Overview Santiago

Santiago is the capital of Chile, it's population is 5.428.590 (INE 2002) and the region 6.061.185 (subdere).
it's area is 641,4 km². 
The city was founded on February 12th 1541 by the conquer Pedro de Valdivia.
The city was founded between two rivers (one of them Mapocho) and a hill. The city beacause of the Spanish crown law was built on a regular square blocks, this is the traditional order for the cities in America.
The city was growing uniformly until the crisis at the beginning of XXth century, when lots of people came to the city looking for a job and they established at the outskirts of the city.
a second crisis change the city then the economic model changed and lots of industries in the sub-central area were abandoned and the workers unemployed.
Now days the city is in a proses stared on the 70's, focusing on the economic development to get in to a important point of economic transaction on south America.  (must be cheked )


There are some new zones and landmarks in Santiago that are very remarkable on it's skyline, like the business zone where some new projects are been build like Costanera Center Tower, Titanium tower . On down-town Entel tower and San Cristobal hill at background is an icon of the city. The mountains at east let you know where the north is wherever in the city you are (?).


From San Cristobal hill you can see the whole city from the top at the big statue of the Virgin. 
here is a picture taken from the hill to the city