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Santiago ('s Capital and largest city. It is situated in the country's central valley, and administratively is a part of the Santiago Metropolitan Region . Even though Santiago is the capital, Legislative Bodies meet in nearby Valparaíso . CLIMATE Santiago has a mild Mediterranean climate: relatively hot dry summers (November to March) with temperatures reaching up to 35 degrees Celsius on the hottest days; winters (June to August) are more humid, with typical maximum daily temperatures of 15 degrees Celsius, and minimums of a few degrees above freezing. Mean rainfall is 346 mm per year. Thermal Inversion (a meteorological phenomenon whereby a stable layer of warm air holds down colder air close to the ground) causes high levels of Smog and Air Pollution to be trapped and concentrate within the Central Valley during winter months. The government has attempted to reduce pollution by giving incentives for heavy industry to move out of the valley but such measures have seen limited results. HISTORY '' by Pedro Lira ( 1889 )]] Santiago was founded by Pedro De Valdivia on February 12 , 1541 with the name ''Santiago de Nueva Extremadura.'' The founding ceremony was held on Huelén Hill (later renamed Cerro Santa Lucía ). Valdivia chose the location of Santiago because of its moderate climate and the ease with which it could be defended—the Mapocho River split the area in two, and rejoined further downstream, forming an island. The first buildings were erected with the help of the native Picunche Indians. The south bank of the Mapocho River was later drained and converted into a public promenade, known as the ''Alameda'' (now ''Avenida Alameda Libertador Bernardo O'Higgins''). The city was slightly damaged during the War Of Independence ( 1810 – 18 ), in the Battle Of Maipú , which was fought south-west of the city. Santiago was named capital in 1818 . During the early 19th century, Santiago remained a small town with few buildings excepting Palacio De La Moneda , the building used as the Chilean mint during the Spanish period, and a few churches and other civic buildings. In the 1880s extraction of nitrate fertilizer in Northern Chile brought prosperity to the country, and promoted the capital city's development. Important landmarks were built in 1910 during the Centennial celebrations of independence from Spain, such as the National Library and the Museum of Fine Arts. Santiago began its transformation to a modern city in the 1930s, with the building of the Barrio Cívico, surrounding El Palacio De La Moneda . The city also grew in population, due to migration from the north and south of Chile. In 1985 an earthquake destroyed some historically significant buildings in the downtown area. Santiago is now often considered an important financial center in Latin America. PEOPLE The population of Santiago's urban agglomeration grew from 1.33 million in 1950 to 2.84 million in 1970 and 4.73 million in 1990. According to the 2002 census, it contains a population of about 5.8 million, equivalent to nearly 40% of the total population of the country, making it one of the largest cities in Latin America . The government has made great efforts to encourage people to resettle out of Santiago, to relieve the pressure on the city's infrastructure. ECONOMY bulding, shaped like a giant Cell Phone , is the country's second tallest building]] Santiago is the most important industrial and financial center of Chile. It generates 45 percent of the country's GDP . Also, the city is, along with Buenos Aires and São Paulo , one of the biggest financial centers of South America . Some international institutions, such as ECLAC (Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean), have their offices in Santiago. In recent years, due to the strong growth and stability of the Chilean economy, many multinational companies have chosen Santiago as the place for their headquarters in the region, like HP , Reuters , JP Morgan , Intel , Coca-Cola , Unilever , Nestlé , Kodak , BHP Billiton , IBM , Motorola , Microsoft , Ford , Yahoo! , and many more. Transportation Santiago's national and international airport is Arturo Merino Benítez International Airport and ranks high regionally in terms of quality. Trains operated by Chile's national railway, Empresa De Los Ferrocarriles Del Estado , connect Santiago to Puerto Montt , in the central-southern part of the country. All such trains arrive and depart from the ''Estación Central'' ("Central Station"). Private inter-urban bus companies provide excellent and cheap transportation from Santiago to virtually any part of the country. There are also several new inter-urban toll highways connecting the city's extremes. Santiago's urban passenger transportation system include an extensive, privately-run bus service as well as a publicly-owned subway. The buses are known as ''micros'' (for microbus) and are typically colored yellow. This bus system is in the process of being completely replaced by late 2006 by a new system which includes new routes and larger, newer buses, with a better payment system, compatible with the subway (''see'' Transantiago ). The subway is clean and safe and has five operating lines (1,2,4,4A,5). Extensions for lines 1 (to the east) and 5 (to the south-west) are under construction. (''see'' Santiago Metro ). Taxicab s can usually be found on the streets and are painted black with yellow roofs; unmarked taxis may be called up by telephone (''Radiotaxis''). ''Colectivos'' are shared taxicabs that carry passengers along a specific route, for a fixed fee. POLITICAL DIVISIONS Greater Santiago is a Conurbation extending throughout 37 municipalities. The majority of Santiago lies within the Same Named Province , with some peripheral areas contained in the provinces of Talagante , Maipo and Cordillera . The province of Santiago is divided into 32 , Las Condes , Providencia , Maipú , La Florida and Ñuñoa . CULTURAL LIFE in downtown Santiago]] ]] Music There are two symphonic orchestras:
There are also various jazz establishments, the most notable being the Club de Jazz in Ñuñoa . Museums Museums include:
Universities The city has the largest concentration of higher-education institutions in the country. Traditional (Public):
Non-Traditional (Private):
Recreation Santiago is a densely inhabited city with only 2.5 m&2 of green space per inhabitant; less than a third of what the WHO recommends. The city's main parks are:
Modern ski resorts within an hour's drive east from the city include:
One of the country's most important winegrowing areas lie in the near Maipo Valley. Several vineyards are located in this area: Cultural places to visit include:
Main soccer stadiums:
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