Salamanca, Chile
Encyclopedia
Salamanca is a Chile
an city and commune in Choapa Province
, Coquimbo Region
. It is located 30 km (19 mi) east of Illapel
, the province's administrative center, and 316 km (196 mi) north of Santiago, Chile
. It is normally accessed from Los Vilos
, which lies next to the Panamerican Highway, and connects the city to the rest of the country.
Salamanca sits on the north bank of the Choapa River
and within the Choapa valley. It was officially founded in 1844 by Joaquín de Ceballo, governor of Illapel.
of the National Statistics Institute
, Salamanca spans an area of 3445.3 sqkm and has 24,494 inhabitants (13,043 men and 11,451 women). Of these, 12,689 (51.8%) lived in urban area
s and 11,805 (48.2%) in rural areas. The population grew by 5.9% (1,368 persons) between the 1992 and 2002 censuses.
, headed by an alcalde
who is directly elected every four years. The 2008-2012 alcalde is Gerardo Rojas Escudero (PPD
). The council has the following members:
Within the electoral divisions of Chile, Salamanca is represented in the Chamber of Deputies
by Mrs. Adriana Muñoz (PDC
) and Mr. Luis Lemus (Ind.
) as part of the 9th electoral district, (together with Combarbalá
, Punitaqui
, Monte Patria
, Illapel
, Los Vilos
, Canela
). 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).
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 city and commune in Choapa Province
Choapa Province
Choapa Province is one of the provinces making up the Coquimbo Region of Chile. It has an area of 10,079.8 km² and a population of 81,681. The capital of the province is the town of Illapel...
, 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...
. It is located 30 km (19 mi) east of Illapel
Illapel
Illapel is a Chilean city, which is the capital of the Choapa Province, Coquimbo Region. It lies along the Illapel River and marks the country's narrowest point along a parallel .It's located to the east of Los Vilos.-Administration:...
, the province's administrative center, and 316 km (196 mi) north of Santiago, Chile
Santiago, Chile
Santiago , also known as Santiago de Chile, is the capital and largest city of Chile, and the center of its largest conurbation . It is located in the country's central valley, at an elevation of above mean sea level...
. It is normally accessed from Los Vilos
Los Vilos
Los Vilos is both a Chilean coastal commune and a coastal city with over 9,000 inhabitants , located in the Province of Choapa, part of the IV Region of Coquimbo. Its main activity is fishing. The city also has a significant amount of tourism, mainly due to its two beaches: La Principal and Las...
, which lies next to the Panamerican Highway, and connects the city to the rest of the country.
Salamanca sits on the north bank of the Choapa River
Choapa River
Choapa River or El Río Choapa is a river of Chile located in the Coquimbo Region. The river rises in the Andes, at the confluence of the streams Totoral, Leiva and Del Valle. The river then flows through the town of Salamanca before it meets with its main tributary, the Illapel River...
and within the Choapa valley. It was officially founded in 1844 by Joaquín de Ceballo, governor of Illapel.
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...
, Salamanca spans an area of 3445.3 sqkm and has 24,494 inhabitants (13,043 men and 11,451 women). Of these, 12,689 (51.8%) 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 11,805 (48.2%) in rural areas. The population grew by 5.9% (1,368 persons) between the 1992 and 2002 censuses.
Administration
As a commune, Salamanca 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. The 2008-2012 alcalde is Gerardo Rojas Escudero (PPD
Party for Democracy
The Party for Democracy is a political party in Chile; it is social democratic in its political orientation. It was founded in December 1987 by Ricardo Lagos, who aimed at forming a legal social democratic party . The party continued to function after the defeat of Pinochet...
). The council has the following members:
- Pedro Chávez González
- Roberto Rondanelli Hidalgo
- Rubén Sacre Barlaro
- Omar Alamos Calderón
- Carlos Rojas Tapia
- Enrique Tapia
Within the electoral divisions of Chile, Salamanca 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 Mrs. Adriana Muñoz (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...
) and Mr. Luis Lemus (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...
) as part of the 9th electoral district, (together with Combarbalá
Combarbala
Combarbalá is a Chilean city and commune, located in the Limarí Province, Coquimbo Region. The overall population of the commune is about 14.000 inhabitants, while the population of the city is about 6000 inhabitants...
, Punitaqui
Punitaqui
Punitaqui is a town and commune of Chile in the Limarí Province.-History:Punitaqui was once part of the Ovalle Department before the administrative restructuring of 1976.-1997 earthquake:...
, Monte Patria
Monte Patria
Monte Patria is a city and one of four communes in the Limarí Province of Chile's north-central IV Coquimbo Region.-Administration:As a commune, Monte Patria is a third-level administrative division of Chile administered by a Communal Council , headed by a directly elected alcalde...
, Illapel
Illapel
Illapel is a Chilean city, which is the capital of the Choapa Province, Coquimbo Region. It lies along the Illapel River and marks the country's narrowest point along a parallel .It's located to the east of Los Vilos.-Administration:...
, Los Vilos
Los Vilos
Los Vilos is both a Chilean coastal commune and a coastal city with over 9,000 inhabitants , located in the Province of Choapa, part of the IV Region of Coquimbo. Its main activity is fishing. The city also has a significant amount of tourism, mainly due to its two beaches: La Principal and Las...
, Canela
Canela
Canela, meaning Cinnamon in Portuguese, Spanish, and Italian, is a town located in the Serra Gaúcha of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. Both Canela and neighboring Gramado are important tourist resorts and they both draw many visitors each year. Ecotourism is very popular in the area and there are many...
). 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).