Aisén Province is one of four provinces

Provinces of Chile

A province is the second largest administrative division in Chile, after a region. Each region is divided into provinces. There are 54 provinces in total....

 of the Chile

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...

an region of Aisen (XI). Its capital is Puerto Aisén.

Demographics

The province had a 2002 population of 23,498 according to the census by 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...

. Of these, 16,180 (68.9%) lived in 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...

s and 13,451 (57.2%) in rural areas. Between the 1992 and 2002 censuses, the population fell by 20.7% ( persons). The census also yielded a surface area of 46588.8 sqkm, the largest in the region and fifth largest province in the country, though it is the tenth least populated in the country.

Administration

As a province, Palena is a second-level administrative division

Administrative divisions of Chile

The administrative division or territorial organization of Chile exemplifies characteristics of a unitary state. State administration is functionally and geographically decentralized, as appropriate for each authority in accordance with the law....

, administered by a presidentially appointed governor. Felisa Ojeda Vargas was appointed by president

President

A president is a leader of an organization, company, trade union, university, or country.Etymologically, a president is one who presides, who sits in leadership...

 Sebastián Piñera

Sebastián Piñera

Miguel Juan Sebastián Piñera Echenique is a Chilean businessman and politician. He was elected President of Chile in January 2010, taking office in March 2010.- Education :...

.

Communes

The province comprises three communes, each governed by a municipality, 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...

: Aisén

Aisén, Chile

Aisén is a Chilean commune located in Aisén Province, Aisén Region. It is home to the city of Puerto Aisén and to the towns of Villa Mañiguales and Puerto Chacabuco.-Demographics:...

, Cisnes

Cisnes

Cisnes is a Chilean commune located in the Aisén Province, Aisén Region. The commune spans an area of .-Demographics:...

, and Guaitecas

Guaitecas

Guaitecas is Chilean commune located in Guaitecas Archipelago which are part of Aisén Province and Region. The administrative centre is Melinka, the only port and town in the Chonos Archipelago.-Demographics:...

.

Commune	Area (km2)	2002 Population	Density (km2)	Website
Guaitecas Guaitecas Guaitecas is Chilean commune located in Guaitecas Archipelago which are part of Aisén Province and Region. The administrative centre is Melinka, the only port and town in the Chonos Archipelago.-Demographics:...	787.0	1,539	2.0	link
Cisnes Cisnes Cisnes is a Chilean commune located in the Aisén Province, Aisén Region. The commune spans an area of .-Demographics:...	15,831.4	5,739	0.4	link
Aisén Aisén, Chile Aisén is a Chilean commune located in Aisén Province, Aisén Region. It is home to the city of Puerto Aisén and to the towns of Villa Mañiguales and Puerto Chacabuco.-Demographics:...	29,970.4	22,353	0.7	link

Origin of name

The name Aisén is from the English sailor expression for the icy "end of the world". Many of the region's people are of British

British people

The British are citizens of the United Kingdom, of the Isle of Man, any of the Channel Islands, or of any of the British overseas territories, and their descendants...

 and German

Ethnic German

Ethnic Germans historically also ), also collectively referred to as the German diaspora, refers to people who are of German ethnicity. Many are not born in Europe or in the modern-day state of Germany or hold German citizenship...

 descent, although the majority of inhabitants are Chileans of mestizo

Mestizo

Mestizo is a term traditionally used in Latin America, Philippines and Spain for people of mixed European and Native American heritage or descent...

 Spanish

Spanish people

The Spanish are citizens of the Kingdom of Spain. Within Spain, there are also a number of vigorous nationalisms and regionalisms, reflecting the country's complex history....

 origins. The province was recently developed in the early 20th century by Chilean government officials to placed thousands of transplanted settlers from the Central Valley.

External links

Government of Aisén