Coquimbo
Encyclopedia
Coquimbo is a port city, commune and capital
of the Elqui Province
, located on the Pan-American Highway
, in the Coquimbo Region
of Chile
. Coquimbo lies in a valley 10 km (6 mi) south of La Serena, with which it forms Greater La Serena
with more than 400,000 inhabitants. The commune spans an area around the harbor of 1429.3 sqkm. The average temperature in the city lies around 14 °C (57.2 °F), and precipitation is sparse.
from Spain
in 1550. The gold
and copper
industry in the region led to the city's importance as a port around 1840 and many Europe
ans especially from England
settled in Coquimbo. In 1867, it was recognized as a town.
of the National Statistics Institute
, Coquimbo had 163,036 inhabitants (79,428 men and 83,608 women). Of these, 154,316 (94.7%) lived in urban area
s and 8,720 (5.3%) in rural areas. The population grew by 32.8% (40,270 persons) between the 1992 and 2002 censuses.
, headed by an alcalde
who is directly elected every four years. The 2008-2012 alcalde is Oscar Enrique Pereira Tapia.
Within the electoral divisions of Chile, Coquimbo is represented in the Chamber of Deputies
by Pedro Velásquez (Ind.
) and Matías Walker (PDC
) as part of the 8th electoral district, (together with Ovalle and Río Hurtado
). 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).
and Tongoy. The port is still important for shipping, especially fruit
and copper from mines in the region. Wine
is also produced in the region.
Capital City
Capital City was a television show produced by Euston Films which focused on the lives of investment bankers in London living and working on the corporate trading floor for the fictional international bank Shane-Longman....
of the Elqui Province
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:...
, located on the Pan-American Highway
Pan-American Highway
The Pan-American Highway is a network of roads measuring about in total length. Except for an rainforest break, called the Darién Gap, the road links the mainland nations of the Americas in a connected highway system. According to Guinness World Records, the Pan-American Highway is the world's...
, in the 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...
of 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...
. Coquimbo lies in a valley 10 km (6 mi) south of La Serena, with which it forms Greater La Serena
Greater La Serena
Greater La Serena is a Chilean conurbation that includes the La Serena and Coquimbo communes in the Coquimbo Region. It has an estimated population of 401,845 inhabitants according to the 2008 estimates becoming the fourth biggest metropolitan areas in Chile after Santiago, Greater Concepcion and...
with more than 400,000 inhabitants. The commune spans an area around the harbor of 1429.3 sqkm. The average temperature in the city lies around 14 °C (57.2 °F), and precipitation is sparse.
History
The natural harbor in Coquimbo was taken over by Pedro de ValdiviaPedro de Valdivia
Pedro Gutiérrez de Valdivia or Valdiva was a Spanish conquistador and the first royal governor of Chile. After serving with the Spanish army in Italy and Flanders, he was sent to South America in 1534, where he served as lieutenant under Francisco Pizarro in Peru, acting as his second in command...
from Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
in 1550. The gold
Gold
Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au and an atomic number of 79. Gold is a dense, soft, shiny, malleable and ductile metal. Pure gold has a bright yellow color and luster traditionally considered attractive, which it maintains without oxidizing in air or water. Chemically, gold is a...
and copper
Copper
Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu and atomic number 29. It is a ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. Pure copper is soft and malleable; an exposed surface has a reddish-orange tarnish...
industry in the region led to the city's importance as a port around 1840 and many Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
ans especially from England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
settled in Coquimbo. In 1867, it was recognized as a town.
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...
, Coquimbo had 163,036 inhabitants (79,428 men and 83,608 women). Of these, 154,316 (94.7%) 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 8,720 (5.3%) in rural areas. The population grew by 32.8% (40,270 persons) between the 1992 and 2002 censuses.
Administration
As a commune, Coquimbo is a fourth-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. The 2008-2012 alcalde is Oscar Enrique Pereira Tapia.
Within the electoral divisions of Chile, Coquimbo 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 Pedro Velásquez (Ind.
Independent (politician)
In politics, an independent or non-party politician is an individual not affiliated to any political party. Independents may hold a centrist viewpoint between those of major political parties, a viewpoint more extreme than any major party, or they may have a viewpoint based on issues that they do...
) and Matías Walker (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 8th electoral district, (together with Ovalle and Río Hurtado
Río Hurtado
Río Hurtado is one of five communes in the Limarí Province of Chile's north-central IV Coquimbo Region.-Administration:As a commune, Río Hurtado 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 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).
Economy
The city itself, a gritty industrial and shipping center, is growing quickly, registering a 32.8% growth rate from 1992 to 2002. Tourism has started to develop recently. It is an access point for popular beach towns to the south, such as GuanaquerosGuanaqueros
Guanaqueros is a Chilean town in the commune of Coquimbo, Elqui Province, Coquimbo Region. It is located 12 kilometers from Tongoy. It is a fishermen's cove, which spreads along the eastern rim of the Cerro Guanaqueros , and with its houses built facing to the north in the direction of the Pacific...
and Tongoy. The port is still important for shipping, especially fruit
Fruit
In broad terms, a fruit is a structure of a plant that contains its seeds.The term has different meanings dependent on context. In non-technical usage, such as food preparation, fruit normally means the fleshy seed-associated structures of certain plants that are sweet and edible in the raw state,...
and copper from mines in the region. Wine
Wine
Wine is an alcoholic beverage, made of fermented fruit juice, usually from grapes. The natural chemical balance of grapes lets them ferment without the addition of sugars, acids, enzymes, or other nutrients. Grape wine is produced by fermenting crushed grapes using various types of yeast. Yeast...
is also produced in the region.