Quintero | ||||
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City and Commune | ||||
Quintero town hall
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Coordinates: 32°47′S 71°32′W / 32.783°S 71.533°WCoordinates: 32°47′S 71°32′W / 32.783°S 71.533°Wcity | ||||
Country | Chile | |||
Region | Valparaíso | |||
Province | Valparaíso | |||
Founded | 1536 | |||
Government | ||||
• Type | Municipality | |||
• Alcalde | Mauricio Carrasco Pardo (Ind) | |||
Area | ||||
• Total | 147.5 km2 (57.0 sq mi) | |||
Elevation | 5 m (16 ft) | |||
Population (2012 Census) | ||||
• Total | 25,299 | |||
• Density | 170/km2 (440/sq mi) | |||
• Urban | 18,719 | |||
• Rural | 2,455 | |||
Demonym(s) | Quinterano | |||
Sex | ||||
• Men | 10,390 | |||
• Women | 10,784 | |||
Time zone | CLT (UTC-4) | |||
• Summer (DST) | CLST (UTC-3) | |||
Area code(s) | 56 + 32 | |||
Website | Official website (Spanish) |
Quintero is a Chilean city and commune in Valparaíso Province, in the Valparaíso Region, 30 kilometers north of Valparaíso. The commune spans an area of 147.5 km2 (57 sq mi). It was the first port in the country, created during the expedition of Don Diego de Almagro .
The name of the city comes from Alonso Quintero, the Spanish navigator who discovered the bay in 1536 when he arrived on the ship Santiaguillo.
According to the 2002 census of the National Statistics Institute, Quintero had 21,174 inhabitants (10,390 men and 10,784 women). Of these, 18,719 (88.4%) lived in urban areas and 2,455 (11.6%) in rural areas. The population grew by 19% (3,378 persons) between the 1992 and 2002 censuses. The demonym for a man from Quintero is Quinterano and Quinterana for a woman.
As a commune, Quintero is a third-level administrative division of Chile administered by a communal council, headed by an alcalde who is directly elected every four years. The 2008-2012 alcalde is José Varas Zuñiga.
Within the electoral divisions of Chile, Quintero is represented in the Chamber of Deputies by Mr. Eduardo Cerda (PDC) and Mrs. Andrea Molina (UDI) as part of the 10th electoral district, (together with La Ligua, Petorca, Cabildo, Papudo, Zapallar, Puchuncaví, Nogales, Calera, La Cruz, Quillota and Hijuelas). The commune is represented in the Senate by Ignacio Walker Prieto (PDC) and Lily Pérez San Martín (RN) as part of the 5th senatorial constituency (Valparaíso-Cordillera).