Elqui Province

Elqui Province (Spanish: Provincia de Elqui) is one of three provinces in the Chilean region of Coquimbo (IV). Its capital is the city of Coquimbo.

Provincia de Elqui
Official seal of Elqui Province
Location in the Coquimbo Region
Coordinates: Coordinates: 29°40′S 70°33′W / 29.667°S 70.550°W / -29.667; -70.550
Country Chile
RegionCoquimbo
CapitalCoquimbo
ComunasAndacollo, Coquimbo, La Higuera, La Serena, Paihuano, Vicuña
Government
 • TypeProvincial
 • GovernorAmérico Giovine Oyarzún
Area
 • Total16,895.1 km2 (6,523.2 sq mi)
Population
 (2002 Census)[2]
 • Total365,371
 • Density21.62586/km2 (56.01071/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC-4 (CLT)
 • Summer (DST)UTC-3 (CLST)
WebsiteOfficial website

It is named after the main river of the province: the Elqui River river.

Geography

The Elqui province has an area of 16,895.1 km2 (6,523.2 sq mi), the largest province in the Coquimbo region.[2]

Elqui is bordered on the north by the Atacama region (Huasco province), on the east by Argentina, on the south by the Limarí province and on the west by the Pacific Ocean.

The main river of the province is the Elqui river that is 75 km (46.6 mi) long.[3] In the valley of the river, fruits, including grapes, are grown.

Population

As of 2002 (last national census), there were 365,371 people living in the province, giving it a population density of 21.6 inhabitants/km², the province of the region with more people living in it.[2]

The largest city of the province is La Serena with a population, in 2002, of 160,148 inhabitants.

Administration

As a province, Elqui is a second-level administrative division, consisting of six communes (comunas). The city of Coquimbo serves as the provincial capital. The province is administered by a governor.

 
The Elqui province, in the top
Elqui province
Code Comuna Capital Area[2]
(km²)
Population[2]
(2002)
04101 8 La Serena La Serena 1,892.8 160,148
04102 6 Coquimbo Coquimbo 1,429.3 163,036
04103 5 Andacollo Andacollo 310.3 10,288
04104 7 La Higuera La Higuera 4,158.2 3,721
04105 9 Paihuano Paihuano 1,494.7 4,168
04106 10 Vicuña Vicuña 7,609.8 24,010
Total 16,895.1 365,371

References

  1. "Conozca al Gobernador". Gobernación - Provincia de Elqui (in español). Retrieved 25 August 2016.
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 "Región de Coquimbo" (PDF). Instituto Nacional de Estadísticas. Archived from the original (PDF) on 23 July 2015. Retrieved 25 August 2016.
  3. "Cuenca del río Elqui" (PDF). Dirección General de Aguas. December 2004. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2007-09-27. Retrieved 25 August 2016.

Other websites