Bío Bío Region

administrative division of Chile

The Bío Bío Region (Spanish: Región del Biobío) is one of Chile's 16 first order administrative divisions. Its capital is Concepción, the second city of Chile after the national capital, Santiago.

Biobío Region
Región del Biobío
Flag of Biobío Region
Coat of Arms of Biobío Region
Map of Biobío Region
Map of Biobío Region
Coordinates: 36°50′S 73°03′W / 36.833°S 73.050°W / -36.833; -73.050
Country Chile
CapitalConcepción
ProvincesBiobío, Concepción, Arauco
Government
 • IntendantJorge Ulloa Aguillón (UDI)
Area
 • Total23,890.2 km2 (9,224.1 sq mi)
 • Rank10
Lowest elevation
0 m (0 ft)
Population
 (2017 census)[2]
 • Total1,557,414
 • Rank3
 • Density65/km2 (170/sq mi)
ISO 3166 codeCL-BI
HDI (2019)0.826[3]
very high
WebsiteOfficial website (in Spanish)

The region is named after its main river: the Bío Bío river.

History

change

The Spanish conquistador Pedro de Valdivia founded the city of Concepción in 1550 at the mouth of the Bío Bío river. He died in 1553 during the Arauco War against the Mapuche people.

The Region has been hit by many earthquakes, including the most powerful earthquake ever recorded (the Great Chilean Earthquake in 1960) and the earthquake of 2010, when many communities in the region were greatly affected by the earthquake and the following tsunami.

Geography

change

The Bío Bío region has area of 23,890.2 square kilometres (9,224.1 square miles).[4]

It borders the Ñuble region to the north, Argentina to the east, the Araucanía region to the south and the Pacific Ocean on the west.[4]

The main river in the region is the Bío Bío River. It is 380 kilometres (236 miles) long. It is the second longest river of Chile after the Loa River.

Population

change

The Bío Bío Region has 1,557,414 inhabitants (2017 census). It is the third region by population, after the Valparaíso Region. Its population density was 65.2.

Administration

change

The Bío Bío region is further subdivided into three provinces: Arauco, Bío Bío and Concepción.

 
Bío Bío Region - Provinces and comunas
Province Capital Code Comuna Area[4]
(km²)
Population[4]
(2002)
Concepción (081) Concepción 08101 23 Concepción 221.6 216,061
08102 24 Coronel 279.4 95,528
08103 22 Chiguayante 71.5 81,302
08104 25 Florida 608.6 10,177
08105 27 Hualqui 530.5 18,768
08106 28 Lota 135.8 49,089
08107 29 Penco 107.6 46,016
08108 30 San Pedro de la Paz 112.5 80,447
08109 31 Santa Juana 731.2 12,713
08110 32 Talcahuano 92.3 163,626
08111 33 Tomé 494.5 52,440
08112 26 Hualpén 53.5 86,722
Total of Concepción province 3,439.0 912,889
Arauco (082) Lebu
08201 5 Lebu 561.4 25,035
08202 1 Arauco 956.1 34,873
08203 2 Cañete 1,089.2 31,270
08204 3 Contulmo 638.8 5,838
08205 4 Curanilahue 994.3 31,943
08206 6 Los Álamos 599.1 18,632
08207 7 Tirúa 624.4 9,664
Total of Arauco province 5,463.3 157,255
Bío Bío (083) Los Ángeles
08301 12 Los Ángeles 1,748.2 166,556
08302   9 Antuco 1,884.1 3,908
08303 10 Cabrero 640.8 25,282
08304 11 Laja 339.8 22,404
08305 13 Mulchén 1,925.3 29,003
08306 14 Nacimiento 934.9 25,971
08307 15 Negrete 156.5 8,579
08308 16 Quilaco 1,123.7 4,021
08309 17 Quilleco 1,121.8 10,428
08310 18 San Rosendo 92.4 3,918
08311 19 Santa Bárbara 1,254.9 12,943
08312 20 Tucapel 914.9 12,777
08313 21 Yumbel 727.0 20,498
08314   8 Alto Biobío 2,124.6 7,027
Total of Bío Bío province 14,987.9 353,315
Total of the region 37,068.7 1,861,562
change

References

change
  1. "Biobío Region". Government of Chile Foreign Investment Committee. Archived from the original on 25 November 2020. Retrieved 13 March 2010.
  2. "CIFRAS DE ENVEJECIMIENTO Y MIGRACIÓN MUESTRAN UN CHILE DISTINTO AL DE HACE UN DECENIO". POBLACIÓN PAÍS Y REGIONES - ACTUALIZACIÓN 2002-2012. National Statistics Institute. 4 September 2014. Archived from the original on 12 December 2018. Retrieved 4 September 2014.
  3. "Sub-national HDI - Area Database - Global Data Lab". hdi.globaldatalab.org. Retrieved 2021-10-26.
  4. 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 "Región del Bío-Bío" (PDF). Instituto Nacional de Estadísticas. 2007. Archived from the original (PDF) on 12 July 2018. Retrieved 12 November 2016.

Other websites

change
Regions of Chile  
Arica y Parinacota | Tarapacá | Antofagasta | Atacama | Coquimbo | Valparaíso | O'Higgins | Maule | Ñuble | Bío Bío | La Araucanía | Los Ríos | Los Lagos | Aysén | Magallanes y la Antártica Chilena | RM Santiago