Provinces of Chile


A province is a second-level administrative division in Chile. There are 56 in total. The top-level administrative division in Chile is the region. There are 16 in total.
Each provincial presidential delegation is headed by a provincial presidential delegate appointed by the President. The governor exercises their powers in accordance with instructions from the regional presidential delegate. The provincial delegate is advised by the Provincial Economic and Social Council. No provincial presidential delegations exist in those provinces where the regional capital is located; its functions were merged with those of the regional presidential delegate.
The country's provinces are further divided into 346 communes which are administered by an alcalde and municipal council.
Until 1976, the 25 provinces were the broadest administrative division in Chile. They were: Aconcagua, Aysén, Antofagasta, Arauco, Atacama, Biobío, Cautín, Chiloé, Colchagua, Concepción, Coquimbo, Curicó, Linares, Llanquihue, Magallanes, Malleco, Maule, Ñuble, O'Higgins, Osorno, Santiago, Talca, Tarapacá, Valdivia, and Valparaíso.
Chile claims part of Antarctica which it includes in the Antártica Chilena province. Generally, only the South American part of that province is recognized as part of Chile.

List of provinces

The following table gives each province, its capital, surface area and 2002 population according to the National Statistics Institute.
INE
Region		Natural
Region		RegionProvinceCapitalNo. of
Communes		Area2002
Population
NorthFar North ChileParinacota Region|Arica and Parinacota (XV)]AricaArica28,726.4186,488
NorthFar North ChileArica and Parinacota (XV)ParinacotaPutre28,146.93,156
NorthFar North ChileTarapacá (I)IquiqueIquique22,835.3216,419
NorthFar North ChileTarapacá (I)TamarugalPozo Almonte539,390.522,531
NorthFar North ChileAntofagasta (II)AntofagastaAntofagasta467,813.5318,779
NorthFar North ChileAntofagasta (II)El LoaCalama341,999.6143,689
NorthFar North ChileAntofagasta (II)TocopillaTocopilla216,236.031,516
NorthNear North ChileAtacama (III)CopiapóCopiapó332,538.5155,713
NorthNear North ChileAtacama (III)HuascoVallenar418,201.566,491
NorthNear North ChileAtacama (III)ChañaralChañaral224,436.232,132
NorthNear North ChileCoquimbo (IV)ElquiLa [Serena, Chile|La Serena]616,895.1365,371
NorthNear North ChileCoquimbo (IV)LimaríOvalle513,553.2156,158
NorthNear North ChileCoquimbo (IV)ChoapaIllapel410,131.681,681
CentralNorth Central ChileValparaíso (V)Isla de PascuaHanga Roa1163.63,791
CentralNorth Central ChileValparaíso (V)Los AndesLos Andes43,054,191,683
CentralNorth Central ChileValparaíso (V)Marga MargaQuilpué41,159.0277,525
CentralNorth Central ChileValparaíso (V)PetorcaLa Ligua64,588.970,610
CentralNorth Central ChileValparaíso (V)QuillotaQuillota51,113.1175,917
CentralNorth Central ChileValparaíso (V)San AntonioSan Antonio61,511.6136,594
CentralNorth Central ChileValparaíso (V)San Felipe de AconcaguaSan Felipe62,659.2131,911
CentralNorth Central ChileValparaíso (V)ValparaísoValparaíso72,146.6651,821
CentralNorth Central ChileSantiago Metropolitan (XIII)SantiagoSantiago322,030.34,668,473
CentralNorth Central ChileSantiago Metropolitan (XIII)CordilleraPuente Alto35,528.3522,856
CentralNorth Central ChileSantiago Metropolitan (XIII)MaipoSan Bernardo41,120.5378,444
CentralNorth Central ChileSantiago Metropolitan (XIII)TalaganteTalagante5582.3217,449
CentralNorth Central ChileSantiago Metropolitan (XIII)MelipillaMelipilla54,065.7141,165
CentralNorth Central ChileSantiago Metropolitan (XIII)ChacabucoColina32,076.1132,798
CentralNorth Central ChileO'Higgins (VI)CachapoalRancagua177,384.2542,901
CentralNorth Central ChileO'Higgins (VI)ColchaguaSan Fernando105,678.0196,566
CentralNorth Central ChileO'Higgins (VI)Cardenal [Caro Province|Cardenal Caro]Pichilemu63,324.841,160
CentralSouth Central ChileMaule (VII)TalcaTalca109,937.8352,966
CentralSouth Central ChileMaule (VII)LinaresLinares810,050.2253,990
CentralSouth Central ChileMaule (VII)CuricóCuricó97,280.9244,053
CentralSouth Central ChileMaule (VII)CauquenesCauquenes33,027.257,088
CentralSouth Central ChileÑuble (XVI)DiguillínBulnes95,229.5284,239
CentralSouth Central ChileÑuble (XVI)PunillaSan Carlos55,202.598,479
CentralSouth Central ChileÑuble (XVI)ItataQuirihue72,476.555,385
CentralSouth Central ChileBiobío (VIII)ConcepciónConcepción123,439.0912,889
CentralSouth Central ChileBiobío (VIII)BiobíoLos Ángeles1414,987.9353,315
CentralSouth Central ChileBiobío (VIII)AraucoLebu75,463.3157,255
SouthSouth ChileAraucanía (IX)CautinTemuco2118,409.0667,920
SouthSouth ChileAraucanía (IX)MallecoAngol1113,433.3201,615
SouthSouth ChileLos Ríos (XIV)ValdiviaValdivia810,197.2259,243
SouthSouth ChileLos Ríos (XIV)El RancoLa Unión48,232.397,153
SouthSouth ChileLos Lagos (X)LlanquihuePuerto Montt914,876.4321,493
SouthSouth ChileLos Lagos (X)OsornoOsorno79,223.7221,509
SouthSouth ChileLos Lagos (X)ChiloéCastro109,181.6154,766
SouthSouth ChileLos Lagos (X)PalenaFutaleufú415,301.918,971
SouthAustral ChileAysén (XI)CoyhaiqueCoihaique212,942.551,103
SouthAustral ChileAysén (XI)AysénPuerto Aysén346,588.829,631
SouthAustral ChileAysén (XI)General CarreraChile Chico211,919.56,921
SouthAustral ChileAysén (XI)Capitán PratCochrane337,043.63,837
SouthAustral ChileMagallanes (XII)MagallanesPunta Arenas438,400.8121,675
SouthAustral ChileMagallanes (XII)Última EsperanzaPuerto Natales255,443.919,855
SouthAustral ChileMagallanes (XII)Tierra del FuegoPorvenir322,592.76,904
SouthAustral ChileMagallanes (XII)Antártica ChilenaPuerto Williams215,853.72,392