Teja island (

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many countries in the Americas **Spanish cuisine **Spanish history **Spanish culture ...

: ''isla Teja'') is an island in the city of

Valdivia Valdivia (; Mapuche: Ainil) is a city and commune in southern Chile, administered by the Municipality of Valdivia. The city is named after its founder, Pedro de Valdivia, and is located at the confluence of the Calle-Calle, Valdivia, and ...

, Chile, surrounded by three rivers:

Cau-Cau river Caucau River is minor river in the city of Valdivia, southern Chile. Caucau River acts as a regulating channel between Cruces River and Calle-Calle River forming the Isla Teja island in front of the city centre. Its confluence with Calle-Calle Rive ...

to the north,

Cruces river The Cruces River () is a river in south-central Chile. Río Cruces originates from hills near the Villarica volcano and flows then in south-west direction. The southern and final part of the river flows in a south-south-west direction followin ...

to the west and

Valdivia river The Valdivia River or Río Valdivia, as it is known locally, is a major river in southern Chile. It is the continuation of the Calle-Calle River, from the point where it meets the Cau-Cau River in the city of Valdivia. The Valdivia river ends in ...

to the southeast. Prior to the mid-19th century, the island was known as ''isla Valenzuela'' after Francisco de Valenzuela, an

encomendero The ''encomienda'' () was a Spanish labour system that rewarded conquerors with the labour of conquered non-Christian peoples. In theory, the conquerors provided the labourers with benefits, including military protection and education. In pr ...

that settled there in 1552. In the second half of the 19th century, the island became known for its

roof tile Roof tiles are overlapping tiles designed mainly to keep out precipitation such as rain or snow, and are traditionally made from locally available materials such as clay or slate. Later tiles have been made from materials such as concrete, glass ...

(Spanish: ''teja'') and brick factory, hence the name ''isla Teja''. Initially it was outside the proper city, but with the arrival of German immigrants, many of them settled there, and since 1939, the island is directly connected to downtown Valdivia through the Pedro de Valdivia bridge. A large section of the island's western riverside sank below water level due to the Great Chilean earthquake of 1960. The island holds the main campus of Universidad Austral de Chile and since the construction of

Río Cruces bridge Río Cruces Bridge is a triangular bridge spanning Cruces River that unites Isla Teja from Torobayo, a sub-urban area of Valdivia Valdivia (; Mapuche: Ainil) is a city and commune in southern Chile, administered by the Municipality of V ...

in 1987 it became the main route to the neighboring areas of Niebla,

Corral A pen is a fenced/walled open-air enclosure for holding land animals in captivity, typically for livestock but may also be used for holding other domesticated animals such as pets that are unwanted inside buildings. The term describes types ...

and Mancera Island. The island contain

wetland A wetland is a distinct semi-aquatic ecosystem whose groundcovers are flooded or saturated in water, either permanently, for years or decades, or only seasonally. Flooding results in oxygen-poor ( anoxic) processes taking place, especially ...

s that are protected by the

Urban Wetlands Law file:Parque Saval Valdivia (190572155).jpeg, 250px, Laguna de los lotos in Parque Saval, an urban wetland in Valdivia. Urban Wetlands Law () is a Chilean law regulating wetlands in cities in Chile, urban areas. The law intends to provide a set of " ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Teja Island River islands of Chile Islands of Los Ríos Region Populated places in Valdivia Province Neighborhoods in Valdivia