Los Vilos
Encyclopedia
Los Vilos is both a Chilean coastal commune and a coastal city with over 9,000 inhabitants (17,453 in comuna), located in the Province of Choapa
, part of the IV Region of Coquimbo
. Its main activity is fishing
. The city also has a significant amount of tourism
, mainly due to its two beaches: La Principal and Las Conchas. It is located at 246 kilometres (152.9 mi) from La Serena and 246 kilometres (152.9 mi) from Santiago
.
The city was founded in 1830, and was declared a minor harbor in 1855. As of 2009, the city is still an important harbor.
and by his Minister of Finance, José María Berganza, through a supreme decree of the Finance Ministry.
On April of that same year a permission was granted by the government to start the construction of a dock, warehouses and commerce related buildings. On December 1857, it was determined that a town needed to be built so 25 blocks, that used to belong to the Conchali Hacienda, were designed and sold by Hernán Jequier as a public utility. The town was located around the small pre-existing settlement.
The port responded to the need to regulate the commerce in the area, so a customs office, that depended on the Valparaiso
custom, was created. The economy of Los Vilos initially depended largely on commerce.
of the National Statistics Institute
, Los Vilos spans an area of 1860.6 sqkm and has 17,453 inhabitants (8,858 men and 8,595 women). Of these, 12,859 (73.7%) lived in urban area
s and 4,594 (26.3%) in rural areas. The population grew by 10.4% (1,648 persons) between the 1992 and 2002 censuses.
, headed by an alcalde
who is directly elected every four years.
Within the electoral divisions of Chile, Los Vilos is represented in the Chamber of Deputies
by Mrs. Adriana Muñoz (PDC
) and Mr. Luis Lemus (Ind.
) as part of the 9th electoral district, (together with Combarbalá
, Punitaqui
, Monte Patria
, Illapel
, Salamanca
and Canela
). The commune is represented in the Senate
by Evelyn Matthei Fornet (UDI) and Jorge Pizarro Soto (PDC
) as part of the 4th senatorial constituency (Coquimbo Region).
.
Choapa Province
Choapa Province is one of the provinces making up the Coquimbo Region of Chile. It has an area of 10,079.8 km² and a population of 81,681. The capital of the province is the town of Illapel...
, part of the IV Region of Coquimbo
Coquimbo Region
The IV Coquimbo Region is one of Chile's 15 first order administrative divisions. It is some 400 km north of the capital, Santiago.The capital and largest city is La Serena, other important cities include the seaport Coquimbo and the agricultural centre...
. Its main activity is fishing
Fishing
Fishing is the activity of trying to catch wild fish. Fish are normally caught in the wild. Techniques for catching fish include hand gathering, spearing, netting, angling and trapping....
. The city also has a significant amount of tourism
Tourism
Tourism is travel for recreational, leisure or business purposes. The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people "traveling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes".Tourism has become a...
, mainly due to its two beaches: La Principal and Las Conchas. It is located at 246 kilometres (152.9 mi) from La Serena and 246 kilometres (152.9 mi) from Santiago
Santiago, Chile
Santiago , also known as Santiago de Chile, is the capital and largest city of Chile, and the center of its largest conurbation . It is located in the country's central valley, at an elevation of above mean sea level...
.
The city was founded in 1830, and was declared a minor harbor in 1855. As of 2009, the city is still an important harbor.
History
Los Vilos has existed as a small informal settlement since 1835, when the government realised that a port was needed in that region to expand the reach of commerce in the country. On January 3, 1855, it was declared a minor port by then president, Manuel MonttManuel Montt
Manuel Francisco Antonio Julián Montt Torres was a Chilean statesman and scholar. He was twice elected President of Chile between 1851 and 1861.-Biography:...
and by his Minister of Finance, José María Berganza, through a supreme decree of the Finance Ministry.
On April of that same year a permission was granted by the government to start the construction of a dock, warehouses and commerce related buildings. On December 1857, it was determined that a town needed to be built so 25 blocks, that used to belong to the Conchali Hacienda, were designed and sold by Hernán Jequier as a public utility. The town was located around the small pre-existing settlement.
The port responded to the need to regulate the commerce in the area, so a customs office, that depended on the Valparaiso
Valparaíso
Valparaíso is a city and commune of Chile, center of its third largest conurbation and one of the country's most important seaports and an increasing cultural center in the Southwest Pacific hemisphere. The city is the capital of the Valparaíso Province and the Valparaíso Region...
custom, was created. The economy of Los Vilos initially depended largely on commerce.
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...
, Los Vilos spans an area of 1860.6 sqkm and has 17,453 inhabitants (8,858 men and 8,595 women). Of these, 12,859 (73.7%) 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 4,594 (26.3%) in rural areas. The population grew by 10.4% (1,648 persons) between the 1992 and 2002 censuses.
Administration
As a commune, Los Vilos 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.
Within the electoral divisions of Chile, Los Vilos 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 Mrs. Adriana Muñoz (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 Mr. Luis Lemus (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...
) as part of the 9th electoral district, (together with Combarbalá
Combarbala
Combarbalá is a Chilean city and commune, located in the Limarí Province, Coquimbo Region. The overall population of the commune is about 14.000 inhabitants, while the population of the city is about 6000 inhabitants...
, Punitaqui
Punitaqui
Punitaqui is a town and commune of Chile in the Limarí Province.-History:Punitaqui was once part of the Ovalle Department before the administrative restructuring of 1976.-1997 earthquake:...
, Monte Patria
Monte Patria
Monte Patria is a city and one of four communes in the Limarí Province of Chile's north-central IV Coquimbo Region.-Administration:As a commune, Monte Patria is a third-level administrative division of Chile administered by a Communal Council , headed by a directly elected alcalde...
, Illapel
Illapel
Illapel is a Chilean city, which is the capital of the Choapa Province, Coquimbo Region. It lies along the Illapel River and marks the country's narrowest point along a parallel .It's located to the east of Los Vilos.-Administration:...
, Salamanca
Salamanca, Chile
Salamanca is a Chilean city and commune in Choapa Province, Coquimbo Region. It is located east of Illapel, the province's administrative center, and north of Santiago, Chile...
and Canela
Canela
Canela, meaning Cinnamon in Portuguese, Spanish, and Italian, is a town located in the Serra Gaúcha of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. Both Canela and neighboring Gramado are important tourist resorts and they both draw many visitors each year. Ecotourism is very popular in the area and there are many...
). 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 Evelyn Matthei Fornet (UDI) and Jorge Pizarro Soto (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...
) as part of the 4th senatorial constituency (Coquimbo Region).
Tourism
The comuna has a considerable amount of tourism, in both the Los Vilos City, and in the small coastal town of PichidanguiPichidangui
Pichidangui is a Chilean coastal town in the commune of Los Vilos in Choapa Province, Coquimbo Region, near the border with Valparaíso Region. The town has a significant amount of tourism due to its beaches. It is a popular destination for various windsports enthusiasts, thanks to the abundant wind...
.