Chile Pisagua 2006

Pisagua, Chile
Pisagua is a port on the Chilean Pacific Ocean, located in the municipality of Huara in the Tarapacá region of northern Chile. Pisagua is located in a remote location, with the sea on one side and a large expanse of desert on the other.
The mouth of Quebrada Tilihuice and the ruins of the old Pisagua are based on Francisco Riso Patrón and the Diccionario Geográfico de las Provincias de Tacna and Tarapaca Tacna y Tarapacá), the name Pisagua comes from Quechua and means a place where water is scarce: Pis - scarcity, agua - water.
Pisagua was founded in 1611 by a decree of the Governor of Peru to create a base to curb the illegal trade in gold and silver from the important mineral deposits of Potosí and Oruro in the highlands of the "Audiencia Charcas". British and Dutch pirates also operated in the area.
The settlement, now known as "Pisagua Viejo" (Old Pisa Gua), is located on the north side of Quebrada Tiliviche and is part of an extensive ancient waste deposit. The 1836 tsunami forced Pisagua to move to its current location. This is a small plain between the Punta Picaro and Punta Pisagua peninsulas, about 3 kilometers south of Old Pisagua. Some mudbrick ruins still exist.
At the beginning of the 20th century, Pisagua became one of the most important ports in the country (after Valparaíso and Iquique), housed the offices of major banks, and was one of the most beautiful cities on the South Pacific coast.