Calbuco Explained

Official Name:Calbuco
Settlement Type:City and Commune
Flag Alt:Flag
Shield Alt:Coat of arms
Map Alt:Location of the commune of Calbuco in Los Lagos Region
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 Name1:Los Lagos
Subdivision Type2:Province
Subdivision Name2:Llanquihue
Government Footnotes:[1]
Government Type:Municipality
Leader Title:Alcalde
Leader Name:Rubén Cárdenas Gómez
Leader Party:PRSD
Established Title:Founded as
Established Date:Fuerte San Miguel de Calbuco
Established Title1:Founded
Established Date1:May, 1603
Unit Pref:Metric
Area Footnotes:[2]
Area Total Km2:590.8
Elevation M:7
Population Total:32963
Population As Of:2012 Census
Population Density Km2:auto
Population Blank1 Title:Urban
Population Blank1:12165
Population Blank2 Title:Rural
Population Blank2:18905
Demographics Type1:Sex
Demographics1 Title1:Men
Demographics1 Info1:15,906
Demographics1 Title2:Women
Demographics1 Info2:15,164
Timezone:CLT
Utc Offset:−4
Timezone Dst:CLST
Utc Offset Dst:−3
Coordinates:-41.7667°N -81°W
Area Code:56 + 65
Blank Name:Climate
Blank Info:Cfb
Website:Municipality of Calbuco

Calbuco is a city and commune in southern Chile administered by the Municipality of Calbuco. Administratively Calbuco belongs to the Llanquihue Province of Los Lagos Region. The origin of the city was the Spanish Fort Calbuco founded in 1603, and became later an important fish market. The archaeological site of Monte Verde lies within the commune.

Calbuco Island is part of the commune and contains the city of Calbuco. There are thirteen other islands in the commune: Huar, Puluqui, Chidhuapi, Tabón, Mayelhue, Lín, Quenu, Quihua, Huapi Abtao, Chaullín, Caicué o lagartija, Tautil and Queullín.[3]

History

See also: Indios reyunos. The settlement of Calbuco grew out of the fort Fuerte San Miguel de Calbuco which was founded in 1603 by Francisco Hernández Ortiz-Pizarro.

Calbuco was the capital of Calbuco Department, Chiloé between 1834 and 1855, and of Carelmapu Department between 1855 and 1928. It was capital of Calbuco Department, Llanquihue between 1937 and 1975.

Demographics

According to the 2002 census of the National Statistics Institute, Calbuco spans an area of 590.8sqkm and has 31,070 inhabitants (15,906 men and 15,164 women). Of these, 12,165 (39.2%) lived in urban areas and 18,905 (60.8%) in rural areas. The population grew by 15% (4,043 persons) between the 1992 and 2002 censuses.

Settlements

Besides the town of Calbuco, Calbuco Comuna is also home to the settlements of: Pargua, Puluqui Island, San Rafael and Texas. The town of San Rafael is across the estuary from the town of Calbuco. Texas was a refugee camp built after the 1960 earthquake on the outskirts of San Rafael; it has become semi-permanent.[4] Pargua is the ferry port and gateway to the Chiloé Archipelago and the big island of Chiloé. Pargua was considered rural until the 2002 census, and the 800+ people on Puluqui Island are still denominated as "rural" although clustered around the bay where the daily barge docks.

Administrative divisions

Calbuco Comuna is divided into twenty districts. Calbuco is the most populous with the highest population density, while Río Tambor is the largest at 141.1sqkm and has the lowest density. Alfaro, Quenu, Puluqui, Challahue, Machildad, Chucahua, Quetrolauquén, Aguantao, Huayún and Río Tambor are more sparsely populated, further away from the towns of Calbuco and San Rafael.[5]

Administration

As a commune, Calbuco is a third-level administrative division of Chile administered by a municipal council, headed by an alcalde who is directly elected every four years. The alcalde is Rubén Cárdenas Gómez (PRSD), and the council has the following members:[1]

Within the electoral divisions of Chile, Calbuco is represented in the Chamber of Deputies by Marisol Turres (UDI) and Patricio Vallespín (PDC) as part of the 57th electoral district, together with Puerto Montt, Cochamó and Maullín. The commune is represented in the Senate by Camilo Escalona Medina (PS) and Carlos Kuschel Silva (RN) as part of the 17th senatorial constituency (Los Lagos Region).

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Municipality of Calbuco . 7 September 2010. es.
  2. Web site: National Statistics Institute . 16 January 2010. es.
  3. Web site: Caracterización de la Comuna . Plan de Desarrollo Comunal Plan de Desarrollo Comunal Calbuco, 2009– 2013 . 2009 . Municipalidad Calbuco . 5 . https://web.archive.org/web/20120907193057/http://www.municipalidadcalbuco.cl/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/pladeco.pdf . 7 September 2012 . dead . 15 August 2015 .
  4. Web site: Resumen histórico . Plan de Desarrollo Comunal Plan de Desarrollo Comunal Calbuco, 2009– 2013 . 2009 . Municipalidad Calbuco . 4 . https://web.archive.org/web/20120907193057/http://www.municipalidadcalbuco.cl/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/pladeco.pdf . 7 September 2012 . dead . 15 August 2015 .
  5. Web site: Distribución Urbano – Rural de la Población por Distritos Censales . Plan de Desarrollo Comunal Plan de Desarrollo Comunal Calbuco, 2009– 2013 . 2009 . Municipalidad Calbuco . 10–11 . https://web.archive.org/web/20120907193057/http://www.municipalidadcalbuco.cl/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/pladeco.pdf . 7 September 2012 . dead . 15 August 2015 .