Tacna

Etymology

The term Tacna is derived from two Quechua words: Taka, meaning 'to hit', and na, which means 'place'. Thus, the full name means "I hit this place" or "I rule this place".

History

Pre-Columbian era

Spain (1542–1811, 1811–1821)

Flag of None.svg American Union (1811)

Peru Protectorate of Peru (1821–1822)

Peru Peru (1822–1836)

Peru-Bolivian Confederation (1836–1839; capital)

Peru Peru (1839–1841)

Bolivia (1841; occupation)

Peru Peru (1841–1880)

Chile (1880–1929; administration)

Peru (1929–present) At the time of the Spanish conquest, the region around Tacna was already multiethnic, displaying a mix of local sedentary populations and mitma settlers from the Altiplano. The proportions of these are that the first made up about 66% of the population and the latter 25%. Fishing-oriented people known as Camanchacos made up about the remaining 9% of the population. Much of the population practising agriculture is believed to have spoken the Puquina language. In 1540 the encomienda system was established in Tacna and its surroundings with conquistador Lucas Martínez de Vegaso obtaining 1,638 encomienda indians (a third of tributaries distributed). Pedro Pizarro and Pedro de la Fuente followed in numbers receiving each approximately 600 tributaries.

Colonial era

Francisco Antonio de Zela, a royal accountant (similar in function to a modern-day income tax auditor), initiated the push for Peruvian Independence from Spain in 1811 in Tacna, leading to a series of commemorative actions for the city, culminating in the 1828 declaration of Tacna as the "Heroic City" (La Heroica Ciudad de San Pedro de Tacna) by President José de La Mar.

Republican era

Tacna was the capital of the short-lived Peru–Bolivian Confederation (1836–1839).

The city was once known for its mining industry; it had significant deposits of sodium nitrate and other resources. Its economic prosperity attracted a wave of immigrants from Italy. Today, their Italian Peruvian descendants live in the city and many of them still have Italian surnames. This era of successful commerce and agriculture ended drastically with the start of the War of the Pacific. Hosting a large Peru-Bolivian army under poor sanitary conditions the city lost a substantial part of its population to infectious diseases before its capture by Chile in May 1880 following a defeat of the allied army in the outskirts of the city by a Chilean force under General Manuel Baquedano.

Chilean administration

During the war, Tacna—as well as neighbouring Arica—was administered by the Chilean Army and incorporated as a commune that served as the seat of the eponymous department and province. In modern Peruvian historiography, this period is known as the cautiverio. The Treaty of Ancón was signed in 1883 between Peru and Chile, ending the war. Under the terms of the treaty, Chile was to administer the provinces of Tacna and Arica for ten years, taking control of valuable mineral deposits, after which a plebiscite was to be held to determine the region's sovereignty. But when the ten years had elapsed, the two sides could not agree whether to include a large number of imported Chilean laborers in the vote. Throughout the administration, Chilean groups and authorities led a campaign of Chilenization in an attempt to persuade the local population to abandon their Peruvian past and accept Chilean nationality. However, Peruvian nationalists ensured that the Chilean propaganda failed and the planned plebiscite was never held.

The commune was formally created through a decree on 22 December 1891, taking into account the limits assigned by the decrees of 9 November 1885 and 10 May 1886, and was composed of four subdelegations: El Callao, San Ramón, El Mercado and El Alto de Lima.

According to the 1907 census, the population that year was numbered at 10,593 people. During this period, people such as Jorge Basadre and Salvador Allende (as well as his family) lived in the city.

Starting on 1 February 1928, by virtue of Decree with Force of Law No. 8,583 published that 28 January under the government of Carlos Ibáñez del Campo, the commune of Tacna was composed of three subdelegations: Intendencia, Comercio and Pocollay. This decree also ordered the creation of the communes of Palca and Sama, which together with Tacna formed a single municipal group; That is, neither Palca and Sama had their own communal government as in most communes in Chile.

In 1929, the Treaty of Lima was signed in which Chile kept Arica, whilst Peru reacquired Tacna and received a $6 million indemnity and other concessions. The commune ceased to exist when the treaty became effective on 28 August, in a ceremony held at the home of the prefect Federico Fernandini, in which an agreement was signed between the interim mayor of the Chilean province of Tacna, Gonzalo Robles, and a delegation of Peru headed by Foreign Minister Pedro José Rada y Gamio. At 4 p.m. that day, the Peruvian municipality of Tacna began its functions.

Present

Today, Tacna is a mostly commercial city with many migrants from the Puno Region living there. Its economy is based on mercantile activities with the north of Chile (Arica and Iquique). Since it is part of a duty-free zone, Tacna has come to rival Arequipa as southern Peru's main business area. The city has one of the largest artifact markets in the world with imports from Japan and China, and traditional Peruvian handicrafts.

Geography

The area is generally desert, with a few fertile spots near the mountains. Except for Caplina, no rivers cross the entire province.

Climate

Tacna has a desert climate (BWk/BWh, according to the Köppen climate classification).

|Jan record high C = 33.0 |Feb record high C = 33.2 |Mar record high C = 33.8 |Apr record high C = 31.0 |May record high C = 31.3 |Jun record high C = 30.1 |Jul record high C = 31.6 |Aug record high C = 28.0 |Sep record high C = 27.8 |Oct record high C = 29.2 |Nov record high C = 30.0 |Dec record high C = 30.0 |year record high C = 33.8 |Jan record low C = 7.6 |Feb record low C = 10.0 |Mar record low C = 6.1 |Apr record low C = 3.9 |May record low C = 3.9 |Jun record low C = 0.4 |Jul record low C = 0.0 |Aug record low C = 3.9 |Sep record low C = 3.9 |Oct record low C = 6.1 |Nov record low C = 7.2 |Dec record low C = 7.2 |year record low C = 0.0 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20230821192714/https://www.senamhi.gob.pe/?p=normales-estaciones | archive-date = 21 August 2023 | access-date = 6 November 2023}} | access-date = 4 July 2017}}Deutscher Wetterdienst (precipitation days 1970–1990, humidity 1951–1969, and sun 1930–1937) | access-date = 18 December 2018}}

Tourist attractions

Many monuments are located in this city, including the arch of the Alto de la Alianza and the Tacna Parabolic Arch.

Other monuments include a neo-renaissance Cathedral, the Courthouse, the Alameda Bolognesi and the caves of Toquepala, where archaeologists have found some of the oldest human remains in Peru.

Festivities

The most important festivity in the city is the Semana de Tacna ("Tacna Week"), which runs from August 25–30.

On 28 August, a large Peruvian flag is shown throughout the city during the Paseo de la Bandera, which celebrates the anniversary of the reincorporation of Tacna into Peruvian sovereignty and is one of the most important patriotic demonstrations in the whole country. This tradition started in 1901, during the Chilean administration of Tacna, by a group of tacneños who defied the prohibition of showing Peruvian flags imposed by the Chilean authorities.

There is an agrarian and industrial fair as part of these celebrations.

In September, the festival of the Señor de Locumba is celebrated, which draws thousands of faithful people from all over the world.

Transport

Rail

Tacna was served by a cross-border railway to Arica, Chile. The line closed in 2012, but as of June 2014, there were plans to reopen it. It is also the location of the National Railway Museum of Peru.

Air

Tacna is served by the Crnl. FAP. Carlos Ciriani Santa Rosa International Airport, with flights to Arequipa and Lima.

Road

Tacna is also served by Peru Highway 1 which heads south to Arica and north to Moquegua.

Gallery

File:Tacna Plaza de Armas.jpg|Main square in San Martin area File:Tacna plaza de armas.jpg|Arco Parabólico, Pileta and Glorieta de Tacna, located in the Av. San Martín File:Mercadoviejo.jpg|Coctel Mercado Viejo

References

References

1. (March 2012). "Perú: Población estimada al 30 de junio y tasa de crecimiento de las ciudades capitales, por departamento, 2011 y 2015". Instituto Nacional de Estadística e Informática.
2. "Historia".
3. Moreno, Kevin. (2023-08-28). "Aniversario de Tacna 2023: ¿Qué significa Tacna y por qué se le llama 'Ciudad HeroIca?". [[La República]].
4. Choque Mariño, Carlos. (2020). "Indios originarios y forasteros. Interacciones culturales y cambios demográficos en los Altos de Arica y Tacna (siglos XVI y XVIII)". [[Estudios atacameños]].
5. {{Cite EB1911
6. (2017). "Tras los pasos de la muerte. Mortandad en Tacna durante la Guerra del Pacífico, 1879-1880". [[Historia (history of the Americas journal).
7. Correa Bravo, Agustín. (1903). "Comentarios y concordancias de la Ley de Organización y Atribuciones de las Municipalidades de 22 de diciembre de 1891". Imprenta Cervantes.
8. Zamudio, Orlando. (2001). "Chile. Historia de la división político-administrativa 1810-2000". Instituto Nacional de Estadísticas.
9. (1908). "Censo de la República de Chile levantado el 28 de noviembre de 1907". Oficina Nacional de Estadísticas; Sociedad Imp. y Litogr. Universo.
10. (1928-01-28). "DTO 8583 28-ENE-1928". [[Ministry of the Interior (Chile).
11. (2009-08-28). "A 80 años de la restitución de Tacna". La Estrella de Iquique.
12. ''[[La Nación (Chile). La Nación]]'', 29 August 1929, p. 15
13. "Tacna – Arica reopening studies". [[Railway Gazette International]].
14. [http://home.fuse.net/peruvianrails/peruvianrails/text/southern_peru_railroads.htm Southern Peru Railroads]{{dead link. (December 2017)