Vallenar

Its main activities are farming and mining. It was founded as San Ambrosio de Ballenary by Ambrose O'Higgins in 1789, after his birthplace in Ballynary in County Sligo, Ireland. In 1922 a large earthquake devastated the city, destroying much of its older architecture. Since the 1950s the city has been a service hub for iron mining in Chile with the city experiencing a significant economic upswing in the 1960s with the opening of the mine of El Algarrobo. Other iron mines near Los Colorados and Huantemé, but the wider Huasco basin hosts also mineral deposits of copper and gold. The city lies next to the north-south Chile Route 5 highway which crosses through Huasco Bridge the river. The city lies downstream Santa Juana Dam built in the 1990s, and provides access to the inland commune of Alto del Carmen. Llanos de Challe National Park is located 60 km northwest of the city of Vallenar.

• Official Name — Vallenar • Settlement Type — City and Commune • Image Skyline — Plaza_de_Armas_de_Vallenar.jpg • Image Shield — Escudo Vallenar.png • Shield Alt — Coat of arms • Image Map — Txu-oclc-224571178-sh19-01.jpg • Map Caption — Vallenar's urban hinterland • Map Alt — Vallenar's urban hinterland • Pushpin Map — Chile • Pushpin Map Narrow — yes • Pushpin Label Position — bottom • Pushpin Map Caption — Location in Chile • Subdivision Type — Country • Subdivision Name — Chile • Subdivision Type1 — Region • Subdivision Name1 — Atacama • Subdivision Type2 — Province • Subdivision Name2 — Huasco • Government Type — Municipality • Leader Title — Alcalde • Leader Name — Cristian Tapia Ramos • Established Title — Founded • Established Date — 1789 • Established Title1 — Founded as • Established Date1 — San Ambrosio de Ballenary • Founder — Ambrose O'Higgins • Area Total Km2 — 7083.7 • Population As Of — 2012 Census • Population Total — 52096 • Population Density Km2 — auto • Population Demonym — Vallenarino • Population Blank1 Title — Urban • Population Blank1 — 48040 • Population Blank2 Title — Rural • Population Blank2 — 4290 • Demographics Type1 — Sex • Demographics1 Title1 — Men • Demographics1 Info1 — 23,284 • Demographics1 Title2 — Women • Demographics1 Info2 — 24,765 • Timezone — CLT • Utc Offset — −4 • Timezone Dst — CLST • Utc Offset Dst — −3 • Elevation M — 441 • Area Code — 56 + 51 • Website — Official website Vallenar is a city and commune in Atacama Region, Chile. It is the capital of the Huasco Province and is located in the valley of the Huasco River. Vallenar has 52,000 inhabitants. Its main activities are farming and mining. It was founded as San Ambrosio de Ballenary by Ambrose O'Higgins in 1789, after his birthplace in Ballynary in County Sligo, Ireland. With its founding Vallenar displaced Santa Rosa, now Freirina, as the main settlement of the Huasco Valley. In 1922 a large earthquake devastated the city, destroying much of its older architecture. Since the 1950s the city has been a service hub for iron mining in Chile with the city experiencing a significant economic upswing in the 1960s with the opening of the mine of El Algarrobo. Other iron mines near Los Colorados and Huantemé, but the wider Huasco basin hosts also mineral deposits of copper and gold. The city lies next to the north-south Chile Route 5 highway which crosses through Huasco Bridge the river. The city lies downstream Santa Juana Dam built in the 1990s, and provides access to the inland commune of Alto del Carmen. Llanos de Challe National Park is located 60 km northwest of the city of Vallenar.

According to the 2002 census by the National Statistics Institute, Vallenar had 48,040 inhabitants (23,284 men and 24,756 women). Of these, 43,750 (91.1%) lived in urban areas and 4,290 (8.9%) in rural areas. The population grew by 1.7% (792 persons) between the 1992 and 2002 censuses.

As a commune, Vallenar 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 Cristian Tapia Ramos. Within the electoral divisions of Chile, Vallenar is represented in the Chamber of Deputies by Mr. Alberto Robles (PRSD) and Mr. Giovanni Calderón (UDI) as part of the 6th electoral district, (together with Caldera, Tierra Amarilla, Freirina, Huasco and Alto del Carmen). The commune is represented in the Senate by Isabel Allende Bussi (PS) and Baldo Prokurica Prokurica (RN) as part of the 3rd senatorial constituency (Atacama Region).

• Yasna Provoste • Ricardo Francisco Rojas