San Fernando, Chile


San Fernando is the capital of the province of Colchagua, in central Chile, and the second most populated urban center of the O'Higgins Region. Located close to the Tinguiririca River in a fertile valley, San Fernando sits 339 m above sea level. Founded in 1742, it became the provincial capital in 1840.

Culture

San Fernando is famous for its rodeos, thanks to its location at the heart of the country. The surrounding area yields wheat, forage crops, rice, legumes and grapes. There is also a brand of Chilean wine called San Fernando.
Both the Pan-American Highway and Chile's main longitudinal railroad run through San Fernando.
San Fernando is located at the northern tip of Chile's Colchagua Valley. This region is popularly known as the heart of chilean agriculture. Here you can find the "wine route" which will take visitors on a journey from San Fernando to Santa Cruz, visiting some of Chile's most traditional vineyards.
Some major attractions in and around San Fernando include Casa Silva, a hotel, vineyard, and winery. Hacienda Los Lingues, a traditional chilean-style, colonial home of an hacienda "patrón" or owner that has been turned into a hotel and restaurant. The hacienda offers horseback riding adventures into the precordillera of the Andes.
Most major producers of fresh fruit for export are located in and around San Fernando. These include: Frusan, Unifruti, and Agricola Panagro. Within the orchards and farms of the region one can find almost every type of fresh produce; from citrus to premium quality fresh cherries.
San Fernando is also the point of departure to begin a trip to "Las Termas Del Flaco". Flaco can be reached by travelling east of ruta 5 on the road to Puente Negro. "Las Termas" baths are open from mid-December to April and are located in an area famous for its large populations of Tricahues, a type of native parrot, and fossilized dinosaur footprints.

Demographics

According to the 2017 census of the National Statistics Institute, San Fernando spans an area of and has 73,973 inhabitants. The population grew by 16.1% between the 2002 and 2017 censuses.

Administration

As a commune, San Fernando 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 2013-2017 alcalde is Luis Antonio Berwart Araya.
Within the electoral divisions of Chile, San Fernando is represented in the Chamber of Deputies by Mr. Javier Macaya and Ms. Alejandra Sepúlveda as part of the 34th electoral district,. The commune is represented in the Senate by Alejandro García-Huidobro and Juan Pablo Letelier Morel as part of the 9th senatorial constituency.

Climate


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