María Elena
Encyclopedia
María Elena is a Chile
an city and commune in Tocopilla Province
, Antofagasta Region
. According to the 2002 census, the commune population was 7,530 and has an area of 12197.2 sqkm.
refinery office (oficina salitre) manager, Elias Cappelens. Originally, the name of the office was "Coya Norte". Situated on land purchased from the Treasury in 1924, the plant was inaugurated in 1926 with the sodium nitrate
extraction system patented by the Guggenheim Brothers, which replaced the Shanks system. Its layout was made on the basis of the flag of the United Kingdom
. Together with the former refinery at Pedro de Valdivia built in 1931, they were the largest saltpeter refineries with a combined output of over one million tons per year.
In 1965 both were taken over by the state, through Sociedad Química y Minera (SQM or "Chemistry and Mining Society", which was privatized in 1980. This privatization explains why most people's land and buildings are owned by SQM and not the Chilean state.
In 1996, it became the only active mining community in the country after the closure of the saltpeter office at Pedro de Valdivia. After the closure of the latter office, many workers and their families were relocated to Maria Elena.
On November 14, 2007, the 7.7 Mw
Tocopilla earthquake with an epicenter 80 km (50 mi) north of Maria Elena, devastated the area. Almost all the town's old houses collapsed or were rendered uninhabitable, and the local hospital almost completely collapsed with no loss of life or injuries
of the National Statistics Institute
María Elena had 7,530 inhabitants; of these, 7,412 (98.4%) lived in urban area
s and 118 (1.6%) in rural areas. At that time, there were 4,298 men and 3,232 women. By 2002, the population had fallen 44.9% (124,130 persons) since the 1992 census of 13,660.
The commune of María Elena is composed of six census districts.
Source: INE 2007 report, "Territorial division of Chile"
, headed by an alcalde
who is directly elected every four years. The 2008-2012 alcalde is Jorge Godoy Bolvarán (PS
), and the council has the following members:
Within the electoral divisions of Chile, María Elena is represented in the Chamber of Deputies
by Marcos Espinosa (PRSD
) and Felipe Ward (UDI) as part of the 3rd electoral district, (together with Tocopilla
, Calama
, Ollagüe
and San Pedro de Atacama
). The commune is represented in the Senate
by Carlos Cantero Ojeda (Ind.
) and José Antonio Gómez
(PRSD) as part of the 2nd senatorial constituency (Antofagasta Region).
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 city and commune in Tocopilla Province
Tocopilla Province
Tocopilla Province is one of the three provinces in the northern Chilean region of Antofagasta . Its capital is the city of Tocopilla.-Geography and demography:...
, Antofagasta Region
Antofagasta Region
The II Antofagasta Region is one of Chile's fifteen first-order administrative divisions. It comprises three provinces, Antofagasta, El Loa and Tocopilla...
. According to the 2002 census, the commune population was 7,530 and has an area of 12197.2 sqkm.
History
Maria Elena is named after Mary Ellen Comdon, wife of the first saltpeterSaltpeter
Saltpeter or saltpetre often refers to:*Potassium nitrate, or the mineral niter, the critical oxidizing component of gunpowder, and a food preservative.It may also refer to:...
refinery office (oficina salitre) manager, Elias Cappelens. Originally, the name of the office was "Coya Norte". Situated on land purchased from the Treasury in 1924, the plant was inaugurated in 1926 with the sodium nitrate
Sodium nitrate
Sodium nitrate is the chemical compound with the formula NaNO3. This salt, also known as Chile saltpeter or Peru saltpeter to distinguish it from ordinary saltpeter, potassium nitrate, is a white solid which is very soluble in water...
extraction system patented by the Guggenheim Brothers, which replaced the Shanks system. Its layout was made on the basis of the flag of the United Kingdom
Flag of the United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland uses as its national flag the royal banner known as the Union Flag or, popularly, Union Jack. The current design of the Union Flag dates from the union of Ireland and Great Britain in 1801...
. Together with the former refinery at Pedro de Valdivia built in 1931, they were the largest saltpeter refineries with a combined output of over one million tons per year.
In 1965 both were taken over by the state, through Sociedad Química y Minera (SQM or "Chemistry and Mining Society", which was privatized in 1980. This privatization explains why most people's land and buildings are owned by SQM and not the Chilean state.
In 1996, it became the only active mining community in the country after the closure of the saltpeter office at Pedro de Valdivia. After the closure of the latter office, many workers and their families were relocated to Maria Elena.
On November 14, 2007, the 7.7 Mw
Moment magnitude scale
The moment magnitude scale is used by seismologists to measure the size of earthquakes in terms of the energy released. The magnitude is based on the seismic moment of the earthquake, which is equal to the rigidity of the Earth multiplied by the average amount of slip on the fault and the size of...
Tocopilla earthquake with an epicenter 80 km (50 mi) north of Maria Elena, devastated the area. Almost all the town's old houses collapsed or were rendered uninhabitable, and the local hospital almost completely collapsed with no loss of life or injuries
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...
María Elena had 7,530 inhabitants; of these, 7,412 (98.4%) 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 118 (1.6%) in rural areas. At that time, there were 4,298 men and 3,232 women. By 2002, the population had fallen 44.9% (124,130 persons) since the 1992 census of 13,660.
The commune of María Elena is composed of six census districts.
| Census district | 1992 Census | 2002 Census | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | District | Area (km2) | Total | Urban | Rural | Total | Urban | Rural |
| 1 | Quillagua | 4,014.7 | 103 | 0 | 103 | 127 | 0 | 127 |
| 2 | Rica Aventura | 1,480.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 3 | Toco | 1,937.5 | 11 | 0 | 11 | 4 | 0 | 4 |
| 4 | María Elena | 1,475.0 | 7,413 | 7,412 | 1 | 2,556 | 2,553 | 3 |
| 5 | Francisco Vergara | 805.0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 6 | Pedro de Valdivia | 2,485.0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Total | 12,197.2 | 7,530 | 7,412 | 118 | 2,689 | 2,553 | 136 | |
Source: INE 2007 report, "Territorial division of Chile"
Administration
As a commune, María Elena 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 Jorge Godoy Bolvarán (PS
Socialist Party of Chile
The 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...
), and the council has the following members:
- Carlos Hidalgo Marfull
- Nelson Avendaño Véliz
- Jaqueline Godoy Soto
- Jorge Ramirez Plaza
- Carlos Ardiles Aceituno
- Andrés Concha F.
Within the electoral divisions of Chile, María Elena 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 Marcos Espinosa (PRSD
Social Democrat Radical Party
The Social Democratic Radical Party is a social democratic party in Chile.The party is a member of Socialist International....
) and Felipe Ward (UDI) as part of the 3rd electoral district, (together with Tocopilla
Tocopilla
Tocopilla is a city and commune in the Antofagasta Region, in the north of Chile. It is the capital of the province that bears the same name.Tocopilla celebrates its anniversary on September 29 every year with a big show the day before, which includes a parade down the main street of the city, food...
, Calama
Calama, Chile
Calama is a city and commune in the Atacama Desert in northern Chile. It is the capital of El Loa Province, part of the Antofagasta Region. Calama is one of the driest cities in the world with average annual precipitation of just . The River Loa, Chile's longest, flows through the city...
, Ollagüe
Ollagüe, Chile
Ollagüe is a Chilean frontier village and commune in El Loa Province, Antofagasta Region. The village is located 215 km northeast of the city of Calama with a station on the FCAB railine....
and San Pedro de Atacama
San Pedro de Atacama
San Pedro de Atacama is a Chilean town and commune in El Loa Province, Antofagasta Region. It is located east of Antofagasta, some 106 km southeast of Calama and the Chuquicamata copper mine, overlooking the Licancabur volcano. It features a significant archeological museum, the R. P...
). 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 Carlos Cantero Ojeda (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...
) and José Antonio Gómez
José Antonio Gómez
José Antonio Gómez Urrutia is a Chilean lawyer, Social Democrat Radical Party politician and a former Minister of Justice. He is currently a senator and president of his party.-External links:*...
(PRSD) as part of the 2nd senatorial constituency (Antofagasta Region).