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Melinka
Place in Aisén, Aisén From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Melinka is a Chilean town in Aysén Province, Aysén Region. It is located on Ascención Island and is the administrative center of the commune of Guaitecas since 1979.
The town is on a small peninsula off the main island, and shelters a small harbor. The island is in the Guaitecas Archipelago, at the southern end of the Gulf of Corcovado.[2][3] Melinka is served by Melinka Airport and is connected by gravel road to the hamlets of Repollal.
Melinka is culturally similar to Chiloé Archipelago[4] but its inhabitants custom to bring dogs on board in their travels is likely rooted in native Chono traditions.[5][6]
In 2017 Melinka had a population of 1329 inhabitants down from 1411 in 2002.[1][7]
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History
Prior to its founding in 1860 the location of Melinka was known as Puerto Arenas (literally "Port Sand") by whalers who visited the area regularly.[8] Melinka was founded in 1860 by the German immigrant, Felipe Arnold Westhoff.[9] Westhoff had been commissioned to supply railway sleepers to Ferrocarril Central Andino in Peru.[9] At the time the Guaitecas Archipelago was still part of Chiloé Province.[citation needed] In the first years of Melinka a series of indigenous tombs were discovered while building houses.[10] From Melinka Westhoff exported Pilgerodendron uviferum (Spanish: ciprés de las Guaitecas) that made excellent wood for sleepers.[9] In 1870 the port was charted by Enrique Simpson on board Chacabuco.[11]
The famous pirate Pedro Ñancúpel was captured in Melinka in 1886 and bought into justice in Ancud the same year.[12][13]
According to a local tradition the word melinka comes from Russian and means lovely. In fact, there is the Russian archaic colloquialism милёнка (transl. milyonka) which means "lovely."[14] Westhoff who came from Lithuania in the Russian Empire named Melinka after his sister.[13]
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Climate
Melinka has a wet oceanic climate (Köppen climate classification: Cfb).
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See also
References
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