Constitución, Chile
Encyclopedia
Constitución is a seaside resort
, industrial (paper
and pulp
) city, minor port and commune in Chile
, located in the Maule Region
, Talca Province.
and subsequent tsunami, an estimated 350 people died in Constitución alone. Two weeks before the earthquake, the local people had been trained to head for the hills if unable to stand during the tremor, as the likelihood of a tsunami was high. The tsunami was estimated to be 15m high.
Pedro Muñoz, a fisherman, with his skiff, rescued celebrants of the end of summer from an island on the Maule River, making two trips between the island and the riverbank, before being swamped and killed by the third tsunami wave, on his third trip.
Constitución was damaged by the earthquake and subsequent tsunami. Restoring power in the city in the immediate aftermath was impossible because of damage from the tsunami.
of the National Statistics Institute
, Constitución spans an area of 1343.6 sqkm and has 46,081 inhabitants (23,389 men and 22,692 women). Of these, 37,202 (80.7%) lived in urban area
s and 8,879 (19.3%) in rural areas. The population grew by 14.2% (5,741 persons) between the 1992 and 2002 censuses.
, headed by an alcalde
who is directly elected every four years. The 2008-2012 alcalde is Hugo Tilleria Torres.
Within the electoral divisions of Chile, Constitución is represented in the Chamber of Deputies
by Pablo Lorenzini (PDC
) and Pedro Pablo Alvarez-Salamanca (UDI) as part of the 38th electoral district, (together with Curepto
, Empedrado, Pencahue
, Maule, San Clemente
, Pelarco
, Río Claro and San Rafael
). The commune is represented in the Senate
by Juan Antonio Coloma Correa (UDI) and Andrés Zaldívar Larraín (PDC) as part of the 10th senatorial constituency (Maule-North).
Seaside resort
A seaside resort is a resort, or resort town, located on the coast. Where a beach is the primary focus for tourists, it may be called a beach resort.- Overview :...
, industrial (paper
Paper
Paper is a thin material mainly used for writing upon, printing upon, drawing or for packaging. It is produced by pressing together moist fibers, typically cellulose pulp derived from wood, rags or grasses, and drying them into flexible sheets....
and pulp
Wood pulp
Pulp is a lignocellulosic fibrous material prepared by chemically or mechanically separating cellulose fibres from wood, fibre crops or waste paper. Wood pulp is the most common raw material in papermaking.-History:...
) city, minor port and commune in 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...
, located in the Maule Region
Maule Region
The VII Maule Region is one of Chile's 15 first order administrative divisions. Its capital is Talca. The region takes its name from the Maule River which, running westward from the Andes, bisects the region and spans a basin of about 20,600 km2...
, Talca Province.
History
8.8 magnitude 2010 earthquake
After the devastating 8.8 magnitude 27 February 2010 earthquake of Chile2010 Chile earthquake
The 2010 Chile earthquake occurred off the coast of central Chile on Saturday, 27 February 2010, at 03:34 local time , having a magnitude of 8.8 on the moment magnitude scale, with intense shaking lasting for about three minutes. It ranks as the sixth largest earthquake ever to be recorded by a...
and subsequent tsunami, an estimated 350 people died in Constitución alone. Two weeks before the earthquake, the local people had been trained to head for the hills if unable to stand during the tremor, as the likelihood of a tsunami was high. The tsunami was estimated to be 15m high.
Pedro Muñoz, a fisherman, with his skiff, rescued celebrants of the end of summer from an island on the Maule River, making two trips between the island and the riverbank, before being swamped and killed by the third tsunami wave, on his third trip.
Constitución was damaged by the earthquake and subsequent tsunami. Restoring power in the city in the immediate aftermath was impossible because of damage from the tsunami.
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...
, Constitución spans an area of 1343.6 sqkm and has 46,081 inhabitants (23,389 men and 22,692 women). Of these, 37,202 (80.7%) 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 8,879 (19.3%) in rural areas. The population grew by 14.2% (5,741 persons) between the 1992 and 2002 censuses.
Administration
As a commune, Constitución 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 Hugo Tilleria Torres.
Within the electoral divisions of Chile, Constitución 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 Pablo Lorenzini (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 Pedro Pablo Alvarez-Salamanca (UDI) as part of the 38th electoral district, (together with Curepto
Curepto
Curepto is a town and commune in the Chilean Province of Talca, located in the VII Maule Region. The commune spans an area of .-Culture:The town has many examples of Chilean rural colonial architecture. Its parish church is a quintessential example of a traditional religious building in the...
, Empedrado, Pencahue
Pencahue
Pencahue is a town and commune in Chile, located in Talca Province, in the seventh region of Maule. The commune spans and area of .Also there are another three places called Pencahue, near to San Vicente de Tagua Tagua, Sexta Región, Chile...
, Maule, San Clemente
San Clemente, Chile
San Clemente is a city and commune administered by the municipality of San Clemente, located in the Talca Province of Chile's Maule Region.-Demographics:...
, Pelarco
Pelarco
Pelarco is a town and commune in Talca Province, Maule Region of Chile. The commune spans an area of .-Demographics:According to data from the 2002 Census of Population and Housing, Pelarco had 7,266 inhabitants; of these, 1,822 lived in urban areas and 5,444 in rural areas. At that time, there...
, Río Claro and San Rafael
San Rafael, Chile
San Rafael is a town and commune of the Talca Province in the Maule Region of Chile. The town serves as the communal capital.-Demographics:According to the 2002 census of the National Statistics Institute, San Rafael spans an area of and has 7,674 inhabitants . Of these, 3,482 lived in urban...
). 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 Juan Antonio Coloma Correa (UDI) and Andrés Zaldívar Larraín (PDC) as part of the 10th senatorial constituency (Maule-North).