Callao: Difference between revisions

Callao (Spanish: El Callao) is the largest and most important port in Peru. The city is located in the Constitutional Province of Callao, which is the only province of the Callao Region. It is located west of Lima, the country's capital. Both cities form the Lima and Callao Metropolitan Area, a large metropolis that concentrates almost one-third of Peru's population.

History

Callao was founded in 1537, just two years after Lima (1535), and soon became the main port for Spanish commerce in the Pacific. At the height of the Viceroyalty, virtually all goods produced in Peru, Bolivia, and Argentina were carried over the Andes by mule to Callao, to be shipped to Panama, carried overland, and then transported on to Spain via Cuba.

In 1746, a tsunami caused by an earthquake destroyed the entire port.

On 2 May 1866, during the Battle of Callao, the Spanish fleet tried to reconquer independent Peru.

City highlights

Callao is built on and around a peninsula, the district of La Punta, once a wealthy residential neighborhood. An historical fortress, the Castillo de Real Felipe (site of "Rodil's Last Stand"), stands on the promontory overlooking the harbor.

There is also a large naval base in Callao, in which the leader of the Shining Path rebel movement, Abimael Guzmán, and Vladimiro Montesinos, the ex-director of internal security during the Fujimori regime are currently imprisoned.

Lima's Jorge Chávez International Airport is located in Callao.

On a bluff overlooking the harbor sits Colegio Militar Leoncio Prado, the military high school Peruvian author Mario Vargas Llosa attended and made famous in his first novel, La Ciudad y los Perros (1962) (published in English as The Time of the Hero in 1963). The book was later filmed as The City and the Dogs and featured exterior shots of the school. The city also has a university, the National University of Callao.

Callao also several islands, San Lorenzo (currently a military base), El Frontón (a former high security prison), the Cavinzas, and the Palominos, where a large number of sea lions and sea birds live in a virtually untouched ecosystem.

Residents of Callao are known as chalacos.

Districts

The Constitutional Province of Callao, is divided into six districts, (Spanish): distritos; singular: distrito), each of which is headed by a mayor (alcalde).

External links

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-The '''Callao''' (in [[Spanish language|Spanish]]: '' El Callao'') is the largest and most important port in [[Peru]]. The city is located in the [[Constitutional Province of Callao]], which is the only [[province]] of the [[Callao Region]]. It is located west of [[Lima]], the country's capital, with which it forms a [[conurbation]] that concentrates almost one-third of Peru's population, the [[Lima and Callao Metropolitan Area]].
+'''Callao''' ([[Spanish language|Spanish]]: '' El Callao'') is the largest and most important port in [[Peru]]. The city is located in the [[Constitutional Province of Callao]], which is the only [[province]] of the [[Callao Region]]. It is located west of [[Lima]], the country's capital. Both cities form the [[Lima and Callao Metropolitan Area]], a large [[metropolis]] that concentrates almost one-third of Peru's population.
+==History==
 Callao was founded in [[1537]], just two years after Lima ([[1535]]), and soon became the main port for [[Spain|Spanish]] commerce in the [[Pacific Ocean|Pacific]]. At the height of the [[Viceroyalty of Peru|Viceroyalty]], virtually all goods produced in Peru, [[Bolivia]], and [[Argentina]] were carried over the [[Andes]] by [[mule]] to Callao, to be shipped to [[Panama]], carried overland, and then transported on to [[Spain]] via [[Cuba]].
@@ Line 45: / Line 46: @@
 On [[2 May]] [[1866]], during the [[Battle of Callao]], the Spanish fleet tried to reconquer independent Peru.
+==City highlights==
+Callao is built on and around a peninsula, the district of [[La Punta]], once a wealthy residential neighborhood. An historical fortress, the ''Castillo de Real Felipe'' (site of "[[José Ramón Rodil y Campillo|Rodil]]'s Last Stand"), stands on the promontory overlooking the harbor.
 [[image:callao.jpg|thumb|300px|left|The port of Callao.]]
-The city is divided into six districts, and although it is contiguous with metropolitan Lima, it is part of a separate region, the [[Callao Region]]. Callao is built on and around a peninsula, the district of [[La Punta]], once a wealthy residential neighborhood. An historical fortress, the ''Castillo de Real Felipe'' (site of "[[José Ramón Rodil y Campillo|Rodil]]'s Last Stand"), stands on the promontory overlooking the harbor.
 There is also a large naval base in Callao, in which the leader of the [[Shining Path]] rebel movement, [[Abimael Guzmán]], and [[Vladimiro Montesinos]], the ex-director of internal security during the [[Alberto Fujimori|Fujimori]] regime are currently imprisoned.
@@ Line 56: / Line 56: @@
 Callao also several islands, San Lorenzo (currently a military base), El Frontón (a former high security prison), the Cavinzas, and the Palominos, where a large number of [[sea lion]]s and [[sea bird]]s live in a virtually untouched [[ecosystem]].
+Residents of Callao are known as ''chalacos''.
+==Districts==
+The [[Constitutional Province of Callao]], is divided into six [[Districts of Peru|districts]], ([[Spanish language|Spanish]]): ''distritos''; singular: ''distrito''), each of which is headed by a mayor (''alcalde'').
+* [[Bellavista District|Bellavista]]
+* [[Callao District|Callao]] (downtown)
+* [[Carmen de la Legua Reynoso]]
+* [[La Perla District|La Perla]]
+* [[La Punta]]
+* [[Ventanilla]]
 ==External links==