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Ovalle | |
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 Flag  Coat of arms    Ovalle Location in Chile | |
| Coordinates:30°36′S71°12′W / 30.600°S 71.200°W /-30.600; -71.200 | |
| Country |  Chile |
| Region |  Coquimbo |
| Province | Limarí |
| Founded | 1831 |
| Government | |
| • Type | Municipality |
| • Alcalde | Hector Vega Campusano |
| Area | |
• Total | 3,834.5 km2 (1,480.5 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 215 m (705 ft) |
| Population (2012 Census)[2] | |
• Total | 103,734 |
| • Density | 27/km2 (70/sq mi) |
| • Urban | 73,790 |
| • Rural | 24,299 |
| Sex | |
| • Men | 47,805 |
| • Women | 50,284 |
| Time zone | UTC−4 (CLT) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−3 (CLST) |
| Postal code | 1840000 |
| Area code | 56 + 53 |
| Climate | BSh |
| Website | Official website(in Spanish) |
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Ovalle is acity in theCoquimbo Region of Chile,[3] founded in 1831 as a settlement. It has a population of more than 113,000 people. The name Ovalle was chosen to honor to Chile's vice-president,José Tomás Ovalle. Ovalle is the capital of theLimarí Province.
The city's setting is often likened to an oasis, being lush and green although surrounded by barren hills.[citation needed]
There is a trail leading from the city that lasts roughly 50 minutes, and features relatively safe bathing and an area where dinosaur fossils can be found. On the trail is a life-sized model of abrachiosaurus.
The town's football club isDeportes Ovalle. Famous players have played for the club, including1982 FIFA World Cup playerRodolfo Dubó.
According to the 2002census of theNational Statistics Institute, Ovalle spans an area of 3,834.5 km2 (1,481 sq mi) and has 98,089 inhabitants (47,805 men and 50,284 women). Of these, 73,790 (75.2%) lived inurban areas and 24,299 (24.8%) inrural areas. The population grew by 15.4% (13,107 persons) between the 1992 and 2002 censuses.[2]
The climate is semi-desertic. Ovalle has hot and dry summers, with temperatures in the range 22–33°C. Winters are humid and fresh, and is when rains occur. The temperatures in winter are generally lower than nearby cities like La Serena or Punitaqui, due to cold winds that come from the Andes through the Ovalle valley. Temperatures rarely fall below -5°C.
| Climate data for Ovalle | |||||||||||||
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| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 28.4 (83.1) | 28.3 (82.9) | 26.8 (80.2) | 23.9 (75.0) | 21.0 (69.8) | 18.4 (65.1) | 18.1 (64.6) | 19.6 (67.3) | 21.7 (71.1) | 23.8 (74.8) | 25.8 (78.4) | 27.4 (81.3) | 23.6 (74.5) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 19.8 (67.6) | 19.8 (67.6) | 17.6 (63.7) | 15.2 (59.4) | 13.2 (55.8) | 11.4 (52.5) | 10.9 (51.6) | 11.7 (53.1) | 13.4 (56.1) | 14.8 (58.6) | 16.9 (62.4) | 18.6 (65.5) | 15.3 (59.5) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 13.0 (55.4) | 12.4 (54.3) | 11.0 (51.8) | 9.2 (48.6) | 7.7 (45.9) | 6.5 (43.7) | 6.1 (43.0) | 6.5 (43.7) | 7.7 (45.9) | 8.6 (47.5) | 9.9 (49.8) | 11.5 (52.7) | 9.2 (48.5) |
| Averageprecipitation mm (inches) | 0.0 (0.0) | 1.1 (0.04) | 0.7 (0.03) | 2.1 (0.08) | 29.5 (1.16) | 42.1 (1.66) | 26.9 (1.06) | 21.2 (0.83) | 5.7 (0.22) | 2.7 (0.11) | 0.9 (0.04) | 1.1 (0.04) | 134 (5.27) |
| Averagerelative humidity (%) | 74 | 65 | 69 | 73 | 76 | 78 | 78 | 76 | 73 | 69 | 66 | 64 | 72 |
| Source: Bioclimatografia de Chile[4] | |||||||||||||
As a commune, Ovalle is a third-leveladministrative division of Chile administered by amunicipal council, headed by analcalde who is directly elected every four years. The 2012-2016 alcalde is Claudio Rentería Larrondo.
Within theelectoral divisions of Chile, Ovalle is represented in theChamber of Deputies by Pedro Velásquez (Ind.) and Matías Walker (PDC) as part of the 8th electoral district, (together withCoquimbo andRío Hurtado). The commune is represented in theSenate by Gonzalo Uriarte (UDI) and Jorge Pizarro Soto (PDC) as part of the 4th senatorial constituency (Coquimbo Region).
The pediatrician and biochemistHermann Niemeyer, one of the central figures in the development ofbiochemistry in Chile, was born in Ovalle in 1918.[5]Elisa Berroeta was born in Ovalle and was a wood engraver and illustrator, active in Santiago and Paris.[6]
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