TALCAHUANO

city, Concepcin provincia, Bo-Bo regin, south-central Chile, lying on a small peninsula that forms the southwestern shore of Concepcin Bay, just north-northwest of the city of Concepcin (q.v.), for which it became the outport after an earthquake in 1730. Talcahuano is now a major port and Chile's main naval station; it is also an important commercial, fishing, and manufacturing centre. Lumber, hides, wool, fur, and coal are the main exports; machinery is imported. Industries include fishing and fish canning, flour milling, and petroleum refining. Nearby is the large, modern steel plant at Huachipato, the San Vicente chemical complex and resort, and the Chilean Naval Academy. In Talcahuano harbour is moored the Huscar, the Peruvian ironclad captured by Chile in 1879, during the War of the Pacific. Talcahuano is linked by both road and railroad to Concepcin. Pop. (1992) mun., 246,566; (1995 est.) mun., 260,915.