Arica

Located at the bend of South America's western coast known as the Arica Bend or Arica Elbow. It is also where two valleys which dissect the Atacama Desert, Azapa and Lluta, converge. These valleys provide citrus and olives for export. An important port for a large inland region of South America. The city serves a free port for Bolivia and manages a substantial part of that country's trade. In addition it is the end station of the Bolivian oil pipeline beginning in Oruro. The city's strategic position is enhanced by being next to the Pan-American Highway, being connected to both Tacna in Peru and La Paz in Bolivia by railroad and being served by an international airport. Made famous in 1970 by the spiritual master Oscar Ichazo when he held a 10-month training there for 50 North Americans from the Esalen Institute in California. The Arica School, based in the United States of America, has influenced thousands of people all over the world. Arica has an extremely dry climate, with almost no rainfall. Even so, the frequent maritime winds from the cold waters nearby renders a moderate desert climate. Its mild weather has made Arica known as the "city of the eternal spring" in Chile while its beaches are frequented by Bolivian society. The city was an important port already during Spanish colonial rule. Chile seized the city from Peru in 1880 during the War of the Pacific, being recognized as Chilean by Peru in 1929. A substantial part of African Chileans live in or trace their origins to Arica. • Illustration — The morro de Arica is one of the major attractions in the city

• Name — Arica • Nickname — Ciudad de la Eterna Primavera ("City of the eternal spring") • Motto — Mayor es mi lealtad ("Greater is my loyalty") • Subdivision Type — Country • Subdivision Name — Chile • Subdivision Type1 — Region • Subdivision Name1 — Arica y Parinacota • Subdivision Type2 — Province • Subdivision Name2 — Arica • Established Title — Founded • Established Date — 1541 • Founder — Lucas Martinez de Begazo • Government Type — Municipality • Leader Title — Alcalde • Leader Name — Orlando Vargas • Unit Pref — Metric • Area Total Km2 — 4799.4 • Area Rank — Arica • Elevation M — 2 • Population Total — 241653 • Population As Of — 2024 • Population Density Km2 — auto • Population Demonym — Arican ariqueño, -a (Spanish) • Time Zone — CLT • Utc Offset — −04:00 • Time Zone Dst — CLST • Utc Offset Dst — −03:00 • Postal Code Type — Postal code • Postal Code — 1000000 • Area Code Type — País • Area Code — +56 58 • Custom Label Sec1 — Climate • Custom Data Sec1 — BWh • Website — Official website • Type — City and Commune

The province's name comes from the Kunza term arisca, meaning 'new bay', or Ariacca, the name of the Inca chief who used to live in what is currently the city.

Archaeological findings indicate that Arica was inhabited by different native groups dating back 10,000 years. These people are the first known culture to mummify their dead, predating the Egyptians by 2,000 years, and their mummies have been discovered as recently as 2004 and buried as shallow as 2) — 2002 Population • 1 — Puerto — 1.2 — 2,744 • 2 — Regiment — 0.7 — 3,880 • 3 — Chinchorro — 13.3 — 12,816 • 4 — San José — 1.2 — 13,216 • 5 — Población Chile — 17.3 — 9,086 • 6 — Azapa — 1,937.8 — 14,991 • 7 — José Manuel Balmaceda — 2.7 — 11,984 • 8 — Carlos Dittborn — 2.1 — 10,525 • 9 — Lauca Park — 0.4 — 4,934 • 10 — José Miguel Carrera — 0.6 — 5,836 • 11 — Condell — 0.5 — 6,358 • 12 — Strong Citadel — 215.9 — 28,209 • 13 — Chaca — 794.0 — 223 • 14 — El Morro — 0.9 — 3,286 • 15 — Chacalluta — 419.3 — 1,684 • 16 — Molinos — 1,376.0 — 649 • 17 — Pedro Blanqui — 7.3 — 25,131 • 18 — Cancharayada — 5.3 — 17,530 • 19 — Las Torres — 2.9 — 11,878 • – — stragglers — 308 • Total — 4,799.4 — 185,268 Source: INE 2007 report, "Territorial division of Chile"

As of the 2024 census, immigrants make up 14.7% of the population - 14.4% are from South America, 0.2% from North America, 0.1% from Europe, 0.03% from Asia, 0.004% from Africa, and 0.004% from Oceania.

As a commune, Arica is a third-level administrative division of Chile administered by a municipal council, headed by an alcalde who is directly elected every four years. The 2008–2012 alcalde is Waldo Sankán Martínez (Independent). Within the electoral divisions of Chile, Arica is represented in the Chamber of Deputies by Mr. Vlado Mirosevic (Partido Liberal) and Mr. Luis Rocaful as part of the 1st electoral district, which includes the entire Arica and Parinacota Region. The commune is represented in the Senate by José Miguel Insulza (PS, 2018–2026) and José Durana (UDI, 2018–2026) as part of the 1st senatorial constituency (Arica and Parinacota Region and Tarapacá Region).

The Morro de Arica is a tall, nearly-vertical rock formation and hill located in the city, situated approximately 139 meters above sea level. It was the last bulwark of defense for the Peruvian troops who garrisoned the city. It was attacked and captured on 7 June 1880 by Chilean troops, as the final effort of their Campaña del Desierto (Desert Campaign) during the War of the Pacific. Near to the city center is the Azapa Valley, an oasis where vegetables and, famously, Azapa olives are grown. Economically, it is also an important port for Chilean ore. The semi-tropical latitude, combined with the low humidity and the city's beaches, have made Arica a popular tourist destination. It is also a center of Chilean rail networks with Bolivia. For air travel, the region is serviced by Chacalluta International Airport. Catedral de San Marcos de Arica is a magnificent church designed by Gustave Eiffel was built in the 1870s. Plaza Colón is the civic heart of the city, the public square is where its residents congregate for celebrations, diversions or simply being a part of the community. • Illustration — Morro de Arica • Illustration — The city view from Morro de Arica • Illustration — Arica's Customs Office (Aduana de Arica), built by the Peruvian Government after the 1868 earthquake. Other attractions include the former house of the Governor, the Former Arica Custom House, railway station Arica-La Paz, the Archaeological and Anthropological Museum of San Miguel de Azapa, Sea and Historical Arms and Arica. For evening entertainment there is the Casino de Arica.

More than 20 km of beaches, many known for the quality of surfing, span across the Coastal Range in the northern sector. The harbored location makes these beaches unique from other cities in Chile in terms of topography. From north to south the beaches are located Las Machas, Chinchorro, del Alacrán, El Laucho, La Lisera, Brava, Arenillas Negras, La Capilla, Corazones and La Liserilla.

• Illustration — Chungará Lake • Chungará Lake: Arica is the main access road to the lake, the 29th highest in the world (and the 10th highest in South America), with an approximate height of 4517 metres. It is located within the Lauca National Park. • Pucará de Copaquilla: about 3,000 metres above sea level, dates from the 12th century, declared National Monument, located on a promontory that serves as the defence has a double stone wall, which protects a series of internal spaces. From this point it is possible to observe the pre-and streams. • Termas de Jurasi a few miles southeast of Putre, by Ruta 11-CH, turning off a dirt road. Underground waters are home to temperatures above 40 C which are reputed to have medicinal properties. • Surf Arica is a world-famous spot for surfing. The wave known as "El Gringo" hosts surfing and bodyboarding world championships every year. In 2007, Arica was the site for an ASP world tour contest. Others stops on this tour include Hawaii, Tahiti, Fiji and South Africa.

• Illustration — Panoramic view of the Port of Arica. Near Arica lies the Azapa Valley, an oasis in the Atacama Desert where vegetables, olive trees, and citrus fruits are cultivated. The city experienced a relative boom during the nitrate cycle. When that cycle ended, the Chilean government promoted urban development through the creation of an industrial and commercial free-trade zone in 1953, which became notable for its automotive industry. • Illustration — Port or Port Terminal of Arica, in 2006. In addition, Arica is an important archaeological and anthropological center, home to the oldest mummies in the world. It features petroglyphs, geoglyphs, and a vast collection of handicrafts and cultural artifacts spanning more than 10,000 years of history, belonging to pre-Incaic Andean and coastal cultures. Arica is also a seaside resort, with a casino, beaches, and a port frequently visited by cruise ships. Its tropical latitude, combined with its arid and sunny climate, make it an attractive tourist destination. The city also serves as a hub for railway and road communications with Bolivia and Peru, and it is served by the Chacalluta International Airport, which connects it by air with southern Peru, western Bolivia, and the rest of Chile.

The Arica Industrial Park, or "Gateway to the Americas," originally planned along the Pan-American Highway Route 5, Arica–La Serena section, north of the city, is now practically encompassed within the urban area. Notable for its large size, it offers excellent transportation links such as Route 5 (Pan-American Highway) and the newly extended Capitán Ávalos Avenue (ring road), which directly connects to international highways leading to Peru and Bolivia (the bioceanic corridor), as well as to those heading south toward central Chile. Another industrial park, located near the Chacalluta International Airport, close to the Peru border and customs checkpoints, is the Parque Industrial Chacalluta, managed by the Iquique Free Trade Zone (ZOFRI) company.

• Illustration — The port of Arica. Passenger train services on the Arica–La Paz railway ceased in 1996, but as of 2017 there were proposals to restart services from Arica as a tourist attraction (and for freight). In 2011, Chile announced plans to privatise the Port of Arica. These were opposed by Bolivia, as Arica is its main sea port. Chacalluta International Airport is the main airport in Arica and is located 18.5 km north of the city. LATAM Chile, Amaszonas, JetSmart, and Sky Airline have scheduled commercial service to several Chilean airports.

Arica was one of the four host cities of the 1962 FIFA World Cup, and it was the venue for a Rip Curl Pro Search surfing event that took place from June 20 to July 1, 2007. Arica plays host to a leg of the International Bodyboarding Association's world tour event every year at the notorious "el flops" surf break. The event has been running since 2004.

Arica hosts various institutions dedicated to international relations. Among them, the Regional Unit for International Affairs (URAI) of the Regional Government of Arica and Parinacota stands out; it is responsible for analyzing and managing the region's bilateral and multilateral relations with Peru, Bolivia, Latin America, and the rest of the world. The Regional Council's Commission on International Relations also plays a role, along with governmental entities such as the regional office of the National Migration Service, the regional branch of the General Directorate for Export Promotion (ProChile), and the Arica and Parinacota Migration and International Police Prefecture of the Investigations Police of Chile. Furthermore, the Migrant Office of the Arica Municipality provides support to the city's migrant population. In the field of higher education internationalization, the main institution in Arica is the Directorate of Interinstitutional and International Relations of the University of Tarapacá, responsible for academic cooperation and student mobility at the global level. Arica has strong ties with the city of Tacna, Peru. Many people cross the border daily as they travel between the two cities, partially due to the many services (for example, dentists, doctors, etc.) that are cheaper in Peru. Arica is connected to both Tacna and to La Paz via separate railroad lines.

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• Jean-François Dauxion-Lavaysse, a Frenchman, born in 1770 or 1775, died on 8 July 1829 in Arica. He was the first director of the Chilean National Museum of Natural History and the Botanical Garden. • Dante Poli – former footballer • Hipólito Unanue – physician, and briefly President of Peru • Izkia Siches, former Vice president and minister of the interior of Chile. • Américo – singer • Chañaral Ortega-Miranda (b. 1973) – classical composer