San José de Maipo
San José de Maipo is the name of a commune in Chile and the city within it, located in Cordillera Province, Santiago Metropolitan Region, some 48 kilometers south-east of capital Santiago, bordered on the east by Argentina which lies across the Andes.
Demographics
According to the 2002 census of the National Statistics Institute, San José de Maipo spans an area of and has 13,376 inhabitants. Of these, 9,311 lived in urban areas and 4,065 in rural areas. The population grew by 14.9% between the 1992 and 2002 censuses. Its population density was then, making it the most sparsely populated commune in the region.Economy
Economic activities in the commune include nonmetallic mining, including stone quarries, production of almonds and stone fruits, and crafts based on laja rock and alabaster, among others. Regional tourism is very important to the area; there are a great number of food and lodging establishments. In 2001 the commune was declared Zona de Interés Turístico Nacional by the National Service of Tourism.History
San Jose de Maipo was named a town by order of Ambrosio O'Higgins in 1792. The Governor of Chile and future Viceroy of Peru considered it necessary to give it the power of a town to better support mining that took place around San Pedro Nolasco.During the 19th century the area was the scene of several important events in the independence of Chile. Due to its proximity to Argentina it was used by General San Martin and the liberating Army of the Andes to support the Bernardine cause of O'Higgins.
At the end of the 19th century mining began in the area. During the 20th century, the commune became very important to the city of Santiago, since the first hydroelectric power station of the zone was constructed in Maitenes, as well as an aqueduct that supplies drinking water to the city from the Andean glaciers. The purity of the air in the area meant that sanatoriums were built for respiratory patients from all over Chile. Towards the end of the century ecotourism became a big part of regional development, partly due to the Maipo river's suitability for white water rafting.
Administration
As a commune, San José de Maipo is a third-level administrative division of Chile administered by a municipal council headed by an alcalde who is directly elected every four years. During the four year period until 2024, the mayor was Roberto Ulises Pérez Catalán, and the council members were:- Franco Andrés Manzano Aranis
- Alejandro Antonio Hormazábal Arteaga
- Mario Fernando Fernández Romero
- Diego Roberto Trincado Herrera
- Carmen Gloria Iracabal Kneer
- Luis Vargas Sandoval