Bio bio region

The Biobío Region (also written as Bío-Bío or Bío Bío) is one of the sixteen regions into which the Republic of Chile is divided. Its capital is Concepcion. Located in the center of the country, it limits to the north with the Ñuble Region, to the east with the province of Neuquén in Argentina, to the south with the Araucanía Region and to the west with the Pacific Ocean.

The region has an area of 23,890.2 km² and a population of 1,557,414 inhabitants, making it the third most inhabited region in the country, behind the Santiago Metropolitan and Valparaíso regions. through the provinces of Arauco, Biobío and Concepción. Its main urban center is Greater Concepción.

On September 6, 2018, the Province of Ñuble was split from the Region of Biobío, becoming the new Region of Ñuble.

Geography and climate

The climate of this region is Mediterranean with similar seasons, however to the south, the Mediterranean influence changes to oceanic. It develops in a longitudinal strip, but in the interior and to the south the rainy Mediterranean influence is felt, reaching more than 2,400 mm of rainfall concentrated in winter. Towards the foothills, the cold climate presents a high thermal oscillation, with an average of 1850 mm of rainfall. In the coastal sector, a Mediterranean climate with oceanic influence predominates.

Andes Mountains

With an average of 3300 m s. no. m. and strong volcanic activity such as the Callaqui volcano (3,164 m a.s.l.), the Antuco volcano (2,979 m a.s.l.) and the Copahue volcano (2,965 m a.s.l.). Other relevant peaks are the Velluda mountain range (3,585 m.a.s.l.) and the Polcura mountain range of lesser height. The precordilleran relief La Montaña continues.

Intermediate depression

There are differences such as a greater width in the northern sector of the region. Here a large amount of water resources are concentrated that allow forestry, agricultural and livestock activities, from the fluvial system of the Biobío river, this being, with its 380 kilometers of extension, one of the largest rivers in the country, which favors the installation of hydroelectric power plants. Human settlement is to a lesser extent than in other regions, since it is concentrated on the coast.

Government and administration

Political-administrative division

The Biobío region, whose capital is the city of Concepción, for government and internal administration purposes, is divided into three provinces.

• Arauco Province, capital Lebu
• Province of Biobío, capital Los Angeles
• Concepción Province, capital Concepción

While these three provinces are subdivided into 33 communes ―Arauco, Cañete, Contulmo, Curanilahue, Lebu, Los Álamos, Tirúa, Alto Biobío, Antuco, Cabrero, Laja, Los Ángeles, Mulchén, Nacimiento, Negrete, Quilaco, Quilleco, San Rosendo, Santa Bárbara, Tucapel, Yumbel, Chiguayante, Concepción, Coronel, Florida, Hualpén, Hualqui, Lota, Penco, San Pedro de la Paz, Santa Juana, Talcahuano and Tomé―.

Province Capital Commune Arauco Lebu Arauco Cañete Contulmo Curanilahue Lebu The Alamos Tirúa Biobío Los Angeles Alto Biobío Antuco Cabrio Laja Los Angeles Mulchén Birth Negrete Quilaco Quilleco San Rosendo Barbara Tucapel Yumbel Concepción Concepción Chiguayante Concepción Colonel Florida Hualpén Hualqui Lota Penco San Pedro de la Paz Santa Juana Talcahuano Take

Arauco Cañete Contulmo Curanilahue Lebu The Alamos Tirúa Alto Biobío Antuco Cabrio Laja Los Angeles Mulchén Birth Negrete Quilaco Quilleco Sn. Rosendo Barbara Tucapel Yumbel Chiguayante Concepción Colonel Florida Hualpén Hualqui Lota Penco San Pedro de la Paz Santa Juana Talcahuano Take

Authorities

Building of the Regional Government of Biobío.

The administration of the region of the executive power resides in the Regional Government of Biobío, constituted by the Governor of Biobío and by the Regional Council, in addition to having the presence of the regional Presidential Delegate of Biobío and the Provincial Presidential Delegate of Biobío and the Provincial Presidential Delegate of Arauco, representatives of the central government of the country.

For the purposes of local administration, the provinces are divided into 33 communes: Arauco, Cañete, Contulmo, Curanilahue, Lebu, Los Álamos, Tirúa, Alto Biobío, Antuco, Cabrero, Laja, Los Ángeles, Mulchén, Nacimiento, Negrete, Quilaco, Quilleco, San Rosendo, Santa Bárbara, Tucapel, Yumbel, Chiguayante, Concepción, Coronel, Florida, Hualpén, Hualqui, Lota, Penco, San Pedro de la Paz, Santa Juana, Talcahuano and Tomé― in total governed by their respective municipality.

The legislative power is represented and divided territorially through the 10th constituency of the Chilean Senate, made up of three senators and the 20th electoral district of the Chamber of Deputies -composed of eight deputies- and the 21st.º electoral district of the Chamber of Deputies -composed of five deputies-, who represent the citizens of the region.

Economy

Panoramic image of the Great Conception

The Salto del Laja is one of the main waterfalls in Chile and the south-central zone of the country.

The Chiflon del Diablo is one of the oldest coal mines in Chile located in the commune of Lota and inspired various poets about the lives of miners like Baldomero Lillo in his book Sub terra.

In 2018, the number of companies registered in the Biobío region was 35,267. The Economic Complexity Index (ECI) in the same year was 0.36, while the economic activities with the highest Revealed Comparative Advantage (RCA) index were Factory Boat Fishing Activity (22.16), Manufacture of Ceramic Products Non-Refractory for Ornamental Purposes (18.71) and Manufacture of Compressed or Liquefied Gas Containers (17.03).

The Biobío Region is an area whose main economic activities are forestry and fishing, and secondarily agriculture, manufacturing and services.

The Greater Concepción conurbation is the largest urban nucleus in the Biobío Region, with more than one million inhabitants, which offers commercial, tourist, educational and health services.

The heavy industry is concentrated in Talcahuano, with steel plants, shipyards and an oil refinery (Enap). It is also a military port for the country and is home to the Asmar shipyards and the Navy's submarine fleet.

In the agricultural sector, traditional crops such as cereals, vegetables, fodder and legumes are produced, as well as cattle, destined for the production of milk and meat.

The region also has a shoe and leather industry (Concepción), textiles, especially wool (Concepción and Tomé), sugar (Los Angeles), metallurgical, chemical, cement, paper, and shipbuilding.

The forestry industry has one million hectares planted with eucalyptus and radiata pine, which supports sawmills, panel and veneer factories, and pulp and paper industries, among which those located in Nacimiento (Santa Fe I and II) stand out, and Papeles Río Vergara, owned by CMPC), Laja (Celulosa Laja, also owned by CMPC) and Arauco (Complejo Horcones, owned by CELCO).

In power generation, the region has several hydroelectric plants that use the Biobío River and its tributaries. Among them the Laja Lake plants: El Toro, El Abanico, Antuco; and those of Alto Biobío: Pangue and Ralco, all of the company Endesa Chile. The Angostura power plant, owned by Colbún, is also under construction in the Biobío basin. There are also thermoelectric plants, such as the Bocamina de Coronel plant, which operates with coal. In recent agricultural and forestry contests, the highest incidence has been acquired by value-added products, preserves, dehydrates, frozen (berries), organic products, vegetable oils, among others.

Demographics

According to data from the 2002 census, with 1,861,562 inhabitants, it is the second most populated region in the country, after the Santiago Metropolitan Region. In relation to the 1992 census, which reflected a total population of 1,734,305 inhabitants, there was a population growth of 7.3% in 10 years (1992-2002), the second lowest nationwide, after the Region of Magellan and the Chilean Antarctic. Taking into account its 37,068.7 km² of surface, in 2002 it had a density of 50.22 inhabitants per km², the third highest nationwide.

The 2002 census showed an urban population of 1,528,306 inhabitants, corresponding to 82.1% of the regional population, and a rural population of 333,256 inhabitants, equivalent to 17.9% of the region's population. Of the total population, 915,200 (49.16%) were men and 946,362 inhabitants (50.84%) were women.

Daughter of the Lonco Quilapán.

Gran Concepción is the second most populous conurbation in the country and the most important in central Chile with a population of 971,285 inhabitants according to the 2017 census, corresponding to the sum of the population of 10 communes: Concepción (217,537 inhab.), Talcahuano (151,749 inhab.), San Pedro de la Paz (131,808 inhab.), Coronel (116,262 inhab.), Hualpén (91,773 inhab.), Chiguayante (85,863 inhab.), Tomé (54 946 inhabitants) Penco (47,367 inhabitants), Lota (43,272 inhabitants) and Hualqui (24,333 inhabitants)

The second most populous city in the region is Los Angeles with 202,331 inhabitants.

In the province of Biobío, in addition to Los Angeles, other important cities are: Mulchén with 21,819 inhabitants, Nacimiento with 20,884 inhabitants, the La Laja-San Rosendo conurbation, with a total population of 19,537 inhabitants, and Cabrero with 11,947 inhabitants.

Regarding the province of Arauco, the most populated cities are: Curanilahue with 30,126 inhabitants, Lebu, the provincial capital, with 20,838 inhabitants, Cañete with 19,839 inhabitants, Arauco with 16,291 inhabitants, and Los Álamos with 13,035 inhabitants.

In the 2017 census, 10% of the total regional population declared themselves as belonging to an original people, of which 94.2% declared themselves Mapuche.

According to the 2012 census, 53.83% of the inhabitants of the Biobío Region declare themselves Catholic, equivalent to 835,123 people, the third largest numerical concentration of Catholics in a region, and at the same time the highest percentage low nationally. 31.46% declare themselves Evangelical or Protestant, equivalent to 487,965 people, the second highest concentration of this religious affiliation in a region, and at the same time the highest percentage at the national level. On the other hand, 161,142 people declare themselves atheists or do not profess any religion, totaling 10.78% nationwide.

The province of Arauco is the only province in Chile in which the number of Evangelicals and Protestants exceeds that of Catholics, with, respectively, 54.34% over 39.19% of the provincial population.

Cities