Communes of Chile

Political Division of Chilean Communes.

The communes are the minor and basic administrative division of Chile and have a specific territory. It corresponds to what in other countries is known as a municipality. They are a subnational entity of local character. A set of communes make up a province and a set of provinces make up a region.

The commune can be urban, rural or combine both. In the territory of a commune, there can be more than one urban center, be it: city (more than 5,000 inhabitants), town (between 2001 and 5,000 inhabitants, or from 1,000 to 2001 if 50% of the population is dedicated to activities secondary or tertiary economic), or other locality or form of human settlement; Likewise, an urban center can be divided into several communes, as occurs in the Santiago Metropolitan Region. Another aspect to consider is that the communes do not have capitals, but important urban centers.

To facilitate the population census, the National Institute of Statistics divides communes into census districts.

As of 2023, there are 346 communes and 345 municipalities that are grouped into 56 provinces.

It should be noted that the commune constitutes only a division for purposes of local administration, since in Chile the internal government of the State only extends to the level of regions and provinces.

Administration

The local administration of each commune or group of communes resides in a municipality, which is administered and managed by a group of councilors and their elected Mayor, for each period of four years. A commune is administered by a municipality with the exception of the municipality of Cabo de Hornos, which also administers the commune of Antártica.

Municipalities represent the decentralization of central power. They are in charge of various tasks, from communal cleanliness and social development programs for its inhabitants, to basic health services and primary and secondary education. They are advised by a Communal Council of Civil Society Organizations (COSOC), made up of representatives of the representations of territorial organizations of the commune, community organizations of a functional nature, public interest organizations, indigenous associations and communities, of trade associations, union organizations and relevant activities for the economic, social and cultural development of the commune.

The Subsecretariat for Regional and Administrative Development is the subsecretariat of state under the Ministry of the Interior and Public Security in charge of the Centralism process in Chile at the governmental level.

Distribution