Arica is Chile’s northernmost city, being located only 18 km south of the border with Peru. Arica is 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.
The population is a mixture between older-residing local Indians such as the Aymara or Chinese who first arrived as miners and rail workers in the 1890s, and Europeans including the Spanish, Italians, Greeks, British and French or their descendants who arrived at different times of local history.
Morro de Arica rises steeply from the city and the sea, with a more gentle slope towards the east. A giant flag of Chile is flown on its summit. From the top it is possible to look northwards along the coast as far as to Peru. Morro de Arica was declared a national monument on October 6 of 1971.
Monument of the Unknown Soldier:
En un lugar de la historia – In a place of history
tu nombre ignorado espera – Your ignored name awaits
la bayoneta dormida – Bayonet asleep
quedo en la pampa desierta.- I remain in the deserted pampa.
¡Que redoblen los tambores – Reduce the drums
y que vibren las cornetas! – and let the horn vibrate!
“Soldado desconocido” – “Unknown Soldier”
¡Hoy tus hijos te despiertan – Today your children wake you up!
The station was built by the English firm “Sociedad Sir John Jackson (Chile) Ltda”. The building corresponds to the neoclassical style. The stones use in the foundation and masonry were brought from Comanche a Bolivian territory.
The Aduana (Customs) of Arica is one of the existing building in the country that was built by the company Eiffel and Co. The deign corresponds to the neoclassical style, it has a regular floor plan. The perimetral walls are made of bricks that were brought specially from France, the pillars of the corner are made by solid stone. The interior and the roof of the structure are metallic.
The Gothic style St. Mark’s Cathedral is located in the city of Arica.The building was commissioned by the government of Peruvian President José Balta to the workshops of the French Gustave Eiffel .