Callao

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Template:Short description {{#invoke:other uses|otheruses}} Template:Redirect Template:Use dmy dates Template:Infobox settlement Callao (Template:IPA) is a seaside city and constitutional province in Peru.Template:Efn Located next to the Pacific Ocean, it forms part of the Lima metropolitan area alongside Lima province. Its autonomous status dates back to 1836, when it was declared a Littoral Province of the Peru–Bolivian Confederation, after which it was declared a Constitutional Province by the government of Ramón Castilla in 1857.

Callao is Peru's chief seaport and home to its main airport, Jorge Chávez International Airport. Founded in 1537 by the Spaniards, the city has a long naval history as one of the main ports in Latin America and the Pacific, having been a vital Spanish town during the colonial era. Central Callao is about Template:Cvt west of the Historic Centre of Lima.

History

The oldest traces of human occupation of Callao date back more than 10,000 years and are the stone workshops on Chivateros Hill. Throughout the pre-Inca period, various peoples settled in the area, primarily dedicated to fishing. In the mid-15th century, the territory of Callao was annexed to the Inca Empire, with the Inca Palace of Oquendo being one of its strategic centres.

Spanish period

File:Plano del El Callao en 1744 - AHG.jpg
Callao Harbor (1744)

The city was founded by Spanish colonists in 1537, just two years after Lima, which was founded in 1535. The origin of its name is unknown; both Amerindian (particularly Yunga, or Coastal Peruvian) and Spanish sources are credited, but it is certain that it was known by that name since 1550. Other sources point to the similarity with the Portuguese word calhau [pebble], having a similar sound.

It soon became the main port for Spanish commerce in the Pacific. At the height of the Viceroyalty, virtually all goods produced in Peru, Bolivia, and Argentina were carried over the Andes by mule to Callao, to be shipped to Panama, carried overland, and then transported on to Spain via Cuba. The port of Callao was also a node in the Manila galleon route connecting Latin-America and Asia through Acapulco, Mexico and Manila, Philippines.<ref>Connecting China with the Pacific World By Angela Schottenhammer Template:Webarchive(2019)(Page 144–145)</ref> As a result, Callao also became a permanent target for pirate and corsair attacks, such as the one carried out by Francis Drake in 1579 and the blockade established by Jacques l'Hermite in 1624.

Republican period

Callao took great importance during the Peruvian War of Independence. After the Battle of Ayacucho, 9 December 1824, that sealed the independence of Peru and South America, Spain made futile attempts to retain its former colonies, such as at the second siege of Callao.

In a session on March 8, 1834, the National Convention presided over by Francisco Xavier de Luna Pizarro decorated Callao as “The Faithful and Generous City of Callao, Asylum of the Laws and Liberty”, as a reward for defending the government of General Luis José de Orbegoso against the coup attempts of General Pedro Pablo Bermúdez.

Littoral Province

On 20 August 1836, during the Peru–Bolivian Confederation, President Andrés de Santa Cruz mandated the creation of Callao Littoral Province (Template:Langx), also called the Military and Political Government of Callao (Template:Langx), which had political autonomy in its internal affairs. The province was thus separated from Lima from this point onwards.

Constitutional Province

File:Lima MKL Bd. 10 1890 (128443787).jpg
Historic map (1890)

During the government of President Ramón Castilla, Callao was designated a constitutional province (Provincia Constitucional), on 22 April 1857; before that, Callao was called Littoral province. All of the other Peruvian provinces had been given their names by law, while Callao was given it by constitutional mandate.

The province's first mayor was Col. Manuel Cipriano Dulanto.

In 1921, the Bureau of Public Works granted a concession to M.I.T. engineer John Tinker Glidden for paving, administering, and inaugurating a public cart road between Callao and Lima, further coalescing a Lima metropolitan area.

By 1949, Callao was known as one of the biggest centers of coca-based products and cocaine traffic in the world.<ref>"The White Goddess", Time, 11 April 1949</ref>

Notable events

City highlights

Callao is built on and around a peninsula, the district of La Punta, a wealthy residential neighborhood. A historical fortress, the Castillo de Real Felipe (site of "Rodil's Last Stand"), stands on the promontory overlooking the harbor.

A large naval base is sited in Callao. Its prison held Abimael Guzmán, the leader of the Shining Path Communist Party of Peru, and holds Vladimiro Montesinos, the ex-director of internal security during the Fujimori regime.

Jorge Chávez International Airport is located in Callao.

On a bluff overlooking the harbor sits Colegio Militar Leoncio Prado, the military high school. The city also has a university, the National University of Callao.

The main Naval Hospital, Centro Medico Naval is located on Avenida Venezuela in Bellavista. It contains the U.S. Navy command Naval Medical Research Unit Six; professional soccer clubs are Sport Boys and Atlético Chalaco.

Residents of Callao are known as chalacos after the Quechua word Chala meaning coast.

Islands

File:Islaspalomino.jpg
Sea lions in the Palomino Islands

Callao has several islands: San Lorenzo (currently a military base), El Frontón (a former high security prison), the Cavinzas Islands, and the Palomino Islands, where numerous sea lions and sea birds live in a virtually untouched ecosystem. There are proposed plans to build a huge naval, terrestrial, and air port on San Lorenzo Island. This project is called the San Lorenzo Megaport Project.

Law and government

Local government affairs are divided into two levels. Regional matters are handled by the Regional Government of Callao (Gobierno Regional del Callao), which is located in front of the Jorge Chávez International Airport.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Affairs such as city cleaning, promoting of sports and basic services are handled by the Provincial Municipality of Callao, which is headquartered in the Callao District. Also, each of the six districts has its own Municipality which handles matters in their respective jurisdictional areas.

Administrative divisions

Callao is divided into seven districts, (Template:Langx; singular: distrito), each of which is headed by a mayor (alcalde).

Districts of  Callao<ref name="municallao2012">Template:Cite web</ref>
Map
N°		 District Population Area
km2		 Density
(pers/km2)		 Map of the districts
of Callao		 Map
1 Callao (downtown) 415,888 45.65 9,147.60 Callao big div num File:Mapa del Callao y distritos.gif
2 Bellavista 75,163 4.56 16 483.11
3 Carmen de la Legua Reynoso 41,863 2.12 19,746.7
4 La Perla 61,698 2.75 22,435.64
5 La Punta 4,370 0.75 5,826.67
6 Ventanilla 277,895 73.52 3,779.86
7 Mi Perú (part of Ventanilla until May 2014) 51,522 2.47 20,859.11

The rest of Callao Region is composed of the islands of San Lorenzo, El Frontón, Cavinzas and Palomino, which all together have an area of Template:Convert.

Crime

Callao is one of the most dangerous areas in Peru and experiences the most crime.<ref name=":0">Template:Cite web</ref> The main port city in Peru is known as one of the largest exit points of cocaine and is rife with organized crime that results in violence.<ref name=":0" /><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In December 2015, the government declared Callao in a state of emergency that extended until April 2016, with more than 30 people being killed at the time.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In 2016, the murder rate in Callao was double the national average; from 10.2 per 100,000 in 2011 to 15.2 in 2015, compared to Lima which saw 4.8 per 100,000 in 2011 and 5.0 per 100,000 in 2015.<ref name=":0" /> Despite government and cultural initiatives, crime has continued to increase in Callao, with some public events in the area ending in gunfire.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Transportation

Airport

Jorge Chávez International Airport (IATA: LIM, ICAO: SPJC), known as Aeropuerto Internacional Jorge Chávez in Spanish, is Peru's main international and domestic airport. It is located in Callao district, Template:Cvt northwest from the Historic Center of Lima. Callao is the port city now fully integrated with Lima, the nation's capital. In 2008, the airport handled 8,288,506 passengers and 98,733 aircraft movements. The airport was expanded in 2025 with the construction of a new terminal, increasing its capacity to 40 million passengers per year. The old terminal was closed and will be converted into a logistics center.

For many years it was the hub for now defunct Aeroperú and Compañía de Aviación Faucett, one of the oldest airlines in Latin America. Now it serves as a hub for many aviation companies such as Sky Airline Peru, Atsa Airlines, JetSmart Perú, Star Perú and LATAM Perú.

Rail

The port of Callao is served by the Template:RailGauge Ferrocarril Central Andino. The rail system connects to the Desamparados station in the center of Lima and ends in Huancayo. The rail station in Callao does not currently serve commercial service and instead is used for cargo.

Notable people

See also

Notes

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References

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Template:Geographic location Template:Lima Template:Large cities of Peru Template:Regional capitals of Peru Template:Authority control

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