Linares | |
---|---|
Coordinates: 35°50′S71°35′W / 35.833°S 71.583°W | |
Country | Chile |
Region | Maule |
Capital | Linares |
Communes | List of 8: |
Government | |
• Type | Provincial |
• Presidential Provincial Delegate | Aly Valderrama Villaroel |
Area | |
• Total | 10,050.2 km2 (3,880.4 sq mi) |
Population (2012 Census) [1] | |
• Total | 264,292 |
• Density | 26/km2 (68/sq mi) |
• Urban | 139,742 |
• Rural | 114,248 |
Sex | |
• Men | 127,063 |
• Women | 126,927 |
Time zone | UTC-4 (CLT [2] ) |
• Summer (DST) | UTC-3 (CLST [3] ) |
Area code | 56 + 73 |
Website | Delegation of Linares |
Linares (Spanish : Provincia de Linares) is one of four provinces of the central Chilean region of Maule (VII). The provincial capital and most populous center is the city of Linares.
As a province, Cachapoal is a second-level administrative division of Chile, governed by a provincial delegate who is appointed by the president. The provincial delegate is Priscila González Carrillo, a Communist.
The province comprises eight communes, each governed by a municipality consisting of an alcalde and municipal council.
The province is located at the very center of mainland Chile, and its capital lies 303 km south of Santiago and 50 km south of Talca, the regional capital, in the middle of a rich agricultural and wine-growing area. According to the 2002 census by the National Statistics Institute (INE), the province spans an area of 10,041.2 km2 (3,877 sq mi) [1] and had a population of 270,990 inhabitants (127,063 men and 126,927 women), giving it a population density of 25.3/km2 (66/sq mi). Between the 1992 and 2002 censuses, the population grew by 3.1% (7,699 persons). [1] Forty five percent of the population of the province live in rural areas, as compared with 33% in the Maule Region and 13% in Chile as a whole. This characteristic gives Linares a special cultural and socioeconomic profile among the Chilean provinces.
Linares has a mild Mediterranean climate. The summers are hot and mainly dry (November to March) with temperatures reaching up to 32 degrees Celsius on the hottest days. The winters (late May to mid September) tend to be rather humid and rainy, with typical maximum daily temperatures of 15 degrees Celsius, and minimum just above freezing. The rainfall is more abundant in the eastern as well as the southern part of the province (Parral), and the effects of this are seen in the good conditions for rice cultivation in the latter area. Irrigation is used to a large extent.
Thanks to favorable climatic conditions and good natural irrigation, the province of Linares has been able to diversify its agriculture. Also, the wine making industry has been making inroads in both national and international markets. The province's major and more profitable crops include cereals (rice, wheat, and maize among them), vegetables (tomatoes, cauliflower, lettuce, onions, and artichokes), legumes (lentils and beans), fruit (especially kiwi fruit, pears, apples, berries, table grapes, melons, watermelons, peaches, and nectarines), and sugar beets. Several varieties of wine are produced in the province, which is part of the Maule Valley, a sub-region of the viticultural region of the Chilean Central Valley.
Linares produces 74% of the Chilean rice crop, particularly in the area around Parral. The province exports wines, table grapes, kiwi fruit, berries, and several other agricultural products. The city of Linares is an important center of the Chilean sugar-beet industry.
A remarkable number of writers, poets and, in general, intellectuals (see below) have been born in the province of Linares. Among them is Pablo Neruda, the famous poet and Nobel Prize-winner, who was born in the city of Parral. Also, the province of Linares is home to some of the best folklore in Chile, and one of its most famous folklorists is Margot Loyola Palacios, noted singer, composer and folklore researcher and erudite. There are many active folklore groups in the province.
Chile has a long history in the production of wine, with roots dating back to the 16th century when the Spanish conquistadors introduced Vitis vinifera vines to the region. In the mid-19th century, French wine varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Carmenère, and Cabernet Franc were introduced. During the early 1980s, the Chilean wine industry underwent a renaissance with the introduction of stainless steel fermentation tanks and the use of oak barrels for aging. This led to a rapid growth in exports as quality wine production increased. The number of wineries in Chile rose from 12 in 1995 to over 70 in 2005.
The Libertador General Bernardo O'Higgins Region, often shortened to O'Higgins Region, is one of Chile's 16 first order administrative divisions. It is subdivided into three provinces. It is named in honour of Bernardo O'Higgins Riquelme, one of Chile's founding fathers.
The Maule Region is one of Chile's 16 first order administrative divisions. Its capital is Talca. The region derives 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 Maule river is of considerable historic interest because, among other reasons, it marked the southern limits of the Inca Empire.
Parral is a city and commune in the Linares Province of Chile's Maule Region.
Linares is a Chilean city and commune located in the Maule Region and lies in the fertile Chilean Central Valley, 303 km (188 mi) south of Santiago and 50 km (31 mi) south of Talca, the regional capital. Linares is the capital city of the province of Linares.
A province is a second-level administrative division in Chile. There are 56 in total. The top-level administrative division in Chile is the region. There are 16 in total.
Curicó Province is one of four provinces of the central Chilean region of Maule (VII). Its capital is the city of Curicó. It lies between the provinces of Colchagua and Talca and extends from the Pacific to the Argentine frontier, spanning an area of 7,280.9 km2 (2,811 sq mi). According to the 2002 census, the population was 244,053.
Curicó is a city located in Chile's central valley and serves as the capital of the Curicó Province, which is part of the Maule Region. Positioned between the provinces of Colchagua and Talca, the region stretches from the Pacific Ocean to the border with Argentina.
Malleco Province is one of two provinces in the southern Chilean region of La Araucanía (IX). Its population as of the 2017 census is 205,124, and it covers an area of 13,433.3 km2 (5,187 sq mi). The provincial capital is the city of Angol.
The Diocese of Linares is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Catholic Church in Linares, Chile. It was established by Pope Pius XI on October 18, 1925 in his papal bull Notabiliter Aucto.
San Javier is a Chilean 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 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.
Villa Alegre a commune and city located in Linares Province, Maule Region of Chile. With 189.8 km2 (73 sq mi), Villa Alegre is the smallest commune by area in the Maule Region. It sits 92 m (302 ft) above sea level.
Margot Loyola Palacios was a musician, folk singer and researcher of the folklore of Chile and Latin America in general.
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 2,900 km2 (1,120 sq mi), making it the province's largest. Its capital, the town of Colbún, has 3,679 inhabitants. It is 7 km (4 mi) west of the center of continental Chile.
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.
Retiro is a town and commune in Chile, located in Linares Province, in the seventh region of Maule.
The Maule river or Río Maule is one of the most important rivers of Chile. It is inextricably linked to the country's pre-Hispanic (Inca) times, the country's conquest, colonial period, wars of Independence, modern history, agriculture, culture, religion, economy and politics. The Maule River marked the southern limits of the Inca Empire. Many famous men and women in Chile's history have been born in the Region named after the river. The river has also lent its name to one of the viticultural regions of the country, the Valley of Maule, a subregion of the Central Valley.
San Antonio Province is one of eight provinces of the central Chilean region of Valparaíso (V). Its capital is the port city of San Antonio.
The administrative division or territorial organization of Chile exemplifies characteristics of a unitary state. State administration is functionally and geographically decentralized, as appropriate for each authority in accordance with the law.
The Ñuble Region officially the Region of Ñuble, is — since 5 September 2018 – one of Chile's sixteen regions. It spans an area of 13,178.5 km2 (5,088 sq mi), making it the smallest region in Chile in terms of area, and is administratively constituted by 21 communes. It has a population of 480,609 inhabitants. Its capital is the city of Chillán.