San Carlos, Chile
Encyclopedia
San Carlos is the name of a city and commune (Spanish
: comuna) of Ñuble Province
in the Biobío Region (8th Region) of Chile
.
, 133 km (83 mi) northeast of Concepción
, the regional capital and 32 km (20 mi) north of Chillán
, the provincial capital. It sits on an alluvial plain
between nearby Chillán
and the Perquilauquén river. The commune covers an area of 874 sqkm. Its territory lies almost entirely within the fertile, central plain or "depresión intermedia", (Chilean Central Valley
). Its countryside is reputed for its bountiful production of various crops as well as orchards (apple, grapes, berries, and more recently, kiwi
).
San Carlos is bordered on the west by the commune of Ninhue
, on the north by Ñiquén
and Cauquenes
(the latter in Cauquenes Province
), on the east by San Fabián
, and on the south by San Nicolás
, Chillán
and Coihueco
.
. The summers are hot and mainly dry (November to March) with temperatures reaching up to 34 °C (93.2 °F) on the months of December, January and February.
. According to the 2002 census
the population of the city was 29,359 (14,035 male, 15,324 female) while that of the commune of San Carlos was 50,088 (24,910 male, 25,178 female). Roughly, 62% of the population is urban and 38% is rural
. According to recent estimations by SUBDERE, the commune has a population of 51,119 in 2006. Between the 1992 census and that of 2002, the population of San Carlos grew at a 4.1% rate (.41% annual rate).
The commune encompasses a large number of villages, hamlets and other rural entities. Its second most populous locality, after San Carlos, is Cachapoal
, with 1,164 residents in 2002 (578 male, 586 female). This village has been considered as "urban" in the 2002 census by the National Statistics Institute
.
On May 15, 1813, San Carlos was the setting for one of the most important battles of the Chilean War of Independence, the Battle of San Carlos, where the patriot
army, led by general José Miguel Carrera
defeated the royalist army. The outcome of the battle set the ground for the patriot uprising in the whole region.
protestants, 0.59% as Jehovah's Witnesses
and 0.35% as Latter-day Saints. About 5.03% of the population identified themselves to be atheist or agnostic, while 3.19% declared to follow other religions.
, Violeta Parra
. She has long been acclaimed as a great folk artist, author, painter, researcher and singer. The house where this famous artist was born is located in the city of San Carlos. It was declared National Monument by Law Decree 668 on September 29, 1992. San Carlos is also the birthplace of other well-known artists. Among them there are painters such as Hernán Gazmuri and a popular band
from the 1970s, Los Ángeles Negros.
, headed by an alcalde
who is directly elected every four years. The 2008-2012 alcalde is Hugo Naim Gebrie Asfura (RN
), and the councilors are:
Within the electoral divisions of Chile, San Carlos is represented in the Chamber of Deputies
by Jorge Sabag (PDC) and Frank Sauerbaum (RN) as part of the 42nd electoral district, (together with San Fabián
, Ñiquén
, San Nicolás
, Ninhue
, Quirihue
, Cobquecura
, Treguaco
, Portezuelo
, Coelemu
, Ránquil
, Quillón
, Bulnes
, Cabrero and Yumbel
). The commune is represented in the Senate
by Alejandro Navarro Brain (MAS) and Hosain Sabag Castillo (PDC) as part of the 12th senatorial constituency (Biobío-Cordillera).
city of Baena
located in Andalucia, southern Spain, in the province of Córdoba. San Carlos' founder, José Joaquín del Pino de Rozas y Negrete, was born in Baena.
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
: comuna) of Ñuble Province
Ñuble Province
Ñuble Province is one of four provinces of the Chilean region of Biobío . It spans an area of and is administratively constituted by 21 communes. It has a population of 441,604 inhabitants. Its capital is the city of Chillán.-History:...
in the Biobío Region (8th Region) 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...
.
Geography and agriculture
San Carlos is a bustling market town located roughly in the center of Chile's agricultural heartland about 365 km (227 mi) south of SantiagoSantiago, 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...
, 133 km (83 mi) northeast of Concepción
Concepción, Chile
Concepción is a city in Chile, capital of Concepción Province and of the Biobío Region or Region VIII. Greater Concepción is the second-largest conurbation in the country, with 889,725 inhabitants...
, the regional capital and 32 km (20 mi) north of Chillán
Chillán
Chillán is a city in the Biobío Region of Chile located about south of the country's capital, Santiago, near the geographical center of the country. It is the capital of Ñuble Province and, with a population of approximately 170,000 people , the most populated urban center of this province...
, the provincial capital. It sits on an alluvial plain
Alluvial plain
An alluvial plain is a relatively flat landform created by the deposition of sediment over a long period of time by one or more rivers coming from highland regions, from which alluvial soil forms...
between nearby Chillán
Chillán
Chillán is a city in the Biobío Region of Chile located about south of the country's capital, Santiago, near the geographical center of the country. It is the capital of Ñuble Province and, with a population of approximately 170,000 people , the most populated urban center of this province...
and the Perquilauquén river. The commune covers an area of 874 sqkm. Its territory lies almost entirely within the fertile, central plain or "depresión intermedia", (Chilean Central Valley
Chilean Central Valley
The Central Valley , Intermediate Depression or Longitudinal Valley is the depression between the Chilean Costal Range and the Andes Mountains. The central valley should not be confused with Central Chile that encompasses part of the valley...
). Its countryside is reputed for its bountiful production of various crops as well as orchards (apple, grapes, berries, and more recently, kiwi
Kiwi
Kiwi are flightless birds endemic to New Zealand, in the genus Apteryx and family Apterygidae.At around the size of a domestic chicken, kiwi are by far the smallest living ratites and lay the largest egg in relation to their body size of any species of bird in the world...
).
San Carlos is bordered on the west by the commune of Ninhue
Ninhue
Ninhue is a Chilean commune and town in Ñuble Province, Biobío Region.-Demographics:According to the 2002 census of the National Statistics Institute, Ninhue spans an area of and has 5,738 inhabitants . Of these, 1,433 lived in urban areas and 4,305 in rural areas...
, on the north by Ñiquén
Ñiquén
Ñiquén is a commune of the Ñuble province, located in the north of the of Biobío Region of Chile. Geographically, it is delimited by the Perquilauquén River to the north and the Ñiquén River in the south...
and Cauquenes
Cauquenes
Cauquenes, a city and commune in Chile, is the capital of the Cauquenes Province and is located in the Maule Region.-History:According to the historical records of Alonso de Ercilla, Cauquenes was originally inhabited by an indigenous community of the Promaucaes, known as the Cauqui by the Inca or...
(the latter in Cauquenes Province
Cauquenes Province
Cauquenes Province is one of four provinces of the central Chilean region of Maule . The provincial capital is the city of Cauquenes.-Geography and demography:The provincial capital, Cauquenes, lies approximately southwest of Santiago...
), on the east by San Fabián
San Fabián
San Fabián is one of 21 communes in the Ñuble Province of central Chile's Biobío Region. The capital is the town of San Fabián de Alico. The commune spans an area of .-Administration:...
, and on the south by San Nicolás
San Nicolás, Chile
San Nicolás is a Chilean town and commune in Ñuble Province, Biobío Region.-Demographics:According to the 2002 census of the National Statistics Institute, San Nicolás spans an area of and has 9,741 inhabitants . Of these, 3,428 lived in urban areas and 6,313 in rural areas...
, Chillán
Chillán
Chillán is a city in the Biobío Region of Chile located about south of the country's capital, Santiago, near the geographical center of the country. It is the capital of Ñuble Province and, with a population of approximately 170,000 people , the most populated urban center of this province...
and Coihueco
Coihueco
Coihueco is a Chilean commune and city in Ñuble Province, Biobío Region. It is located near Chillán, the provincial capital. Coihueco borders San Carlos and San Fabián on the north, Argentina on the east, Pinto on the South, and Chillán on the west....
.
Geographic Coordinates
- Altitude: 151 m (495 ft)
- Latitude: 36° 25' 60S
- Longitude: 72° 2' 60W
Climate
San Carlos has a mild Mediterranean climateMediterranean climate
A Mediterranean climate is the climate typical of most of the lands in the Mediterranean Basin, and is a particular variety of subtropical climate...
. The summers are hot and mainly dry (November to March) with temperatures reaching up to 34 °C (93.2 °F) on the months of December, January and February.
| Season | Fall | Winter | Spring | Summer | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average rainfall, in mm (%) | 349 (26%) | 708 (53%) | 220 (16%) | 69 (5%) | |||||||||
| Source: http://www.sancarlos.cl/ | |||||||||||||
Demography
Today, San Carlos is the second most populous city of Ñuble ProvinceÑuble Province
Ñuble Province is one of four provinces of the Chilean region of Biobío . It spans an area of and is administratively constituted by 21 communes. It has a population of 441,604 inhabitants. Its capital is the city of Chillán.-History:...
. According to the 2002 census
Census
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...
the population of the city was 29,359 (14,035 male, 15,324 female) while that of the commune of San Carlos was 50,088 (24,910 male, 25,178 female). Roughly, 62% of the population is urban and 38% is rural
Rural
Rural areas or the country or countryside are areas that are not urbanized, though when large areas are described, country towns and smaller cities will be included. They have a low population density, and typically much of the land is devoted to agriculture...
. According to recent estimations by SUBDERE, the commune has a population of 51,119 in 2006. Between the 1992 census and that of 2002, the population of San Carlos grew at a 4.1% rate (.41% annual rate).
| Census (year) | Total population | Urban population (%) | Rural population (%) | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 37,819 | 17,433 (46.1%) | 20,386 (53.9%) | ||||||||||
| 1982 | 43,736 | 26,449 (60.5%) | 17,287 (39.5%) | ||||||||||
| 1992 | 48,129 | 26,048 (54.1%) | 22,081 (45.9%) | ||||||||||
| 2002 | 50,088 | 31,018 (62.0%) | 19,070 (38.0%) | ||||||||||
| Source:] | |||||||||||||
The commune encompasses a large number of villages, hamlets and other rural entities. Its second most populous locality, after San Carlos, is Cachapoal
Cachapoal
Cachapoal , is a village located in the municipality of San Carlos, in Ñuble Province, Bío-Bío Region, Chile....
, with 1,164 residents in 2002 (578 male, 586 female). This village has been considered as "urban" in the 2002 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...
.
History
The city was founded by a Spaniard, don José Joaquín del Pino de Rozas y Negrete on July 3, 1800.On May 15, 1813, San Carlos was the setting for one of the most important battles of the Chilean War of Independence, the Battle of San Carlos, where the patriot
Patriotism
Patriotism is a devotion to one's country, excluding differences caused by the dependencies of the term's meaning upon context, geography and philosophy...
army, led by general José Miguel Carrera
José Miguel Carrera
José Miguel Carrera Verdugo was a Chilean general, member of the prominent Carrera family, and considered one of the founders of independent Chile. Carrera was the most important leader of the Chilean War of Independence during the period of the Patria Vieja...
defeated the royalist army. The outcome of the battle set the ground for the patriot uprising in the whole region.
Education
San Carlos has about 50 elementary schools, 10 of them in the urban area, as well as 6 high schools, 5 of them in the urban area. The city also has a university, Universidad La República.Religion
According to the 2002 census, 25,141 residents of San Carlos commune aged 15 years or older identified themselves as Catholics, equivalent to 68.51% of the total population, while 22.01% described themselves as EvangelicalEvangelicalism
Evangelicalism is a Protestant Christian movement which began in Great Britain in the 1730s and gained popularity in the United States during the series of Great Awakenings of the 18th and 19th century.Its key commitments are:...
protestants, 0.59% as Jehovah's Witnesses
Jehovah's Witnesses
Jehovah's Witnesses is a millenarian restorationist Christian denomination with nontrinitarian beliefs distinct from mainstream Christianity. The religion reports worldwide membership of over 7 million adherents involved in evangelism, convention attendance of over 12 million, and annual...
and 0.35% as Latter-day Saints. About 5.03% of the population identified themselves to be atheist or agnostic, while 3.19% declared to follow other religions.
Notable residents
San Carlos is the birthplace of one of the most widely recognized names in Chilean and Latin American folk musicFolk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
, Violeta Parra
Violeta Parra
Violeta del Carmen Parra Sandoval was a notable Chilean composer, songwriter, folklorist, ethnomusicologist and visual artist...
. She has long been acclaimed as a great folk artist, author, painter, researcher and singer. The house where this famous artist was born is located in the city of San Carlos. It was declared National Monument by Law Decree 668 on September 29, 1992. San Carlos is also the birthplace of other well-known artists. Among them there are painters such as Hernán Gazmuri and a popular band
Band (music)
In music, a musical ensemble or band is a group of musicians that works together to perform music. The following articles concern types of musical bands:* All-female band* Big band* Boy band* Christian band* Church band* Concert band* Cover band...
from the 1970s, Los Ángeles Negros.
Administration
As a commune, San Carlos 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 Hugo Naim Gebrie Asfura (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 the councilors are:
- Pedro Méndez Sánchez: (RN)
- Héctor Guzmán Vásquez: (RN)
- Carlos Cortés Fuentes (RN)
- César Ortiz Gallegos: UDIIndependent Democrat UnionThe Independent Democrat Union is a Chilean right-wing, conservative political party, founded in 1983. Its main inspirer was the lawyer, politician and law professor Jaime Guzmán, a former senator of the Republic of Chile from 1990 until his assassination on April 1, 1991.Its ideological origins...
- Salvador Iván Rodríguez Rodríguez PDCChristian Democrat Party of ChileThe Christian Democratic Party is a political party in Chile and governs as part of the Coalition of Parties for Democracy coalition. In the 2009 election it won 19 congress seats and 9 senate seats....
- Lucrecia Flores Rodríguez: PSSocialist Party of ChileThe 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...
Within the electoral divisions of Chile, San Carlos 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 Jorge Sabag (PDC) and Frank Sauerbaum (RN) as part of the 42nd electoral district, (together with San Fabián
San Fabián
San Fabián is one of 21 communes in the Ñuble Province of central Chile's Biobío Region. The capital is the town of San Fabián de Alico. The commune spans an area of .-Administration:...
, Ñiquén
Ñiquén
Ñiquén is a commune of the Ñuble province, located in the north of the of Biobío Region of Chile. Geographically, it is delimited by the Perquilauquén River to the north and the Ñiquén River in the south...
, San Nicolás
San Nicolás, Chile
San Nicolás is a Chilean town and commune in Ñuble Province, Biobío Region.-Demographics:According to the 2002 census of the National Statistics Institute, San Nicolás spans an area of and has 9,741 inhabitants . Of these, 3,428 lived in urban areas and 6,313 in rural areas...
, Ninhue
Ninhue
Ninhue is a Chilean commune and town in Ñuble Province, Biobío Region.-Demographics:According to the 2002 census of the National Statistics Institute, Ninhue spans an area of and has 5,738 inhabitants . Of these, 1,433 lived in urban areas and 4,305 in rural areas...
, Quirihue
Quirihue
Quirihue is a Chilean city in Quirihue, Ñuble Province, Bío-Bío Region.It is located about 72 kilometers northwest of Chillán, 82 kilometers north of Concepción and 398 kilometers south of Santiago-27 February 2010 tsunami and quake:...
, Cobquecura
Cobquecura
Cobquecura is a town and commune in the Ñuble Province of Chile's eighth region of Biobío . The town is located on the northwest Pacific coast of the Ñuble Province about southwest of the national capital of Santiago.On February 27, 2010 Cobquecura was the epicenter of the huge earthquake and...
, Treguaco
Treguaco
Treguaco, also spelled as Trehuaco, is a Chilean town and commune in Ñuble Province, Biobío Region. The commune spans an area of .-Demographics:...
, Portezuelo
Portezuelo
Portezuelo is a Chilean town and commune located in the Ñuble Province, Biobío Region.-Demographics:According to the 2002 census of the National Statistics Institute, Portezuelo spans an area of and has 5,470 inhabitants . Of these, 1,750 lived in urban areas and 3,720 in rural areas...
, Coelemu
Coelemu
Coelemu is a Chilean commune and city in Ñuble Province, Biobío Region. According to the 2002 census, the commune population was 16,082 and has an area of .-Demographics:...
, Ránquil
Ránquil
Ránquil is a Chilean commune in Ñuble Province, Biobío Region. The communal capital is the town of Ñipas.-Demographics:According to the 2002 census of the National Statistics Institute Ránquil had 5,683 inhabitants . Of these, 1,337 lived in urban areas and 4,346 in rural areas...
, Quillón
Quillón
Quillón is a Chilean city and commune and Ñuble Province, Biobío Region.-Demographics:According to the 2002 census of the National Statistics Institute, Quillón spans an area of and has 15,146 inhabitants . Of these, 7,536 lived in urban areas and 7,610 in rural areas...
, Bulnes
Bulnes, Chile
Bulnes is a Chilean city and commune in Ñuble Province, Biobío Region.-Demographics:According to the 2002 census of the National Statistics Institute, Bulnes spans an area of and has 20,595 inhabitants . Of these, 12,514 lived in urban areas and 8,081 in rural areas...
, Cabrero and Yumbel
Yumbel
Yumbel is a town and commune of the Province of Bío-Bío in the region of the same name, Chile.-History:Yumbel originated from the small fort of San Felipe de Austria, raised in 1585 by Governor Alonso de Sotomayor, on the cerro del Centinela...
). 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 Alejandro Navarro Brain (MAS) and Hosain Sabag Castillo (PDC) as part of the 12th senatorial constituency (Biobío-Cordillera).
Twin cities
San Carlos is twinned with the SpanishSpain
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...
city of Baena
Baena
Baena is a town of Andalucia, southern Spain, in the province of Córdoba; 32 miles by road south east of the city of Córdoba. Population of the town is 20000 people. Baena is picturesquely situated near the river Marbella, on the slope of a hill crowned with a castle, which formerly belonged to the...
located in Andalucia, southern Spain, in the province of Córdoba. San Carlos' founder, José Joaquín del Pino de Rozas y Negrete, was born in Baena.