Coquimbo

City and Commune

Flag

Coat of arms

Coquimbo

Location in Chile

Coordinates (city): 29°57′11″S 71°20′36″W / 29.95306°S 71.34333°WCoordinates: 29°57′11″S 71°20′36″W / 29.95306°S 71.34333°W

Chile

Coquimbo

Founded

1867

Government

• Type

Municipality

• Alcalde

Cristian Galleguillos Vega

Area

• Total

1,429.3 km² (551.9 sq mi)

Elevation

15 m (49 ft)

Population (2012 census)

• Total

200,117

• Density

140/km² (360/sq mi)

• Urban

154,316

• Rural

8,720

Demonym(s)

Coquimban

Sex

• Men

79,428

• Women

83,608

Time zone

CLT (UTC−3)

Postal code

1780000

Area code(s)

56 + 51

Website

Municipality of Coquimbo

Coquimbo is a port city, commune and capital of the Elqui Province, located on the Pan-American Highway, in the Coquimbo Region of Chile. Coquimbo is situated in a valley 10 km (6 mi) south of La Serena, with which it forms Greater La Serena with more than 400,000 inhabitants. The commune spans an area around the harbor of 1,429.3 km² (552 sq mi). The average temperature in the city lies around 14 °C (57 °F), and precipitation is low.

The natural harbor in Coquimbo was taken over by Pedro de Valdivia from Spain in 1550. The gold and copper industry in the region led to the city's importance as a port around 1840 and many Europeans especially from England settled in Coquimbo. In 1879 it was recognized as a town.

According to the 2002 census of the National Statistics Institute, Coquimbo had 163,036 inhabitants (79,428 men and 83,608 women). Of these, 154,316 (94.7%) lived in urban areas and 8,720 (5.3%) in rural areas. The population grew by 32.8% (40,270 persons) between the 1992 and 2002 censuses.

As a commune, Coquimbo is a fourth-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 Cristian Galleguillos Vega.

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Wikipedia