San Juan Bautista, Chile
Encyclopedia
San Juan Bautista is the main town in the Juan Fernández Islands
. Some sources say it was founded in 1877 while others give an earlier date of 1750. It is located on Cumberland Bay on the centre of the north-east coast of Robinson Crusoe Island
.
Although the community maintains a rustic serenity dependent on the spiny lobster trade, residents employ a few vehicles, a satellite internet connection, and many television sets. As of the 2002 census the town had a population of 598 in an area of 0.31 square kilometre.
There is a soccer pitch at the northern end of the village; there is a school called Dresden School (source), after the German light cruiser, SMS Dresden, that was sunk here during World War I. Names of the generally unpaved streets in the village include: Larraín Alcalde, Ignacio Carrera Pinto, El Sándalo, Vicente González, Teniente Cortés, La Pólvora, Dresden; a map showing the location of these streets can be seen here .
After the Battle of Rancagua
in 1814, the Spanish authorities exiled 42 Chilean criollo
independence activists to the island. The exiles, including prominent figures such as Juan Egaña and Manuel de Salas, lived in damp caves, today called Las Cuevas de los Patriotas (Patriots' Caves), above San Juan Bautista.
(Köppen
Csb), with rainfall intermediate between that of Valparaíso
and Concepción
.
There is a small, 2900-ft (885 m)-long airstrip (ICAO airport code
: SCIR) in the southwestern part of the island, the only reasonable flat part of Robinson Crusoe. Operations are mostly centered in twin-engine, seven-seat light airplanes, with very limited baggage capabilities. Flight time from mainland Chile is about 2 h 30 min, plus a 1 h 30 min boat ferry to the village at the opposite side of the island.
Juan Fernández Islands
The Juan Fernández Islands are a sparsely inhabited island group reliant on tourism and fishing in the South Pacific Ocean, situated about off the coast of Chile, and is composed of three main volcanic islands; Robinson Crusoe Island, Alejandro Selkirk Island and Santa Clara Island, the first...
. Some sources say it was founded in 1877 while others give an earlier date of 1750. It is located on Cumberland Bay on the centre of the north-east coast of Robinson Crusoe Island
Robinson Crusoe Island
Robinson Crusoe Island , formerly known as Más a Tierra , or Aguas Buenas, is the largest island of the Chilean Juan Fernández archipelago, situated 674 kilometres west of South America in the South Pacific Ocean...
.
Although the community maintains a rustic serenity dependent on the spiny lobster trade, residents employ a few vehicles, a satellite internet connection, and many television sets. As of the 2002 census the town had a population of 598 in an area of 0.31 square kilometre.
There is a soccer pitch at the northern end of the village; there is a school called Dresden School (source), after the German light cruiser, SMS Dresden, that was sunk here during World War I. Names of the generally unpaved streets in the village include: Larraín Alcalde, Ignacio Carrera Pinto, El Sándalo, Vicente González, Teniente Cortés, La Pólvora, Dresden; a map showing the location of these streets can be seen here .
After the Battle of Rancagua
Disaster of Rancagua
The Battle of Rancagua, also known as the Disaster of Rancagua occurred in October 1814 when the Spanish under Mariano Osorio defeated rebel Chilean forces....
in 1814, the Spanish authorities exiled 42 Chilean criollo
Criollo (people)
The Criollo class ranked below that of the Iberian Peninsulares, the high-born permanent residence colonists born in Spain. But Criollos were higher status/rank than all other castes—people of mixed descent, Amerindians, and enslaved Africans...
independence activists to the island. The exiles, including prominent figures such as Juan Egaña and Manuel de Salas, lived in damp caves, today called Las Cuevas de los Patriotas (Patriots' Caves), above San Juan Bautista.
Climate
San Juan Bautista has a very mild Mediterranean climateMediterranean climate
A Mediterranean climate is the climate typical of most of the lands in the Mediterranean Basin, and is a particular variety of subtropical climate...
(Köppen
Köppen climate classification
The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by Crimea German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen himself, notably in 1918 and 1936...
Csb), with rainfall intermediate between that of Valparaíso
Valparaíso
Valparaíso is a city and commune of Chile, center of its third largest conurbation and one of the country's most important seaports and an increasing cultural center in the Southwest Pacific hemisphere. The city is the capital of the Valparaíso Province and the Valparaíso Region...
and Concepción
Concepción, Chile
Concepción is a city in Chile, capital of Concepción Province and of the Biobío Region or Region VIII. Greater Concepción is the second-largest conurbation in the country, with 889,725 inhabitants...
.
Transportation
As of early 2010, a pair of ships arrive each month from mainland Chile. Number of passengers is limited, so arrangements must be made as much as a month in advance. The Chilean Navy gives preference to locals. One-way trip time is 24–36 hours, or more depending on sea roughness.There is a small, 2900-ft (885 m)-long airstrip (ICAO airport code
ICAO airport code
The ICAO airport code or location indicator is a four-character alphanumeric code designating each airport around the world. These codes are defined by the International Civil Aviation Organization, and published in ICAO Document 7910: Location Indicators.The ICAO codes are used by air traffic...
: SCIR) in the southwestern part of the island, the only reasonable flat part of Robinson Crusoe. Operations are mostly centered in twin-engine, seven-seat light airplanes, with very limited baggage capabilities. Flight time from mainland Chile is about 2 h 30 min, plus a 1 h 30 min boat ferry to the village at the opposite side of the island.
2010 tsunami
On February 27, 2010, 5 people lost their lives when a tsunami caused by the Chile 8.8 earthquake hit the island and flooded the town.External links
Attribution
- The original version of this article included text from the Wikipedia article Robinson Crusoe IslandRobinson Crusoe IslandRobinson Crusoe Island , formerly known as Más a Tierra , or Aguas Buenas, is the largest island of the Chilean Juan Fernández archipelago, situated 674 kilometres west of South America in the South Pacific Ocean...
.