Curacautín
Encyclopedia
Curacautín, which means "Gathering Stone" in Mapudungun
, is a commune and city in the Chile
an province of Malleco
. Curacautín is located 90 kilometres northeast of Temuco
, in a valley near the volcanoes Tolhuaca
, Lonquimay
and Llaima
, all of which can be seen from the city. Historically, it served as a highway of sorts for the Pehuenche
s that lived on either side of the Andes
mountain range.
and Tolhuaca
National Parks; Malleco, Malalcahuello, and Nalcas National Reserves are all close by
Between 1913 and 1915, two important structures (the railroad and the Greater City Hall) were built. In 1938, Mosso plywood factory began production, being the fist in Chile to export plywood. This, coupled with the railroad, allowed products to be shipped all over Chile as well as internationally. This factory was one of the main employers of the commune, having a big impact in every aspect of the city. In 2000, FOCURA (formerly Mosso) its declares in bankruptcy, ending an era in Curacautín.
of the National Statistics Institute
, Curacautín spans an area of 1664 sqkm and has 16,970 inhabitants (8,310 men and 8,660 women). Of these, 12,412 (73.1%) lived in urban area
s and 4,558 (26.9%) in rural areas. Between the 1992 and 2002 censuses, the population fell by 6.4% (1,165 persons).
, headed by an alcalde
who is directly elected every four years. The 2008-2012 alcalde is Jorge Saquel Albarran (Ind.
).
Within the electoral divisions of Chile, Curacautín is represented in the Chamber of Deputies
by Enrique Estay (UDI) and Fuad Chahín (PDC
) as part of the 49th electoral district, (together with Victoria
, Lonquimay
, Melipeuco
, Vilcún
, Lautaro
, Perquenco
and Galvarino). The commune is represented in the Senate
by Alberto Espina Otero (RN
) and Jaime Quintana Leal (PPD
) as part of the 14th senatorial constituency (Araucanía-North).
Mapudungun
The Mapuche language, Mapudungun is a language isolate spoken in south-central Chile and west central Argentina by the Mapuche people. It is also spelled Mapuzugun and sometimes called Mapudungu or Araucanian...
, is a commune and city in the Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
an province of Malleco
Malleco
Malleco Province is one of two provinces in the southern Chilean region of Araucanía . Its estimated population is 223,184 , and it covers an area of...
. Curacautín is located 90 kilometres northeast of Temuco
Temuco
Temuco is a city and commune, capital of the Cautín Province and of the Araucanía Region in southern Chile. The name comes from the Mapudungun language, meaning "temu water"; "temu" is a tree used by Mapuches for medicinal purposes. The city is located 670 km south of Santiago...
, in a valley near the volcanoes Tolhuaca
Tolhuaca (volcano)
Tolhuaca Volcano is a stratovolcano located in the northern part of the Araucanía Region of Chile. The volcano has been shaped by glacial erosion, which contrasts with the relatively smooth slopes of its neighbor Lonquimay, due to the younger age of this latter volcano.The volcano dominates the...
, Lonquimay
Lonquimay (volcano)
Lonquimay Volcano is a stratovolcano of late-Pleistocene to dominantly Holocene age, with the shape of a truncated cone. The cone is largely andesitic, though basaltic and dacitic rocks are present. It is located in the Araucanía Region of Chile, immediately SE of Tolhuaca volcano. Sierra Nevada...
and Llaima
Llaima
Llaima Volcano is one of the largest and most active volcanoes in Chile. It is situated 82 km northeast of Temuco and 663 km southeast of Santiago, within the borders of Conguillío National Park.-Geography:...
, all of which can be seen from the city. Historically, it served as a highway of sorts for the Pehuenche
Pehuenche
Pehuenches are an indigenous people that are part of the Mapuche peoples and live in the Andes in south central Chile and Argentina. Their name derives from their habit of harvesting of piñones, the seeds of the Araucaria araucana or pehuén...
s that lived on either side of the Andes
Andes
The Andes is the world's longest continental mountain range. It is a continual range of highlands along the western coast of South America. This range is about long, about to wide , and of an average height of about .Along its length, the Andes is split into several ranges, which are separated...
mountain range.
Volcanic Origin
This area is valued for its natural beauty. ConguillíoConguillío National Park
Conguillío National Park is located in the Andes, in the provinces of Cautín and Malleco, in the Araucanía Region of Chile. Its name derives from the Mapuche word for "water with Araucaria seeds"...
and Tolhuaca
Tolhuaca National Park
Tolhuaca National Park encompasses part of the forested lower western spurs and foothills of the Andes of the Araucanía Region of southern Chile. Adjoining the park to the north is Malleco National Reserve. The park has an elevation of 700 m asl at its western end and 1,821 m asl at its eastern...
National Parks; Malleco, Malalcahuello, and Nalcas National Reserves are all close by
History
The fort at Curacautín was founded on March 12, 1882 by Gregorio Urrutia Venegas.Between 1913 and 1915, two important structures (the railroad and the Greater City Hall) were built. In 1938, Mosso plywood factory began production, being the fist in Chile to export plywood. This, coupled with the railroad, allowed products to be shipped all over Chile as well as internationally. This factory was one of the main employers of the commune, having a big impact in every aspect of the city. In 2000, FOCURA (formerly Mosso) its declares in bankruptcy, ending an era in Curacautín.
Demographics
According to the 2002 censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of the National Statistics Institute
National Statistics Institute (Chile)
The National Statistics Institute of Chile is a state-run organization of the Government of Chile, created in the second half of the 19th century and tasked with performing a general census of population and housing, then collecting, producing and publishing official demographic statistics of...
, Curacautín spans an area of 1664 sqkm and has 16,970 inhabitants (8,310 men and 8,660 women). Of these, 12,412 (73.1%) lived in urban area
Urban area
An urban area is characterized by higher population density and vast human features in comparison to areas surrounding it. Urban areas may be cities, towns or conurbations, but the term is not commonly extended to rural settlements such as villages and hamlets.Urban areas are created and further...
s and 4,558 (26.9%) in rural areas. Between the 1992 and 2002 censuses, the population fell by 6.4% (1,165 persons).
Administration
As a commune, Curacautín is a third-level administrative division of Chile administered by a municipal councilMunicipal council
A municipal council is the local government of a municipality. Specifically the term can refer to the institutions of various countries that can be translated by this term...
, headed by an alcalde
Alcalde
Alcalde , or Alcalde ordinario, is the traditional Spanish municipal magistrate, who had both judicial and administrative functions. An alcalde was, in the absence of a corregidor, the presiding officer of the Castilian cabildo and judge of first instance of a town...
who is directly elected every four years. The 2008-2012 alcalde is Jorge Saquel Albarran (Ind.
Independent (politician)
In politics, an independent or non-party politician is an individual not affiliated to any political party. Independents may hold a centrist viewpoint between those of major political parties, a viewpoint more extreme than any major party, or they may have a viewpoint based on issues that they do...
).
Within the electoral divisions of Chile, Curacautín is represented in the Chamber of Deputies
Chamber of Deputies of Chile
The Chamber of Deputies of the Republic of Chile is the lower house of Chile's bicameral Congress. Its organisation and its powers and duties are defined in articles 42 to 59 of Chile's current constitution....
by Enrique Estay (UDI) and Fuad Chahín (PDC
Christian Democratic Party
Christian democratic parties are those political parties that seek to apply Christian principles to public policy. The underlying Christian democracy movement emerged in 19th-century Europe, largely under the influence of Catholic social teaching, and it continues to be influential in Europe and...
) as part of the 49th electoral district, (together with Victoria
Victoria, Chile
Victoria is a city and commune in Malleco Province of Araucanía Region, Chile. It is the second most populous city in the province of Malleco, and is the gateway to the area known as Araucanía Andina, with attractions such as the Tolhuaca National Park , the Baths of Tolhuaca Malalcahuello National...
, Lonquimay
Lonquimay
Lonquimay is a town and commune in the Malleco Province of southern Chile's Araucanía Region.- Transport :It is the terminus of an abandoned broad gauge railway project which supporters cited as the most practical railway route through the Andes to Argentina, but which lacks a link between...
, Melipeuco
Melipeuco
Melipeuco is a town and commune in Chile, located at the foot of the Andes, in the Province of Cautín, Araucanía Region. Melipeuco is from the southern entrance of the Conguillío National Park. The Nevados de Sollipulli, an ice-filled volcanic caldera surrounded by numerous hot water springs and...
, Vilcún
Vilcún
Vilcún is a Chilean town and commune in Cautín Province, Araucanía Region. The town is an important gateway for tourists visiting Conguillío National Park and Llaima volcano....
, Lautaro
Lautaro, Chile
Lautaro is a city and commune of the Cautín Province in Chile's Araucanía Region. The area is named in honor of Lautaro, Mapuche leader during the War of Arauco.-Demographics:...
, Perquenco
Perquenco
Perquenco is a town and commune in southern Chile's Araucanía Region. The town was declared capital of the Kingdom of Araucanía and Patagonia by Orélie-Antoine de Tounens, but soon after it was occupied by Cornelio Saavedra Rodríguez who was in charge of the Chilean occupation of the...
and Galvarino). The commune is represented in the Senate
Senate of Chile
The Senate of the Republic of Chile is the upper house of Chile's bicameral National Congress, as established in the current Constitution of Chile.-Composition:...
by Alberto Espina Otero (RN
National Renewal (Chile)
National Renewal , is a liberal conservative political party belonging to the Chilean right-wing political coalition Coalition for Change in conjunction with the Independent Democratic Union and the Chile First movement...
) and Jaime Quintana Leal (PPD
Party for Democracy
The Party for Democracy is a political party in Chile; it is social democratic in its political orientation. It was founded in December 1987 by Ricardo Lagos, who aimed at forming a legal social democratic party . The party continued to function after the defeat of Pinochet...
) as part of the 14th senatorial constituency (Araucanía-North).