Chañaral Province
Chañaral Province
Provincia de Chañaral | |
|---|---|
 Seal
 Location in the Atacama Region   Chañaral Province Location in Chile | |
| Coordinates: 26°17′S 69°52′W / 26.283°S 69.867°W | |
| Country | Chile |
| Region | Atacama |
| Capital | Chañaral |
| Communes | Chañaral Diego de Almagro |
| Government | |
| • Type | Provincial |
| Area | |
• Total | 24,436.2 km2 (9,434.9 sq mi) |
| Population (2024 Census) | |
• Total | 23,742 |
| • Density | 0.97159/km2 (2.5164/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC−4 (CLT[2]) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-3 (CLST[3]) |
| Area code | 56 + 52 |
| Website | Delegation of Chañaral |
Chañaral Province (Spanish: Provincia de Chañaral) is one of three provinces in the Atacama Region (III) of Chile. It spans an area of 24,436.2 km2 (9,434.9 sq mi) and has its capital Chañaral. It had a population of 23,742 inhabitants as per the 2024 Chilean census.
History
Chile was re-organized into twelve regions including the Atacama Region by Law No. 575 enacted on 10 July 1974.[4] The Atacama Region consists of three provinces including Chañaral.[5][6]
Chañaral is derived from the Quechua language and means "place of the chanar trees". The chanar (Geoffroea decorticans) is a native tree of Chile, and the name references to the abundance of these trees in the region.[7][8]
Geography
Chañaral Province is one of the three provinces of the Atacama Region in Chile.[6][9][10] It covers an area of 24,436.2 km2 (9,434.9 sq mi).[1] About 42% of the land area is part of an endorheic basin, 30% of the area belongs to the Salado River basin, with the remaining land made up of coastal region and offshore islands.[11] Most of the province is covered by the Atacama Desert,[10] with only 9 ha (22 acres) of the province covered by forest.[12]
Chañaral is the northernmost and the most arid of the three provinces of the Atacama Region. It borders the Antofagasta Province to the north, and Copiapó Province to the south. The topography consists of largely flat coastal plains, with white sand near the coast.[10] The region has a desert climate with very low rainfall, about 0.64 mm (0.025 in) on average annually.[6][13]
Administration
As a province, Chañaral is a second-level administrative division of Chile, governed by a provincial governor.[9][14] It is further subdivided into two communes (comunas)–Chañaral and Diego de Almagro.[9][10][11] The city of Chañaral serves as the capital of the province.[10][5]
Demographics
According to the 2024 Chilean census, the province had a population of 23,742 inhabitants. The population consisted of 11,891 males (50.1%) and 11,851 females (49.9%). About 20.7% of the population was below the age of 15 years, 66.6% belonged to the age group of 15–64 years, and 12.7% was aged 65 years or older. The province had an urban population of 21,232 inhabitants (89.4%) and a rural population of 2,510 inhabitants (10.6%). Most of the residents were born in Chile, accounting for 22,544 inhabitants (95.0%). Indigenous people formed 3,703 inhabitants (15.6%) of the population, while 20,035 inhabitants (84.4%) identified themselves as non-indigenous. Roman Catholics formed the largest religious group with 10,757 adherents (57.5%), followed by Evangelicals or Protestants with 2,676 adherents (14.3%), and 4,796 inhabitants (25.6%) indicating no religious affiliation.[15][16]
Economy
Mining, especially copper, is the major economic activity, with solar power generation developing as an upcoming sector. Fishing is practiced along the coast. Due to the lack of economic opportunities, and dependence on copper mining, the price of copper has a direct impact on the economy of the province. The provincial coast is also contaminated from debris, tailings, and remnants from the mining industry.[10]
References
- 1 2 "Territorial division of Chile" (PDF) (in Spanish). National Statistics Institute. 2007. Archived from the original (PDF) on 14 November 2010. Retrieved 18 March 2011.
- ↑ "Chile Time". World Time Zones. Archived from the original on 11 September 2007. Retrieved 1 July 2011.
- ↑ "Chile Summer Time". World Time Zones. Archived from the original on 11 September 2007. Retrieved 28 July 2010.
- ↑ "Decreto Ley 575 del 14 de julio de 1974" [Decree Law 575 of 14 July 1974]. Biblioteca del Congreso Nacional de Chile (in Spanish). Retrieved 1 May 2026.
- 1 2 "Province of Chile". Statoids. Retrieved 1 April 2026.
- 1 2 3 "Atacama region". Britannica. Retrieved 1 June 2025.
- ↑ "Chanaral". Wisdom Library. Retrieved 1 April 2026.
- ↑ "Geoffroea decorticans". iNaturalist. Retrieved 1 April 2026.
- 1 2 3 "Administrative division of Chile". City Population.de. Retrieved 1 May 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Conozca la provincia" [About the province]. Ministry of the Interior (Chile). Retrieved 1 April 2026.
- 1 2 "Provincia details, Chañaral Provincia" [Details of the Province, ChañaralProvince]. Ministry of the Interior (Chile) (in Spanish). Retrieved 1 April 2026.
- ↑ "Chañaral Province". Global Forest Watch. Retrieved 1 April 2026.
- ↑ "Chanaral". Weather and Climate. Retrieved 1 June 2025.
- ↑ "Gobierno de Chile: Gobernadores". Government of Chile (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 7 July 2011. Retrieved 18 March 2011.
- ↑ "Chañaral Province". City Population.de. Retrieved 1 April 2026.
- ↑ Chilean Census 2024, Results. National Statistics Institute (Chile) (Report). Retrieved 1 April 2026.
