O'Higgins Region

The O'Higgins Region is bordered to the west by the Pacific Ocean, to the east by the Republic of Argentina, to the north by the Valparaíso and Santiago Metropolitan Regions, and to the south by the Maule Region. It extends approximately between the parallels of 33°51’ and 35°01’ south latitude, and between the meridian of 70°02’ west longitude and the Pacific Ocean. The surface area, calculated by the Chilean Military Institute of Geography, is 16,387 square kilometres.

Early inhabitants

From 9000 BCE to 300 BCE (the Archaic Period), the humans who inhabited the region moved between the coast and the valley as well as the Andes. At sites such as Pichilemu, Cáhuil and Bucalemu, they left trash deposits or shell middens bearing testimony to their raids . During the Agroalfarero Period (300 BCE - 1470 CE), the inhabitants experienced changes in their way of life, the most important being the cultivation of vegetables and the manufacture of clay objects. From 600 CE onwards, they started cultivating beans, maize, squashes, pumpkins and Quinoa. All of these except Quinoa and some types of maize required irrigation, which prompted them to move to the banks of creeks and rivers. During this period, groups of people lived in Quincha houses with straw roofs, in the vicinity of irrigation channels and horticulture crops, a style of life attributable to the Promaucaes or Picunches and to the Chiquillanes. During the Colonial Period (1541 CE to 1811 CE), the region became dominated, like the rest of the country, by the Spanish, and a system of ranching became predominant .

Government and Administration

For purposes of interior administration, the O'Higgins region is divided into three provinces:

• Cachapoal Province, capital: Rancagua,
• Colchagua Province, capital: San Fernando,
• Cardenal Caro Province, capital: Pichilemu.

For the purposes of local administration, the provinces are divided into 33 communes.

The O'Higgins electoral region corresponds to 9th Senatorial Constituency and is grouped with Districts 32, 33, 34 and 35.

Government

The region is governed by an intendant, who is appointed by the president. Héctor Huenchullán is the current intendant (2007).

The government and administration of the provinces are in the hands of three governors, who are named by the president.

Administration

The administration of the region rests with the regional government, which is headed by the intendant and the regional council (Consejo Regional de Chile). The latter comprises sixteen regional administrators, who are elected indirectly (ten from Cachapoal, four from Colchagua, and two from Cardenal Caro).

The local administration of each commune is in the hands of its municipality.

Demographics and cities

The O'Higgins region contains a large part of the rural population (surpassed only by the Maule Region). Amongst the highly populated cities, Rancagua (206,971 inhabitants) stands out for having been transformed, in recent times, into an outskirt of Santiago. According to the census of 2002, other densely populated cities are: San Fernando (49,519 inhabitants); Rengo (30,891); Machalí (23,920); Graneros (21,616); San Vicente de Tagua Tagua (18,914); Santa Cruz (18,603); Chimbarongo (13,795); San Francisco de Mostazal (12,037); Pichilemu (9,027).

Regional Festivals

References