Los Ángeles, Chile


Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Bío Bío, in the commune of the same name, in Bío Bío, in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 186,671 inhabitants. The municipality of Los Ángeles has the highest absolute rural population of any Chilean municipality.
To the north of the city is Salto del Laja, and roughly 100 kilometers to the east is the high Antuco volcano, in the Andes mountain range. The city is a gateway for tourists visiting the nearby Laguna del Laja National Park, the location of the volcano.
Los Ángeles is served by María Dolores Airport.

History

Founded as Nuestra Señora de Los Ángeles in 1739 by José Antonio Manso de Velasco, it was originally a Spanish fort as an outpost in the War of Arauco. It received the title of villa in 1748. The city underwent numerous rebuildings, due to the Spanish military campaigns against the native Mapuche in their efforts to colonize the area. Its geographic location, just to the north of the Biobío river, made it a strategic location.

Demographics

According to the 2002 census of the National Statistics Institute, Los Ángeles spans an area of and has 166,556 inhabitants. Of these, 123,445 lived in urban areas and 43,111 in rural areas. The population grew by 18.5% between the 1992 and 2002 censuses.

Climate

This region experiences warm and dry summers, with no average monthly temperatures above 71.6 °F. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Los Ángeles has a warm-summer Mediterranean climate, abbreviated "Csb" on climate maps. Most of the annual precipitation of 42 inches falls during the autumn and winter months of April through September. May is the wettest month, with 10 inches of precipitation on average. Snow is uncommon, and when it falls melts quickly.

Administration

As a commune, Los Ángeles 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 2008-2012 alcalde is Joel Rosales Guzmán.
Within the electoral divisions of Chile, Los Ángeles is represented in the Chamber of Deputies by Juan Lobos and José Pérez as part of the 47th electoral district,. The commune is represented in the Senate by Victor Pérez Varela and Mariano Ruiz -Esquide Jara as part of the 13th senatorial constituency.

Popular culture

The author Roberto Bolaño spent much of his childhood here.
The 90's Alternative music artist "Frank Black" wrote a song about Los Angeles, the first track off of his eponymous album.

Education

International schools