Provinces of Chile

Last updated
Provinces of Chile
Provincias de Chile (Spanish)
Chile provinces.png
Category Unitary unit
LocationFlag of Chile.svg  Chile
Number56
Populations3,156 (Parinacota) – 4,997,637 (Santiago Province)
Areas164 km2 (63.2 sq mi) (Easter Island) - 67,813 km2 (26,182.9 sq mi) (Antofagasta)
Government
Subdivisions

A province is a second-level administrative division in Chile. There are 56 in total. The top-level administrative division in Chile is the region. There are 16 in total.

Contents

Each provincial presidential delegation (delegación presidencial provincial) is headed by a provincial presidential delegate (delegado presidencial provincial) appointed by the President. The governor exercises their powers in accordance with instructions from the regional presidential delegate (delegado presidencial regional). The provincial delegate is advised by the Provincial Economic and Social Council (Consejo Económico y Social Provincial or CESPRO). No provincial presidential delegations exist in those provinces where the regional capital is located; its functions were merged with those of the regional presidential delegate.

The country's provinces are further divided into 346 communes which are administered by an alcalde and municipal council.

Until 1976, the 25 provinces were the broadest administrative division in Chile. They were: Aconcagua, Aysén (since 1929), Antofagasta, Arauco, Atacama, Biobío, Cautín, Chiloé, Colchagua, Concepción, Coquimbo, Curicó, Linares, Llanquihue, Magallanes (since 1929), Malleco, Maule, Ñuble, O'Higgins, Osorno (since 1940), Santiago, Talca, Tarapacá, Valdivia, and Valparaíso. Despite being claimed by Chile, Antártica Chilena is not generally recognized as part of Chile due to being located in Antarctica.

List of provinces

The following table gives each province, its capital, surface area and 2002 population according to the National Statistics Institute.

INE
Region 		Natural
Region 		Region Province Capital No. of
Communes 		Area [1] [2] 2002 [1] [2]
Population
North Far North Chile Arica and Parinacota (XV) Arica Arica 28,726.4186,488
Parinacota Putre 28,146.93,156
Tarapacá (I) Iquique Iquique 22,835.3216,419
Tamarugal Pozo Almonte 539,390.522,531
Antofagasta (II) Antofagasta Antofagasta 467,793.5318,779
El Loa Calama 341,999.6143,689
Tocopilla Tocopilla 216,23631,516
Near North Chile Atacama (III) Copiapó Copiapó 332,538.5155,713
Huasco Vallenar 418,201.566,491
Chañaral Chañaral 224,436.232,132
Coquimbo (IV) Elqui La Serena 616,894.8365,371
Limarí Ovalle 513,553.2156,158
Choapa Illapel 410,131.681,681
Central North Central Chile Valparaíso (V) Isla de Pascua Hanga Roa 1163.63,791
Los Andes Los Andes 43,217.795,474
Marga Marga Quilpué 3927.2263,420
Petorca La Ligua 64,736.471,243
Quillota Quillota 61,344.9190,022
San Antonio San Antonio 61,611.6136,594
San Felipe de Aconcagua San Felipe 62,659.2131,911
Valparaíso Valparaíso 61,999.1651,188
O'Higgins (VI) Cachapoal Rancagua 177,384.2542,901
Colchagua San Fernando 105,678196,566
Cardenal Caro Pichilemu 63,324.741,160
Santiago Metropolitan (XIII) Santiago Santiago 322,090.34,668,473
Cordillera Puente Alto 35,528.3522,856
Maipo San Bernardo 41,120.5378,444
Talagante Talagante 5582.3217,449
Melipilla Melipilla 54,076.7141,165
Chacabuco Colina 32,076.1132,798
South Central Chile Maule (VII) Talca Talca 109,937.8352,966
Linares Linares 810,041.2253,990
Curicó Curicó 97,280.9244,053
Cauquenes Cauquenes 33027.257,088
Ñuble (XVI) Diguillín Bulnes 95,229.3319,809
Punilla San Carlos 55,202.598,596
Itata Quirihue 72,177.1153,832
Biobío (VIII) Concepción Concepción 123,439.3912,889
Biobío Los Ángeles 1414,987.9353,315
Arauco Lebu 75,457.2157,255
South South Chile Araucanía (IX) Cautin Temuco 2118,409667,920
Malleco Angol 1113,433.3201,615
Los Ríos (XIV) Valdivia Valdivia 810,197.2259,243
Ranco La Unión 48,232.397,153
Los Lagos (X) Llanquihue Puerto Montt 914,876.4321,493
Osorno Osorno 79,223.7221,509
Chiloe Castro 107,165.5142,194
Palena Futaleufú 415,301.918,971
Austral Chile Aysén (XI) Coihaique Coihaique 212,942.551,103
Aysén Puerto Aysén 346,588.829,631
General Carrera Chile Chico 211,919.56,921
Capitan Prat Cochrane 337,043.63,837
Magallanes (XII) Magallanes Punta Arenas 436,400.8121,675
Última Esperanza Puerto Natales 255,443.919,855
Tierra del Fuego Porvenir 322,592.76,904

See also

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References

  1. 1 2 "National Statistics Institute" (in Spanish). Retrieved 30 December 2010.
  2. 1 2 "Territorial division of Chile" (PDF). Retrieved 30 December 2010.
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