Santiago is Chile's capital and, when viewed as a conurbation (Greater Santiago), its largest city. It is situated at an elevation of 520 m (1700 ft) in the country's central valley. Although Santiago is the capital, legislative bodies meet in nearby Valparaíso.
Most cities constructed by the Spanish Conquistadores were designed on a standard military fashion based on a grid pattern, taken from the Roman Castrum, of which one of the blocks would be left vacant to form the Plaza de Armas. It is often surrounded by governmental buildings, churches, and other structures of cultural or political significance. The name derives from the fact that this are would be a refuge in case of an attack upon the city, from which arms would be supplied to the defenders.
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