Cochrane | |||||
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Town and Commune | |||||
The town of Cochrane
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Coordinates (town): 47°15′17″S 72°34′30″W / 47.25472°S 72.57500°WCoordinates: 47°15′17″S 72°34′30″W / 47.25472°S 72.57500°W | |||||
Country | Chile | ||||
Region | Aisén | ||||
Province | Capitán Prat | ||||
Founded | 1954 | ||||
Founded as | Pueblo Nuevo de Cochrane ("New Town of Cochrane") | ||||
Government | |||||
• Type | Municipality | ||||
• Alcalde | Patricio Ulloa Georgia (UDI) | ||||
Area | |||||
• Total | 8,930.5 km2 (3,448.1 sq mi) | ||||
Elevation | 199 m (653 ft) | ||||
Population (2012 Census) | |||||
• Total | 2,976 | ||||
• Density | 0.33/km2 (0.86/sq mi) | ||||
• Urban | 2,217 | ||||
• Rural | 650 | ||||
Sex | |||||
• Men | 1,555 | ||||
• Women | 1,312 | ||||
Time zone | CLT (UTC−4) | ||||
• Summer (DST) | CLST (UTC−3) | ||||
Area code(s) | 56 + 67 | ||||
Climate | Cfb | ||||
Website |
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Cochrane is a Chilean town and commune in Capitán Prat Province of the Aisén Region. According to the 2002 census it has a population of 2,867. The urban population in 2002 was 2,217 and the rural population was 650.
Cochrane was founded in 1954 (as Pueblo Nuevo), but didn't have road access to the rest of Chile until 1988, when the Carretera Austral was opened. The town was later named Cochrane in honour of Thomas Cochrane, 10th Earl of Dundonald, a British naval captain and radical politician who was appointed the first Admiral of the Chilean Navy in 1818 and made a major contribution to winning independence for the young nation from Spain. Cochrane remains the southernmost town along the highway, with only a few villages south of it.
Nearby is the prominent peak of Monte San Lorenzo, also known as Cerro Cochrane.
According to the 2002 census of the National Stat is tics Institute, Cochrane spans an area of 8,930.5 km2 (3,448 sq mi) and has 2,867 inhabitants (1,555 men and 1,312 women). Of these, 2,217 (77.3%) lived in urban areas and 650 (22.7%) in rural areas. The population fell by 4.3% (129 persons) between the 1992 and 2002 censuses.
As a commune, Cochrane 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 Patricio Ulloa Georgia (UDI). The council has the following members: