San Lorenzo Island, Peru
Encyclopedia
San Lorenzo Island is the largest island of Peru
. The island is in the Pacific Ocean
near the port of Callao
and measures 16.5 square kilometres (6.4 sq mi).
; in rare cases, specialized professionals (archeologists, naturalists, etc.) may apply for and receive extraordinary permission to land on the island. Civilian vessels are required to maintain a distance of at least 300 metres (984.3 ft) from the shore of the island.
as a burial place; its current under-use by the Peruvian Navy has led, in the first decades of the twenty-first century, to a new de facto
status as an unlisted marine bioreserve, being the home to many creatures, notably scallops, seabirds, and sea lions.
The island never had permanent human occupation by their lack of freshwater sources. It was constantly visited by people of ancient Peru who used it as a cemetery. In fact in the mythology of ancient Peruvian central coast marine islands were related to the afterlife. The island was an important part in various stages of colonial Peruvian history, and for strengthening the independence of Peru and the Spanish-South American.
During colonial times, stones that were used to build various buildings like the old Presidio of Callao and the Royal Fortress Felipe were extracted from the quarries. It was also, eventually, home base for several English and Dutch pirates, as Francis Drake and Jacob Clerk, who raided the Callao. The latter died of plague along with some of his men and was buried on the island.
In 1866, in republican times, the Spanish Armada retreated to San Lorenzo after their defeat against the Peruvian forces in the Battle of Callao, on 2 May. There the Spanish repaired their ships and buried their dead before leaving the Peruvian coast.
Charles Darwin explored the island in 1835 looking at the geology and nature. Subsequently, between 1906 and 1907, Max Uhle made the first excavations at the southern tip of the island, finding metal objects and mummies in a pre-Hispanic cemetery in the Caleta de la Cruz, that corresponds to the end of Intermediate and Late Horizon (AD 900 to 1.532).
In 1912 the President Guillermo Billinghurst raised the proposal of building a dam with an island in Callao, an initial study being conducted by Dutch engineer J. Kraus in 1914. In 1958, the proposal was raised again by the Danish firm Christian & Nielsen, who put together a project that involved the transfer to the island to the fishing port and the creation of a new commercial port. The project did not materialize because of financial problems, lack of potable water and the impact that would have been caused on the island's wildlife.
In the first half of the 1990s, the naval base located on the island served as a temporary prison for the recently captured then leaders of the insurgent groups Shining Path
and MRTA
(Abimael Guzmán
and Víctor Polay
, respectively), as maximum security prisons were built for them.
In February 2010 the National Institute of Culture declared twenty existing archaeological monuments on the island "Cultural Patrimony of the Nation".
peninsula. This would allow development of the island as a tourist destination and as megaport and airport to a similar size of Valparaiso
. Opponents of this plan suggest that the Peruvian Navy should continue control the island or that it becomes a fully protected nature reserve.
Peru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
. The island is in the Pacific Ocean
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
near the port of Callao
Callao
Callao is the largest and most important port in Peru. The city is coterminous with the Constitutional Province of Callao, the only province of the Callao Region. Callao is located west of Lima, the country's capital, and is part of the Lima Metropolitan Area, a large metropolis that holds almost...
and measures 16.5 square kilometres (6.4 sq mi).
Access
As of 2011, San Lorenzo is not open to the public. It is a restricted zone controlled by the Marina de Guerra del PerúPeruvian Navy
The Peruvian Navy is the branch of the Peruvian Armed Forces tasked with surveillance, patrol and defense on lakes, rivers and the Pacific Ocean up to 200 nautical miles from the Peruvian littoral...
; in rare cases, specialized professionals (archeologists, naturalists, etc.) may apply for and receive extraordinary permission to land on the island. Civilian vessels are required to maintain a distance of at least 300 metres (984.3 ft) from the shore of the island.
Geography
With only eight miles long and 2 wide, and an area of 1648 ha, is the largest island in Perú. It has no water fountains and that is why until today has not been urbanized, although there are many projects to do, including a bridge that should unite the District of La Punta (El Callao) with the island. Nearby is the small island of El Fronton, which is separated by a channel 800 m wide, called El Boqueron, and Palomino Islands, known for its populations of sea lions. Its maximum height is presented in the Cerro La Mina altitud. with 396 mHistory
San Lorenzo has some archeological interest and includes artefacts of Incan and pre-Incan origin. It was used during the Battle of CallaoBattle of Callao
The Battle of Callao occurred on May 2, 1866 between a Spanish fleet under the command of Admiral Casto Méndez Núñez and the fortified battery emplacements of the Peruvian port city of Callao during the Chincha Islands War...
as a burial place; its current under-use by the Peruvian Navy has led, in the first decades of the twenty-first century, to a new de facto
De facto
De facto is a Latin expression that means "concerning fact." In law, it often means "in practice but not necessarily ordained by law" or "in practice or actuality, but not officially established." It is commonly used in contrast to de jure when referring to matters of law, governance, or...
status as an unlisted marine bioreserve, being the home to many creatures, notably scallops, seabirds, and sea lions.
The island never had permanent human occupation by their lack of freshwater sources. It was constantly visited by people of ancient Peru who used it as a cemetery. In fact in the mythology of ancient Peruvian central coast marine islands were related to the afterlife. The island was an important part in various stages of colonial Peruvian history, and for strengthening the independence of Peru and the Spanish-South American.
During colonial times, stones that were used to build various buildings like the old Presidio of Callao and the Royal Fortress Felipe were extracted from the quarries. It was also, eventually, home base for several English and Dutch pirates, as Francis Drake and Jacob Clerk, who raided the Callao. The latter died of plague along with some of his men and was buried on the island.
In 1866, in republican times, the Spanish Armada retreated to San Lorenzo after their defeat against the Peruvian forces in the Battle of Callao, on 2 May. There the Spanish repaired their ships and buried their dead before leaving the Peruvian coast.
Charles Darwin explored the island in 1835 looking at the geology and nature. Subsequently, between 1906 and 1907, Max Uhle made the first excavations at the southern tip of the island, finding metal objects and mummies in a pre-Hispanic cemetery in the Caleta de la Cruz, that corresponds to the end of Intermediate and Late Horizon (AD 900 to 1.532).
In 1912 the President Guillermo Billinghurst raised the proposal of building a dam with an island in Callao, an initial study being conducted by Dutch engineer J. Kraus in 1914. In 1958, the proposal was raised again by the Danish firm Christian & Nielsen, who put together a project that involved the transfer to the island to the fishing port and the creation of a new commercial port. The project did not materialize because of financial problems, lack of potable water and the impact that would have been caused on the island's wildlife.
In the first half of the 1990s, the naval base located on the island served as a temporary prison for the recently captured then leaders of the insurgent groups Shining Path
Shining Path
Shining Path is a Maoist guerrilla terrorist organization in Peru. The group never refers to itself as "Shining Path", and as several other Peruvian groups, prefers to be called the "Communist Party of Peru" or "PCP-SL" in short...
and MRTA
MRTA
MRTA stands for:* Túpac Amaru Revolutionary Movement of Peru * Mass Rapid Transit Authority of Thailand...
(Abimael Guzmán
Abimael Guzmán
Manuel Rubén Abimael Guzmán Reynoso , also known by the nom de guerre Presidente Gonzalo , a former professor of philosophy, was the leader of the Shining Path during the Maoist insurgency known as the internal conflict in Peru...
and Víctor Polay
Víctor Polay
Víctor Polay Campos is one of the founders of the Túpac Amaru Revolutionary Movement, a Peruvian guerrilla organization that fought in the internal conflict in Peru...
, respectively), as maximum security prisons were built for them.
In February 2010 the National Institute of Culture declared twenty existing archaeological monuments on the island "Cultural Patrimony of the Nation".
Future development
The future San Lorenzo is the subject of ongoing debate. With vast potential for development, a popular suggestion is to link San Lorenzo to the mainland by building a bridge to the nearby La PuntaLa Punta
La Punta is a district of the Constitutional Province of Callao in Peru, and one of the six districts that make up the port city of Callao.It is located in a peninsula in the western part of the province and is almost entirely surrounded by the Pacific Ocean, except on its northeastern side, where...
peninsula. This would allow development of the island as a tourist destination and as megaport and airport to a similar size of Valparaiso
Valparaíso
Valparaíso is a city and commune of Chile, center of its third largest conurbation and one of the country's most important seaports and an increasing cultural center in the Southwest Pacific hemisphere. The city is the capital of the Valparaíso Province and the Valparaíso Region...
. Opponents of this plan suggest that the Peruvian Navy should continue control the island or that it becomes a fully protected nature reserve.