Curicó


Curicó, meaning "Black Waters" in Mapudungun , is the capital city of the Curicó Province, part of the Maule Region in Chile's central valley.
The province lies between the provinces of Colchagua and Talca and extends from the Pacific to the Argentine frontier.

Demographics

According to the 2012 census of the National Statistics Institute, Curicó spans an area of and has 147,017 inhabitants. Of these, 130,506 lived in urban areas and 19,079 in rural areas. Between the 1992 and 2002 censuses, the population grew by 14.9%.

Geography

Curicó is on the Guaiquillo River, south of Santiago along the route of the Chilean Central Railway. The city is situated in the fertile Chilean Central Valley, above sea-level, in the midst of a comparatively well-cultivated region. The eastern and western sides are mountainous, separated by the Chilean Central Valley. The commune spans an area of.
Mineral resources are undeveloped, but are said to include copper, gold and silver. Cattle, wheat and wine are the principal products, but Indian corn and fruit also are produced. On the coast are important salt-producing industries.
The main rivers are the Lontué River and Teno River, which surround the city. The landscape is dominated by the Andes and Chilean Coastal Range.

Climate

Curicó has a warm-summer Mediterranean climate, relatively hot dry summers with temperatures reaching on the hottest days. Winters are more humid, with typical maximum daily temperatures of. Mean rainfall is per year. In August 2007, Curicó experienced snowfall for the first time in over 60 years.
In the southern part of the valley the climate is more temperate and rainfall more abundant; the effects of this are to be seen in better pasturage. Irrigation is used to a large extent.

History

Curicó was founded in 1743 by Jose Manso de Velasco during the Spanish reign in the Americas. It is one of the more cultured and progressive provincial towns of Chile.
In 1747, Governor Domingo Ortiz de Rozas decided to move it about to the north, where it is now located, because of the humidity in its original location.
The oldest and most valuable building of the city is La Iglesia San Francisco, built in 1734, and came to its current location in 1759.
Curicó gained the title of "city" in 1830.
The city's hero is Luis Cruz Martínez, a Chilean soldier from the War of the Pacific, who died in 1882 in Perú.
The city was destroyed by an earthquake in 1928 and rebuilt during the following year.
The city was badly damaged in the February 2010 earthquake. An Argentine Air Force Mobile Field Hospital, similar to the one deployed in Haiti was deployed to the city and remained on site until September

Economy

The city's economy is based mainly on agriculture. The Mediterranean-type climate encourages crops of orchard fruit and viticulture.
Other industries are cement and sugar production.
In human development the city had 0.716, reaching the 97th position in the municipalities of Chile .

Tourism and Society

Between March 15 and 20 each year, the city celebrates a wine celebration: the Fiesta de la Vendimia. The region has a La Ruta del Vino, in Curicó Valley. It is also known as "the city of cakes".
The Plaza de Armas is the most visited public place. There is a monument to Lautaro carved on the trunk of a beech tree, created by the craftsman of Vichuquén, Heraclio "Kako" Calquín. Located around Plaza de Armas are the mayor's house and the governor's house.
A few blocks from the plaza, the Alameda Antonio Manso de Velasco avenue crosses the city with its gardens and leafy trees. There is also the Condell hill, a place which offers a panoramic view of the city and the San Francisco church.
Potrero Grande is a mountainous area with large forests and waterfalls, popular for hiking, located about from Curicó.

Education

The city has two universities:
Higher-education institutions:
The city has one of the oldest newspapers in Chile, La Prensa de Curicó , founded in 1898. Before the earthquake of 2010, its offices were located in front of the central square, but have been relocated since because the building collapsed.

Sports

Curicó is known for its bicycle culture. Many Chilean cyclists of international level started riding in the city, such as Marco Arriagada, Marcelo Arriagada and Luis Fernando Sepúlveda.
The local football team is Club Provincial Curicó Unido.

Administration

As a commune, Curicó is a third-level administrative division of Chile administered by a municipal council, headed by an alcalde who is directly elected every four years. Currently, the 2012-2016 alcalde is Javier Muñoz Riquelme.
Within the electoral divisions of Chile, Curicó is represented in the Chamber of Deputies by Mr. Roberto León and Mr. Celso Morales as part of the 36th electoral district,. The commune is represented in the Senate by Juan Antonio Coloma Correa and Andrés Zaldívar Larraín as part of the 10th senatorial constituency.