THE PORT OF CALLAO.

The Port of Callao is Peru's main commercial seaport. The city is also called Constitutional Province of Callao, the only province of the Callao region.
The origin of its name is unknown; but it is certain that it was known by that name since 1550. After the Battle of Ayacucho (December 9th, 1824) that sealed the Independence of Peru, Europeans made futile attempts to retain its former colonies, such as the siege of Callao (1826). On August 20, 1836, during the Peru-Bolivian Confederacy (1836-39), a political entity created by the 7th President of Peru, Andres de Santa Cruz y Calahumana, mandated the creation of the Callao Littoral Province, which had political autonomy in its internal affairs. He was a son of a Spaniard and an Indian leader (cacique) of an andean group of the town of Huarina. During the government of President Ramon Castilla (1845-51), Callao was given the name of Constitutional Province, on April 22, 1857. All of the other Peruvian provinces had been given their names by law, while Callao obtained it by constitutional mandate. Callao was never part of the Lima Department nor of any other departments. It is known by the nickname of "Pearl from the Pacific."
On October 28, 1746, a tsunami caused by the 1746 Lima-Callao earthquake destroyed the entire Callao and everything else along the central Peruvian coast from Chancay in the North to Canete in the South. It reached the coast half an hour following the shock. Callao was inundated and its walls destroyed, killing most of the 6,000 inhabitants, leaving less than 200 survivors. Eyewitness accounts indicate 2 waves, the first of which was up to 24m/80ft high. Other particular tsunamis have occurred in  1586, 1604, and 1868.
The 1746 earthquake is interpreted to be a mega-thrust earthquake occurring at subduction zones where one tectonic plate is forced underneath another. They are the planet's most powerful ones.
The earthquake occurred at 22:30 local time with a moment magnitude of 8.6-8.8 and a maximum Mercalli intensity of 11 (extreme). The epicenter was located about 90km/56mi North- NorthWest of Lima, and in 3-4 minutes, the capital city was almost completely destroyed. All offices and all 74 churches were either damaged or destroyed leaving just 25 of the original 3,000 houses standing. The earthquake was felt up to 750 km away. There were at least 200 aftershocks observed in the first 24 hours after the main shock, out of a total of 1,700 recorded in the following 112 days, although they caused no further casualties. It was the deadliest earthquake in Peru's history.
The Constitutional Province of Callao borders Lima Province on the North, East and South, and the Pacific Ocean on the West. It lies South of the Rimac at the tip of a peninsula protected by the offshore island of San Lorenzo and a promontory. It has one of South America's few good natural harbors on the Pacific Ocean.
The Port of Callao exports mainly refined metals, mineral, fish meal, and fish oil. Its principal imports are wheat, lumber, and machinery.
 The Port of Callao is home to a wide range of industries that include breweries, fish meal factories, and shipbuilding yards. It is also home to a large naval base and the Jorge Chavez International Airport.
The Port of Callao supports a large colony of sea lions and seabirds in its several islands (San Lorenzo,
The Fronton, the Cavinzas Islands and Palomino Islands) in a relatively pristine ecosystem.
The Port of Callao was founded by Spanish colonists in 1537, just 2 years after Lima (1535), the country's capital city. It soon became the main port for European commerce in the Pacific. Virtually all goods produced in Peru, Bolivia, and Argentina were carried over the Andes by mule to the Port of Callao, especially gold, silver and precious metals, to be shipped to Panama, carried overland, and then transported on to Europe via Cuba.
The Battle of Callao (Combate del 2 de Mayo) occurred on May 2, 1866 between a Spanish fleet and the fortified battery emplacements of the port city. The battle was seen as a victory on the Spanish side and on the part of Peru it was declared as a Feast Day forever. The damages caused to Callao were barely noticeable. The Peruvian batteries occupied the Spanish squad so much that there was no time to bombard the city. Peace was not signed until 1879.
Residents of Callao are known as "Chalacos."