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Coyhaique

Coyhaique
Coihaique
City and Commune
Panoramic view of the city
Panoramic view of the city
Flag
Flag
Coat of arms
Coat of arms
Location of the Coihaique commune in Los Aisén Region
Location of the Coihaique commune in Aisén Region
Location in Chile
Location in Chile
Coyhaique
Location in Chile
Coordinates (city): 45°34′S 72°04′W / 45.567°S 72.067°W / -45.567; -72.067Coordinates: 45°34′S 72°04′W / 45.567°S 72.067°W / -45.567; -72.067
Country Chile
Region Aisén
Province Coihaique
Founded as Baquedano
Founded October 12, 1929
Government
 • Type Municipality
 • Alcalde Alejandro Huala Canumán (PS)
Area
 • Total 7,320.5 km2 (2,826.5 sq mi)
Elevation 302 m (991 ft)
Population (2012 Census)
 • Total 53,715
 • Density 7.3/km2 (19/sq mi)
 • Urban 44,850
 • Rural 5,191
Demonym(s) Coyhaiquian
Sex
 • Men 25,453
 • Women 24,588
Time zone CLT (UTC−4)
 • Summer (DST) CLST (UTC−3)
Postal code 5950000
Area code(s) 56 + 67
Climate Cfb
Website Official website (Spanish)

Coyhaique (Spanish pronunciation: [koiˈaike]), also spelled Coihaique in Patagonia, is the capital city of both the Coyhaique Province and the Aysén Region of Chile. Founded by settlers in 1929, it is a young city. Until the twentieth century, Chile showed little interest in exploiting the remote Aisén region. The Carretera Austral road opened in the 1980s.

The commune of Coyhaique spans an area of 43,297 km2 (16,717 sq mi). It is surrounded by rivers (Simpson and Coyhaique) and by mountains. The mountains may be snow-covered throughout the year, thus Coihaique is sometimes called the city of eternal snow.

Under the Köppen climate classification, Coyhaique has an oceanic climate (Cfb), though it is considerably less wet than coastal settlements like Puerto Montt or Puerto Aysén since the coastal mountains provide considerable shielding from the westerly winds. Temperatures are moderate during the months of November through April, while from May until October, temperatures are chilly and accompanied by the possibility of snowfall.

According to the 2002 census of the National Statistics Institute, Coyhaique has 50,041 inhabitants (25,453 men and 24,588 women). Of these, 44,850 (89.6%) lived in urban areas and 5,191 (10.4%) in rural areas. The population grew by 15.6% (6,744 persons) between the 1992 and 2002 censuses.

As a commune, Coyhaique 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 2012-2016 alcalde is Alejandro Huala Canumán (PS). He was preceded by Omar Muñoz Sierra (UDI) from 2008 to 2012 and David Sandoval Plaza (also UDI), who served from 2000 to 2008.


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