the two named are chiefly engaged.
Iquique, the capital and principal port, is of great commercial importance for such export, and has very large imports from the fact that these include all eatables as formerly all drinkables, even water. Now the water comes in pipes 150 miles from the mountains. The soil too was imported for the few plazas and gardens existing, as nothing will grow in the native soil. It is an enterprising community with a good proportion of pleasant British homes, clubs, theatres, etc.