| Vichuquén | |
| Settlement Type: | Commune |
| Flag Alt: | Flag |
| Shield Alt: | Coat of arms |
| Map Alt: | Map of Vichuquén commune in the Maule Region |
| Pushpin Map Narrow: | yes |
| Pushpin Map: | Chile |
| Pushpin Label Position: | bottom |
| Pushpin Map Alt: | Location in Chile |
| Pushpin Map Caption: | Location in Chile |
| Coordinates: | -34.8833°N -72°W |
| Coor Pinpoint: | city |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Name: | Chile |
| Subdivision Type1: | Region |
| Subdivision Name1: | Maule |
| Subdivision Type2: | Province |
| Subdivision Name2: | Curicó |
| Government Type: | Municipality |
| Government Footnotes: | [1] |
| Leader Party: | PPD |
| Leader Title: | Alcalde |
| Leader Name: | Román Pavez López |
| Unit Pref: | Metric |
| Area Footnotes: | [2] |
| Area Total Km2: | 425.7 |
| Elevation M: | 72 |
| Population Total: | 4335 |
| Population As Of: | 2012 Census |
| Population Density Km2: | auto |
| Population Blank1 Title: | Urban |
| Population Blank1: | 1368 |
| Population Blank2 Title: | Rural |
| Population Blank2: | 3548 |
| Demographics Type1: | Sex |
| Demographics1 Title1: | Men |
| Demographics1 Info1: | 2,596 |
| Demographics1 Title2: | Women |
| Demographics1 Info2: | 2,320 |
| Timezone: | CLT[3] |
| Utc Offset: | -4 |
| Timezone Dst: | CLST[4] |
| Utc Offset Dst: | -3 |
| Area Code: | 56 + 75 |
Vichuquén is a commune in the Curicó Province of Chile's Maule Region.
The Spanish arrived along the Lico rivers in 1585, where settlements of the Mapuche and Inca already existed. In 1865, Vichuquén founded its capital of the village of the same name.. In 1987, the old part of the town was declared a "Typical Zone Vichuquén" for its colonial style architecture.
Vichuquén is located northwest of the Curicó Province. It also has the Vichuquén lakes Lago Vichuquén (es) in its boundaries, as well as the Laguna Torca National Reserve. The commune spans an area of 425.7sqkm.[2]
According to the 2002 census of the National Statistics Institute, Vichuquén spans an area of 425.7sqkm and has 4,916 inhabitants (2,596 men and 2,320 women). Of these, 1,368 (27.8%) lived in urban areas and 3,548 (72.2%) in rural areas. The population fell by 0.3% (15 persons) between the 1992 and 2002 censuses.[2]
As a commune, Vichuquén 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 2008-2012 alcalde is Román Pavez López (PPD).[1]
Within the electoral divisions of Chile, Vichuquén is represented in the Chamber of Deputies by Roberto León (PDC) and Celso Morales (UDI) as part of the 36th electoral district, together with Curicó, Teno, Romeral, Molina, Sagrada Familia, Hualañé, Licantén and Rauco. The commune is represented in the Senate by Juan Antonio Coloma Correa (UDI) and Andrés Zaldívar Larraín (PDC) as part of the 10th senatorial constituency (Maule-North).