San Pedro de la Paz
Encyclopedia
San Pedro de la Paz is a Chile
an city and commune located in the Concepción Province
, Biobío Region. It has some 80,447 inhabitants according to the 2002 national census. In 2005, the Pedro Aguirre Cerda avenue, the main avenue in the city, was completed. Most of the inhabitants of this comuna commute daily to Concepción - either by car, bus or train - over the Biobío River. It is considerated as part of Greater Concepción
conurbation
.
San Pedro was established during the Conquest of Chile
first as fort la Candelaria which was destroyed following the death of Governor
Martín García Óñez de Loyola
in 1599. It was rebuilt as part of La Frontera
by Alonso de Ribera
as fort San Pedro de la Paz in 1603. A small settlement grew up around it. During the Chilean War of Independence the town was burned in 1821, by the royalist Juan Manuel Picó on the order of Vicente Benavides
during the Battle of San Pedro. The fort was ruined by the 1835 Concepción earthquake
.
of the National Statistics Institute
, San Pedro de la Paz spans an area of 112.5 sqkm and has 80,447 inhabitants (38,571 men and 41,876 women). Of these, 80,159 (99.6%) lived in urban area
s and 288 (0.4%) in rural areas. The population grew by 18.6% (12,630 persons) between the 1992 and 2002 censuses.
, headed by an alcalde
who is directly elected every four years. The 2008-2012 alcalde is Audito Retamal Lazo (Ind.
).
Within the electoral divisions of Chile, San Pedro de la Paz is represented in the Chamber of Deputies
by José Miguel Ortiz (PDC
) and Enrique Van Rysselberghe (UDI) as part of the 44th electoral district, (together with Concepción
and Chiguayante
). 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).
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 located in the Concepción Province
Concepción Province, Chile
Concepción Province is one of four provinces of the Chilean region of Biobío . Its capital, Concepción, is part of the Greater Concepción conurbation, the nation's second largest metropolitan area after Santiago.-Administration:...
, Biobío Region. It has some 80,447 inhabitants according to the 2002 national census. In 2005, the Pedro Aguirre Cerda avenue, the main avenue in the city, was completed. Most of the inhabitants of this comuna commute daily to Concepción - either by car, bus or train - over the Biobío River. It is considerated as part of Greater Concepción
Greater Concepción
Gran Concepción is the second largest conurbation in Chile, after Greater Santiago with 1,013,856 inhabitants. According to the National Statistics Institute , the population projection for 2012 is 1,019,775 inhabitants....
conurbation
Conurbation
A conurbation is a region comprising a number of cities, large towns, and other urban areas that, through population growth and physical expansion, have merged to form one continuous urban and industrially developed area...
.
San Pedro was established during the Conquest of Chile
Conquest of Chile
The Conquest of Chile is a period in Chilean historiography that starts with the arrival of Pedro de Valdivia to Chile in 1541 and ends with the death of Martín García Óñez de Loyola, in the Battle of Curalaba in 1598 or alternatively with the Destruction of the Seven Cities. This was the period...
first as fort la Candelaria which was destroyed following the death of Governor
Royal Governor of Chile
The Royal Governor of Chile ruled over the Spanish colonial administrative district known as the Kingdom of Chile. This district was also called the Captaincy General of Chile, and as a result the Royal Governor also held the title of a Captain General...
Martín García Óñez de Loyola
Martín García Óñez de Loyola
Don Martín García Óñez de Loyola was a Spanish Basque soldier and Royal Governor of Chile.-Early life:...
in 1599. It was rebuilt as part of La Frontera
La Frontera
La Frontera is a municipality in Cuenca, Castile-La Mancha, Spain. It has a population of 203....
by Alonso de Ribera
Alonso de Ribera
Alonso de Ribera de Pareja was a Spanish soldier and twice Spanish royal governor of Chile .-Early life:...
as fort San Pedro de la Paz in 1603. A small settlement grew up around it. During the Chilean War of Independence the town was burned in 1821, by the royalist Juan Manuel Picó on the order of Vicente Benavides
Vicente Benavides
Vicente Benavides Llanos was a Chilean soldier who fought in the Chilean War of Independence. He initially sided with the patriots but changed sides later to side with the royalists. He then led the resistance during the so called Guerra a muerte...
during the Battle of San Pedro. The fort was ruined by the 1835 Concepción earthquake
1835 Concepción earthquake
The 1835 Concepción earthquake occurred near the neighboring cities of Concepción and Talcahuano in Chile on February 20 at 15:30 local time and has an estimated magnitude of 8.2 Mfa or 8.1 Ml. The earthquake triggered a tsunami which caused the destruction of Talcahuano. A total of at least 50...
.
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...
, San Pedro de la Paz spans an area of 112.5 sqkm and has 80,447 inhabitants (38,571 men and 41,876 women). Of these, 80,159 (99.6%) 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 288 (0.4%) in rural areas. The population grew by 18.6% (12,630 persons) between the 1992 and 2002 censuses.
Administration
As a commune, San Pedro de la Paz 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 Audito Retamal Lazo (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...
).
Within the electoral divisions of Chile, San Pedro de la Paz 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 José Miguel Ortiz (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 Enrique Van Rysselberghe (UDI) as part of the 44th electoral district, (together with 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...
and Chiguayante
Chiguayante
Chiguayante is a Chilean city and commune in Concepción Province, Biobío Region. It is part of Greater Concepción.-Demographics:According to the 2002 census of the National Statistics Institute, Chiguayante spans an area of and has 81,302 inhabitants . Of these, 81,238 lived in urban areas and 64...
). 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).