Castro

Chilean city

Castro is a Chilean city with 39.366 inhabitants (2002 census).

Castro


Coat of arms
Map of the Commune of Castro in Los Lagos Region
Castro is located in Chile
Castro
Castro
Location in Chile
Coordinates (city): 42°28′S 73°48′W / 42.467°S 73.800°W / -42.467; -73.800
CountryChile
RegionLos Lagos
ProvinceChiloé
Founded asSantiago de Castro
Founded12 February 1567
Government
 • TypeMunicipality
 • AlcaldeNelson Águila Serpa (DC)
Area
 • Total427.5 km2 (165.1 sq mi)
Elevation
130 m (430 ft)
Population
 (2012 Census)[2]
 • Total41,667
 • Density97/km2 (250/sq mi)
 • Urban
29,148
 • Rural
10,218
DemonymCastreño / a
Sex
 • Men19,325
 • Women20,041
Time zoneUTC−4 (CLT)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−3 (CLST)
Area code56 + 65
Websitewww.municastro.cl (in Spanish)

History

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Castro was discovered by the Spanish conqueror Martín Ruiz de Gamboa on 1567.

Sights

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Castro is well known for its palafitos, traditional wooden stilt houses that are common on the Chiloé Island. Some of them are preserved in the west of the town in a bay named Fiordo de Castro.

In Gamboa, there is also an interesting wooden chapel.

 
Colourful palafitos in Castro
 
Wooden chapel in Gamboa

References

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  1. "Municipality of Castro" (in Spanish). Retrieved 1 January 2011.
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 "National Statistics Institute" (in Spanish). Retrieved 13 December 2010.

Other websites

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