| O'Higgins Region VI Región del Libertador General Bernardo O'Higgins |
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| — Region of Chile — | |||
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| Map of O'Higgins Region | |||
| Country | Chile | ||
| Capital | Rancagua | ||
| Provinces | Cachapoal, Colchagua, Cardenal Caro | ||
| Government | |||
| • Intendant | Héctor Huenchullán | ||
| Area[1] | |||
| • Total | 16,387 km2 (6,327.1 sq mi) | ||
| Area rank | 14 | ||
| Lowest elevation | 0 m (0 ft) | ||
| Population (2002)[1] | |||
| • Total | 780,627 | ||
| • Rank | 6 | ||
| • Density | 47.6/km2 (123.4/sq mi) | ||
| ISO 3166 code | CL-LI | ||
The VI O'Higgins Region (Spanish: VI Región del Libertador General Bernardo O'Higgins) is one of Chile's 15 first order administrative divisions. It is subdivided into three provinces. It is named in honour of Bernardo O'Higgins Riquelme, one of Chile's founding fathers.
The O'Higgins Region is bordered to the west by the Pacific Ocean, to the east by the Republic of Argentina, to the north by the Valparaíso and Santiago Metropolitan Regions, and to the south by the Maule Region. It extends approximately between the parallels of 33°51’ and 35°01’ south latitude, and between the meridian of 70°02’ west longitude and the Pacific Ocean.
The capital and largest city of the region is Rancagua. The second major town is San Fernando.
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In pre-Quaternary times extensive Nothofagus forests covered much of O'Higgins Region.[2]
The O'Higgins Region is part of the very restricted range of the endangered Chilean Wine Palm, Jubaea chilensis; in prehistoric times this Chilean endemic tree had a significantly larger range.[3]
From 9000 BCE to 300 BCE (the Archaic Period), the humans who inhabited the region moved between the coast and the valley as well as the Andes. At sites such as Pichilemu, Cáhuil and Bucalemu, they left trash deposits or shell middens bearing testimony to their raids . During the Agroalfarero Period (300 BCE - 1470 CE), the inhabitants experienced changes in their way of life, the most important being the cultivation of vegetables and the manufacture of clay objects. From 600 CE onwards, they started cultivating beans, maize, squashes, pumpkins and Quinoa. All of these except Quinoa and some types of maize required irrigation, which prompted them to move to the banks of creeks and rivers. During this period, groups of people lived in Quincha houses with straw roofs, in the vicinity of irrigation channels and horticulture crops, a style of life attributable to the Promaucaes or Picunches and to the Chiquillanes. During the Colonial Period (1541 CE to 1811 CE), the region became dominated, like the rest of the country, by the Spanish, and a system of ranching became predominant .
The O'Higgins region contains a large part of the rural population (surpassed only by the Maule Region). Amongst the highly populated cities, Rancagua (206,971 inhabitants) stands out for having been transformed, in recent times, into an outskirt of Santiago. It is close being located 87 km south of Santiago. It is the capital of the Cachapoal Province as well the O'Higgins Region. According to the census of 2002,[4] other densely populated cities are: San Fernando (49,519 inhabitants); Rengo (30,891); Machalí (23,920); Graneros (21,616); San Vicente de Tagua Tagua (18,914); Santa Cruz (18,603); Chimbarongo (13,795); San Francisco de Mostazal (12,037); and Pichilemu (9,027) a well-known beach resort city founded by Agustin Ross Edwards in the late 19th century.
The main industrial and export activity takes place at CODELCO’s El Teniente mine, which contributes 7.7% of Chile’s copper production. The ore is processed at the Sewell and Colón concentrator plants, smelted and refined at Caletones, and shipped from the port of San Antonio, in the Valparaíso Region. Byproducts include molybdenum and silver.
Agriculture contributes 30.1% of the region’s GDP. One out of every four hectares of fruit orchards in Chile is in the O’Higgins Region. The main crops are apples and pears, followed by table grapes, plums, kiwis, and nectarines.
Manufacturing activity in the region is mostly related to copper mining, agribusiness, and food and beverages. One particular growth area is the production of fruit juices and pulp, and dehydrated fruit.
Over the past few years, there has been significant development in the forestry sector, especially plantations of eucalyptus and radiata pine.
The region is governed by an intendant, who is appointed by the president. Moises Saravia is the current intendant (2011).
The administration of the region rests with the regional government, which is headed by the intendant and the regional council (Consejo Regional de Chile). The latter comprises sixteen regional administrators, who are elected indirectly (ten from Cachapoal, four from Colchagua, and two from Cardenal Caro).
For purposes of interior administration, the O'Higgins region is divided into three provinces:
The provinces are subdivided into 33 communes.
| Politico-administrative divisions of the O'Higgins Region | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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This area is known as the "huaso province" after the name of the Chilean cowboy, the huaso. Sashes and mantas – traditional items of the huaso costume – are woven in Doñihue on heavy vertical looms. Designs imitate vine leaves, bunches of grapes, pines and copihues. Other designs of colored stripes are woven on horizontal looms.
The population is a mixture of both European (including Argentinan immigrants) and Indigenous races and cultures, thus the region has a homogeneous culture known as Chileanidad is present and a mestizo imprint is evident.
The O'Higgins region had Spanish (most notably are Andalusian, Basque, Aragonese and Navarrese) settlers and other European immigrants in its history. The French and Italian families established agriculture with the key Chilean wine industry from their vineyards. Breweries can be found as well to produce beer is the legacy of German and Swiss immigration. Livestock herding was co-founded by some British, Greek and Yugoslavian settlers.
The Wine Route is one of the main tourist attractions of the Colchagua valley and has resulted in an important economic revival.
In the late 19th century, a small number of Cherokee and Oklahoman settlers of American Indian descent from Indian Territory, USA came to the O'Higgins region by the Chilean government. The Cherokee were displaced by white Anglo settlement in Oklahoma at the time, so they accept an offer to settle in Chile, then founded a cooperative farm (1880's) Ovasso an Osage language word for "the end" or "edge". The farm settlement was abandoned from lack of successful farm production.
There is quite a small colony of Aartis or "Artas", East Indians descended from hired rail workers came from then British India in the early 20th century. The Artas are from a Hindi language word for "shining cloth" that was wore over their bodies during Hindu religious rites, but they rather call themselves desis.
Due to a relatively close distance to Santiago, a more urban influence has been present in the local culture. The largest city, Rancagua, is fast becoming a suburb of Santiago's upper-class professional workforce.
| Date | English Name | Spanish Name | Notes |
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| 1–2 October | Disaster of Rancagua | Desastre de Rancagua | In memory of the Battle of Rancagua which occurred in 1814 |
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