Hijuelas
Encyclopedia
Hijuelas is a city and commune in the Quillota Province
of central Chile
's fifth region of Valparaíso
.
. It is known as The Capital of the Flowers (Spanish
: La Capital de los Flores) as it is the largest producer of flowers in Chile, contributing more than 49% of the nation's total production.
of the National Statistics Institute
, Hijuelas has 16,014 inhabitants (8,161 men and 7,853 women). Of these, 8,196 (51.2%) lived in urban area
s and 7,818 (48.8%) in rural areas. The population grew by 14.9% (2,076 persons) between the 1992 and 2002 censuses. Hijuelas hosts 1.04% of the region's population.
and agriculture, especially in the cultivation of flowers, plants, trees, and fruits such as avocados and citruses. Its cultivated land, irrigated by the Aconcagua River
, provides a high quality microclimate for exporting agricultural products. Also in Hijuelas exists a world-leading company in the production of ornamental bulbs and seeds, whose products are exported to various countries such as Japan, Holland, and others.
, which is headed by a directly elected alcalde
. The current alcalde is Verónica Rossat Arriagada. The communal council has the following members:
Within the electoral divisions of Chile, Hijuelas is represented in the Chamber of Deputies
by Mr. Eduardo Cerda (PDC) and Mrs. Andrea Molina (UDI) as part of the 10th electoral district, (together with La Ligua
, Petorca
, Cabildo
, Papudo
, Zapallar
, Puchuncaví
, Quintero
, Nogales
, Calera, La Cruz
and Quillota
). The commune is represented in the Senate
by Ignacio Walker Prieto (PDC) and Lily Pérez San Martín (RN) as part of the 5th senatorial constituency (Valparaíso-Cordillera).
Quillota Province
Quillota Province is one of eight provinces of the central Chilean region of Valparaíso . Its capital is the city of Quillota .-Administration:...
of central 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...
's fifth region of Valparaíso
Valparaíso Region
The V Valparaíso Region is one of Chile's 15 first order administrative divisions.Valparaíso Region, 2006 With the country's third highest population of 1,539,852 million in 2002 and third smallest area of , the region is Chile's second most densely populated after the Santiago Metropolitan Region...
.
Geography
Hijuelas spans an area of 267.2 sqkm in Chile's Zona CentralZona Central, Chile
Zona central is one of the five natural regions into which CORFO divided continental Chile in 1950. It is home to a majority of the Chilean population and includes the three largest metropolitan areas- Santiago, Valparaíso, and Concepción...
. It is known as The Capital of the Flowers (Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
: La Capital de los Flores) as it is the largest producer of flowers in Chile, contributing more than 49% of the nation's total production.
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...
, Hijuelas has 16,014 inhabitants (8,161 men and 7,853 women). Of these, 8,196 (51.2%) 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 7,818 (48.8%) in rural areas. The population grew by 14.9% (2,076 persons) between the 1992 and 2002 censuses. Hijuelas hosts 1.04% of the region's population.
Economy
The principal economic activities in Hijuleas are agronomyAgronomy
Agronomy is the science and technology of producing and using plants for food, fuel, feed, fiber, and reclamation. Agronomy encompasses work in the areas of plant genetics, plant physiology, meteorology, and soil science. Agronomy is the application of a combination of sciences like biology,...
and agriculture, especially in the cultivation of flowers, plants, trees, and fruits such as avocados and citruses. Its cultivated land, irrigated by the Aconcagua River
Aconcagua River
For other uses, see Aconcagua .The Aconcagua River is a river in Chile that rises from the joint of two minor tributary rivers at above sea level in the Andes, Juncal river from the east and Blanco river from the south east...
, provides a high quality microclimate for exporting agricultural products. Also in Hijuelas exists a world-leading company in the production of ornamental bulbs and seeds, whose products are exported to various countries such as Japan, Holland, and others.
Administration
As a commune, Hijuelas 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...
, which is headed by a directly elected 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...
. The current alcalde is Verónica Rossat Arriagada. The communal council has the following members:
- Germán Vicencio Vargas (UDI)
- Luis Frez Naranjo (UDI)
- Viviana Hernández Troncoso (Ind.Independent (politician)In politics, an independent or non-party politician is an individual not affiliated to any political party. Independents may hold a centrist viewpoint between those of major political parties, a viewpoint more extreme than any major party, or they may have a viewpoint based on issues that they do...
/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...
) - Manuel Arévalo Díaz (PRI)
- Omar Olivares Seura (DCChristian Democratic PartyChristian 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...
) - Roxana Saavedra Pimentel (PSSocialist Party of ChileThe Socialist Party of Chile is a political party, that is part of the center-left Coalition of Parties for Democracy coalition. Its historical leader was the late President of Chile Salvador Allende Gossens, who was deposed by General Pinochet in 1973...
)
Within the electoral divisions of Chile, Hijuelas 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 Mr. Eduardo Cerda (PDC) and Mrs. Andrea Molina (UDI) as part of the 10th electoral district, (together with La Ligua
La Ligua
La Ligua is a Chilean city and commune, capital of the Petorca Province in Valparaíso Region.The city is known for its textile manufacturing and typical Chilean pastry production.-Demographics:...
, Petorca
Petorca
Petorca is a Chilean town and commune located in the Petorca Province, Valparaíso Region. The commune spans an area of .-Demographics:According to the 2002 census of the National Statistics Institute, Petorca has 9,440 inhabitants . Of these, 4,535 lived in urban areas and 4,905 in rural areas...
, Cabildo
Cabildo, Chile
Cabildo is a Chilean city and commune located in the Petorca Province, Valparaíso Region. The commune spans an area of .-Demographics:According to data from the 2002 Census of Population and Housing, Cabildo had 18,916 inhabitants; of these, 12,453 lived in urban areas and 6,463 in rural areas....
, Papudo
Papudo
Papudo is a Chilean commune located in the Petorca Province, Valparaíso Region. The commune spans an area of .-Demographics:According to the 2002 census of the National Statistics Institute, Papudo has 4,608 inhabitants . Of these, 4,343 lived in urban areas and 265 in rural areas...
, Zapallar
Zapallar
Zapallar is a Chilean town and commune located in the Petorca Province, Valparaíso Region. The commune spans an area of .-Demographics:According to the 2002 census of the National Statistics Institute, Zapallar has 5,659 inhabitants . Of these, 4,744 lived in urban areas and 915 in rural areas...
, Puchuncaví
Puchuncaví
Puchuncaví is a town and commune in the Valparaíso Province of central Chile's fifth region of Valparaíso. It spans a coastal area of .-History:...
, Quintero
Quintero
Quintero is a Chilean city and commune in Valparaíso Province, Valparaíso Region. The commune spans an area of .-History:The name of the city comes from Alonso Quintero, the Spanish navigator who discovered the bay in 1536 when he arrived on the ship Santiaguillo.-Demographics:According to the 2002...
, Nogales
Nogales, Chile
Nogales is a city and commune in the Quillota Province of central Chile's fifth region of Valparaíso.-Demographics:According to the 2002 census of the National Statistics Institute, Nogales has 21,633 inhabitants . Of these, 18,698 lived in urban areas and 2,935 in rural areas...
, Calera, La Cruz
La Cruz, Chile
La Cruz is a city and commune in the Quillota Province of central Chile's fifth region of Valparaíso.- Geography :The Mediterranean climate of Chile's Zona Central allows for a rich quality and variety of flora and fauna. Thanks to this climate, it is in this small commune in the Quillota Province...
and Quillota
Quillota
Quillota is a city and commune located in the Aconcagua River valley of central Chile's Valparaíso Region. It is the capital and largest city of the Quillota Province where many inhabitants live in the surrounding farm areas of San Isidro, La Palma, Pocochay, and San Pedro...
). 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 Ignacio Walker Prieto (PDC) and Lily Pérez San Martín (RN) as part of the 5th senatorial constituency (Valparaíso-Cordillera).