446
CHILE
and Public Works. The Council of State consists of five members nominated by the President, and six members chosen by the Congress.
Local Government.
For the purposes of local government the Republic is divided into Provinces, presided over by Intendcnts ; and the Provinces into Depart- ments, with Gobernadores as chief officers. The Departments constitute one or more municipal districts each with a council or municipality of 9 members, inhabitants popularly elected for three years. The police of Santiago and of the capitals of departments is organised and regulated by the President of the Republic at the charge of the national treasury.
Area and Population.
The Republic is divided (according to rearrangement of 1887) into 28 provinces, subdivided into 74 departments and 1 territory. Departments and territories are subdivided into 865 sub-delegations and 3,068 districts.
In 1884 the province of Antofagasta was ceded to Chile by Bolivia, and those of Tarapacii and Tacna by Peru. The cession of Tacna was originally for ten years, at the end of which period a plebiscite of the province would decide to which country it should belong. Owing to troubles in Peru the decision was deferred ; but a convention for the purpose of carrying out the plebiscite was signed at Santiago Aprd 16, 1898. Boundary disputes with the Argentine Republic have been referred to the decision of the Government of Queen Victoria, who have agreed to arbitrate.
The following are the area and population of the provinces and territories, according to the censuses of November 26, 1885, and November 28, 1895, with the population of the provincial capitals, 1895 : —
1
Provinces and ' Territoiies
1
Area : Sq. Miles
Popula- tion 1885 Census
Popula- tion 1895 Census
Pop.
per Sq.
Mile
1895
Capitals
Pop. of '■ Capitals ; 1895
Magallanes, ter.
75,292
2,085
5,170
_
Punta Arenas
3,227
Chiloe
3,995
73,420
77,750
19-4
Ancud .
3,182
Llanquihue
7,823
62,809
78,315
10-0
Puerto-Montt
3,480
Valdivia .
8,315
50,938
60,687
7-3
Valdivia
8,060
Arauco
4,248
73,658
59,237
13-9
Lebu .
2,784
Cautin
3,127
33,291
78,221
25-1
Teniuco
7,078
Malleco
2,857
59,492
98,032
34-3
Angol .
7,056
Bio-Bio
4,158
101,768
88,749
21-3
Angeles
7,868
Concepciun
3,535
182,459
188,190
56-1
Concepcion .
39,837
Nuble
3,556
149,871
152,935
43-0
Chilian
28,738
Maule
2,931
124,145
119,791
40-8
Cauquenes .
8,574
Linares
3,589
110,652
101,858
29-2
Linares
7,331
Talca .
3,678
133,472
128,961
35-0
Talca .
33,232
Curici'i
2,913
100,002
103,242
35-4
Curico.
12,669
Colcha^na .
3,795
155,687
157,566
41-5
San Fernando
7,447
O'Higgin.s .
2,524
87,641
85,277
33-7
Rancagua .
6,665
Santiago
5,223
329,753
415,636
79-5
Santiago . .
256,413
Valparaiso .
1,659
203,320
220,756
134-9
Valparaiso .
122.447
Aconcagua
6,226
144,125
113,165
19-3
San Felipe .
11,313
Coquimbo .
12,873
176,344
160,898
12-4
Serena
15,712
Atacaiaa .
28,380
76,566
59,713
2-1
Copiap(')
9,301
Antofagasta
72,204
21,213
44,085
0-6
Antofiigasta
13,530
Tarapaca .
19,306
45,086
89,751
4-6
Iquique
33,031
Tacna
Grand Total
8,688
29,523
24,160
2-8
Tacna .
■ * •
9,418
290,829
2,527,320
2,712,145
9-3
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