San Javier, Chile
Encyclopedia
San Javier is a Chile
an city
and commune located in the Province of Linares
, Maule Region
. The city lies in the geographical center of the country, some 270 km (168 mi) south of Santiago
, 31 km (19 mi) to the northwest of the provincial capital, Linares
, and 24 km (15 mi) to the south of Talca
, the regional capital. The Pan-American Highway
("Ruta 5 Sur") passes through the commune of San Javier, touching tangentially the eastern side of the town. A paved road connects San Javier with Colbún
, Colbún dam
lake and Panimávida
and Quinamávida
hot springs
.
. According to the 2002 census
of the National Statistics Institute
, the population of the commune of San Javier was 37,793 inhabitants (18,827 men and 18,966 women). Of these, 22,004 (58.2%) lived in urban area
s and 15,789 (41.8%) in rural areas. Between the 1992 and 2002 censuses, the population grew by 6.2% (2,206 persons).
or "depresión intermedia", (Chilean Central Valley
) but the extense western part is hilly and somewhat drier, a typical "Cordillera de la Costa
" terrain, which requires supplemental irrigation to support its varied cultivations. This area lends itself nicely to wine
growing and cereal
cultivation. Therefore, San Javier is gifted with some of the better vineyard
s and quality wines of the bountiful Maule Valley
, in the Chile's central valley
viticultural regions
or appellation
s.
San Javier is bordered on the west by the communes of Constitución
and Empedrado, (both in Talca province
), Cauquenes
, (in Cauquenes Province
), and Villa Alegre
; on the north by Pencahue
and Maule
communes, in Talca province; on the east, by Yerbas Buenas
, Villa Alegre
, Linares
and Longaví
and on the south, by Cauquenes
and Retiro
. The town lies on the right margin of the River Loncomilla. Located a few km north of San Javier is the wide Maule river
, of which the Loncomilla is the main tributary. River Purapel
, a regional "anomaly", since it flows eastward in a country where the overwhelming majority of rivers flow in the opposite direction, is a tributary of the Loncomilla.
centers and relatively isolated from the more distorting external cultural influences. Therefore, the commune can boast several villages with well-preserved colonial
rural architecture - the criollo legacy - both in the religious as well as the civil domains. Singular examples of this brand of picturesque and bucolic villages, in the commune, are: Huerta de Maule
, Nirivilo, Bobadilla, Caliboro and Melozal. Some of the parish church
es in this zone are among the oldest in the Linares diocese
and the Maule Region
.
has produced a remarkable number of writers and poets and in consonancy with this legacy, San Javier has been the birthplace of two gifted poets: Raimundo Echeverría y Larrazábal (1897–1924) and Jerónimo Lagos Lisboa
(1883–1958).
, headed by an alcalde
who is directly elected every four years. The 2008-2012 alcalde is Pedro Fernández Chavarrí (PDC
), and the councillors are as follows:
Within the electoral divisions of Chile, San Javier is represented in the Chamber of Deputies
by Jorge Tarud (PDC) and Romilio Gutiérrez (UDI) as part of the 39th electoral district, (together with Linares, Colbún
, Villa Alegre
, Yerbas Buenas
). The commune is represented in the Senate
by Hernán Larraín
(UDI) and Ximena Rincón González (PDC) as part of the 11th senatorial constituency (Maule-South).
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
City
A city is a relatively large and permanent settlement. Although there is no agreement on how a city is distinguished from a town within general English language meanings, many cities have a particular administrative, legal, or historical status based on local law.For example, in the U.S...
and commune located in the Province of Linares
Linares Province
Linares is one of four provinces of the central Chilean region of Maule . The provincial capital and most populous center is the city of Linares.-Administration:...
, Maule Region
Maule Region
The VII Maule Region is one of Chile's 15 first order administrative divisions. Its capital is Talca. The region takes its name from the Maule River which, running westward from the Andes, bisects the region and spans a basin of about 20,600 km2...
. The city lies in the geographical center of the country, some 270 km (168 mi) south of Santiago
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...
, 31 km (19 mi) to the northwest of the provincial capital, Linares
Linares, Chile
Linares is a Chilean city and commune located in the Maule Region and lies in the fertile Chilean Central Valley, south of Santiago and south of Talca, the regional capital...
, and 24 km (15 mi) to the south of Talca
Talca
Talca is a city and commune in Chile located about south of Santiago, and is the capital of both Talca Province and Maule Region . As of the 2002 census, the city had a population of 193,755....
, the regional capital. 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...
("Ruta 5 Sur") passes through the commune of San Javier, touching tangentially the eastern side of the town. A paved road connects San Javier with Colbún
Colbún
Colbún is a Chilean town and commune in Linares Province, Maule Region. The commune has a population of over 17,000 inhabitants and covers an area of , making it the province's largest. Its capital, the town of Colbún, has 3,679 inhabitants...
, Colbún dam
Dam
A dam is a barrier that impounds water or underground streams. Dams generally serve the primary purpose of retaining water, while other structures such as floodgates or levees are used to manage or prevent water flow into specific land regions. Hydropower and pumped-storage hydroelectricity are...
lake and Panimávida
Panimávida
Panimávida is a town in the Chilean commune of Colbún, Linares Province, Maule Region. Panimávida is well-known in Chile for being one of the oldest hot springs and resort spas in the country....
and Quinamávida
Quinamávida
Quinamávida is a Chilean village in the commune of Colbún, Linares Province, Maule Region. Quinamávida is well-known in Chile as a popular hot springs and resort spa.-External links:* *...
hot springs
Hot Springs
Hot Springs may refer to:* Hot Springs, Arkansas** Hot Springs National Park, Arkansas*Hot Springs, California**Hot Springs, Lassen County, California**Hot Springs, Modoc County, California**Hot Springs, Placer County, California...
.
Demography
According to 2005 estimates, the commune of San Javier has a population of 39,583, of which 19,682 are male and 19,901 are female. About 60% of the population is urban and 40% is ruralRural
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 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...
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...
, the population of the commune of San Javier was 37,793 inhabitants (18,827 men and 18,966 women). Of these, 22,004 (58.2%) 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 15,789 (41.8%) in rural areas. Between the 1992 and 2002 censuses, the population grew by 6.2% (2,206 persons).
Geography
The commune covers an area of 1313.4 sqkm. The eastern (and smaller) part of its territory lies within the fertile, central plainPlain
In geography, a plain is land with relatively low relief, that is flat or gently rolling. Prairies and steppes are types of plains, and the archetype for a plain is often thought of as a grassland, but plains in their natural state may also be covered in shrublands, woodland and forest, or...
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...
) but the extense western part is hilly and somewhat drier, a typical "Cordillera de la Costa
Cordillera de la Costa
Cordillera de la Costa may refer to the following mountain ranges:* Cordillera de la Costa, Chile: see Chilean Coast Range* Cordillera de la Costa, Venezuela: see Coastal Range, Venezuela...
" terrain, which requires supplemental irrigation to support its varied cultivations. This area lends itself nicely to 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...
growing and cereal
Cereal
Cereals are grasses cultivated for the edible components of their grain , composed of the endosperm, germ, and bran...
cultivation. Therefore, San Javier is gifted with some of the better vineyard
Vineyard
A vineyard is a plantation of grape-bearing vines, grown mainly for winemaking, but also raisins, table grapes and non-alcoholic grape juice...
s and quality wines of the bountiful Maule Valley
Chilean wine
Chilean wine is wine made in the South American country of Chile. The region has a long viticultural history for a New World wine region dating to the 16th century when the Spanish conquistadors brought Vitis vinifera vines with them as they colonized the region. In the mid-19th century, French...
, in the Chile's 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...
viticultural regions
Chilean wine
Chilean wine is wine made in the South American country of Chile. The region has a long viticultural history for a New World wine region dating to the 16th century when the Spanish conquistadors brought Vitis vinifera vines with them as they colonized the region. In the mid-19th century, French...
or appellation
Appellation
An appellation is a legally defined and protected geographical indication used to identify where the grapes for a wine were grown; other types of food often have appellations as well...
s.
San Javier is bordered on the west by the communes of Constitución
Constitución, Chile
Constitución is a seaside resort, industrial city, minor port and commune in Chile, located in the Maule Region, Talca Province.-History:-8.8 magnitude 2010 earthquake:...
and Empedrado, (both in Talca province
Talca Province
Talca Province is one of four provinces of the central Chilean region of Maule . Its capital is the city of Talca.-Administration:As a province, Talca is a second-level administrative division of Chile, governed by a provincial governor who is appointed by the president.-Communes:The province...
), 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...
, (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...
), and Villa Alegre
Villa Alegre, Chile
Villa Alegre a commune and city located in Linares Province, Maule Region of Chile. With , Villa Alegre is the smallest commune by area in the Maule Region. It sits above sea level.-Demographics:...
; on the north by Pencahue
Pencahue
Pencahue is a town and commune in Chile, located in Talca Province, in the seventh region of Maule. The commune spans and area of .Also there are another three places called Pencahue, near to San Vicente de Tagua Tagua, Sexta Región, Chile...
and Maule
Maule
Maule may refer to:Places* Maule Region, one of the 13 Regions that make up the Chilean territory* Maule River, river in Central Chile, which gives name to the Maule Region* Maule, Chile, commune and town of Talca province in the Maule Region of Chile...
communes, in Talca province; on the east, by Yerbas Buenas
Yerbas Buenas
Yerbas Buenas is a Chilean town and commune in Linares Province, Maule Region. It lies in the geographical center of the country, on the fertile central plain, some south of the national capital of Santiago, south of Talca, the regional capital and north of Linares, the provincial...
, Villa Alegre
Villa Alegre, Chile
Villa Alegre a commune and city located in Linares Province, Maule Region of Chile. With , Villa Alegre is the smallest commune by area in the Maule Region. It sits above sea level.-Demographics:...
, Linares
Linares, Chile
Linares is a Chilean city and commune located in the Maule Region and lies in the fertile Chilean Central Valley, south of Santiago and south of Talca, the regional capital...
and Longaví
Longaví
Longaví is a Chilean city and commune located in Linares Province, one of the four provinces that make up the Maule Region, in the geographical center of Chile.-Geography:...
and on the south, by 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...
and Retiro
Retiro, Chile
Retiro is a town and commune in Chile, located in Linares Province, in the seventh region of Maule.-Geography:Retiro is located to the south of Santiago, to the south of the city of Linares , and 15 km to the north of the city of Parral...
. The town lies on the right margin of the River Loncomilla. Located a few km north of San Javier is the wide Maule river
Maule river
The Maule river is one of the most important rivers of Chile and is inextricably linked to this country's pre-Hispanic times, the country's conquest, colonial period, wars of Independence, modern history, agriculture , culture , religion, economy and politics...
, of which the Loncomilla is the main tributary. River Purapel
River Purapel
The Purapel river is a tributary of the river Perquilauquén, and traverses parts of the Talca and Linares provinces, in the Maule Region of Chile...
, a regional "anomaly", since it flows eastward in a country where the overwhelming majority of rivers flow in the opposite direction, is a tributary of the Loncomilla.
Geographic coordinates
- Elevation: 83 metres (272.3 ft)
- Latitude: 35° 36' 0S
- Longitude: 71° 42' 0W
Heritage
There are many villages and other smaller, rural entities within the communal territory; several of them are quite distant from the main urbanUrban 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...
centers and relatively isolated from the more distorting external cultural influences. Therefore, the commune can boast several villages with well-preserved colonial
Colonialism
Colonialism is the establishment, maintenance, acquisition and expansion of colonies in one territory by people from another territory. It is a process whereby the metropole claims sovereignty over the colony and the social structure, government, and economics of the colony are changed by...
rural architecture - the criollo legacy - both in the religious as well as the civil domains. Singular examples of this brand of picturesque and bucolic villages, in the commune, are: Huerta de Maule
Huerta de Maule
Huerta del Maule or Huerta de Maule is a Chilean hamlet in San Javier, Linares Province, Maule Region. This picturesque and bucolic place, with a current permanent population of less than 300, used to have far more importance and population two centuries ago, having been a strategic place because...
, Nirivilo, Bobadilla, Caliboro and Melozal. Some of the parish church
Parish church
A parish church , in Christianity, is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish, the basic administrative unit of episcopal churches....
es in this zone are among the oldest in the Linares diocese
Diocese of Linares
Diocese of Linares may refer to:*Diocese of Linares, Chile*Diocese of Linares, Mexico...
and the Maule Region
Maule Region
The VII Maule Region is one of Chile's 15 first order administrative divisions. Its capital is Talca. The region takes its name from the Maule River which, running westward from the Andes, bisects the region and spans a basin of about 20,600 km2...
.
Poets
The Maule RegionMaule Region
The VII Maule Region is one of Chile's 15 first order administrative divisions. Its capital is Talca. The region takes its name from the Maule River which, running westward from the Andes, bisects the region and spans a basin of about 20,600 km2...
has produced a remarkable number of writers and poets and in consonancy with this legacy, San Javier has been the birthplace of two gifted poets: Raimundo Echeverría y Larrazábal (1897–1924) and Jerónimo Lagos Lisboa
Jerónimo Lagos Lisboa
Jerónimo Lagos Lisboa was a Chilean poet.He was born in San Javier de Loncomilla, Linares Province, Maule Region, Chile, in 1883. He was a president of the Chilean Writers Society. He was awarded several poetry prizes, among them the Municipality of Santiago Poetry Award for his works "Tiempo...
(1883–1958).
Administration
As a commune, San Javier 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 Pedro Fernández Chavarrí (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 the councillors are as follows:
- José Zapata Mora: 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...
- Jabra Hadweh: RNNational 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...
- Jorge Ignacio Silva Sepúlveda: (PDC)
- Aquiles Vergara Murga: (PDC)
- Ronaldo Abraham Flores: PPDParty for DemocracyThe 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...
- Francisco Azócar Zubicueta: 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 Javier 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 Tarud (PDC) and Romilio Gutiérrez (UDI) as part of the 39th electoral district, (together with Linares, Colbún
Colbún
Colbún is a Chilean town and commune in Linares Province, Maule Region. The commune has a population of over 17,000 inhabitants and covers an area of , making it the province's largest. Its capital, the town of Colbún, has 3,679 inhabitants...
, Villa Alegre
Villa Alegre, Chile
Villa Alegre a commune and city located in Linares Province, Maule Region of Chile. With , Villa Alegre is the smallest commune by area in the Maule Region. It sits above sea level.-Demographics:...
, Yerbas Buenas
Yerbas Buenas
Yerbas Buenas is a Chilean town and commune in Linares Province, Maule Region. It lies in the geographical center of the country, on the fertile central plain, some south of the national capital of Santiago, south of Talca, the regional capital and north of Linares, the provincial...
). 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 Hernán Larraín
Hernán Larraín
Hernán Larraín Fernández is a conservative Chilean lawyer, university lecturer, and politician; he is a current Senator and former President of the Senate, and is also currently serving as the president of the Independent Democrat Union. Larraín was elected to the Senate representing the 11th...
(UDI) and Ximena Rincón González (PDC) as part of the 11th senatorial constituency (Maule-South).
External links
Municipality of San Javier- http://maps.google.es/maps?f=q&hl=es&q=San+Javier,+Chile&ie=UTF8&om=1&z=13&ll=-35.584037,-71.736002&spn=0.071339,0.14677&t=h Aerial view of San Javier, Chile with the Loncomilla riverLoncomilla RiverLoncomilla River is a tributary to the Maule river in Linares Province, Maule Region, Chile. Two rivers join to form the Loncomilla River: the Perquilauquén river and Longaví river.-External links:...
to the west and the confluence of the latter and the Maule riverMaule riverThe Maule river is one of the most important rivers of Chile and is inextricably linked to this country's pre-Hispanic times, the country's conquest, colonial period, wars of Independence, modern history, agriculture , culture , religion, economy and politics...
, to the north (Google maps)]