Santiago (commune)
Encyclopedia
The Commune of Santiago is the capital city of the Santiago Metropolitan Region
, located at the center of the Santiago Province in Chile
's Central Zone
. Locally, Santiago is usually abbreviated Stgo. It is also called as "Santiago Centro" (Downtown Santiago).
was founded on February 12, 1541 as "Santiago de la Nueva Extremadura" by Pedro de Valdivia
. It is officially the provincial, regional and national capital. It encompasses the oldest part of the city —that enclosed by old rail lines—, including downtown, and houses all major government infrastructure, including the government palace La Moneda
.
of the National Statistics Institute
, the commune has an area of 22.4 sqkm and a population of 200,792 (99,155 men and 101,637 women), giving it a population density of 8963.9 PD/sqkm. The population shrank by 13.1% (30,185 persons) in the ten years since the 1992 population of 230,977. In 2002, there were 17,514 households, each with an average income of $28,648 in PPP
US dollars in 2006.
The commune is subdivided into 29 census districts.
, headed by an alcalde
who is directly elected every four years. The 2008-2012 alcalde is Pablo Zalaquett Said (UDI).
Within the electoral divisions of Chile, Santiago is represented in the Chamber of Deputies
by Alberto Cardemil (RN) and Felipe Harboe
(PPD
) as part of the 22nd electoral district, (together with ). The commune is represented in the Senate
by Guido Girardi Lavín (PPD) and Jovino Novoa Vásquez (UDI) as part of the 7th senatorial constituency (Santiago-West).
Santiago Metropolitan Region
Santiago Metropolitan Region or simply Metropolitan Region is one of Chile's 15 first order administrative divisions. It is the country's only landlocked administrative region and contains the nation's capital, Santiago...
, located at the center of the Santiago Province in 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...
's Central Zone
Zona Central, Chile
Zona central is one of the five natural regions into which CORFO divided continental Chile in 1950. It is home to a majority of the Chilean population and includes the three largest metropolitan areas- Santiago, Valparaíso, and Concepción...
. Locally, Santiago is usually abbreviated Stgo. It is also called as "Santiago Centro" (Downtown Santiago).
History
The city 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...
was founded on February 12, 1541 as "Santiago de la Nueva Extremadura" by Pedro de Valdivia
Pedro 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...
. It is officially the provincial, regional and national capital. It encompasses the oldest part of the city —that enclosed by old rail lines—, including downtown, and houses all major government infrastructure, including the government palace La Moneda
Palacio de La Moneda
Palacio de La Moneda , or simply La Moneda, is the seat of the President of the Republic of Chile. It also houses the offices of three cabinet ministers: Interior, General Secretariat of the Presidency and General Secretariat of the Government...
.
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...
, the commune has an area of 22.4 sqkm and a population of 200,792 (99,155 men and 101,637 women), giving it a population density of 8963.9 PD/sqkm. The population shrank by 13.1% (30,185 persons) in the ten years since the 1992 population of 230,977. In 2002, there were 17,514 households, each with an average income of $28,648 in PPP
Purchasing power parity
In economics, purchasing power parity is a condition between countries where an amount of money has the same purchasing power in different countries. The prices of the goods between the countries would only reflect the exchange rates...
US dollars in 2006.
The commune is subdivided into 29 census districts.
Administration
As a commune, Santiago 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 Pablo Zalaquett Said (UDI).
Within the electoral divisions of Chile, Santiago 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 Alberto Cardemil (RN) and Felipe Harboe
Felipe Harboe
Felipe Harboe Bascuñán is a Chilean politician from the Party for Democracy and current Deputy in Congress. He is a former Deputy Interior MInister of Chile and acting Minister of the Interior.-Early years:...
(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...
) as part of the 22nd electoral district, (together with ). 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 Guido Girardi Lavín (PPD) and Jovino Novoa Vásquez (UDI) as part of the 7th senatorial constituency (Santiago-West).