Andacollo Explained

Official Name:Andacollo
Settlement Type:City and Commune
Flap Caption:Flag
Pushpin Map:Chile
Pushpin Map Narrow:yes
Pushpin Label Position:bottom
Pushpin Map Caption:Location in Chile
Subdivision Type:Country
Subdivision Name: Chile
Subdivision Type1:Region
Subdivision Type2:Province
Subdivision Name2:Elqui
Government Footnotes:[1]
Government Type:Municipality
Leader Title:Alcalde
Unit Pref:Metric
Area Footnotes:[2]
Area Total Km2:310.3
Population Total:11093
Population As Of:2012 Census
Population Density Km2:auto
Population Blank1 Title:Urban
Population Blank1:9444
Population Blank2 Title:Rural
Population Blank2:844
Demographics Type1:Sex
Demographics1 Title1:Men
Demographics1 Info1:5,148
Demographics1 Title2:Women
Demographics1 Info2:5,140
Timezone:CLT
Utc Offset:−4
Timezone Dst:CLST
Utc Offset Dst:−3
Coordinates:-30.2303°N -71.0858°W
Elevation M:1019
Area Code:country 56 + city 51
Website:Municipality of Andacollo

Andacollo (pronounced as /es/) is a city and commune in the Elqui Province, Coquimbo Region, Chile.

History

See main article: Our Lady of Andacollo. Andacollo is a copper and gold mining city located in the mountains of the Small North (El Norte Chico) in Chile. It was founded in 1891.

Several legends are told about the name of the city. Some say that it comes from the Quechua Anta-Goya which means cobre-reina (copper queen). Others say that the name means "Hurry up, Collo" (Anda, Collo). According to these legends, La Virgen del Rosario, also known as la Virgen Morena, or Black Madonna, appeared to an indigenous miner called "Collo" in the form of a small wooden statuette hidden in rocks. The statue told the newly converted Collo to build up a church at the place where Andacollo is located today. As many miracles are attributed to the Dark Lady (like stopping the smallpox epidemic of 1871) the city celebrates the Virgin every year on December 24 to 26.

Demographics

According to the 2002 census of the National Statistics Institute, Andacollo had 10,288 inhabitants (5,148 men and 5,140 women). Of these, 9,444 (91.8%) lived in urban areas and 844 (8.2%) in rural areas. The population fell by 16% (1,958 persons) between the 1992 and 2002 censuses.[2]

Administration

As a commune, Andacollo is a third-level administrative division of Chile administered by a municipal council, headed by an alcalde who is directly elected every four years.

Within the electoral divisions of Chile, Andacollo is represented in the Chamber of Deputies by Mr. Mario Bertolino (RN) and Marcelo Díaz (PS) as part of the 7th electoral district, (together with La Serena, La Higuera, Vicuña and Paiguano). The commune is represented in the Senate by Evelyn Matthei Fornet (UDI) and Jorge Pizarro Soto (PDC) as part of the 4th senatorial constituency (Coquimbo Region).

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Municipality of Andacollo. 6 September 2010. https://web.archive.org/web/20100921095816/http://www.andacollochile.cl/. 21 September 2010 . live. es.
  2. Web site: National Statistics Institute . 8 September 2010. es.