Vicuña, Chile
Encyclopedia
Vicuña is a Chile
an commune and city in Elqui Province
, Coquimbo Region
, founded during the government of Bernardo O'Higgins
to secure sovereignty over the Elqui Valley. The famous Chilean poet Gabriela Mistral
was born there in 1889. It borders to the west with the communes of La Higuera
, La Serena and Andacollo
, to the east with Argentina
and to the south with Paihuano
and Rio Hurtado. The commune is the administered by the municipality of Vicuña, which is the principal city of the Valle de Elqui.
of Coquimbo's Province, by order of Bernardo O'Higgins
, and was given the name of San Isidro's Villa of Vicuña. In 1872, it became a city and was called simply Vicuña, in honor of its founder.
, and the second largest commune in the country.
Vicuna occupies the major part of the mid and upper Elqui river
basin, and the entire Turbid river.
The area is dominated by a mountainous backdrop, with extensive flat REAS in the valley floor, in which high quality grapes for pisco are cultivated along with other fruits and vegetables.
In the mountain ranges La Punilla, Atimonate, Balalita, Los Tilos and others there are several peaks of over 4,000 meters.
by the National Statistics Institute
, the commune covers an area of 7609.8 sqkm with a population of 24,010 inhabitants (12,302 male and 11,708 female). The population grew 10.8% (2,350 persons) between 1992 and 2002. There are 12,910 inhabitants in the urban area
of the city of Vicuña and 11,100 in rural areas.
, for which it is characterized by almost absences of rainfall in summer, in spite of some occasions in which the Bolivian winter
manages to flog the part cord and part of his valleys, in winter the rainfalls center in June and July where fall due a quantity brought near in the whole annual period of approximately 120 mm.
The temperatures in summer change between 16 and 32°C. The highest temperature registered was in 1996 (January 25 at 2 p.m.) reaching 38°C. In winter the temperature changes between -1 and 12°C. In this zone during the winter a phenomenon known as terral occurs, which is characterized by winds of great temperature of cord origin, and squalls reach as much as 80 km/h.
production. CAPEL
is the main pisco distillery in the zone. Its economic activity centers on the culture of grapes, fruits, cereals, forages and vegetables. In addition, it possesses sheep ranching and deposits of iron and copper. Tourism has grown greatly in the last few years, relying on good hotels and restaurants.
One of the principal characteristics of Vicuña is that there is at least 300 totally clear days and nights, which is why local observatory Mamalluca is a must for those who want to look at the universe through its telescopes, in guided tours of astronomic observation. The urban area is made up of noble edifices from around 1900. The principal points of interest inside the city are its square of aged trees, which shows sculptures and motives that honor the poet awarded the Nobel prize in literature Gabriela Mistral; the Temple of the Immaculate Conception; the Tower Bauer, which houses the office of tourism; the municipal chapter and the museums of Gabriela Mistral, History of the Elqui and the Ethnological, are amongst the most outstanding.
A few kilometres outside the city one can discover the Route of the Grappa, visiting the factories known as pisqueras: Ruta Norte, Capel, Mistral, Tres Erres and Artesanos de Cochiguaz.
Also the reservoir Puclaro, La Laguna, its natural viewpoints, the handicraft fairs and the Diaguita corner deserve a visit.
Close to Vicuna one can visit picturesque townships like El Molle, El Tambo, Diaguitas, Rivadavia, Chapilca, Monte Grande and Pisco Elqui.
The Observatory Mammalluca located to 9 km to the north of the city of Vicuña, has tourist purposes and of education. At the Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory, only daily tourist visits are possible, and the telescopic observation is not possible except for specialists and astronomers. However, in Mamalluca, it is possible to observe using the telescope, both planets and visible stars during the starry nights of the Valle de Elqui. The observatory is near the illustrious municipality of Vicuna, and to visit it you need to make an advance booking in the municipal offices of the city of Vicuna, near the main square.
Fernando Guamán Guamán (Ind.
), who is advised by a municipal council
of six members:
Within the electoral divisions of Chile, Vicuña is represented in the Chamber of Deputies
by deputies Marcelo Díaz (PS
) and Mario Bertolino (RN
) as a part of the 7th electoral district (together with La Serena, La Higuera
, Paiguano and Andacollo
). The commune is represented in the Senate
by senators Evelyn Matthei (UDI
) and Jorge Pizarro (PDC
) as part of the 4th senatorial constituency (Coquimbo).
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 commune and city in Elqui Province
Elqui Province
Elqui Province is a province in the Chilean region of Coquimbo . The provincial capital is the city of Coquimbo. The province has an area of , and has 365,371 inhabitants.-Geography and demography:...
, 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...
, founded during the government of Bernardo O'Higgins
Bernardo O'Higgins
Bernardo O'Higgins Riquelme was a Chilean independence leader who, together with José de San Martín, freed Chile from Spanish rule in the Chilean War of Independence. Although he was the second Supreme Director of Chile , he is considered one of Chile's founding fathers, as he was the first holder...
to secure sovereignty over the Elqui Valley. The famous Chilean poet Gabriela Mistral
Gabriela Mistral
Gabriela Mistral was the pseudonym of Lucila de María del Perpetuo Socorro Godoy Alcayaga, a Chilean poet, educator, diplomat, and feminist who was the first Latin American to win the Nobel Prize in Literature, in 1945...
was born there in 1889. It borders to the west with the communes of La Higuera
La Higuera
La Higuera is a small village in Bolivia located in the Province of Vallegrande, in the Department of Santa Cruz. It is situated in the La Higuera Canton belonging to the Pucará municipality.-Geography:...
, La Serena and Andacollo
Andacollo
Andacollo is a city and commune in the Elqui Province, Coquimbo Region, Chile.-History:Andacollo is a copper and gold mining city located in the mountains of the Small North in Chile. It was founded in 1891....
, to the east with Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
and to the south with Paihuano
Paihuano
Paiguano or Paihuano is a small agricultural town and commune in the Elqui Province of the Coquimbo Region of Chile.-Demographics:According to the 2002 census of the National Statistics Institute, Paiguano had 4,168 inhabitants , making the commune an entirely rural area...
and Rio Hurtado. The commune is the administered by the municipality of Vicuña, which is the principal city of the Valle de Elqui.
History
Vicuña was founded on February 22, 1821, by Colonel Joaquín Vicuña Larraín, who was the first intendantIntendant
The title of intendant has been used in several countries through history. Traditionally, it refers to the holder of a public administrative office...
of Coquimbo's Province, by order of Bernardo O'Higgins
Bernardo O'Higgins
Bernardo O'Higgins Riquelme was a Chilean independence leader who, together with José de San Martín, freed Chile from Spanish rule in the Chilean War of Independence. Although he was the second Supreme Director of Chile , he is considered one of Chile's founding fathers, as he was the first holder...
, and was given the name of San Isidro's Villa of Vicuña. In 1872, it became a city and was called simply Vicuña, in honor of its founder.
Topography
The Vicuña commune covers an area of 7609.8 sqkm, making it the largest commune in both the province and Coquimbo RegionCoquimbo 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...
, and the second largest commune in the country.
Vicuna occupies the major part of the mid and upper Elqui river
Elqui River
The Elqui River starts in the west Andes, flowing into the Pacific Ocean, crossing the Chilean city of La Serena, is a wine and pisco producing area...
basin, and the entire Turbid river.
In the mountain ranges La Punilla, Atimonate, Balalita, Los Tilos and others there are several peaks of over 4,000 meters.
- Dona ana with 5.590 msnm
- El Escabroso with 5.430 msnm
- Los Banados with 5.344 msnm
- Cerro Colorado with 5.151 msnm
- Cerro La Laguna with 4.724 msnm
- El Canto with 4.600 msnm
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...
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...
, the commune covers an area of 7609.8 sqkm with a population of 24,010 inhabitants (12,302 male and 11,708 female). The population grew 10.8% (2,350 persons) between 1992 and 2002. There are 12,910 inhabitants in the 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...
of the city of Vicuña and 11,100 in rural areas.
Climate
Vicuña is characterized for a climate of character possesses transition between the arid wood nearest to the bark and the desert one that her neighbor possesses Atacama RegionAtacama Region
The Atacama Region is one of Chile's 15 first order administrative divisions. It comprises three provinces, Chañaral, Copiapó and Huasco. It is bordered to the north by Antofagasta, to the south by Coquimbo, to east with Provinces of Catamarca, La Rioja and San Juan of Argentina, and to west with...
, for which it is characterized by almost absences of rainfall in summer, in spite of some occasions in which the Bolivian winter
Bolivia
Bolivia officially known as Plurinational State of Bolivia , is a landlocked country in central South America. It is the poorest country in South America...
manages to flog the part cord and part of his valleys, in winter the rainfalls center in June and July where fall due a quantity brought near in the whole annual period of approximately 120 mm.
The temperatures in summer change between 16 and 32°C. The highest temperature registered was in 1996 (January 25 at 2 p.m.) reaching 38°C. In winter the temperature changes between -1 and 12°C. In this zone during the winter a phenomenon known as terral occurs, which is characterized by winds of great temperature of cord origin, and squalls reach as much as 80 km/h.
Economy
Vicuña is a major center for piscoPisco
Pisco is a colorless or yellowish-to-amber colored grape brandy produced in winemaking regions of Chile and Peru. Pisco was developed by Spanish settlers in the 16th century as an alternative to orujo, a pomace brandy that was being imported from Spain...
production. CAPEL
Capel
- People :* Arthur Capell, 1st Baron Capell of Hadham * Henry Capell, 1st Baron Capell of Tewkesbury * Edward Capell * Capel Lofft * Mgr Thomas John Capel , English Roman Catholic Priest...
is the main pisco distillery in the zone. Its economic activity centers on the culture of grapes, fruits, cereals, forages and vegetables. In addition, it possesses sheep ranching and deposits of iron and copper. Tourism has grown greatly in the last few years, relying on good hotels and restaurants.
One of the principal characteristics of Vicuña is that there is at least 300 totally clear days and nights, which is why local observatory Mamalluca is a must for those who want to look at the universe through its telescopes, in guided tours of astronomic observation. The urban area is made up of noble edifices from around 1900. The principal points of interest inside the city are its square of aged trees, which shows sculptures and motives that honor the poet awarded the Nobel prize in literature Gabriela Mistral; the Temple of the Immaculate Conception; the Tower Bauer, which houses the office of tourism; the municipal chapter and the museums of Gabriela Mistral, History of the Elqui and the Ethnological, are amongst the most outstanding.
Tourism
Also the reservoir Puclaro, La Laguna, its natural viewpoints, the handicraft fairs and the Diaguita corner deserve a visit.
Close to Vicuna one can visit picturesque townships like El Molle, El Tambo, Diaguitas, Rivadavia, Chapilca, Monte Grande and Pisco Elqui.
The Observatory Mammalluca located to 9 km to the north of the city of Vicuña, has tourist purposes and of education. At the Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory, only daily tourist visits are possible, and the telescopic observation is not possible except for specialists and astronomers. However, in Mamalluca, it is possible to observe using the telescope, both planets and visible stars during the starry nights of the Valle de Elqui. The observatory is near the illustrious municipality of Vicuna, and to visit it you need to make an advance booking in the municipal offices of the city of Vicuna, near the main square.
Administration
The commune is administered by the alcaldeAlcalde
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...
Fernando Guamán Guamán (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...
), who is advised by a municipal council
Municipal 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...
of six members:
- René Ahumada Tapia (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...
) - Simón Alquinta Sirvent (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...
) - Carmen Luz Rojas Araya (PRSDSocial Democrat Radical PartyThe Social Democratic Radical Party is a social democratic party in Chile.The party is a member of Socialist International....
) - Silvia Piñones Rivera (PPCChristian 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....
) - Mario Aros Carvajal (Ind.)
- Leonor Ortega Wanders (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, Vicuña 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 deputies Marcelo Díaz (PS
Socialist Party of Chile
The 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...
) and Mario Bertolino (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...
) as a part of the 7th electoral district (together with La Serena, La Higuera
La Higuera, Chile
La Higuera is a town and commune in Elqui Province, Coquimbo Region, Chile. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean, the east by the Atacama Region, and the south by the communes of Vicuña and La Serena....
, Paiguano and Andacollo
Andacollo
Andacollo is a city and commune in the Elqui Province, Coquimbo Region, Chile.-History:Andacollo is a copper and gold mining city located in the mountains of the Small North in Chile. It was founded in 1891....
). 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 senators Evelyn Matthei (UDI
Independent Democrat Union
The 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...
) and Jorge Pizarro (PDC
Christian Democrat Party of Chile
The 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....
) as part of the 4th senatorial constituency (Coquimbo).