Vitacura
Encyclopedia
Vitacura is a commune of Chile
located in Santiago Province, Santiago Metropolitan Region
. It is one of the most expensive and fashionable areas of Santiago
. Inhabitants are primarily high income families.
There is an abundance of elite private schools in Vitacura and Las Condes
, including Saint George's College
, Colegio Santa Úrsula, Alliance Francaise, Colegio La Maisonette, Colegio Tabancura, Colegio Los Andes, Colegio Sagrados Corazones de Manquehue and Colegio San Benito.
The Costanera Norte
toll-way connects Vitacura with the international airport
and subway stations
are located in the neighbor municipality of Las Condes
.
Vitacura is see of ECLAC headquarters, home to the European Southern Observatory
(ESO) headquarters in Chile, and home to Santiago's most exclusive shopping street, Avenida Alonso de Córdova.
of the National Statistics Institute
, Vitacura spans an area of 28.3 sqkm and has 81,499 inhabitants (35,118 men and 46,381 women), making the commune an entirely urban area
. The population grew by 2.7% (2,124 persons) between the 1992 and 2002 censuses.
Stats
, headed by an alcalde
who is directly elected every four years. The 2008-2012 alcalde is Raúl Torrealba Delpedregal (RN
).
Within the electoral divisions of Chile, Vitacura is represented in the Chamber of Deputies
by Cristián Monckeberg (RN) and Ernesto Silva (UDI) as part of the 23rd electoral district, (together with Las Condes
and Lo Barnechea
). The commune is represented in the Senate
by Soledad Alvear
(PDC
) and Pablo Longueira
(UDI) as part of the 8th senatorial constituency (Santiago-East).
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 Santiago Province, Santiago Metropolitan Region
Santiago Metropolitan Region
Santiago Metropolitan Region or simply Metropolitan Region is one of Chile's 15 first order administrative divisions. It is the country's only landlocked administrative region and contains the nation's capital, Santiago...
. It is one of the most expensive and fashionable areas of 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...
. Inhabitants are primarily high income families.
There is an abundance of elite private schools in Vitacura and Las Condes
Las Condes
Las Condes is a commune of Chile located in Santiago Province, Santiago Metropolitan Region. The area is inhabited primarily by upper-mid to high income families...
, including Saint George's College
Saint George's College
Saint George’s College, founded in 1936 and run by the Congregation of Holy Cross, is among the most exclusive and upper-class schools in Santiago, Chile...
, Colegio Santa Úrsula, Alliance Francaise, Colegio La Maisonette, Colegio Tabancura, Colegio Los Andes, Colegio Sagrados Corazones de Manquehue and Colegio San Benito.
The Costanera Norte
Costanera Norte
Costanera Norte is a 43 km privatized expressway connecting northern Santiago Metropolitan Region from east to west, along the northern bank of the Mapocho River, using an electronic toll collection system. It was inaugurated on April 12, 2005...
toll-way connects Vitacura with the international airport
Comodoro Arturo Merino Benítez International Airport
Comodoro Arturo Merino Benítez International Airport , also known as Pudahuel Airport and Santiago International Airport, located in Pudahuel, north-west of downtown Santiago, is Chile's largest aviation facility and the busiest international air passenger gateway to the country...
and subway stations
Santiago Metro
Metro de Santiago is South America's most extensive metro system with 5 lines, 108 stations and 103 kilometres of track making it the second longest in Latin America after that of Mexico City. The metro system serves the city of Santiago, Chile. Three of the lines are rubber-tyred...
are located in the neighbor municipality of Las Condes
Las Condes
Las Condes is a commune of Chile located in Santiago Province, Santiago Metropolitan Region. The area is inhabited primarily by upper-mid to high income families...
.
Vitacura is see of ECLAC headquarters, home to the European Southern Observatory
European Southern Observatory
The European Southern Observatory is an intergovernmental research organisation for astronomy, supported by fifteen countries...
(ESO) headquarters in Chile, and home to Santiago's most exclusive shopping street, Avenida Alonso de Córdova.
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...
, Vitacura spans an area of 28.3 sqkm and has 81,499 inhabitants (35,118 men and 46,381 women), making the commune an entirely 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...
. The population grew by 2.7% (2,124 persons) between the 1992 and 2002 censuses.
Stats
- Area: 28.3 sqkm
- Population: 80,598 (2009 projection)
- Autonomous household income per capita: US$26,155 (PPPPurchasing power parityIn economics, purchasing power parity is a condition between countries where an amount of money has the same purchasing power in different countries. The prices of the goods between the countries would only reflect the exchange rates...
, 2006) - Population below poverty line: 4.4% (±2.5%) (2006)
- Regional quality of life index: 86.74, high, 3 out of 52 (2005)
- Human Development IndexHuman Development IndexThe Human Development Index is a composite statistic used to rank countries by level of "human development" and separate "very high human development", "high human development", "medium human development", and "low human development" countries...
: 0.949, 1 out of 341 (2003)
Administration
As a commune, Vitacura 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 Raúl Torrealba Delpedregal (RN
National 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...
).
Within the electoral divisions of Chile, Vitacura 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 Cristián Monckeberg (RN) and Ernesto Silva (UDI) as part of the 23rd electoral district, (together with Las Condes
Las Condes
Las Condes is a commune of Chile located in Santiago Province, Santiago Metropolitan Region. The area is inhabited primarily by upper-mid to high income families...
and Lo Barnechea
Lo Barnechea
Lo Barnechea is a commune of Chile located in Santiago Province, Santiago Metropolitan Region. It is home to some of Chile's fanciest neighborhoods comparable to Beverly Hills and River Oaks...
). 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 Soledad Alvear
Soledad Alvear
María Soledad Alvear Valenzuela , is a Chilean lawyer and Christian Democrat politician, who was a cabinet member of the Aylwin, Frei and Lagos administrations. She was president of the Christian Democrat Party from 2006-2008...
(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 Pablo Longueira
Pablo Longueira
Juan Pablo Longueira Montes in a Chilean right-wing politician, industrial civil engineer and Independent Democrat Union senator . He was previously a deputy . He launched his candidacy for president of Chile on March 30, 2007, but canceled it on May 3, 2007.-External links:* *...
(UDI) as part of the 8th senatorial constituency (Santiago-East).