Biobío Province
Encyclopedia
Biobío Province is one of four provinces
of the Chile
an region of Biobío (VIII). Its capital is Los Ángeles
(2002 pop. 94,716). It is bounded on the north, west and south by the provinces of Concepción
, Arauco
and Malleco, respectively, and on the east by Argentina
. It has an area of 14987.9 sqkm of well-wooded and mountainous country, and exports timber to a large extent. The population is 353,315 according to the census
of 2002.
The great trunk railway from Santiago
south to Puerto Montt
crosses the western part of the province and also connects it with the port of Concepción
. Los Ángeles
lies 25 km (16 mi) east of this railway and is connected with it by a branch line.
set aside the Province of Malleco. The province was then named for the Bio-Bio River
which flows through it. The Province of Biobío was divided, into three departments:
As part of the process of regionalization in the 1970s, the VIII Region of Biobío was created. By Decree #1,213 of 27 of November 4, 1975, the VIII Region comprises the provinces of Biobío, Arauco
, Concepción
and Ñuble.
of Chile, governed by a provincial governor
who is appointed by the president
.
and municipal council
.
(INE), the province spans an area of 14987.9 sqkm and had a population of 353,315 inhabitants (176,960 men and 176,355 women), giving it a population density of 23.6 PD/sqkm. It is the tenth most populated province in the country. Of these, 245,775 (69.6%) lived in urban areas and 107,540 (30.4%) in rural areas. Between the 1992 and 2002 censuses, the population grew by 9.1% (29,405 persons).
Provinces of Chile
A province is the second largest administrative division in Chile, after a region. Each region is divided into provinces. There are 54 provinces in total....
of the Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
an region of Biobío (VIII). Its capital is Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
(2002 pop. 94,716). It is bounded on the north, west and south by the provinces of Concepción
Concepción Province, Chile
Concepción Province is one of four provinces of the Chilean region of Biobío . Its capital, Concepción, is part of the Greater Concepción conurbation, the nation's second largest metropolitan area after Santiago.-Administration:...
, Arauco
Arauco Province
Arauco Province is one of four provinces of the Chilean region of Biobío . It spans a coastal area of just south of the mouth of the Biobío River, the traditional demarcation between the nation's major natural regions, Zona Central and Zona Sur...
and Malleco, respectively, and on the east by Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
. It has an area of 14987.9 sqkm of well-wooded and mountainous country, and exports timber to a large extent. The population is 353,315 according to the census
Census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2002.
The great trunk railway from Santiago
Santiago
Santiago is the capital city of Chile. Santiago may also refer to:*Santiago *Santiago , a Spanish given name*Santiago!, a shortened form of the Reconquista battle cry "Santiago y cierra, España"...
south to Puerto Montt
Puerto Montt
Puerto Montt is a port city and commune in southern Chile, located at the northern end of the Reloncaví Sound in the Llanquihue Province, Los Lagos Region. The commune spans an area of and had a population of 175,938 in 2002. It is located 1,055 km to the south of the capital, Santiago...
crosses the western part of the province and also connects it with the port of Concepción
Concepción, Chile
Concepción is a city in Chile, capital of Concepción Province and of the Biobío Region or Region VIII. Greater Concepción is the second-largest conurbation in the country, with 889,725 inhabitants...
. Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
lies 25 km (16 mi) east of this railway and is connected with it by a branch line.
History
The Province of Bio-Bío was created on October 13, 1875, as part of the Province of Araucan. In 1887, President José Manuel BalmacedaJosé Manuel Balmaceda
José Manuel Emiliano Balmaceda Fernández was the 11th President of Chile from September 18, 1886 to August 29, 1891. Balmaceda was part of the Castilian-Basque aristocracy in Chile...
set aside the Province of Malleco. The province was then named for the Bio-Bio River
Bío-Bío River
The Biobío River is the second largest river in Chile. It originates from Icalma and Galletué lakes in the Andes and flows 380 km to the Gulf of Arauco on the Pacific Ocean....
which flows through it. The Province of Biobío was divided, into three departments:
| Department | Capital |
|---|---|
| La Laja | Los Ángeles Los Ángeles Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants... |
| Mulchén | Mulchén Mulchén Mulchén is a city and commune in Biobío Province of Biobío Region, Chile. It was first settled in 1871 by soldiers during the so called Pacification of the Araucania. In 1875 Mulchén was officially founded.... |
| Nacimiento | Nacimiento |
As part of the process of regionalization in the 1970s, the VIII Region of Biobío was created. By Decree #1,213 of 27 of November 4, 1975, the VIII Region comprises the provinces of Biobío, Arauco
Arauco, Chile
Arauco is a city and commune in Chile, located in Arauco Province in the Biobio Region. The meaning of Arauco means Chalky Water in Mapudungun. The region was a Moluche aillarehue...
, Concepción
Concepción, Chile
Concepción is a city in Chile, capital of Concepción Province and of the Biobío Region or Region VIII. Greater Concepción is the second-largest conurbation in the country, with 889,725 inhabitants...
and Ñuble.
Administration
As a province, Biobío is a second-level administrative divisionAdministrative divisions of Chile
The administrative division or territorial organization of Chile exemplifies characteristics of a unitary state. State administration is functionally and geographically decentralized, as appropriate for each authority in accordance with the law....
of Chile, governed by a provincial governor
Governor
A governor is a governing official, usually the executive of a non-sovereign level of government, ranking under the head of state...
who is appointed by the president
President of Chile
The President of the Republic of Chile is both the head of state and the head of government of the Republic of Chile. The President is responsible of the government and state administration...
.
Communes
The province is composed of 14 communes, each governed by a municipality consisting of an elected alcaldeAlcalde
Alcalde , or Alcalde ordinario, is the traditional Spanish municipal magistrate, who had both judicial and administrative functions. An alcalde was, in the absence of a corregidor, the presiding officer of the Castilian cabildo and judge of first instance of a town...
and municipal council
Municipal council
A municipal council is the local government of a municipality. Specifically the term can refer to the institutions of various countries that can be translated by this term...
.
- Alto BiobíoAlto BiobíoAlto Biobío is a Chilean commune located in the Biobío Province, Biobío Region. The commune spans an area of .-History:The commune was created 25 August 2003, separating the southeast portion from the existing Santa Bárbara commune.-Demographics:...
- Antuco
- Cabrero
- LajaLaja (Chile)Laja is a city and commune located in the Biobío Province of the Biobío Region of Chile. The city of Laja is the communal capital.-Geography:It is bounded on the north by the Laja River, on the west by the Biobío river, and the south and the east by the commune of Los...
- Los ÁngelesLos ÁngelesLos Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
(capital) - MulchénMulchénMulchén is a city and commune in Biobío Province of Biobío Region, Chile. It was first settled in 1871 by soldiers during the so called Pacification of the Araucania. In 1875 Mulchén was officially founded....
- Nacimiento
- NegreteNegreteNegrete is a Chilean town and commune in Biobío Province, Biobío Region. It is bordered by the commune of Los Ángeles to the north, Renaico to the south, Mulchén to the east and Nacimiento to the west....
- QuilacoQuilacoQuilaco is a Chilean town and commune located in the Biobío Province, Biobío Region. The commune spans an area of .-History:Quilaco has two accepted meanings: "Three waters" or "Quila in the water". The town has its roots in the Mapuche and Spanish races, as produced with the arrival of Franciscan...
- QuillecoQuillecoQuilleco is a Chilean town and commune located in the Biobío Province, Biobío Region.-Demographics:According to the 2002 census of the National Statistics Institute, Quilleco spans an area of and has 10,428 inhabitants . Of these, 5,486 lived in urban areas and 4,942 in rural areas...
- San RosendoSan RosendoSan Rosendo is a Chilean city and commune in Biobío Province, Biobío Region.The city of San Rosendo lies on the gentle slopes of a hill overlooking the confluence of the rivers Biobío and Laja, which respectively bound the city to the west and south...
- Santa BárbaraSanta Bárbara, ChileSanta Bárbara is a Chilean city and commune in Biobío Province, Biobío Region. In 2004 a great portion of its territory was taken off to form the new commune of Alto Biobío.-History:...
- TucapelTucapelTucapel is a town and commune in the Arauco Province, Biobío Region, Chile. It was once a region of Araucanía named for the Tucapel River. The name of the region derived from the rehue and aillarehue of the Moluche people of the area between the Lebu and the Lleulleu Rivers, who were famed for...
- YumbelYumbelYumbel is a town and commune of the Province of Bío-Bío in the region of the same name, Chile.-History:Yumbel originated from the small fort of San Felipe de Austria, raised in 1585 by Governor Alonso de Sotomayor, on the cerro del Centinela...
Geography and demography
According to the 2002 census by the National Statistics InstituteNational Statistics Institute (Chile)
The National Statistics Institute of Chile is a state-run organization of the Government of Chile, created in the second half of the 19th century and tasked with performing a general census of population and housing, then collecting, producing and publishing official demographic statistics of...
(INE), the province spans an area of 14987.9 sqkm and had a population of 353,315 inhabitants (176,960 men and 176,355 women), giving it a population density of 23.6 PD/sqkm. It is the tenth most populated province in the country. Of these, 245,775 (69.6%) lived in urban areas and 107,540 (30.4%) in rural areas. Between the 1992 and 2002 censuses, the population grew by 9.1% (29,405 persons).