| Chillán | |||
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| — City and Commune — | |||
| Panorama of Chillán | |||
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| Location of the Chillán commune in the Biobío Region | |||
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Chillán
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| Coordinates: | |||
| Country | Chile | ||
| Region | Biobío | ||
| Province | Ñuble | ||
| San Bartolomé de Chillán | 1580 | ||
| Founder | Martín Ruiz de Gamboa | ||
| Government[1][2] | |||
| • Type | Municipality | ||
| • Alcalde | Sergio Zarzar Andonie (ILE) | ||
| Area[3] | |||
| • Total | 511.2 km2 (197.4 sq mi) | ||
| Population (2002 Census)[3] | |||
| • Total | 161,953 | ||
| • Density | 316.8/km2 (820.5/sq mi) | ||
| • Urban | 148,015 | ||
| • Rural | 13,938 | ||
| Demonym | Chillanejo or Chillanense | ||
| Sex[3] | |||
| • Men | 77,007 | ||
| • Women | 84,946 | ||
| Time zone | CLT (UTC−4) | ||
| • Summer (DST) | CLST (UTC−3) | ||
| Area code(s) | country + city = 56 + 42[4] | ||
| Website | Municipality of Chillán | ||
Chillán (Spanish pronunciation: [tʃiˈʎan] or [tʃiˈʝan]) is a city in the Biobío Region of Chile located about 400 km (249 mi) south of the country's capital, Santiago, near the geographical center of the country. It is the capital of Ñuble Province and, with a population of approximately 170,000 people (253,000 the Chillán Conurbation for 2008), the most populated urban center of this province. Within the city are a railway station, an inter-city bus terminal, an agricultural extension of the University of Concepción, and a regimental military base. The city includes a modern-style enclosed shopping mall in addition to the multi-block open-air street market where fruits, vegetables, crafts and clothing are sold. The nearby mountains are a popular skiing destination.
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Chillán was founded in 1580 at the site of Chillán Viejo as San Bartolomé de Chillán by Martín Ruiz de Gamboa, who was campaigning against the local indigenous peoples at the time. However, this moniker did not fare well, and was replaced by the current name, which in the local Indian language means "where the Sun is sitting".
From its foundation, Chillán has been at the heart of Chile's rich agricultural region. It is also in a region of seismic activity, suffering from devastating earthquakes throughout its history; the 1939 Chillán earthquake left over 30,000 dead and mobilized international help.
Chile's national hero, Bernardo O'Higgins, was born in Chillán in 1778. He was the force behind Chile's Independence from Spain, being elected Supreme Director and declaring independence after the Battle of Chacabuco against the Spanish in 1817. His later victory at the Maipo battlefield cemented the country's freedom. He died in exile in Peru in 1842.
According to the 2002 census by the National Statistics Institute, the commune of Chillán spans an area of 511.2 km2 (197 sq mi) and has 161,953 inhabitants (77,007 men and 84,946 women). Of these, 148,015 (91.4%) lived in urban areas and 1,938 (8.6%) in rural areas. The population grew by 8.3% (12,442 persons) between the 1992 and 2002 censuses.[3]
The demonym for a person from Chillán, used for more than 400 years by local residents, is Chillanejo, yet this is not found in the Royal Spanish Academy Dictionary, which only recognizes Chillanense.[5]
In addition, Chillán has offered a number of great artists to the world. A very notable example is Claudio Arrau, the world famous pianist. Additionally there is Ramón Vinay, the tenor who was "the" Otello of the 1950s. His recording of the role with Toscanini is a perennial classic. He was a regular at the New York's Metropolitan Opera, where he sang both tenor and baritone roles. One of his last performances at this house was as the Barber of Seville's Basilio, a bass role. He retired from the stage in 1969, in a performance of Otello at Santiago's Municipal Theatre.
Other "chillanejos" are also part of Chile's best artistic and literary traditions: Marta Brunet, a writer; Marta Colvin, a sculptress; Pacheco Altamirano, a painter; and numerous others who, however, did not reach the international acclaim achieved by Arrau and Vinay.
As a commune, Chillán is a third-level administrative division of Chile administered by a municipal council, headed by an alcalde who is directly elected every four years. The 2008-2012 alcalde is Sergio Zarzar Andonie (ILE).[1][2]
Within the electoral divisions of Chile, Chillán is represented in the Chamber of Deputies by Carlos Abel Jarpa (PRSD) and Rosauro Martínez (RN) as part of the 41st electoral district, (together with Coihueco, Pinto, San Ignacio, El Carmen, Pemuco, Yungay and Chillán Viejo). The commune is represented in the Senate by Victor Pérez Varela (UDI) and Mariano Ruiz -Esquide Jara (PDC) as part of the 13th senatorial constituency (Biobío-Coast).
Nowadays, the city of Chillán is connected to Chile's capital Santiago by both a modern highway and a rebuilt railway system that makes the trip in less than five hours.
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