Cochrane, Chile
Encyclopedia
Cochrane is a Chile
an town
and commune in Capitán Prat Province
of the Aisén Region. According to the 2002 census it has a population of 2,867. The urban population in 2002 was 2,217 and the rural population was 650.
Cochrane was founded in 1954 (as Pueblo Nuevo), but didn't have road access to the rest of Chile until 1988, when the Carretera Austral
was opened. The town was later named Cochrane in honour of Thomas Cochrane, 10th Earl of Dundonald
, a British naval captain and radical politician who was appointed the first Admiral of the Chilean Navy
in 1818 and made a major contribution to winning independence for the young nation from Spain. Cochrane remains the southernmost town along the highway, with only a few village
s south of it.
Nearby is the prominent peak of Monte San Lorenzo
, also known as Cerro Cochrane.
of the National Statistics Institute
, Cochrane spans an area of 8930.5 sqkm and has 2,867 inhabitants (1,555 men and 1,312 women). Of these, 2,217 (77.3%) lived in urban area
s and 650 (22.7%) in rural areas. The population fell by 4.3% (129 persons) between the 1992 and 2002 censuses.
, headed by an alcalde
who is directly elected every four years. The 2008-2012 alcalde is Patricio Ulloa Georgia (UDI). The council has the following members:
Within the electoral divisions of Chile, Cochrane is represented in the Chamber of Deputies
by René Alinco (PDC
) and David Sandoval (UDI) as part of the 59th electoral district, which includes the entire Aisén Region. The commune is represented in the Senate
by Antonio Horvath Kiss (RN
) and Patricio Walker Prieto (PDC) as part of the 18th senatorial constituency (18).
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 town
Town
A town is a human settlement larger than a village but smaller than a city. The size a settlement must be in order to be called a "town" varies considerably in different parts of the world, so that, for example, many American "small towns" seem to British people to be no more than villages, while...
and commune in Capitán Prat Province
Capitán Prat Province
Capitán Prat Province is one of four provinces in the southern Chilean region of Aisén . Its capital is Cochrane. The province is named after the naval hero Arturo Prat.-Geography and demography:...
of the Aisén Region. According to the 2002 census it has a population of 2,867. The urban population in 2002 was 2,217 and the rural population was 650.
Cochrane was founded in 1954 (as Pueblo Nuevo), but didn't have road access to the rest of Chile until 1988, when the Carretera Austral
Carretera Austral
The Carretera Austral , formerly known as Carretera General Augusto Pinochet, is the name given to Chile's Route 7. The highway runs about from Puerto Montt to Villa O'Higgins through rural Patagonia....
was opened. The town was later named Cochrane in honour of Thomas Cochrane, 10th Earl of Dundonald
Thomas Cochrane, 10th Earl of Dundonald
Admiral Thomas Cochrane, 10th Earl of Dundonald, 1st Marquess of Maranhão, GCB, ODM , styled Lord Cochrane between 1778 and 1831, was a senior British naval flag officer and radical politician....
, a British naval captain and radical politician who was appointed the first Admiral of the Chilean Navy
Chilean Navy
-Independence Wars of Chile and Peru :The Chilean Navy dates back to 1817. A year before, following the Battle of Chacabuco, General Bernardo O'Higgins prophetically declared "this victory and another hundred shall be of no significance if we do not gain control of the sea".This led to the...
in 1818 and made a major contribution to winning independence for the young nation from Spain. Cochrane remains the southernmost town along the highway, with only a few village
Village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...
s south of it.
Nearby is the prominent peak of Monte San Lorenzo
Monte San Lorenzo
Monte San Lorenzo, also known as Monte Cochrane, is a mountain on the border between Argentina and Chile in Patagonia, reaching a height of . The Chilean name of Cochrane comes from the nearby town of Cochrane where climbers often approach the mountain...
, also known as Cerro Cochrane.
Demographics
According to the 2002 censusCensus
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 the National Statistics Institute
National 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...
, Cochrane spans an area of 8930.5 sqkm and has 2,867 inhabitants (1,555 men and 1,312 women). Of these, 2,217 (77.3%) lived in urban area
Urban area
An urban area is characterized by higher population density and vast human features in comparison to areas surrounding it. Urban areas may be cities, towns or conurbations, but the term is not commonly extended to rural settlements such as villages and hamlets.Urban areas are created and further...
s and 650 (22.7%) in rural areas. The population fell by 4.3% (129 persons) between the 1992 and 2002 censuses.
Administration
As a commune, Cochrane is a third-level administrative division of Chile administered by a municipal councilMunicipal 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...
, headed by an alcalde
Alcalde
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...
who is directly elected every four years. The 2008-2012 alcalde is Patricio Ulloa Georgia (UDI). The council has the following members:
- María Quijanes Millao (PRSDSocial Democrat Radical PartyThe Social Democratic Radical Party is a social democratic party in Chile.The party is a member of Socialist International....
) - Lindor Lopez Cruces (RNNational Renewal (Chile)National Renewal , is a liberal conservative political party belonging to the Chilean right-wing political coalition Coalition for Change in conjunction with the Independent Democratic Union and the Chile First movement...
) - Jorge Patricio Abello Moll (ILC)
- Patricia Quintana Cruces (ILE)
- Tatiana Aguilera Lopez (ILC)
- Andres Chavarria Alarcon (ILE)
Within the electoral divisions of Chile, Cochrane is represented in the Chamber of Deputies
Chamber of Deputies of Chile
The Chamber of Deputies of the Republic of Chile is the lower house of Chile's bicameral Congress. Its organisation and its powers and duties are defined in articles 42 to 59 of Chile's current constitution....
by René Alinco (PDC
Christian Democratic Party
Christian democratic parties are those political parties that seek to apply Christian principles to public policy. The underlying Christian democracy movement emerged in 19th-century Europe, largely under the influence of Catholic social teaching, and it continues to be influential in Europe and...
) and David Sandoval (UDI) as part of the 59th electoral district, which includes the entire Aisén Region. The commune is represented in the Senate
Senate of Chile
The Senate of the Republic of Chile is the upper house of Chile's bicameral National Congress, as established in the current Constitution of Chile.-Composition:...
by Antonio Horvath Kiss (RN
National Renewal (Chile)
National Renewal , is a liberal conservative political party belonging to the Chilean right-wing political coalition Coalition for Change in conjunction with the Independent Democratic Union and the Chile First movement...
) and Patricio Walker Prieto (PDC) as part of the 18th senatorial constituency (18).