Huasco Province
Huasco Province Spanish: Provincia de Huasco) is one of three provinces of the northern Chilean region of Atacama (III). Its capital is the city of Vallenar.
Huasco Province Provincia de Huasco | |
|---|---|
 Seal  Copiapó, in red, in the Atacama Region   Huasco Province Location in Chile | |
| Coordinates: 28°32′S 70°22′W / 28.533°S 70.367°W | |
| Country |  Chile |
| Region | Atacama |
| Capital | Vallenar |
| Comunas | Alto del Carmen, Freirina, Huasco, Vallenar |
| Government | |
| • Type | Provincial |
| • Governor | Alexandra Núñez Sorich |
| Area | |
| • Total | 18,201.5 km2 (7,027.6 sq mi) |
| Population (2002 Census)[2] | |
| • Total | 66,491 |
| • Density | 3.7/km2 (9.5/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC-4 (CLT) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-3 (CLST) |
| Area code | 56 + 51 |
| Website | Official website |
Geography
The Huasco province has an area of 18,201.5 km2 (7,027.6 sq mi), the smallest province in the Atacama region.[2]
Huasco is bordered on the north by the Copiapó province, on the east by Argentina, on the south by the Coquimbo region and on the west by the Pacific Ocean.
The main river of the province is the Huasco river that is 88 km (54.7 mi) long.[3] In the valley of the river, fruits, including grapes, are grown.
Population
As of 2002[update] (last national census), there were 6,649 people living in the province, giving it a population density of 3.7 inhabitants/km².[2]
The largest city of the province is Vallenar, its capital, with a population, in 2002, of 48,040 inhabitants in the commune.
Administration
As a province, Huasco is a second-level administrative division, consisting of four communes (comunas). The city of Vallenar serves as the provincial capital. The province is administered by a governor.
| Code | Comuna | Capital | Area[2] (km²) | Population[2] (2002) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 03301 | 9 Vallenar | Vallenar | 7,083.7 | 48,040 |
| 03302 | 6 Alto del Carmen | Alto del Carmen | 5,938.7 | 4,840 |
| 03303 | 7 Freirina | Freirina | 3,577.7 | 5,666 |
| 03202 | 8 Huasco | Huasco | 1,601.4 | 7,945 |
| Total of the Huasco province | 18,201.5 | 66,491 | ||
References
Other websites
- Territorial division of Chile (in Spanish)
- Gobierno Regional de Atacama Official website (in Spanish)
- Province of Huasco website (in Spanish)