Coquimbo

The area was originally occupied by indigenous people, who used it as a settlement and for fishing purposes. The natural harbor in Coquimbo was taken over by Pedro de Valdivia from Spain in 1550. In 1879 it was recognized as a town. Fort Lambert was built in Coquimbo during the War of the Pacific. The city was on the main path of totality of the Solar eclipse of July 2, 2019. English settlement Coquimbo was first mentioned in the English speaking world when Charles Darwin visited during his voyage on HMS Beagle, stopping in the town on 14 May 1835 describing the town as "remarkable for nothing but its extreme quietness." Starting in the mid 1800s tens of thousands of Englishmen moved to Coquimbo establishing a distinct English architectural and culinary legacy. English settlement was fueled by the gold and copper industry in the region which peaked in 1860, the same time as the construction of a large English cemetery. ==Demographics==

According to the 2002 census of the National Statistics Institute, Coquimbo had 163,036 inhabitants (79,428 men and 83,608 women). Of these, 154,316 (94.7%) lived in urban areas and 8,720 (5.3%) in rural areas. The population grew by 32.8% (40,270 persons) between the 1992 and 2002 censuses. ==Administration==

As a commune, Coquimbo is a fourth-level administrative division of Chile administered by a municipal council, headed by an alcalde who is directly elected every four years. The 2012-2016 alcalde was Cristian Galleguillos Vega. Within the electoral divisions of Chile, Coquimbo is represented in the Chamber of Deputies by Pedro Velásquez (Ind.) and Matías Walker (PDC) as part of the 8th electoral district, (together with Ovalle and Río Hurtado). The commune is represented in the Senate by Gonzalo Uriarte (UDI) and Jorge Pizarro Soto (PDC), as part of the 4th senatorial constituency (Coquimbo Region). ==Economy==

The city is an industrial and shipping center. It is growing quickly, registering a 32.8% growth rate from 1992 to 2002. Tourism has started to develop. It is an access point for beach towns to the south, such as Guanaqueros and Tongoy. The port is still important for shipping, especially fruit and copper from mines in the region. Wine is also produced in the area. ==Sports==

The city has a football team called Coquimbo Unido which plays in the Chilean Primera División B. Their home games are played at the Francisco Sánchez Rumoroso Municipal Stadium, which has a capacity of 17,750 seats. They are nicknamed "Los Piratas", because of the tradition of pirates that arrived to the coasts of Coquimbo. Their biggest rival is Club de Deportes La Serena. ==International relations==

Twin towns – Sister cities Coquimbo is twinned with: • Elbląg, Poland ==Gallery==

File:Coquimbo.JPG|Aerial view File:Estadio Francisco Sanchez Rumoroso1.jpg|Estadio Municipal Francisco Sánchez Rumoroso File:Casino coquimbo.JPG|Casino of Coquimbo File:Coquimbo por la noche.JPG|Coquimbo at night File:CAM 0202.JPG|Coquimbo at night File:Mezquita de Coquimbo5.jpg|Mohammed VI Mosque File:Plaza de Coquimbo.JPG|Plaza de Coquimbo == See also ==