7U6
CHILE
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 into 23 provinces, subdivided into 78 depart- ments, and 1 territory. Departments and territories are subdivided into 865 sub-delegations and 3,068 districts.
In 1884 the provinces of Tarapaca and Tacna were ceded to Chils 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. The provinces, however, are still occupied by Chile.
Area and population of the provinces at the end of 1910 : —
Provinces
Area : Sq. Miles
Popula- tion 1910
Pop. 1 per Sq. Mile
Proviiices Nuble .
Area : Sq. Miles
3,406
Popula- tion 1910
Pop.
per sq
Mile
Tacua
9,248
42,925
3-1
109,858
48-8
Tarapaca .
18,125
115,940
6-1 i
Ooncepcion .
3,560
225,054
66-7
Antofagasta
46,597
118,718
2-6 ,
Arauco
2,446
62,259
25-2
Atacama .
30,720
65,118
2-1 ■'
Biobio .
5,245
100,495
18-7
Coquimbo.
13,457
178,731
13-0
Malleco
2,973
113,020
36-8
Aconcagua
5,485
132,730
23-9 1
Cautin.
5,830
161,935
23-1
Valparaiso
1,953
299,466
144-3
Valdivia
8,352
131,751
13-7
Santiago .
5,663
546,599
91-4
Llanquihue .
35.390
113,285
2-9
O'Higgins
2,289
94,257
40-3
Chiloe .
8,580
91,657
10-4
Colchagua
3,855
159,421
41-3 i
Magallanes
Curico
2,978
108,120
36-0 1
ter. .
66,174
23,650
0-2
Talca
3,839 3,941
132,730 111,773
33-9 ;
27-7 !
Linares .
Maule
2,474
115,568
44-6
Total
292,580
3,415,060
11-1
Many islands to the north, west, and south, belong to Chile. The coast line is about 2,485 miles in length.
In 1885 the population numbered 2,527,320; in 1895, 2,712,145; in 1905, 3,399,928. In 1907, 3,249,279 (1,624,221 males and 1,625,058 females).
The population of the principal towns in 1910 was : — Santiago, 332,724 ; Valparaiso, 179,815 ; Concepcion, 55,554 ; Iquique, 44,171 ; Talca, 38,040; Chilian, 42,500; Antofagasta, 32,496; Vina del Mar, 26,262; Curico, 18,313; Temuco, 16,037 ; la Serena, 24,425 ; Talcahuano, 16,261 ; Valdivia, 17,681. The great majority of the population is of European origin. The indigenous inhabitants are of three branches, the Fuegians, mostly nomadic, living in or near Tieira del Fuego ; the Araucans (101,118) in the valleys or on the western slopes of the Andes ; the Changos, who inhabit the northern coast region and work as labourers.
Births, marriages, and deaths, exclusive of still-births : —
Year
1 Births
Marriages
Deaths
Surplus of Births
1906 1907 1908 1909 1910
117,032 126,104 129,733 129,333 130,052
18,507 21,286 21,483 19,637 19,326
104,890 96,534 104,226 104,707 106,073
12,142 29,570 25,507 24,626 23,979
