Valparaíso is a major city in Chile. Spanish explorers first arrived in 1536 when the area was inhabited by the Picunche and Chango peoples. During the nineteenth century, the city was particularly important as in important seaport, particularly for ships traveling through the Straits of Magellan. In the twentieth century, the city’s economy declined after the opening of the Panama Canal, though it is still a major commercial port. Many people immigrated here during the city’s Golden Age, and it became known as the Jewel of the Pacific. Valparaíso is home to Chile’s first public library and the first fire department in South America.