Andacollo
Encyclopedia
Andacollo is a city and commune in the Elqui Province
, Coquimbo Region
, Chile
.
Several legends are told about the name of the city. Some say that it comes from the Quechua Anta-Goya which means cobre-reina (copper queen). Others say that the name means "Hurry up, Collo" (Anda, Collo). According to these legends, La Virgen del Rosario, also known as la Virgen Morena, or Black Madonna
, appeared to an indigenous miner called "Collo" in the form of a small wooden statuette hidden in rocks. The statue told the newly converted Collo to build up a church at the place where Andacollo is located today. As many miracles are attributed to the Dark Lady (like stopping the smallpox
epidemic of 1871) the city celebrates the Virgin every year on December 24 to 26.
of the National Statistics Institute
, Andacollo had 10,288 inhabitants (5,148 men and 5,140 women). Of these, 9,444 (91.8%) lived in urban area
s and 844 (8.2%) in rural areas. The population fell by 16% (1,958 persons) between the 1992 and 2002 censuses.
, headed by an alcalde
who is directly elected every four years.
Within the electoral divisions of Chile, Andacollo is represented in the Chamber of Deputies
by Mr. Mario Bertolino (RN
) and Marcelo Díaz (PS
) as part of the 7th electoral district, (together with La Serena, La Higuera
, Vicuña
and Paiguano). The commune is represented in the Senate
by Evelyn Matthei Fornet (UDI) and Jorge Pizarro Soto (PDC
) as part of the 4th senatorial constituency (Coquimbo Region).
Elqui Province
Elqui Province is a province in the Chilean region of Coquimbo . The provincial capital is the city of Coquimbo. The province has an area of , and has 365,371 inhabitants.-Geography and demography:...
, Coquimbo Region
Coquimbo Region
The IV Coquimbo Region is one of Chile's 15 first order administrative divisions. It is some 400 km north of the capital, Santiago.The capital and largest city is La Serena, other important cities include the seaport Coquimbo and the agricultural centre...
, 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...
.
History
Andacollo is a copper and gold mining city located in the mountains of the Small North (El Norte Chico) in Chile. It was founded in 1891.Several legends are told about the name of the city. Some say that it comes from the Quechua Anta-Goya which means cobre-reina (copper queen). Others say that the name means "Hurry up, Collo" (Anda, Collo). According to these legends, La Virgen del Rosario, also known as la Virgen Morena, or Black Madonna
Black Madonna
A Black Madonna or Black Virgin is a statue or painting of the Virgin Mary in which the Virgin Mary is black. The term was especially applied to those created in Europe in the medieval period or earlier...
, appeared to an indigenous miner called "Collo" in the form of a small wooden statuette hidden in rocks. The statue told the newly converted Collo to build up a church at the place where Andacollo is located today. As many miracles are attributed to the Dark Lady (like stopping the smallpox
Smallpox
Smallpox was an infectious disease unique to humans, caused by either of two virus variants, Variola major and Variola minor. The disease is also known by the Latin names Variola or Variola vera, which is a derivative of the Latin varius, meaning "spotted", or varus, meaning "pimple"...
epidemic of 1871) the city celebrates the Virgin every year on December 24 to 26.
Demographics
According to the 2002 censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 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...
, Andacollo had 10,288 inhabitants (5,148 men and 5,140 women). Of these, 9,444 (91.8%) 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 844 (8.2%) in rural areas. The population fell by 16% (1,958 persons) between the 1992 and 2002 censuses.
Administration
As a commune, Andacollo is a third-level administrative division of Chile administered by a municipal councilMunicipal council
A municipal council is the local government of a municipality. Specifically the term can refer to the institutions of various countries that can be translated by this term...
, 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...
who is directly elected every four years.
Within the electoral divisions of Chile, Andacollo is represented in the Chamber of Deputies
Chamber of Deputies of Chile
The Chamber of Deputies of the Republic of Chile is the lower house of Chile's bicameral Congress. Its organisation and its powers and duties are defined in articles 42 to 59 of Chile's current constitution....
by Mr. Mario Bertolino (RN
National Renewal (Chile)
National Renewal , is a liberal conservative political party belonging to the Chilean right-wing political coalition Coalition for Change in conjunction with the Independent Democratic Union and the Chile First movement...
) and Marcelo Díaz (PS
Socialist Party of Chile
The Socialist Party of Chile is a political party, that is part of the center-left Coalition of Parties for Democracy coalition. Its historical leader was the late President of Chile Salvador Allende Gossens, who was deposed by General Pinochet in 1973...
) as part of the 7th electoral district, (together with La Serena, La Higuera
La Higuera, Chile
La Higuera is a town and commune in Elqui Province, Coquimbo Region, Chile. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean, the east by the Atacama Region, and the south by the communes of Vicuña and La Serena....
, Vicuña
Vicuña, Chile
Vicuña is a Chilean commune and city in Elqui Province, Coquimbo Region, founded during the government of Bernardo O'Higgins to secure sovereignty over the Elqui Valley. The famous Chilean poet Gabriela Mistral was born there in 1889. It borders to the west with the communes of La Higuera, La...
and Paiguano). The commune is represented in the Senate
Senate of Chile
The Senate of the Republic of Chile is the upper house of Chile's bicameral National Congress, as established in the current Constitution of Chile.-Composition:...
by Evelyn Matthei Fornet (UDI) and Jorge Pizarro Soto (PDC
Christian Democratic Party
Christian democratic parties are those political parties that seek to apply Christian principles to public policy. The underlying Christian democracy movement emerged in 19th-century Europe, largely under the influence of Catholic social teaching, and it continues to be influential in Europe and...
) as part of the 4th senatorial constituency (Coquimbo Region).