Coyhaique, Chile
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Coyhaique Coihaique |
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| City and Commune | ||||||
Panoramic view of the city
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| Coordinates (city): 45°34′S 72°04′W / 45.567°S 72.067°WCoordinates: 45°34′S 72°04′W / 45.567°S 72.067°W | ||||||
| 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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