Temuco

TEMUCO

Good morning ladies and gentlemans. My name is María José and I will be your tour guide. And now I´m going to show you a very famous place called TEMUCO.

Description of the place:

Temuco is a city, capital of the Cautín Province and of the Araucanía Region in southern Chile.

History about Temuco:

The city is located 670 km south of Santiago at the heart of the modern Araucanía Region and historic Araucanía—the land of the Mapuche who resisted Spanish conquest.

Temuco was founded by Chilean military in Mapuche territory 1881 during the occupation of Araucanía and grew quickly into one of Chile's main cities. Manuel Recabarren, in charge of the project, named the place Fort Recabarren.

Etymology:

The name comes from the Mapudungun language, meaning "temu water"; "temu" is a tree which is used by Mapuche for medicinal purposes and the temu is a native tree in these latitudes which may be observed all throughout the region.

Geography:

Morphologically, the city placement corresponds to Cautín River-originated fluvial land masses that developed in a crushed form between two hills, Ñielol and Conunhueno.

Demographics:

The locals are called temuquences. Most inhabitants are of different origins. Temuco has a high percentage being of Basque ancestry other than Castilian and other Spanish nationalities. Thus, one can find indigenous, mainly Mapuche, who account for 13% of the population of Temuco, which makes it the largest city of Chile with an indigenous presence.

Nearby Places:

The district of Nueva Imperial, lying 35 kilometers from Temuco, lets visitors come close to the Mapuche culture and the natural attractions of the area.

Puerto Saavedra and Lake Budi, windows of the Araucanía onto the Pacific which have displayed the ethnic value of the region

The Imperial River follows its course defined by the relief until it is finally free when reaching the Pacific, right there in Port Saavedra. The coast landscape becomes wild and fascinating in this small settlement. Also, a big part of the history and the culture of the region can be seen.

The route to Curacautín and Lonquimay leads to several attractions, including natural reserves and hot spring resorts.

There are several itineraries to follow near the great City of Temuco. One of them is the road to Curacautin and Lonquimay, which features spectacular natural sceneries, with national parks and reserves, hot spring waters, valleys and volcanoes of wild beauty.

Notable people:

José Marcelo Salas Melinao, better known as El Matador, is a famous football player who played for the Chilean selection. He has a deft touch with his left foot, which has led to some spectacular goals all around the globe.

Chilean poetry has deep roots in Temuco. Nobel Poets Gabriela Mistral and Pablo Neruda (Neftali Reyes) both lived in Temuco. Mistral was the principal of an all-girls school where Neruda would visit her and show her his first verses when he was around 15 years old.

Turistic attraction:

1.-Cauting River: The people who likes came at this river is for the outdoors activities lovers. In the river you can do differents kind of activites like go rafting, go kayak and nearby the river you can take some pictures

2.-The traditional Temuco Market, Niri-Vilcún: It Is one of the traditional spots that visitors should not miss if they really want to see all aspects of Temuco.

The people who come at the market loves to do sightseen and buy some soveniurs for his parents or families

3.-Pablo Neruda museum: Named after the famous poet who spent his childhood and adolescence in the capital of the Araucanía, the Pablo Neruda national museum railway was opened on Feb. 24, 2004 which was created with the intention of showing and preserving the history of the railways in Chile.

4.-Nielol Hill Natural Monument: The Ñielol Hill represents the original forest of the whole southern Chile area as it was before the Spanish people colonized it. It has also a special meaning for the Mapuche people living in the Region.

The people who lives near to the hill think that

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