Arauco Province

Arauco Province (Spanish: Provincia de Arauco) is one of four provinces of the Chilean region of Bío Bío (VIII). It spans a coastal area of 6,366 km2 (2,458 sq mi) just south of the mouth of the Biobío River, the traditional demarcation between the nation's major natural regions, Zona Central and Zona Sur. The province originally covered the once-independent indigenous territory of Araucanía, but this was afterward divided into four provinces. It is devoted largely to agricultural pursuits. The capital Lebu (population 25,000) is situated on the coast about 90 km (56 mi) south of Concepción with which it is connected by rail.[4]

Arauco Province

Provincia de Arauco
Province
General view of Lebu
Seal
Location in the Region
Arauco Province
Location in Chile
Coordinates: 37°46′S 73°20′W
CountryChile
RegionBío Bío
CapitalLebu
Communes
Government
 • TypeProvincial
 • GovernorMaría Belgíca Tripailaf Quilodrán (UDI)
Area
 • Total5,643.3 km2 (2,178.9 sq mi)
Population
 (2012 Census)[1]
 • Total157,052
 • Density28/km2 (72/sq mi)
 • Urban
117,569
 • Rural
39,686
Sex
 • Men79,263
 • Women77,992
Time zoneUTC-4 (CLT [2])
 • Summer (DST)UTC-3 (CLST [3])
Area code(s)56 + 41
WebsiteGovernorate of Arauco

Administration

As a province, Arauco is a second-level administrative division of Chile, governed by a provincial governor who is appointed by the president.

Communes

The province is composed of seven communes, each governed by a municipality consisting of an elected alcalde and municipal council.

  1. Arauco
  2. Cañete
  3. Contulmo
  4. Curanilahue
  5. Lebu (provincial capital)
  6. Los Álamos
  7. Tirúa

Geography and demography

According to the 2002 census by the National Statistics Institute (INE), the province spans an area of 5,457.2 km2 (2,107 sq mi)[1] and had a population of 157,255 inhabitants (79,263 men and 77,992 women), giving it a population density of 28.8/km2 (75/sq mi). Of these, 117,569 (74.8%) lived in urban areas and 39,686 (25.2%) in rural areas. Between the 1992 and 2002 censuses, the population grew by 5% (7,554 persons).[1]

References
  1. "Territorial division of Chile" (PDF) (in Spanish). National Statistics Institute. 2007. Archived from the original (PDF) on 14 November 2010. Retrieved 18 March 2011.
  2. "Chile Time". WorldTimeZones.org. Archived from the original on 13 July 2010. Retrieved 2010-07-28.
  3. "Chile Summer Time". WorldTimeZones.org. Archived from the original on 2007-09-11. Retrieved 2010-07-28.
  4.  One or more of the preceding sentences incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Arauco". Encyclopædia Britannica. 2 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 322.
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