Osorno Province
Encyclopedia
Osorno Province is one of the four provinces
in the southern Chile
an region of Los Lagos
(X). The province has an area of 9223.7 sqkm and a population of 221,509 distributed across seven communes (Spanish
: comunas). The provincial capital is the city of Osorno
.
Osorno is a city located in southern Chile a territory of northern Patagonia in the Los Lagos Region. The Chilean Patagonia starts at Latitude 39º South in Valdivia and then it continues through the Chiloe Island and the fiords that continue its course south through the Pacific Ocean and the Cordillera de los Andes until it reaches Latitude 56º South at Cape Horn.The province possesses one of the most frequented mountain passes of Chile, the Cardenal Antonio Samoré Pass
which links the province with Villa La Angostura
and San Carlos de Bariloche
in Argentina
.
, governed by a provincial governor
who is apoointed by the president
. The Osorno Province comprises seven communes; each commune is governed by its own municipality, headed by an alcalde
.
s indigenous people. It also highlights the German Colonization in Chile
, which took place in the 19th century, when the Chilean government brought German
settlers to assist in the growth of the region.
peoples in the mid-19th century and opened the land to Chilean and European immigration soon to follow. Large percentage of locals in Osorno are descendants of Spanish (the livestock grazing industry owes its foundation to the Basques
) and other European immigrants.
In Osorno, there are historic ties and bonds with the Dutch
, British
esp. Scots
with some Irish
and English
, French
, Germans
including Austrians
and Swiss, Italians, Portuguese
, ex-Yugoslavians, Greeks
and from the Middle East are Arabs and Palestinians
. These ethnic groups came in the late 19th century and early 20th century period.
It is thought in Central Chile (including Osorno), a small pattern of American immigration claiming to be of Cherokee
Indian descent immigration occurred after the Dawes Act
in the 1870s and 1880s displaced Native American farmers from Indian Territory
now the state of Oklahoma
, but the number of descendants is minuscule compared to the Spanish-Basque-ethnic German
-Mapuche
population.
Around 1850, the government of Chile began inviting German settlers to the colony to promote growth in the region; the settlers found Osorno's climate and geography to be very similar to their own. With their help, Osorno was made the home of the national cattle ranch of Chile, boosting the regional economy significantly. Present-day Osorno has preserved 19th-century architecture and urban layout, represented by six picturesque houses which have been designated national monuments
.
Provinces of Chile
A province is the second largest administrative division in Chile, after a region. Each region is divided into provinces. There are 54 provinces in total....
in the southern 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...
an region of Los Lagos
Los Lagos Region
Los Lagos Region is one of Chile's 15 regions, which are first order administrative divisions, and comprises four provinces: Chiloé, Llanquihue, Osorno and Palena. The region contains the country's second largest island, Chiloé, and the second largest lake, Llanquihue.Its capital is Puerto Montt;...
(X). The province has an area of 9223.7 sqkm and a population of 221,509 distributed across seven communes (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...
: comunas). The provincial capital is the city of Osorno
Osorno, Chile
Osorno is a city and commune in southern Chile and capital of Osorno Province in the Los Lagos Region. It had a population of 145,475, as of the 2002 census...
.
Osorno is a city located in southern Chile a territory of northern Patagonia in the Los Lagos Region. The Chilean Patagonia starts at Latitude 39º South in Valdivia and then it continues through the Chiloe Island and the fiords that continue its course south through the Pacific Ocean and the Cordillera de los Andes until it reaches Latitude 56º South at Cape Horn.The province possesses one of the most frequented mountain passes of Chile, the Cardenal Antonio Samoré Pass
Cardenal Antonio Samoré Pass
Cardenal Antonio Samoré Pass it is one of the main mountain pass through the southern Andes along the border between Argentina and Chile.Together with Paso Libertadores, it is one of the easiest of the Argentina-Chile passes, and one of the few with asphalted roads in the region...
which links the province with Villa La Angostura
Villa La Angostura
Villa La Angostura is a village in the south of the Argentine province of Neuquén, on the northwest shore of the Nahuel Huapi Lake.-Geography and climate:...
and San Carlos de Bariloche
San Carlos de Bariloche
San Carlos de Bariloche, usually known as Bariloche, is a city in the , situated in the foothills of the Andes on the southern shores of Nahuel Huapi Lake and is located inside Nahuel Huapi National Park...
in Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
.
Administration
As a province, Osorno is a second-level administrative divisionAdministrative divisions of Chile
The administrative division or territorial organization of Chile exemplifies characteristics of a unitary state. State administration is functionally and geographically decentralized, as appropriate for each authority in accordance with the law....
, governed by a provincial governor
Governor
A governor is a governing official, usually the executive of a non-sovereign level of government, ranking under the head of state...
who is apoointed by the president
President of Chile
The President of the Republic of Chile is both the head of state and the head of government of the Republic of Chile. The President is responsible of the government and state administration...
. The Osorno Province comprises seven communes; each commune is governed by its own municipality, 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...
.
Communes
- OsornoOsorno, ChileOsorno is a city and commune in southern Chile and capital of Osorno Province in the Los Lagos Region. It had a population of 145,475, as of the 2002 census...
- Puerto OctayPuerto OctayPuerto Octay is a town and commune located on the north shore of Llanquihue Lake in Los Lagos Region in the south of Chile. It was settled by German colonists in 1852. Puerto Octay was an important port with regular traffic to Puerto Varas before the coming of railway in 1912.-History:Its origin...
- Purranque
- PuyehuePuyehue, ChilePuyehue is a commune in Chile located in Osorno Province of Los Lagos Region. It is bordered to the south by Rupanco Lake, to the east by the Andes and Argentina, to the north by Puyehue Lake and to the west by Osorno commune. Cardenal Antonio Samoré Pass that links the Los Lagos Region to...
- Río NegroRío Negro, ChileRío Negro is a Chilean city and commune in Osorno Province, Los Lagos Region, 38 km to the south of Osorno and 6 km of 5 Route the South...
- San PabloSan Pablo, ChileSan Pablo is a Chilean town and commune located in the Osorno Province in the Los Lagos Region. It is located 27 km from the city and provincial capital of Osorno. The commune is mostly rural. Its activity is almost entirely agricultural and ranching...
- San Juan de la CostaSan Juan de la Costa, ChileSan Juan de la Costa is a commune of Chile, located in the Osorno Province in the Los Lagos Region. The capital town of Puaucho is located 34 km from Osorno. San Juan de la Costa is known for its large population of indigenous Huilliches...
History
The first inhabitants of the area were HuillicheHuilliche
The Huilliche is an ethnic group of Chile, belonging to the Mapuche culture. They live in mountain valleys in an area south of Toltén River and on Chiloé Archipelago...
s indigenous people. It also highlights the German Colonization in Chile
German-Chilean
German Chileans are an important ethnic group in Chile; they are Chileans of German descent deriving their German ethnicity from one or both parents – they also include a minority of German citizens holding permanent residency in Chile...
, which took place in the 19th century, when the Chilean government brought German
Germans
The Germans are a Germanic ethnic group native to Central Europe. The English term Germans has referred to the German-speaking population of the Holy Roman Empire since the Late Middle Ages....
settlers to assist in the growth of the region.
Ethnocultural demography
The Osorno province owes its legacy to fairly recent Chilean settlement, when the government subdued the region's indigenous MapucheMapuche
The Mapuche are a group of indigenous inhabitants of south-central Chile and southwestern Argentina. They constitute a wide-ranging ethnicity composed of various groups who shared a common social, religious and economic structure, as well as a common linguistic heritage. Their influence extended...
peoples in the mid-19th century and opened the land to Chilean and European immigration soon to follow. Large percentage of locals in Osorno are descendants of Spanish (the livestock grazing industry owes its foundation to the Basques
Basque people
The Basques as an ethnic group, primarily inhabit an area traditionally known as the Basque Country , a region that is located around the western end of the Pyrenees on the coast of the Bay of Biscay and straddles parts of north-central Spain and south-western France.The Basques are known in the...
) and other European immigrants.
In Osorno, there are historic ties and bonds with the Dutch
Dutch people
The Dutch people are an ethnic group native to the Netherlands. They share a common culture and speak the Dutch language. Dutch people and their descendants are found in migrant communities worldwide, notably in Suriname, Chile, Brazil, Canada, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand, and the United...
, British
British people
The British are citizens of the United Kingdom, of the Isle of Man, any of the Channel Islands, or of any of the British overseas territories, and their descendants...
esp. Scots
Scottish people
The Scottish people , or Scots, are a nation and ethnic group native to Scotland. Historically they emerged from an amalgamation of the Picts and Gaels, incorporating neighbouring Britons to the south as well as invading Germanic peoples such as the Anglo-Saxons and the Norse.In modern use,...
with some Irish
Irish people
The Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...
and English
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
, French
French people
The French are a nation that share a common French culture and speak the French language as a mother tongue. Historically, the French population are descended from peoples of Celtic, Latin and Germanic origin, and are today a mixture of several ethnic groups...
, Germans
Germans
The Germans are a Germanic ethnic group native to Central Europe. The English term Germans has referred to the German-speaking population of the Holy Roman Empire since the Late Middle Ages....
including Austrians
Austrians
Austrians are a nation and ethnic group, consisting of the population of the Republic of Austria and its historical predecessor states who share a common Austrian culture and Austrian descent....
and Swiss, Italians, Portuguese
Portuguese people
The Portuguese are a nation and ethnic group native to the country of Portugal, in the west of the Iberian peninsula of south-west Europe. Their language is Portuguese, and Roman Catholicism is the predominant religion....
, ex-Yugoslavians, Greeks
Greeks
The Greeks, also known as the Hellenes , are a nation and ethnic group native to Greece, Cyprus and neighboring regions. They also form a significant diaspora, with Greek communities established around the world....
and from the Middle East are Arabs and Palestinians
Palestinian Chilean
The Palestinian community in Chile is believed to be the largest Palestinian community outside of the Arab world. Estimates of the number of Palestinian descendants in Chile range from 350,000 to 500,000...
. These ethnic groups came in the late 19th century and early 20th century period.
It is thought in Central Chile (including Osorno), a small pattern of American immigration claiming to be of Cherokee
Cherokee
The Cherokee are a Native American people historically settled in the Southeastern United States . Linguistically, they are part of the Iroquoian language family...
Indian descent immigration occurred after the Dawes Act
Dawes Act
The Dawes Act, adopted by Congress in 1887, authorized the President of the United States to survey Indian tribal land and divide the land into allotments for individual Indians. The Act was named for its sponsor, Senator Henry L. Dawes of Massachusetts. The Dawes Act was amended in 1891 and again...
in the 1870s and 1880s displaced Native American farmers from Indian Territory
Indian Territory
The Indian Territory, also known as the Indian Territories and the Indian Country, was land set aside within the United States for the settlement of American Indians...
now the state of Oklahoma
Oklahoma
Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...
, but the number of descendants is minuscule compared to the Spanish-Basque-ethnic German
Ethnic German
Ethnic Germans historically also ), also collectively referred to as the German diaspora, refers to people who are of German ethnicity. Many are not born in Europe or in the modern-day state of Germany or hold German citizenship...
-Mapuche
Mapuche
The Mapuche are a group of indigenous inhabitants of south-central Chile and southwestern Argentina. They constitute a wide-ranging ethnicity composed of various groups who shared a common social, religious and economic structure, as well as a common linguistic heritage. Their influence extended...
population.
Around 1850, the government of Chile began inviting German settlers to the colony to promote growth in the region; the settlers found Osorno's climate and geography to be very similar to their own. With their help, Osorno was made the home of the national cattle ranch of Chile, boosting the regional economy significantly. Present-day Osorno has preserved 19th-century architecture and urban layout, represented by six picturesque houses which have been designated national monuments
National Monuments of Chile
The National Monuments of Chile , also abbreviated MN, are the constructions, elements and places that form part of the country's cultural heritage, and they are protected by law...
.
Economic activity
The main economic activity in the province is livestock, Osorno being one of the most important agricultural centers of Chile, which is identified with the slogan "Land of Milk and Meat of Chile". Another important economic activity is tourism.Tourist attractions
The province is dominated by its great natural beauty, especially by:- The lake and mountainous communes of Puerto Octay and Puyehue, where the German migrated influence is evident; mainly in construction and catering. The main tourist attractions in the area are its beautiful lakes: Llanquihue, PuyehuePuyehue LakePuyehue Lake is an Andean piedmont lake located in the border of Los Lagos Region with Los Ríos Region of Chile...
and RupancoRupanco LakeRupanco Lake is located in Los Lagos Region of Chile. The closest city, Osorno, has a primary school named after it as well.-External links:**...
with multiple beaches each; Puyehue National ParkPuyehue National ParkPuyehue National Park is located in the Andes, in Los Ríos and Los Lagos Region of Chile. It covers . The Route 215 passes through the park. It connects with the Argentine Route 231 via Cardenal Antonio Samoré Pass....
(tourist centre which has the Hot spring and Baths of PuyehuePuyehue Hot SpringsThe Puyehue Hot Springs are a series of hot springs and bathing spa in southern Chile. The Puyehue Hotel and spa uses waters from 5 different upwellings with water temperatures ranging from 41 to 54 °C. The hot springs are located 75 km east of Osorno, following Route 215-CH, in the foothills...
and Aguas Calientes; and Antillanca ski resort).
- The communes central of Osorno and San Pablo, where Osorno city identifies itself with the slogan "City-Park of Chile". Osorno city is also notable for being the tourist centre of the province, since it serves as a nexus to go to other communes in the province.
- The coastal communes of PurranquePurranquePurranque is a city in the Chilean Los Lagos Region, which lies on the Pan-American Highway about north of Puerto Montt. It is part of the Osorno Province.-History:...
, Rio NegroRío Negro, ChileRío Negro is a Chilean city and commune in Osorno Province, Los Lagos Region, 38 km to the south of Osorno and 6 km of 5 Route the South...
and San Juan de la Costa, presenting a wide coastal area, rich in natural resources, and ecotourism and etnotourism. This area highlights the beaches Pucatrihue and Maicolpue. Also this zone presents wildlife reserves created by the original inhabitants of ethnic HuillicheHuillicheThe Huilliche is an ethnic group of Chile, belonging to the Mapuche culture. They live in mountain valleys in an area south of Toltén River and on Chiloé Archipelago...
, such as the Network of Community Parks Mapu Lahual, associated with marine and coastal protected area Lafken Mapu Lahual.