| Villa Alegre | |||
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| — City and Commune — | |||
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| Location of the Villa Alegre commune in the Maule Region | |||
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Villa Alegre
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| Coordinates (city): | |||
| Country | Chile | ||
| Region | Maule | ||
| Province | Linares | ||
| Government[1] [2] | |||
| • Type | Municipality | ||
| • Alcalde | Arturo Palma Vilches (PPD) | ||
| Area[3] | |||
| • Total | 189.8 km2 (73.3 sq mi) | ||
| Population (2002 Census)[3] | |||
| • Total | 14,725 | ||
| • Density | 77.6/km2 (200.9/sq mi) | ||
| • Urban | 5,456 | ||
| • Rural | 9,269 | ||
| Demonym | Villalegrino | ||
| Sex[3] | |||
| • Men | 7,332 | ||
| • Women | 7,393 | ||
| Time zone | CLT [4] (UTC-4) | ||
| • Summer (DST) | CLST [5] (UTC-3) | ||
| Area code(s) | 56 + 73 | ||
| Website | Municipality of Villa Alegre | ||
Villa Alegre (Spanish for "joyous town") a commune and city located in Linares Province, Maule Region of Chile. With 189.8 km2 (73 sq mi), Villa Alegre is the smallest commune by area in the Maule Region. It sits 92 m (302 ft) above sea level.
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According to the 2002 census of the National Statistics Institute, Villa Alegre spans an area of 189.8 km2 (73 sq mi) and has 14,725 inhabitants (7,332 men and 7,393 women). Of these, 5,456 (37.1%) lived in urban areas and 9,269 (62.9%) in rural areas.Between the 1992 and 2002 censuses, the population fell by 2.8% (425 persons).[3]
Villa Alegre was founded on May 6, 1891 and was one of the first places in Chile to have an electric tramway service, in 1915.
Villa Alegre and its neighbor San Javier are traditional winemaking areas. The Loncomilla valley, which includes these two communes, is endowed with some of the better vineyards and quality wines of the bountiful Maule Valley, in the Chile's central valley viticultural regions or appellations.
As a commune, Villa Alegre 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 Arturo Palma Vilches (PPD),[1][2] and the councilors are:
Within the electoral divisions of Chile, Villa Alegre is represented in the Chamber of Deputies by Jorge Tarud (PDC) and Romilio Gutiérrez (UDI) as part of the 39th electoral district, (together with Linares, Colbún, San Javier and Yerbas Buenas). The commune is represented in the Senate by Hernán Larraín (UDI) and Ximena Rincón González (PDC) as part of the 11th senatorial constituency (Maule-South).
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