Chillán

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Capital city of the Ñuble Region, Chile

title: "Chillán" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["communes-of-chile", "populated-places-established-in-1580", "capitals-of-chilean-regions", "populated-places-in-diguillín", "1580-establishments-in-the-captaincy-general-of-chile"] description: "Capital city of the Ñuble Region, Chile" topic_path: "general/communes-of-chile" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chillán" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary Capital city of the Ñuble Region, Chile ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox settlement"]

Field	Value
name	Chillán
other_name
settlement_type	City and Commune
image_skyline	Collage Chillan.jpg
image_caption	Clockwise, from top: Chillán Cathedral, Nelson Oyarzún Arenas Stadium, puente ferroviario de Ñuble, Statue of Bernardo O'Higgins, panoramic view of the city at sunset.
image_shield	Escudo de Chillán.svg
image_map	Comuna de Chillán.svg
map_caption	Location of the Chillán commune in the Ñuble Region
map_alt	Location of the Chillán commune in the Ñuble Region
pushpin_map	Chile
pushpin_map_narrow	yes
pushpin_label_position	bottom
pushpin_map_caption	Location in Chile
coordinates
subdivision_type	Country
subdivision_name	Chile
subdivision_type1	Region
subdivision_name1	Ñuble
subdivision_type2	Province
subdivision_name2	Diguillín
government_footnotes
government_type	Municipality
leader_title	Alcalde
leader_party	PPD
leader_name	Camilo Benavente
established_title	Founded
established_date	1580
founder	Martín Ruiz de Gamboa
unit_pref	Metric
area_footnotes
area_total_km2	511.2
population_footnotes
population_total	174777
population_as_of	2012 Census
population_density_km2	auto
population_demonym	Chillanejo or Chillanense
population_blank1_title	Urban
population_blank1	148015
population_blank2_title	Rural
population_blank2	13938
demographics_type1	Sex
demographics1_footnotes
demographics1_title1	Men
demographics1_info1	77,007
demographics1_title2	Women
demographics1_info2	84,946
timezone	CLT
utc_offset	−4
timezone_DST	CLST
utc_offset_DST	−3
elevation_m	124
postal_code_type	Postal code
postal_code	3780000
area_code	country + city = 56 + 42
blank_name	Climate
blank_info	Csb
website	Official website
::

Chillán () is the capital city of Ñuble Region, Diguillín Province, Chile, located about 400 km south of the country's capital, Santiago, near the center of the country. It has been the capital of the new Ñuble Region since 6 September 2015. Within the city is a railway station, an intercity bus terminal named María Teresa, and a regimental military base. The city features a modern, enclosed shopping centre in addition to the Chillán Market, an iconic multi-block, open-air farmers' market and street fair where fruits, vegetables, crafts, clothing and other goods are sold. The nearby mountains, such as in Laguna del Laja National Park (Spanish: Parque Nacional Laguna del Laja) and the Nevados de Chillán (English: 'snowy peaks of Chillán') are popular destinations for skiing, hiking and hot springs.

Founded by the Spanish in 1580, the city withstood numerous early attacks by the indigenous Mapuche and Pehuenche, among other peoples, who were vehemently opposed to Spanish colonialism. Over time, Chillán became an important marketplace and settlement area for spanish colonizers and their Criollos descendants. Many goods from Patagonia and the Argentine Pampas were brought into Chillán across the mountain passes of the area. In the early 19th century, the countryside of Chillán was ravaged by the Chilean War of Independence and a subsequent banditry epidemic. In 1939, the city was devastated by a large earthquake, prompting the government to initiate an extensive reconstruction program.

History

The zone where Chillán was built was previously inhabited by indigenous people called Chiquillanes.

According to Friar Ernesto Wilhelm de Moesbach Chillán is etymologically derived from "chilla", an indigenous word for the South American gray fox.

Chillán was founded in 1580 at the site of Chillán Viejo as San Bartolomé de Chillán by Martín Ruiz de Gamboa, who was campaigning against the local indigenous peoples at the time, but this moniker did not fare well, and was replaced by the current name, which in the local Indian language means "where the Sun is sitting".

During the Mapuche uprising of 1655, the city was besieged by Mapuche warriors. The Spanish defended the city from trenches and a palisade fort. Hoping for a miracle, the Spaniards put an image of Mary near the trenches, against which Mapuches are said to have shot arrows. As an outbreak of smallpox occurred among the refugees, this was. in effect. a quarantine, as trespassing north was punished with death sentences.

From its foundation, Chillán has been at the heart of Chile's rich agricultural region. It is also in a region of seismic activity, suffering from devastating earthquakes throughout its history; the 1939 Chillán earthquake left over 30,000 dead and mobilized international help.

Chile's founding father, Bernardo O'Higgins, was born in Chillán in 1778. He was the force behind Chile's Independence from Spain, being elected supreme director and declaring independence after the Battle of Chacabuco against the Spaniards in 1817. His later victory at the Maipú battlefield cemented the country's freedom. He died in exile in Peru in 1842.

Climate

Chillán has a Mediterranean climate (Köppen climate classification Csb). Winters are cool but mild, with a July average of 7.9 C. Most of the precipitation falls during this time of the year, with May to July being the wettest months, averaging over 200 mm. Summers, though, are dry and warm, with a January average of 20.1 C, and during this time, precipitation is rare, averaging only 2–3 days per month from December to February. Temperatures can occasionally exceed 30 C from October to April. The average annual precipitation is 1058 mm, but it is highly variable from year to year, with 1982 being the wettest year at 1813 mm and 1998 being the driest year at only 473 mm.

|width = auto |location = Chillan (General Bernardo O'Higgins Airport) 1991–2020, extremes 1950–present |metric first = yes |single line = yes |Jan record high C = 41.5 |Feb record high C = 41.6 |Mar record high C = 37.8 |Apr record high C = 31.8 |May record high C = 27.0 |Jun record high C = 23.2 |Jul record high C = 20.4 |Aug record high C = 25.2 |Sep record high C = 28.5 |Oct record high C = 31.9 |Nov record high C = 36.3 |Dec record high C = 36.6 |year record high C = 41.6 |Jan high C = 29.6 |Feb high C = 29.2 |Mar high C = 26.3 |Apr high C = 20.6 |May high C = 15.3 |Jun high C = 12.3 |Jul high C = 12.1 |Aug high C = 14.1 |Sep high C = 17.0 |Oct high C = 19.7 |Nov high C = 23.4 |Dec high C = 26.8 |year high C = 20.5 |Jan mean C = 20.5 |Feb mean C = 19.9 |Mar mean C = 17.6 |Apr mean C = 13.6 |May mean C = 10.5 |Jun mean C = 8.5 |Jul mean C = 7.8 |Aug mean C = 9.2 |Sep mean C = 11.1 |Oct mean C = 13.2 |Nov mean C = 15.9 |Dec mean C = 18.5 |year mean C = 13.9 |Jan low C = 11.4 |Feb low C = 10.6 |Mar low C = 9.0 |Apr low C = 6.6 |May low C = 5.6 |Jun low C = 4.7 |Jul low C = 3.5 |Aug low C = 4.2 |Sep low C = 5.1 |Oct low C = 6.7 |Nov low C = 8.3 |Dec low C = 10.2 |year low C = 7.2 |Jan record low C = 1.8 |Feb record low C = 2.0 |Mar record low C = -1.2 |Apr record low C = -2.8 |May record low C = -5.9 |Jun record low C = -6.3 |Jul record low C = -7.0 |Aug record low C = -4.6 |Sep record low C = -3.2 |Oct record low C = -2.0 |Nov record low C = 0.5 |Dec record low C = 0.0 |year record low C = -7.0 |precipitation colour = green |Jan precipitation mm = 8.7 |Feb precipitation mm = 24.4 |Mar precipitation mm = 17.8 |Apr precipitation mm = 65.9 |May precipitation mm = 160.2 |Jun precipitation mm = 211.4 |Jul precipitation mm = 149.3 |Aug precipitation mm = 123.9 |Sep precipitation mm = 70.1 |Oct precipitation mm = 58.0 |Nov precipitation mm = 27.7 |Dec precipitation mm = 18.8 |year precipitation mm = 936.2 |unit precipitation days = 1.0 mm |Jan precipitation days = 1.1 |Feb precipitation days = 1.5 |Mar precipitation days = 2.0 |Apr precipitation days = 4.9 |May precipitation days = 8.9 |Jun precipitation days = 12.3 |Jul precipitation days = 10.6 |Aug precipitation days = 9.8 |Sep precipitation days = 6.5 |Oct precipitation days = 5.7 |Nov precipitation days = 2.7 |Dec precipitation days = 2.2 |year precipitation days = 68.2 |Jan humidity = 50 |Feb humidity = 53 |Mar humidity = 58 |Apr humidity = 68 |May humidity = 80 |Jun humidity = 85 |Jul humidity = 83 |Aug humidity = 78 |Sep humidity = 72 |Oct humidity = 67 |Nov humidity = 60 |Dec humidity = 54 |year humidity = 67 |Jan sun = 359.6 |Feb sun = 296.6 |Mar sun = 260.4 |Apr sun = 177.0 |May sun = 120.9 |Jun sun = 87.0 |Jul sun = 105.4 |Aug sun = 142.6 |Sep sun = 183.0 |Oct sun = 229.4 |Nov sun = 282.0 |Dec sun = 334.8 |year sun = 2578.7 |Jand sun = 11.6 |Febd sun = 10.5 |Mard sun = 8.4 |Aprd sun = 5.9 |Mayd sun = 3.9 |Jund sun = 2.9 |Juld sun = 3.4 |Augd sun = 4.6 |Sepd sun = 6.1 |Octd sun = 7.4 |Novd sun = 9.4 |Decd sun = 10.8 |yeard sun = |source 1 = Dirección Meteorológica de Chile (humidity 1970–2000){{cite web | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20230523165702/https://climatologia.meteochile.gob.cl/application/historico/datosNormales/360011 | archive-date = 23 May 2023 | url = https://climatologia.meteochile.gob.cl/application/historico/datosNormales/360011 | title = Datos Normales y Promedios Históricos | access-date = 23 May 2023 | publisher = Dirección General de Aeronáutica Civil | language = es | date = September 2018}}{{cite web | url = https://climatologia.meteochile.gob.cl/application/historico/temperaturaHistoricaAnual/360011 | title = Temperatura Histórica de la Estación General Bernardo O'Higgins, Chillán Ad. (360011) | publisher = Dirección Meteorológica de Chile | language = es | access-date = 23 May 2023 | archive-date = 23 May 2023 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20230523165826/https://climatologia.meteochile.gob.cl/application/historico/temperaturaHistoricaAnual/360011 | url-status = dead | url = http://164.77.222.61/climatologia/publicaciones/Estadistica_ClimatologicaII.pdf | title = Estadistica Climatologica Tomo II | access-date = March 17, 2014 | publisher = Dirección General de Aeronáutica Civil | language = es | date = March 2001 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160303180012/http://164.77.222.61/climatologia/publicaciones/Estadistica_ClimatologicaII.pdf | archive-date = March 3, 2016 | url-status = dead | df = mdy-all}} |source 2 = NOAA (precipitation days 1991–2020),{{cite web | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20230806110818/https://www.nodc.noaa.gov/archive/arc0216/0253808/1.1/data/0-data/Region-3-WMO-Normals-9120/Chile/CSV/Generalbernardoohigginschillanad_85672.csv | archive-date = 6 August 2023 | url = https://www.nodc.noaa.gov/archive/arc0216/0253808/1.1/data/0-data/Region-3-WMO-Normals-9120/Chile/CSV/Generalbernardoohigginschillanad_85672.csv | title = General Bernardo O'Higgins Chillán Climate Normals 1991–2020 | work = World Meteorological Organization Climatological Standard Normals (1991–2020) | publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration | access-date = 6 August 2023}} Universidad de Chile (sunshine hours only){{cite web | url = https://www.u-cursos.cl/ingenieria/2008/2/ME716/1/material_docente/bajar?id_material=201902 | title = Tabla 4.6: Medias mensuales de horas de sol diarias extraídas del WRDC ruso (en (hrs./dia)) | work = Elementos Para La Creación de Un Manual de Buenas Prácticas Para Instalaciones Solares Térmicas Domiciliarias | publisher = Universidad de Chile | language = es | format = PDF | page = 81 | access-date = 21 January 2015 | date = September 2007}} |date= December 2012

The air in Chillán is the fourth-most polluted in Chile, after Santiago, Temuco, and Concepción. "As in Temuco, the main cause of air pollution in Chillán is the use of wood-burning stoves; about 62% of all households in Chillán use firewood as their main source of heating."

Demographics

According to the 2002 census by the National Statistics Institute, the commune of Chillán spans an area of 511.2 sqkm and has 161,953 inhabitants (77,007 men and 84,946 women). Of these, 148,015 (91.4%) lived in urban areas and 13,938 (8.6%) in rural areas. The population grew by 8.3% (12,442 persons) between the 1992 and 2002 censuses.

The demonym for a person from Chillán, used for more than 400 years by local residents, is Chillanejo, yet this is not found in the Royal Spanish Academy Dictionary, which only recognizes Chillanense.

Notable people

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b9/Claudio_Arrau_1_Allan_Warren.jpg" caption="Claudio Arrau in 1974, by [[Allan Warren"] ::

Isabel Riquelme, mother of Chilean independence leader Bernardo O'Higgins, was born in Chillán in 1758. María Cornelia Olivares, one of the national heroines of the Chilean War of Independence, was also from the city. In addition, Chillán has produced a number of artists. A notable example is Claudio Arrau, a pianist. Additionally, Ramón Vinay is the tenor who played Otello in the 1950s, his recording of the role with Toscanini. He was a regular at the New York City Metropolitan Opera, where he sang both tenor and baritone roles. One of his last performances at this house was as the Barber of Seville's Basilio, a bass role. He retired from the stage in 1969.

Other "Chillanejos" include writer Marta Brunet, sculptor Marta Colvin, painter Pacheco Altamirano, and Juan de Dios Aldea, who, however, did not reach the international acclaim achieved by Arrau and Vinay. Super Smash Bros. player Gonzalo "ZeRo" Barrios who had a record-breaking 56-tournament winning streak is also from Chillán.

Administration

As a commune, Chillán is a third-level administrative division of Chile administered by a municipal council, headed by an alcalde, who is directly elected every four years. The 2008-2020 alcalde is Sergio Zarzar Andonie (ILE).

Within the electoral divisions of Chile, Chillán is represented in the Chamber of Deputies by Carlos Abel Jarpa (PRSD) and Rosauro Martínez (RN) as part of the 41st electoral district, together with Coihueco, Pinto, San Ignacio, El Carmen, Pemuco, Yungay and Chillán Viejo. The commune is represented in the Senate by Victor Pérez Varela (UDI) and Felipe Harboe (PPD) as part of the 13th senatorial constituency (Biobío-Coast).

Economy

In 2021, the number of registered companies in Chillán was 14,689. The Economic Complexity Index (ECI) in 2018 was 2.02, while the economic activities with the highest Revealed Comparative Advantage (RCA) indices were Repair of Agricultural and Forestry Machinery (140.3), Other Sports-Related Activities (45.83), and Retail Sale of Lamps, Wall Lights, and Similar Items (20.48).

International Relations

The city of Chillán hosts a series of international relations institutions, such as the Regional Unit of International Affairs (URAI) of the Regional Government of Ñuble, responsible for the analysis and management of the region’s bilateral and multilateral relations with Latin America and the rest of the world; the Regional Unit for Investment Promotion and Attraction; the regional offices of the National Migration Service and the General Directorate for Export Promotion (ProChile); the Department of Migration and International Police of the Investigations Police of Chile; and the Office of Social and Cultural Diversity of the Municipality of Chillán, which provides support to the city’s migrant population. In the field of international relations and higher education, the main actor in Chillán is the International Relations Unit of the Office of Outreach and Engagement, together with the Institute of Languages of the Adventist University of Chile.

Transport

The city of Chillán is connected to Chile's capital Santiago by both a modern highway and a rebuilt railway system TerraSur that makes the trip in less than five hours. TerraSur, which terminates in Chillán station, and the Alameda-Temuco train both operate on the railway connecting Chillan with Rancagua and Santiago.

Gallery

References

;Bibliography

{{cite book | last = Barros Arana | first = Diego | author-link1 = Diego Barros Arana | title = Historia General de Chile | volume = IV | url = http://www.memoriachilena.gob.cl/602/w3-article-7987.html | year = 2000 | orig-year = 1884 | edition = 2 | publisher = Editorial Universitaria | location = Santiago, Chile | isbn = 956-11-1535-2 | language = es | pages=360–361}}

References

"Municipality of Chillán".
"Asociación Chilena de Municipalidades".
"National Statistics Institute".
[http://www.aproxima.es/llamadas/chile-chillan-4.html Call prefix for Chillán]
{{cite EB1911
[[Sergio Villalobos. Villalobos, Sergio]]; [[Osvaldo Silva. Silva, Osvaldo]]; Silva, Fernando; Estelle, Patricio (1974). ''Historia De Chile'' (14th ed.). [[Editorial Universitaria]]. {{ISBN. 956-11-1163-2, pp. 406–413
"- Chiquillanes, pehuenches y tehuelches, pueblos aborígenes chilenos".
de Moesbach, Ernesto Wilhelm. (2016). "Voz de Arauco". Ceibo.
[http://www.memoriachilena.cl/602/w3-article-3334.html - El destino infausto de una ciudad]
Barros Arana 2000, p. 352.
Barros Arana 2000, p. 357.
Kottek, M.. (2006). "World Map of the Köppen-Geiger climate classification updated". Meteorol. Z..
[http://en.mercopress.com/2007/06/29/severe-air-pollution-plagues-chilean-cities Severe air pollution plagues Chilean cities] Friday, June 29th 2007 - 21:00 UTC
[http://buscon.rae.es/draeI/SrvltConsulta?TIPO_BUS=3&LEMA=chillanense Chillanense - DRAE (Royal Spanish Academy Dictionary)]
"Reporte comunal Chillán".
"Oficina Migrante Adheridas al Sello Migrante".
"Internacionalización {{!}} Vinculación con el Medio".

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