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102-403: Historically, lighthouse keepers were needed to trim the wicks, replenish fuel, wind clockworks and perform maintenance tasks such as cleaning lenses and windows. They were also responsible for the fog signal and the weather station , and played a major role in search and rescue at sea. Because most lighthouses are located in remote, isolated or inaccessible areas on islands and coastlines, it

204-449: A free market economy that saw an increase in domestic and foreign private investment, although the copper industry and other important mineral resources were not opened to competition. In a plebiscite on 5 October 1988, Pinochet was denied a second eight-year term as president (56% against 44%). Chileans elected a new president and the majority of members of a bicameral congress on 14 December 1989. Christian Democrat Patricio Aylwin ,

306-645: A national referendum in April 2020 regarding the creation of a new Constitution, later postponed to October due to the COVID-19 pandemic . On 25 October 2020, Chileans voted 78.28 per cent in favor of a new constitution, while 21.72 per cent rejected the change. Voter turnout was 51 percent. An election for the members of the Constitutional Convention was held in Chile between 15 and 16 May 2021. On 19 December 2021,

408-578: A parliamentary style democracy. However, the Civil War had also been a contest between those who favored the development of local industries and powerful Chilean banking interests, particularly the House of Edwards which had strong ties to foreign investors. Soon after, the country engaged in a vastly expensive naval arms race with Argentina that nearly led to war, as well because of the Puna de Atacama dispute . After

510-558: A plurality of votes in a three-way contest, followed by candidates Radomiro Tomic for the Christian Democrat Party and Jorge Alessandri for the Conservative Party. Allende was not elected with an absolute majority, receiving fewer than 35% of the votes. The Chilean Congress conducted a runoff vote between the leading candidates, Allende and former president Jorge Alessandri, and, keeping with tradition, chose Allende by

612-614: A campaign of domestic political and economical destabilization, some of which was backed by the United States. By early 1973, inflation was out of control. On 26 May 1973, Chile's Supreme Court, which was opposed to Allende's government, unanimously denounced Allende's disruption of the legality of the nation . Although illegal under the Chilean constitution, the court supported and strengthened Pinochet's soon-to-be seizure of power. A military coup overthrew Allende on 11 September 1973. As

714-469: A large variety of climates and landscapes. It contains 756,950 square kilometers (292,260 sq mi) of land area. It is situated within the Pacific Ring of Fire . Excluding its Pacific islands and Antarctic claim, Chile lies between latitudes 17° and 56°S , and longitudes 66° and 75°W . Chile is among the longest north–south countries in the world. If one considers only mainland territory, Chile

816-414: A leftist candidate, the 35-year-old former student protest leader Gabriel Boric , won Chile's presidential election to become the country's youngest ever leader. On 11 March 2022, Boric was sworn in as president to succeed outgoing President Sebastian Piñera. Out of 24 members of Gabriel Boric's female-majority Cabinet, 14 are women. On 4 September 2022, voters rejected the new constitution proposal in

918-572: A letter dated 12 November 1821, expressing his plan to conquer Guayaquil , the Galapagos Islands , and the Philippines . There were preparations, but the plan did not push through because O'Higgins was exiled. Chile slowly started to expand its influence and to establish its borders. By the Tantauco Treaty, the archipelago of Chiloé was incorporated in 1826. The economy began to boom due to

1020-540: A period of almost 24 hours, an effort that was carried on live television around the world. 2019–20 Chilean protests are a series of country-wide protests in response to a rise in the Santiago Metro 's subway fare, the increased cost of living , privatization and inequality prevalent in the country. On 15 November, most of the political parties represented in the National Congress signed an agreement to call

1122-527: A period of major reform. Under the slogan "Revolution in Liberty", the Frei administration embarked on far-reaching social and economic programs, particularly in education, housing, and agrarian reform , including rural unionization of agricultural workers. By 1967, however, Frei encountered increasing opposition from leftists, who charged that his reforms were inadequate, and from conservatives, who found them excessive. At

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1224-694: A prolonged struggle, including infighting from Bernardo O'Higgins , who challenged Carrera's leadership. Intermittent warfare continued until 1817. With Carrera in prison in Argentina, O'Higgins and anti-Carrera cohort José de San Martín , hero of the Argentine War of Independence , led an army that crossed the Andes into Chile and defeated the royalists. On 12 February 1818, Chile was proclaimed an independent republic . The political revolt brought little social change, however, and 19th-century Chilean society preserved

1326-490: A reformist president, Arturo Alessandri , whose program was frustrated by a conservative congress. In the 1920s, Marxist groups with strong popular support arose. A military coup led by General Luis Altamirano in 1924 set off a period of political instability that lasted until 1932. Of the ten governments that held power in that period, the longest lasting was that of General Carlos Ibáñez del Campo , who briefly held power in 1925 and then again between 1927 and 1931 in what

1428-539: A small cannon was let off periodically to warn away ships, but this was labor-intensive and dangerous. In the United States , whistles were also used where a source of steam power was available, though Trinity House , the British lighthouse authority , did not employ them, preferring an explosive signal. Throughout the 19th century efforts were made to automate the signalling process. Trinity House eventually developed

1530-477: A system (the "Signal, Fog, Mk I") for firing a gun-cotton charge electrically. However, the charge had to be manually replaced after each signal. At Portland Bill , for example, which had a five-minute interval between fog-signals, this meant the horns had to be lowered, the two new charges inserted, and the horns raised again every five minutes during foggy periods. Clockwork systems were also developed for striking bells. Stricken bells were developed throughout

1632-731: A vote of 153 to 35. Frei refused to form an alliance with Alessandri to oppose Allende, on the grounds that the Christian Democrats were a workers' party and could not make common cause with the right wing. An economic depression that began in 1972 was exacerbated by capital flight , plummeting private investment, and withdrawal of bank deposits in response to Allende's socialist program. Production fell and unemployment rose. Allende adopted measures including price freezes, wage increases, and tax reforms, to increase consumer spending and redistribute income downward. Joint public-private public works projects helped reduce unemployment. Much of

1734-515: Is Santiago , and the national language is Spanish . Spain conquered and colonized the region in the mid-16th century, replacing Inca rule , but failed to conquer the independent Mapuche people who inhabited what is now south-central Chile. Chile emerged as a relatively stable authoritarian republic in the 1830s after their 1818 declaration of independence from Spain . During the 19th century, Chile experienced significant economic and territorial growth, putting an end to Mapuche resistance in

1836-430: Is now Chile. The next Europeans to reach Chile were Diego de Almagro and his band of Spanish conquistadors , who came from Peru in 1535 seeking gold. The Spanish encountered various cultures that supported themselves principally through slash-and-burn agriculture and hunting. The conquest of Chile began in earnest in 1540 and was carried out by Pedro de Valdivia , one of Francisco Pizarro 's lieutenants, who founded

1938-652: Is present-day Chile. Settlement sites from very early human habitation include Monte Verde, Cueva del Milodón and the Pali-Aike Crater 's lava tube . The Incas briefly extended their empire into what is now northern Chile, but the Mapuche (or Araucanians as they were known by the Spaniards) successfully resisted many attempts by the Inca Empire to subjugate them, despite their lack of state organization. They fought against

2040-601: Is suspended under the terms of the Antarctic Treaty , of which Chile is a signatory. It is the world's southernmost country that is geographically on the mainland. Chile controls Easter Island and Sala y Gómez Island, the easternmost islands of Polynesia, which it incorporated to its territory in 1888, and the Juan Fernández Islands , more than 600 km (370 mi) from the mainland. Also controlled but only temporarily inhabited (by some local fishermen) are

2142-405: Is unique within this group in its narrowness from east to west, with the other long north–south countries (including Brazil, Russia, Canada, and the United States, among others) all being wider from east to west by a factor of more than 10. Chile also claims 1,250,000 km (480,000 sq mi) of Antarctica as part of its territory ( Chilean Antarctic Territory ). However, this latter claim

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2244-605: The Canadian Coast Guard , is kept occupied for sovereignty purposes due to the disputed status of the island with the US. The Coast Guard further clarified in 2022 that there are 90 people employed as lighthouse keepers across the country, all of whom are considered to be employees of the federal government, and 54 of whom operate out of British Columbia. The last civilian keeper in the United States , Frank Schubert , died in 2003. The last officially manned lighthouse, Boston Light ,

2346-644: The Daboll trumpet for the American lighthouse service, though it was not universally adopted. A few Daboll trumpets remained in use until the mid-20th century. In the United Kingdom , experiments to develop more effective foghorns were carried out by John Tyndall and Lord Rayleigh , amongst others. The latter's ongoing research for Trinity House culminated in a design for a siren with a large trumpet designed to achieve maximum sound propagation (see reference for details of

2448-474: The International Association of Lighthouse Authorities . Fog signals have also been used on railway lines since the middle of the 19th century to indicate to warn of disabled trains, work parties, or other hazards on the line ahead. Small explosive detonators or torpedoes are placed on the track, and detonated by the pressure of the wheels of the oncoming train. British writer Jennifer Lucy Allan

2550-508: The Maule river in 1812, but did not include the indigenous population or the inhabitants of the province of Chiloé. The population is estimated at 210,567, 86.1% of whom were Spanish or of European descent, 10% of whom were indigenous and 3.7% of whom were mestizos, blacks and mulattos . A 2021 study by Baten and Llorca-Jaña shows that regions with a relatively high share of North European migrants developed faster in terms of numeracy , even if

2652-690: The Pacific Alliance , and joined the OECD in 2010. There are various theories about the origin of the word Chile . According to 17th-century Spanish chronicler Diego de Rosales , the Incas called the valley of the Aconcagua Chili by corruption of the name of a Picunche tribal chief ( cacique ) called Tili , who ruled the area at the time of the Incan conquest in the 15th century. Another theory points to

2754-587: The Republic of Chile , is a country in western South America . It is the southernmost country in the world and the closest to Antarctica , stretching along a narrow strip of land between the Andes Mountains and the Pacific Ocean . Chile had a population of 17.5 million as of the latest census in 2017 and has a territorial area of 756,102 square kilometers (291,933 sq mi), sharing borders with Peru to

2856-676: The South Foreland lighthouse near Dover , England, in 1730. According to Fisheries and Oceans Canada , there are 51 staffed lighthouses left in Canada , as of October 2017: one in New Brunswick , 23 in Newfoundland and Labrador , and 27 in British Columbia . All of these lighthouses are staffed for operational reasons, except for the light on Machias Seal Island . This lighthouse, manned by

2958-662: The United Kingdom , was the North Foreland Lighthouse in Kent . The last six keepers Dave Appleby, Colin Bale, Dermot Cronin, Tony Homewood, Barry Simmons and Tristan Sturley completed their service in a ceremony attended by the Prince Philip , on 26 November 1998. In an interview with the BBC, Dermot Cronin remarked, "I had no idea I would be closing the door of the last manned lighthouse in

3060-640: The constitutional referendum , which was put forward by the left-leaning Constitutional Convention . On 17 December 2023, voters rejected a second new constitution proposal in a new constitutional referendum , written by the conservative-led Constitutional Council . A long and narrow coastal Southern Cone country on the west side of the Andes Mountains , Chile stretches over 4,300 km (2,670 mi) north to south, but only 350 km (217 mi) at its widest point east to west and 64 km (40 mi) at its narrowest point east to west, with an average width of 175 km (109 mi). This encompasses

3162-513: The 1800s with the use of a governor, including the use of a giant triangle of 4 ft long sides in Maine in 1837. Ships were required to carry bells, with an exemption for Turkish ships because Islam forbade the use of bells. Captain James William Newton claimed to have been the inventor of the fog signalling technique using loud and low notes. The first automated steam -powered foghorn

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3264-494: The 1880s and gaining its current northern territory in the War of the Pacific (1879–83) by defeating Peru and Bolivia. In the 20th century, up until the 1970s, Chile underwent a process of democratization and experienced rapid population growth and urbanization , while relying increasingly on exports from copper mining to support its economy . During the 1960s and 1970s, the country

3366-439: The 1960s and over the course of the late 20th century made paid resident keepers at the lights unnecessary in certain areas, while simply altering their responsibilities elsewhere. Those who continue to work as lighthouse keepers today perform building maintenance, repair work to broken and blind buoys, geographic realignment of wayward navigational aids off the coast, and technical maintenance on automated systems. In most countries,

3468-709: The British Isles." Under pressure from British minister Sir Harry Parkes to fulfil its obligations under the Anglo-Japanese Treaty of Amity and Commerce to make the waters and harbors of Japan safe for shipping, the Tokugawa shogunate hired the Edinburgh -based firm of D. and T. Stevenson to chart coastal waters and to build lighthouses where appropriate. Richard Henry Brunton was sent from Edinburgh in August 1868 to head

3570-568: The Commissioners of Light Houses for the Bay of Fundy for installation on Partridge Island . While the Commissioners initially rejected Foulis's plan, one commissioner eventually encouraged Foulis to submit detailed plans to the Commission. For reasons unknown, the plans were given to another Canadian engineer, T. T. Vernon Smith , who officially submitted them to the Commissioners as his own. The foghorn

3672-686: The Daboll trumpet, used vibrating plates or metal reeds , a similar principle to a modern electric car horn . Others used air forced through holes in a rotating cylinder or disk, in the same manner as a siren . Semi-automatic operation of foghorns was achieved by using a clockwork mechanism (or "coder") to sequentially open the valves admitting air to the horns; each horn was given its own timing characteristics to help mariners identify them. Audible fog signals have been used in one form or another for hundreds of years, initially simply seashell horns , fog bells or gongs struck manually. At some lighthouses ,

3774-542: The December 2017 presidential election . On 27 February 2010, Chile was struck by an 8.8 M w earthquake , the fifth largest ever recorded at the time. More than 500 people died (most from the ensuing tsunami ) and over a million people lost their homes. The earthquake was also followed by multiple aftershocks. Initial damage estimates were in the range of US$ 15–30 billion, around 10% to 15% of Chile's real gross domestic product. Chile achieved global recognition for

3876-588: The Dutch broadcaster VPRO aired a live foghorn concert on national radio composed by Marnie Bjornson, relaying the sound of the foghorns in Emden , Calais , Nieuwpoort , Scheveningen , Den Helder , Lelystad , Urk , Marken and Kornwerderzand , mixed with studio music by sound artist Alvin Curran . Since automation of lighthouses became common in the 1960s and 1970s, most older foghorn installations have been removed to avoid

3978-552: The Earth". Another origin attributed to chilli is the onomatopoeic cheele-cheele —the Mapuche imitation of the warble of a bird locally known as trile . The Spanish conquistadors heard about this name from the Incas, and the few survivors of Diego de Almagro 's first Spanish expedition south from Peru in 1535–36 called themselves the "men of Chilli". Ultimately, Almagro is credited with

4080-813: The Popular Unity platform also called for nationalization of Chile's major copper mines in the form of a constitutional amendment. The measure was passed unanimously by Congress. As a result, the Richard Nixon administration organized and inserted secret operatives in Chile, in order to swiftly destabilize Allende's government. In addition, US financial pressure restricted international economic credit to Chile. The economic problems were also exacerbated by Allende's public spending, financed mostly through printing money, and by poor credit ratings given by commercial banks. Simultaneously, opposition media, politicians, business guilds and other organizations helped to accelerate

4182-678: The Sapa Inca Tupac Yupanqui and his army. The result of the bloody three-day confrontation known as the Battle of the Maule was that the Inca conquest of the territories of Chile ended at the Maule river . In 1520, while attempting to circumnavigate the globe, Ferdinand Magellan discovered the southern passage now named after him (the Strait of Magellan ) thus becoming the first European to set foot on what

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4284-522: The Spanish monarchy (in memory of this day, Chile celebrates its National Day on 18 September each year). After these events, a movement for total independence, under the command of José Miguel Carrera (one of the most renowned patriots) and his two brothers Juan José and Luis Carrera , soon gained a wider following. Spanish attempts to re-impose arbitrary rule during what was called the Reconquista led to

4386-521: The Trials of Fog Signals ), installed in Trevose Head Lighthouse , Cornwall in 1913. One reporter, after hearing a Brown steam-powered siren for the first time, described it as having "a screech like an army of panthers, weird and prolonged, gradually lowering in note until after half a minute it becomes the roar of a thousand mad bulls, with intermediate voices suggestive of the wail of a lost soul,

4488-692: The War of the Pacific, Chile became a Naval Power in the Americas, even sending a ship in protests in the Panama crisis of 1885 against the United States intervention in the then Colombian territory. The United States and Chile had the Baltimore crisis which almost became a war as Chile was a potential threat to the intentions of hegemony from the United States in the Western Hemisphere. In 1902 Chile and Argentina received

4590-470: The armed forces bombarded the presidential palace , Allende apparently committed suicide. After the coup, Henry Kissinger told U.S. president Richard Nixon that the United States had "helped" the coup. In 1970, when Allende was first elected, Henry Kissinger had stated "I don't see why we need to stand by and watch a country go Communist due to the irresponsibility of its own people". A military junta, led by General Augusto Pinochet , took control of

4692-604: The automation of Hook Head Lighthouse, Baily Lighthouse became the last Irish lighthouse to have a resident keeper, but it too was automated in 1997, and the lighthouse keeper was no longer needed. A couple of months later, on March 31, 1998, the keepers left the Fair Isle South Lighthouse in Shetland , and with that the final Scottish lighthouse to be staffed became automated. The last manned lighthouse in England , and

4794-621: The banking sector was nationalized . Many enterprises within the copper , coal, iron, nitrate , and steel industries were expropriated , nationalized, or subjected to state intervention. Industrial output increased sharply and unemployment fell during the Allende administration's first year. Allende's program included advancement of workers' interests, replacing the judicial system with "socialist legality", nationalization of banks and forcing others to bankruptcy, and strengthening "popular militias" known as MIR. Started under former President Frei,

4896-599: The benefit of training personnel in the work of maritime signal maintenance and safety. As of 2011, there were also 62 staffed lighthouses in Italy and two staffed lights in the Netherlands – one at Schiermonnikoog and the other on the island of Terschelling . The last lighthouse keeper in Iceland was terminated in 2010. Automation of lighthouses in the Britain and Ireland began in

4998-435: The candidate of a coalition of 17 political parties called the Concertación , received an absolute majority of votes (55%). President Aylwin served from 1990 to 1994, in what was considered a transition period. In December 1993, Christian Democrat Eduardo Frei Ruiz-Tagle , the son of previous president Eduardo Frei Montalva, led the Concertación coalition to victory with an absolute majority of votes (58%). Frei Ruiz-Tagle

5100-400: The city of Santiago on 12 February 1541. Although the Spanish did not find the extensive gold and silver they sought, they recognized the agricultural potential of Chile's central valley, and Chile became part of the Spanish Empire . Conquest took place gradually, and the Europeans suffered repeated setbacks. A massive Mapuche insurrection that began in 1553 resulted in Valdivia's death and

5202-452: The colony in addition to the Mapuche, as was shown by Sir Francis Drake 's 1578 raid on Valparaíso, the colony's principal port. Chile hosted one of the largest standing armies in the Americas, making it one of the most militarized of the Spanish possessions, as well as a drain on the treasury of the Viceroyalty of Peru . The first general census was conducted by the government of Agustín de Jáuregui between 1777 and 1778; it indicated that

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5304-419: The command of John Williams Wilson , the Magallanes Region started to be controlled by country in 1843 , while the Antofagasta Region , at the time in dispute with Bolivia , began to fill with people. After the Chilean Civil War of 1829–1830 in which the conservatives won, under the Joaquín Prieto Administration, the Chilean Constitution of 1833 was written and put into effect with high influence from

5406-408: The country to renounce to its claims in the rest of East Patagonia after a dispute that started in 1842 . As a result of the War of the Pacific with Peru and Bolivia (1879–83), Chile expanded its territory northward by almost one-third, eliminating Bolivia's access to the Pacific, and acquired valuable nitrate deposits, the exploitation of which led to an era of national affluence. Chile had joined

5508-582: The country, several hundred committed Chilean revolutionaries joined the Sandinista army in Nicaragua , guerrilla forces in Argentina or training camps in Cuba , Eastern Europe and Northern Africa. In the late 1980s, largely as a result of events such as the 1982 economic collapse and mass civil resistance in 1983–88, the government gradually permitted greater freedom of assembly, speech , and association, to include trade union and political activity. The government launched market-oriented reforms with Hernán Büchi as Minister of Finance. Chile moved toward

5610-446: The country. The years of the regime were marked by human rights violations . Chile actively participated in Operation Condor . In October 1973, at least 72 people were murdered by the Caravan of Death . According to the Rettig Report and Valech Commission , at least 2,115 were killed, and at least 27,265 were tortured (including 88 children younger than 12 years old). In 2011, Chile recognized an additional 9,800 victims, bringing

5712-520: The destruction of many of the colony's principal settlements. Subsequent major insurrections took place in 1598 and in 1655. Each time the Mapuche and other native groups revolted, the southern border of the colony was driven northward. The abolition of slavery by the Spanish crown in 1683 was done in recognition that enslaving the Mapuche intensified resistance rather than cowing them into submission. Despite royal prohibitions, relations remained strained from continual colonialist interference. Cut off to

5814-415: The discovery of silver ore in Chañarcillo, and the growing trade of the port of Valparaíso, which led to conflict over maritime supremacy in the Pacific with Peru. At the same time, attempts were made to strengthen sovereignty in southern Chile intensifying penetration into Araucanía and colonizing Llanquihue with German immigrants in 1848. Through the founding of Fort Bulnes by the Schooner Ancud under

5916-409: The end of 2015. Raffles Lighthouse , on Singapore's southernmost island , and Pulau Pisang Lighthouse , which is technically located within the neighbouring country of Malaysia , are both crewed by a rotating staff of eight lighthouse keepers who work 10-day shifts in pairs. The last staffed lighthouse in Australia was the Sugarloaf Point Light , otherwise known as Seal Rocks Lighthouse. Although

6018-405: The end of his term, Frei had not fully achieved his party's ambitious goals. In the 1970 election, Senator Salvador Allende of the Socialist Party of Chile (then part of the " Popular Unity " coalition which included the Communists, Radicals, Social-Democrats, dissident Christian Democrats, the Popular Unitary Action Movement, and the Independent Popular Action), achieved a partial majority in

6120-420: The essence of the stratified colonial social structure, which was greatly influenced by family politics and the Roman Catholic Church . A strong presidency eventually emerged, but wealthy landowners remained powerful. Bernardo O'Higgins once planned to expand Chile by liberating the Philippines from Spain and incorporating the islands. In this regard he tasked the Scottish naval officer, Lord Thomas Cochrane, in

6222-408: The first female lighthouse keeper in the United States when she became keeper of Plymouth (Gurnet) Lighthouse in Massachusetts following the death of her husband, John Thomas. Both Hannah and her husband received $ 200 per year for their service. A famous example of a named individual in a formal capacity as a lighthouse keeper was William, a member of the now famous Knott family , who was appointed to

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6324-419: The first rightist President in 20 years, defeating former President Eduardo Frei Ruiz-Tagle of the Concertación , for a four-year term succeeding Bachelet. Due to term limits, Sebastián Piñera did not stand for re-election in 2013, and his term expired in March 2014 resulting in Michelle Bachelet returning to office. Sebastián Piñera succeeded Bachelet again in 2018 as the President of Chile after winning

6426-537: The larger lights are therefore still staffed by resident civilian keepers. The first lighthouse in Brazil is recorded to have been lit in 1698 in Santo Antonio, Bahia province, and they maintain a rich lighthouse keeping tradition. Of the 200 active lighthouses still maintained by the Navigational Aid Center, 33 are staffed, as of March 2020. As of 2013, the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) listed 650 lighthouses in Chile and approximately 20 of those were inhabited as of 2003. The southernmost lighthouse in

6528-445: The late 1960s, but the majority of lighthouses remained staffed by resident keepers until the 1980s and 1990s. On the Isle of Man , the final lighthouses to become automated and therefore lose their keepers were the Calf of Man and Langness lighthouses, which were converted in 1995 and 1996 respectively. The Langness Lighthouse was purchased in 2008 by British television personality Jeremy Clarkson , and his ex-wife currently operates

6630-411: The lighthouse keeper has been popular throughout history for their associated air of adventure, mystery, isolation and their rugged lifestyle. The heroic role that lighthouse keepers can sometimes play when shipwrecks occur also feeds into their popularity. The following books, films, TV shows and songs draw heavily upon the life of the lighthouse keeper: To recognize the role of lighthouse keepers in

6732-552: The lighthouse was electrified in 1966, and automated in 1987, a caretaker and lighthouse keeper remained on site until 2007, when the lighthouse keeper's cottages were renovated into tourist accommodations. The Maatsuyker Island Lighthouse off the southern coast of Tasmania, although fully automated in 1996, still employs volunteer caretakers on six-month assignments; the duties include weather observations and land management as well as building maintenance. All lighthouses in New Zealand have been automated since 1990. The character of

6834-416: The moan of a bottomless pit and the groan of a disabled elevator." One of the first automated fog bells was the Stevens Automatic Bell Striker. Some later fog bells were placed under water, particularly in especially dangerous areas, so that their sound (which would be a predictable code, such as the number "23") would be carried further and reverberate through the ship's hull. For example, this technique

6936-451: The nation's maritime safety , the US Coast Guard named a class of 175-foot (53 m) USCG Coastal Buoy Tenders after famous US Lighthouse Keepers. Fourteen ships in the "Keeper" class were built between 1996 and 2000 and are used to maintain aids to navigation, including lighthouses: Fog signal A foghorn or fog signal is a device that uses sound to warn vehicles of navigational hazards such as rocky coastlines, or boats of

7038-503: The need to run the complex machinery associated with them, and have been replaced with electrically powered diaphragm or compressed air horns . Activation is completely automated: a laser or photo beam is shot out to sea, and if the beam reflects back to the source (i.e. the laser beam is visible due to the fog), the sensor sends a signal to activate the foghorn. In many cases, modern navigational aids, including GPS , have rendered large, long-range foghorns completely unnecessary, according to

7140-440: The north by desert, to the south by the Mapuche, to the east by the Andes Mountains, and to the west by the ocean, Chile became one of the most centralized, homogeneous territories in Spanish America. Serving as a sort of frontier garrison , the colony found itself with the mission of forestalling encroachment by both the Mapuche and Spain's European enemies, especially the English and the Dutch . Buccaneers and pirates menaced

7242-402: The north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage to the south. The country also controls several Pacific islands, including Juan Fernández , Isla Salas y Gómez , Desventuradas , and Easter Island , and claims about 1,250,000 square kilometers (480,000 sq mi) of Antarctica as the Chilean Antarctic Territory . The capital and largest city of Chile

7344-433: The overall number of migrants was small. This effect might be related to externalities : the surrounding population adopted a similar behavior as the small non-European immigrant group, and new schools were created. Ironically, there might have been positive spillover effects from the educational investment made by migrants, at the same time numeracy might have been reduced by the greater inequality in these regions. However,

7446-402: The population consisted of 259,646 inhabitants: 73.5% of European descent , 7.9% mestizos , 8.6% indigenous peoples and 9.8% blacks. Francisco Hurtado, Governor of the province of Chiloé , conducted a census in 1784 and found the population consisted of 26,703 inhabitants, 64.4% of whom were whites and 33.5% of whom were natives. The Diocese of Concepción conducted a census in areas south of

7548-455: The positive effects of immigration were apparently stronger. In 1808, Napoleon's enthronement of his brother Joseph as the Spanish King precipitated the drive by Chile for independence from Spain . A national junta in the name of Ferdinand – heir to the deposed king – was formed on 18 September 1810. The Government Junta of Chile proclaimed an autonomous government for Chile within

7650-434: The presence of other vessels, in foggy conditions. The term is most often used in relation to marine transport. When visual navigation aids such as lighthouses are obscured, foghorns provide an audible warning of rock outcrops , shoals , headlands , or other dangers to shipping. All foghorns use a vibrating column of air to create an audible tone, but the method of setting up this vibration differs. Some horns, such as

7752-754: The project after being recommended to the Japanese government by the Stevensons, Over the next seven and a half years he designed and supervised the building of 26 Japanese lighthouses in the Western style, along with two lightvessels . Brunton also established a system of lighthouse keepers, modeled on the Northern Lighthouse Board in Scotland. Initially under the jurisdiction of the Imperial Japanese Navy ,

7854-435: The property as tourist accommodations. The Hook Head Lighthouse , at the eastern entrance to Ireland's Waterford Harbour , is the second oldest operating lighthouse in the world. It was manned continuously from at least 1207 until 1996, when it was finally automated. From the time of its construction in the 13th century, until the mid-17th century, the lighthouse was even home to an early Christian monastery . Following

7956-586: The responsibility for maintaining lighthouses came under the Maritime Safety Agency following World War 2. In 2006 Meshima Lighthouse became the last of Japan 's 3,337 lighthouses to become automated. There are five lighthouses along the coasts of the Malay Peninsula , all managed by the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore . Of those five, two were still regularly staffed by lighthouse keepers as of

8058-547: The result from the arbitral award of the Andes resolved by the British Crown . In 1903 the Puna de Atacama dispute was solved. In 1904 Chile and Bolivia signed a Treaty of Peace and Friendship which clarified the border between both countries. The Chilean economy partially degenerated into a system protecting the interests of a ruling oligarchy . By the 1920s, the emerging middle and working classes were powerful enough to elect

8160-647: The similarity of the valley of the Aconcagua with that of the Casma Valley in Peru, where there was a town and valley named Chili . Other theories say Chile may derive its name from a Native American word meaning either 'ends of the earth' or 'sea gulls'; from the Mapuche word chilli , which may mean 'where the land ends'" or from the Quechua chiri , 'cold', or tchili , meaning either 'snow' or "the deepest point of

8262-475: The small islands of San Ambrosio and San Felix . These islands are notable because they extend Chile's claim to territorial waters out from its coast into the Pacific Ocean. The northern Atacama Desert contains great mineral wealth, primarily copper and nitrates . The relatively small Central Valley, which includes Santiago, dominates the country in terms of population and agricultural resources. This area

8364-589: The southern end of Holmöarna , became Sweden's final inhabited lighthouse. Holmögadd lighthouse was decommissioned five years later. The last manned lighthouse in Finland was deserted in 1987, and the last Norwegian lighthouse keeper moved out of Runde Lighthouse in 2002. Most French lighthouses are automated, though approximately a dozen were still staffed as of 2011. The French Department of Lighthouses and Beacons recommends that at least two isolated lighthouses at sea remain staffed regularly, if not constantly, for

8466-590: The stand as one of the high-income countries in South America by 1870. On 9 September 1888, Chile took possession of Easter Island by the signing of a mutual will agreement with the local king, thanks to the efforts of the Bishop of Tahiti, Monsignor José María Verdier since the island was constantly attacked by slave merchants. The naval officer Policarpo Toro represented the Chilean Government and Atamu Tekena

8568-523: The successful rescue of 33 trapped miners in 2010. On 5 August 2010, the access tunnel collapsed at the San José copper and gold mine in the Atacama Desert near Copiapó in northern Chile, trapping 33 men 700 meters (2,300 ft) below ground. A rescue effort organized by the Chilean government located the miners 17 days later. All 33 men were brought to the surface two months later on 13 October 2010 over

8670-448: The total number of killed, tortured or imprisoned for political reasons to 40,018. At the national stadium, filled with detainees, one of those tortured and killed was internationally known poet-singer Víctor Jara (see "Music and Dance", below). A new Constitution was approved by a controversial plebiscite on 11 September 1980, and General Pinochet became president of the republic for an eight-year term. After Pinochet obtained rule of

8772-447: The training of lighthouse keepers falls within the jurisdiction of the Navy or Coast guard . In the US, periodic maintenance of the lights is now performed by visiting Coast Guard Aids to Navigation teams. George Worthylake served as the first lighthouse keeper in the United States. He served at Boston Harbor Lighthouse from 1716 until his death in 1718. In 1776, Hannah Thomas became

8874-506: The triple minister Diego Portales . Two other civil wars happened in Chile in the 1850s, one in 1851 and the other one in 1859 . Toward the end of the 19th century, the government in Santiago consolidated its position in the south by the Occupation of Araucanía . The Boundary treaty of 1881 between Chile and Argentina confirmed Chilean sovereignty over the Strait of Magellan but also made

8976-575: The universalization of the name Chile , after naming the Mapocho valley as such. The older spelling "Chili" was in use in English until the early 20th century before switching to "Chile". Stone tool evidence indicates humans sporadically frequented the Monte Verde valley area as long as 18,500 years ago. About 10,000 years ago, migrating Indigenous peoples settled in fertile valleys and coastal areas of what

9078-544: The world, located on the northeast coast of Isla Gonzalo , in the Diego Ramirez Islands , remains a continuously staffed lighthouse and meteorological station administered by the Chilean Navy . In October 2017, the lighthouse keeper Marcelo Escobar had to be airlifted to Punta Arenas after he suffered a broken arm. Sweden began systematically automating their lighthouses as early as the 1930s. Their transformation

9180-519: Was a de facto dictatorship (although not really comparable in harshness or corruption to the type of military dictatorship that have often bedeviled the rest of Latin America). By relinquishing power to a democratically elected successor, Ibáñez del Campo retained the respect of a large enough segment of the population to remain a viable politician for more than thirty years, in spite of the vague and shifting nature of his ideology. When constitutional rule

9282-858: Was awarded a PhD by the University of the Arts London in 2019 for her thesis on Fog tropes : a social and cultural history of the foghorn and subsequently published a book: The Foghorn's Lament: the Disappearing Music of the Coast . "The Atmosphere in Relation to Fog-Signaling I"  . Popular Science Monthly . Vol. 6. March 1875. ISSN   0161-7370 – via Wikisource . Chile Chile ( / ˈ tʃ ɪ l i / CHIL -ee or / ˈ tʃ ɪ l eɪ / CHIL -ay , Spanish: [ˈtʃile] ), officially

9384-468: Was constructed at Partridge Island in 1859 as the Vernon-Smith horn. After protest by Foulis and a legislative inquiry, Foulis was credited as the true inventor, but he never patented or profited from his invention. The development of fog signal technology continued apace at the end of the 19th century. During the same period an inventor, Celadon Leeds Daboll , developed a coal-powered foghorn called

9486-407: Was invented by Robert Foulis , a Scotsman who emigrated to Saint John , New Brunswick , Canada. Foulis is said to have heard his daughter playing the piano in the distance on a foggy night, and noticed the low notes were more audible than the higher notes: he then designed a device to produce a low-frequency sound, as well as a code system for use with it. Foulis repeatedly presented his concept to

9588-597: Was manned by the Coast Guard until 1998. It now has volunteer Coast Guard Auxiliary "keepers" whose primary role is to serve as interpretive tour guides for visitors. The lighthouses of Mexico are managed by the General Directorate for Ports and Merchant Marine , a government agency within the larger Secretariat of Communications and Transportation . Automation is not as common in Mexico as in other countries and many of

9690-422: Was marked by severe left-right political polarization and turmoil, which culminated in the 1973 Chilean coup d'état that overthrew Salvador Allende 's democratically elected left-wing government . This was followed by a 16-year right-wing military dictatorship under Augusto Pinochet , which resulted in more than 3,000 deaths or disappearances . The regime ended in 1990, following a referendum in 1988 , and

9792-627: Was restored in 1932, a strong middle-class party, the Radicals, emerged. It became the key force in coalition governments for the next 20 years. During the period of Radical Party dominance (1932–52), the state increased its role in the economy. In 1952, voters returned Ibáñez del Campo to office for another six years. Jorge Alessandri succeeded Ibáñez del Campo in 1958, bringing Chilean conservatism back into power democratically for another term. The 1964 presidential election of Christian Democrat Eduardo Frei Montalva by an absolute majority initiated

9894-498: Was so efficient that of the over 100 inhabited lighthouses operating at the start of the 20th century, only nine remained by the year 1980, and only three remained staffed into the 21st century: Kullen Lighthouse , the oldest lighthouse in Scandinavia , was automated in 2003, having been only inhabited periodically since 1996, and then with the retirement of Lighthouse Master Per-Erik Broström on February 25, 2003, Holmögadd lighthouse on

9996-550: Was succeeded by a center-left coalition , which ruled until 2010. Chile is a developing country with a high-income economy and is one of the most economically and socially stable nations in South America. Chile also performs well in the region in terms of sustainability of the state and democratic development. Chile is a founding member of the United Nations , the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC), and

10098-647: Was succeeded in 2000 by Socialist Ricardo Lagos , who won the presidency in an unprecedented runoff election against Joaquín Lavín of the rightist Alliance for Chile . In January 2006, Chileans elected their first female president, Michelle Bachelet Jeria , of the Socialist Party, defeating Sebastián Piñera , of the National Renewal party, extending the Concertación governance for another four years. In January 2010, Chileans elected Sebastián Piñera as

10200-526: Was the head of the Council of Rapanui. The Rapa Nui elders ceded sovereignty, without renouncing their titles as chiefs, the ownership of their lands, the validity of their culture and traditions and on equal terms. The Rapa Nui sold nothing, they were integrated in equal conditions to Chile. The 1891 Chilean Civil War brought about a redistribution of power between the President and Congress, and Chile established

10302-577: Was typical for the work of lighthouse keeper to remain within a family, passing from parents to child, all of whom lived in or near the lighthouse itself. "Stag light" was an unofficial term given to some isolated lighthouses in the United States Lighthouse Service . It meant stations that were operated solely by men, rather than accommodating keepers and their families. Electrification and other technological advancements such as remote monitoring and automatic bulb changing began to appear in

10404-455: Was used at White Shoal Light (Michigan) . This was an earlier precursor to RACON . From the early 20th century an improved device called the diaphone , originally invented as an organ stop by Robert Hope-Jones , and developed as a fog signal by John Northey of Toronto , became the standard foghorn apparatus for new installations. Diaphones were powered by compressed air and could emit extremely powerful low-frequency notes. In 1982,

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