La Serena, Chile
| La Serena | ||||||
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| City and Commune | ||||||
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| Coordinates (city): 29°54′S 71°15′W / 29.900°S 71.250°WCoordinates: 29°54′S 71°15′W / 29.900°S 71.250°W | ||||||
| Country |
 Chile
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| Region |
 Coquimbo
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| Province | Elqui | |||||
| Founded | 1544 | |||||
| Government | ||||||
| • Type | Municipality | |||||
| • Alcalde | Roberto Jacob Jure (PRSD) | |||||
| Area | ||||||
| • Total | 1,892.8 km2 (730.8 sq mi) | |||||
| Elevation | 28 m (92 ft) | |||||
| Population (2012 Census) | ||||||
| • Total | 198,163 | |||||
| • Density | 100/km2 (270/sq mi) | |||||
| • Urban | 147,815 | |||||
| • Rural | 12,333 | |||||
| Demonym(s) | Serenean | |||||
| Sex | ||||||
| • Men | 77,385 | |||||
| • Women | 82,763 | |||||
| Time zone | CLT (UTC−4) | |||||
| • Summer (DST) | CLST (UTC−3) | |||||
| Postal code | 1700000 | |||||
| Climate | BWk | |||||
| Website |
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La Serena (Spanish pronunciation: [la seˈɾena]) is a city and commune in northern Chile, capital of the Coquimbo Region. Founded in 1544, it is the country's second oldest city after the national capital, Santiago, located 471 km (293 miles) to the south. It has a communal population of 198,164 (2012 census, and 400,000 for the Greater La Serena) area, the country's fourth largest conurbation (pop. 300,000, 2002 census), which includes nearby Coquimbo with an area of 1,892.80 square kilometres (730.81 sq mi). It is one of the fastest-growing areas of Chile, witnessing a population increase of 32.6% between 1992 and 2002.
The city is an important tourist destination, especially during the summer, where people go to visit the beaches. It is in the headquarters of the University of La Serena and also is home to the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of La Serena, one of five Catholic Archdioceses of the Catholic Church in Chile.
The sector is currently located where the city was inhabited by the pre-Hispanic village called Viluma or Vilumanque (Mapudungún Snakes and condors).
La Serena was first founded on the orders of Spanish Pedro de Valdivia in order to provide a sea link to maintain permanent contact between Santiago and Lima in the Viceroyalty of Peru. For this he would need a place for his troops to rest and eat. The village was first founded by captain Juan Bohón with the name "Villanueva de La Serena". Although the exact date is disputed, probable dates include 15 November or 30 December 1543 and 4 September 1544. Many historians simply say that it was founded in 1544. Five years later, from the night of 11 January 1549 until the following day, an uprising of local Indians totally destroyed and burned the village, killing nearly every Spaniard. Pedro de Valdivia gave order to Captain Francisco de Aguirre to found the city later the same year on 26 August to under the name of San Bartolomé de La Serena (now patron saint of the city), in the same place where today the Plaza de Armas stands. A few years later, on 4 May 1552, King Carlos I of Spain by royal decree gave it the title of city.
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