Second-level administrative division of Chile
A province is the second largest administrative division in Chile with 56 in total. The largest administrative division in Chile is that of a region with 16 in total.
Each provincial presidential delegation (delegación presidencial provincial ) is headed by a provincial presidential delegate (delegado presidencial provincial ) appointed by the President . The governor exercises their powers in accordance with instructions from the regional presidential delegate (delegado presidencial regional ). The provincial delegate is advised by the Provincial Economic and Social Council (Consejo Económico y Social Provincial or CESPRO). No provincial presidential delegations exist in those provinces where the regional capital is located; its functions were merged with those of the regional presidential delegate.
The country's provinces are further divided into 346 communes which are administered by an alcalde and municipal council .
Until 1976, a province was the main administrative division in Chile, with 25 provinces: Aconcagua, Aysén (since 1929), Antofagasta, Arauco, Atacama, Biobío, Cautín, Chiloé, Colchagua , Concepción, Coquimbo, Curicó, Linares, Llanquihue, Magallanes (since 1929), Malleco, Maule, Ñuble, O'Higgins, Osorno (since 1940), Santiago, Talca, Tarapacá, Valdivia, and Valparaíso. Despite being claimed by Chile, Antártica Chilena is not generally recognized as part of Chile due to being located in Antarctica.
List of provinces
The following table gives each province, its capital , surface area and 2002 population according to the National Statistics Institute .
INE Region
Natural Region
Region
Province
Capital
No. ofCommunes
Area[1] [2]
2002[1] [2] Population
North
Far North Chile
Arica and Parinacota (XV)
Arica
Arica
2
8,726.4
186,488
North
Far North Chile
Arica and Parinacota (XV)
Parinacota
Putre
2
8,146.9
3,156
North
Far North Chile
Tarapacá (I)
Iquique
Iquique
2
2,835.3
216,419
North
Far North Chile
Tarapacá (I)
Tamarugal
Pozo Almonte
5
39,390.5
22,531
North
Far North Chile
Antofagasta (II)
Antofagasta
Antofagasta
4
67,793.5
318,779
North
Far North Chile
Antofagasta (II)
El Loa
Calama
3
41,999.6
143,689
North
Far North Chile
Antofagasta (II)
Tocopilla
Tocopilla
2
16,236
31,516
North
Near North Chile
Atacama (III)
Copiapó
Copiapó
3
32,538.5
155,713
North
Near North Chile
Atacama (III)
Huasco
Vallenar
4
18,201.5
66,491
North
Near North Chile
Atacama (III)
Chañaral
Chañaral
2
24,436.2
32,132
North
Near North Chile
Coquimbo (IV)
Elqui
La Serena
6
16,894.8
365,371
North
Near North Chile
Coquimbo (IV)
Limarí
Ovalle
5
13,553.2
156,158
North
Near North Chile
Coquimbo (IV)
Choapa
Illapel
4
10,131.6
81,681
Central
North Central Chile
Valparaíso (V)
Isla de Pascua
Hanga Roa
1
163.6
3,791
Central
North Central Chile
Valparaíso (V)
Los Andes
Los Andes
4
3,217.7
95,474
Central
North Central Chile
Valparaíso (V)
Marga Marga
Quilpué
3
927.2
263,420
Central
North Central Chile
Valparaíso (V)
Petorca
La Ligua
6
4,736.4
71,243
Central
North Central Chile
Valparaíso (V)
Quillota
Quillota
6
1,344.9
190,022
Central
North Central Chile
Valparaíso (V)
San Antonio
San Antonio
6
1,611.6
136,594
Central
North Central Chile
Valparaíso (V)
San Felipe de Aconcagua
San Felipe
6
2,659.2
131,911
Central
North Central Chile
Valparaíso (V)
Valparaíso
Valparaíso
6
1,999.1
651,188
Central
North Central Chile
O'Higgins (VI)
Cachapoal
Rancagua
17
7,384.2
542,901
Central
North Central Chile
O'Higgins (VI)
Colchagua
San Fernando
10
5,678
196,566
Central
North Central Chile
O'Higgins (VI)
Cardenal Caro
Pichilemu
6
3,324.7
41,160
Central
South Central Chile
Maule (VII)
Talca
Talca
10
9,937.8
352,966
Central
South Central Chile
Maule (VII)
Linares
Linares
8
10,041.2
253,990
Central
South Central Chile
Maule (VII)
Curicó
Curicó
9
7,280.9
244,053
Central
South Central Chile
Maule (VII)
Cauquenes
Cauquenes
3
3027.2
57,088
Central
South Central Chile
Ñuble (XVI)
Diguillín
Bulnes
9
5,229.3
319,809
Central
South Central Chile
Ñuble (XVI)
Punilla
San Carlos
5
5,202.5
98,596
Central
South Central Chile
Ñuble (XVI)
Itata
Quirihue
7
2,177.11
53,832
Central
South Central Chile
Biobío (VIII)
Concepción
Concepción
12
3,439.3
912,889
Central
South Central Chile
Biobío (VIII)
Biobío
Los Ángeles
14
14,987.9
353,315
Central
South Central Chile
Biobío (VIII)
Arauco
Lebu
7
5,457.2
157,255
South
South Chile
Araucanía (IX)
Cautin
Temuco
21
18,409
667,920
South
South Chile
Araucanía (IX)
Malleco
Angol
11
13,433.3
201,615
South
South Chile
Los Ríos (XIV)
Valdivia
Valdivia
8
10,197.2
259,243
South
South Chile
Los Ríos (XIV)
Ranco
La Unión
4
8,232.3
97,153
South
South Chile
Los Lagos (X)
Llanquihue
Puerto Montt
9
14,876.4
321,493
South
South Chile
Los Lagos (X)
Osorno
Osorno
7
9,223.7
221,509
South
South Chile
Los Lagos (X)
Chiloe
Castro
10
7,165.5
142,194
South
South Chile
Los Lagos (X)
Palena
Futaleufú
4
15,301.9
18,971
South
Austral Chile
Aysén (XI)
Coihaique
Coihaique
2
12,942.5
51,103
South
Austral Chile
Aysén (XI)
Aysén
Puerto Aysén
3
46,588.8
29,631
South
Austral Chile
Aysén (XI)
General Carrera
Chile Chico
2
11,919.5
6,921
South
Austral Chile
Aysén (XI)
Capitan Prat
Cochrane
3
37,043.6
3,837
South
Austral Chile
Magallanes (XII)
Magallanes
Punta Arenas
4
36,400.8
121,675
South
Austral Chile
Magallanes (XII)
Última Esperanza
Puerto Natales
2
55,443.9
19,855
South
Austral Chile
Magallanes (XII)
Tierra del Fuego
Porvenir
3
22,592.7
6,904
Central
North Central Chile
Santiago Metropolitan (XIII)
Santiago
Santiago
32
2,090.3
4,668,473
Central
North Central Chile
Santiago Metropolitan (XIII)
Cordillera
Puente Alto
3
5,528.3
522,856
Central
North Central Chile
Santiago Metropolitan (XIII)
Maipo
San Bernardo
4
1,120.5
378,444
Central
North Central Chile
Santiago Metropolitan (XIII)
Talagante
Talagante
5
582.3
217,449
Central
North Central Chile
Santiago Metropolitan (XIII)
Melipilla
Melipilla
5
4,076.7
141,165
Central
North Central Chile
Santiago Metropolitan (XIII)
Chacabuco
Colina
3
2,076.1
132,798
See also
References
External links
National, Federal Regional, Metropolitan Urban, Rural
Historical subdivisions in italics .