Provinces of Chile

Provinces of Chile
Provincias de Chile (Spanish)
Category Unitary unit
Location Republic of Chile
Number 54
Populations

1,792 (Antártica Chilena) –

4,997,637 (Santiago Province)
Areas 164 km2 (63.2 sq mi) (Easter Island) - 1,265,854 km2 (488,748.8 sq mi) (Antártica Chilena)
Government Provincial government, National government
Subdivisions Communes
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A province is the second largest administrative division in Chile with 54 in total. The largest administrative division in Chile is that of a region with 15 in total.

Each provincial government (gobernación provincial) is headed by a governor (gobernador) appointed by the president. The governor exercises their powers in accordance with instructions from the regional intendant (intendente). The governor is advised by the Provincial Economic and Social Council (Consejo Económico y Social Provincial or CESPRO). The only exception is the Santiago Province, which makes no provision for provincial government in its regulations; the position corresponds to the intendant of the Santiago Metropolitan Region. In January 2001, the Provincial Delegation of Santiago was created with the position of a Provincial Delegate, who exercises the functions of a provincial governor on behalf of the respective intendant.

The country's provinces are further divided into 346 communes which are administered by an alcalde and municipal council.

Until the 1980s a province was the main administrative division in Chile with 25 provinces: Tarapacá, Antofagasta, Atacama, Coquimbo, Aconcagua, Valparaíso, Santiago, O'Higgins, Colchagua, Curicó, Talca, Maule, Linares, Ñuble, Concepción, Arauco, Biobío, Malleco, Cautín, Valdivia, Osorno (since 1940), Llanquihue, Chiloé, Aisén (since 1929), Magallanes (since 1929)

List of provinces

The following table gives each province, its capital, surface area and 2002 population according to the National Statistics Institute.

Region Province Capital No. of
Communes		 Area[1][2] 2002[1][2]
Population
XV Arica and Parinacota Arica Arica 2 8,726.4 186,488
XV Arica and Parinacota Parinacota Putre 2 8,146.9 3,156
I Tarapacá Iquique Iquique 2 2,835.3 216,419
I Tarapacá Tamarugal Pozo Almonte 5 39,390.5 22,531
II Antofagasta Antofagasta Antofagasta 4 67,793.5 318,779
II Antofagasta El Loa Calama 3 41,999.6 143,689
II Antofagasta Tocopilla Tocopilla 2 16,236 31,516
III Atacama Copiapó Copiapó 3 32,538.5 155,713
III Atacama Huasco Vallenar 3 18,201.5 66,491
III Atacama Chañaral Chañaral 2 24,436.2 32,132
IV Coquimbo Elqui La Serena 6 16,894.8 365,371
IV Coquimbo Limarí Ovalle 5 13,553.2 156,158
IV Coquimbo Choapa Illapel 4 10,131.6 81,681
V Valparaíso Isla de Pascua Hanga Roa 1 163.6 3,791
V Valparaíso Los Andes Los Andes 4 3,217.7 95,474
V Valparaíso Marga Marga Quilpué 3 927.2 263,420
V Valparaíso Petorca La Ligua 6 4,736.4 71,243
V Valparaíso Quillota Quillota 6 1,344.9 190,022
V Valparaíso San Antonio San Antonio 6 1,611.6 136,594
V Valparaíso San Felipe de Aconcagua San Felipe 6 2,659.2 131,911
V Valparaíso Valparaíso Valparaíso 6 1,999.1 651,188
VI O'Higgins Cachapoal Rancagua 17 7,384.2 542,901
VI O'Higgins Colchagua San Fernando 10 5,678 196,566
VI O'Higgins Cardenal Caro Pichilemu 6 3,324.7 41,160
VII Maule Talca Talca 10 9,937.8 352,966
VII Maule Linares Linares 8 10,041.2 253,990
VII Maule Curicó Curicó 9 7,280.9 244,053
VII Maule Cauquenes Cauquenes 3 3027.2 57,088
VIII Bio Bío Concepción Concepción 12 3,439.3 912,889
VIII Bio Bío Ñuble Chillán 21 13,178.5 438,103
VIII Bio Bío Biobío Los Ángeles 14 14,987.9 353,315
VIII Bio Bío Arauco Lebu 7 5,457.2 157,255
IX Araucanía Cautin Temuco 21 18,409 667,920
IX Araucanía Malleco Angol 11 13,433.3 201,615
XIV Los Ríos Valdivia Valdivia 8 10,197.2 259,243
XIV Los Ríos Ranco La Unión 4 8,232.3 97,153
X Los Lagos Llanquihue Puerto Montt 9 14,876.4 321,493
X Los Lagos Osorno Osorno 7 9,223.7 221,509
X Los Lagos Chiloe Castro 10 7,165.5 142,194
X Los Lagos Palena Futaleufú 4 15,301.9 18,971
XI Aysén Coihaique Coihaique 2 12,942.5 51,103
XI Aysén Aysén Puerto Aysén 3 46,588.8 29,631
XI Aysén General Carrera Chile Chico 2 11,919.5 6,921
XI Aysén Capitan Prat Cochrane 3 37,043.6 3,837
XII Magallanes Magallanes Punta Arenas 4 36,400.8 121,675
XII Magallanes Ultima Esperanza Puerto Natales 2 55,443.9 19,855
XII Magallanes Tierra del Fuego Porvenir 3 22,592.7 6,904
XII Magallanes Antártica Chilena Puerto Williams 2 1,265,853.7 2,392
RM Santiago Metropolitan Santiago Santiago 32 2,090.3 4,668,473
RM Santiago Metropolitan Cordillera Puente Alto 3 5,528.3 522,856
RM Santiago Metropolitan Maipo San Bernardo 4 1,120.5 378,444
RM Santiago Metropolitan Talagante Talagante 5 582.3 217,449
RM Santiago Metropolitan Melipilla Melipilla 5 4,076.7 141,165
RM Santiago Metropolitan Chacabuco Colina 3 2,076.1 132,798

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "National Statistics Institute" (in Spanish). Retrieved 30 December 2010.
  2. 1 2 "Territorial division of Chile" (PDF). Retrieved 30 December 2010.
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