Chillán (Spanish pronunciation:[tʃiˈʝan]) is the capitalcity ofÑuble Region,Diguillín Province,Chile, located about 400 km (249 mi) south of the country's capital,Santiago,[5] near the center of the country. It has been the capital of the newÑuble Region since 6 September 2015. Within the city is a railway station, anintercity bus terminal named María Teresa, and a regimental military base. The city features a modern, enclosed shopping centre in addition to the Chillán Market, an iconic multi-block, open-airfarmers' market and street fair where fruits, vegetables, crafts, clothing and other goods are sold. The nearby mountains, such as inLaguna del Laja National Park (Spanish:Parque Nacional Laguna del Laja) and theNevados de Chillán (English: 'snowy peaks of Chillán') are popular destinations forskiing, hiking andhot springs.
Founded by theSpanish in 1580, the city withstood numerous early attacks by the indigenousMapuche andPehuenche, among other peoples, who were vehementlyopposed to Spanish colonialism. Over time, Chillán became an important marketplace and settlement area for spanish colonizers and theirCriollos descendants. Many goods fromPatagonia and theArgentine Pampas were brought into Chillán across the mountain passes of the area. In the early 19th century, the countryside of Chillán was ravaged by theChilean War of Independence and a subsequentbanditry epidemic.[6] In 1939, the city was devastated bya large earthquake, prompting the government to initiate an extensive reconstruction program.
Chillán was founded in 1580 at the site ofChillán Viejo asSan Bartolomé de Chillán byMartín Ruiz de Gamboa,[9]who was campaigning against the local indigenous peoples at the time, but this moniker did not fare well, and was replaced by the current name, which in the local Indian language means "where the Sun is sitting".
During theMapuche uprising of 1655, the city was besieged by Mapuche warriors.[10] The Spanish defended the city from trenches and a palisade fort.[10][11] Hoping for a miracle, the Spaniards put an image of Mary near the trenches, against which Mapuches are said to have shot arrows.[10] In early March, about one month after the onset of uprising, distress was such that the Spaniards abandoned the city and headed north, escaping the conflict zone.[11] TheReal Audiencia of Santiago declared the evacuation an act of cowardice, and prohibited refugees from Chillán to go beyond theMaule River north.[12] As an outbreak ofsmallpox occurred among the refugees, this was. in effect. a quarantine, as trespassing north was punished with death sentences.[12]
From its foundation, Chillán has been at the heart of Chile's rich agricultural region. It is also in a region of seismic activity, suffering from devastating earthquakes throughout its history; the1939 Chillán earthquake left over 30,000 dead and mobilized international help.
Chillán has aMediterranean climate (Köppen climate classificationCsb).[13] Winters are cool but mild, with a July average of 7.9 °C (46.2 °F). Most of the precipitation falls during this time of the year, with May to July being the wettest months, averaging over 200 mm (8 in).[14] Summers, though, are dry and warm, with a January average of 20.1 °C (68.2 °F), and during this time, precipitation is rare, averaging only 2–3 days per month from December to February. Temperatures can occasionally exceed 30 °C (86.0 °F) from October to April. The average annual precipitation is 1,058 mm (42 in), but it is highly variable from year to year, with 1982 being the wettest year at 1,813 mm (71 in) and 1998 being the driest year at only 473 mm (19 in).[14]
Source 1: Dirección Meteorológica de Chile (humidity 1970–2000)[15][16][14]
Source 2:NOAA (precipitation days 1991–2020),[17] Universidad de Chile (sunshine hours only)[18]
The air in Chillán is the fourth-most polluted in Chile, afterSantiago,Temuco, andConcepción. "As in Temuco, the main cause of air pollution in Chillán is the use of wood-burning stoves; about 62% of all households in Chillán use firewood as their main source of heating."[19]
According to the 2002census by theNational Statistics Institute, the commune of Chillán spans an area of 511.2 km2 (197 sq mi) and has 161,953 inhabitants (77,007 men and 84,946 women). Of these, 148,015 (91.4%) lived inurban areas and 13,938 (8.6%) inrural areas. The population grew by 8.3% (12,442 persons) between the 1992 and 2002 censuses.[3]
Thedemonym for a person from Chillán, used for more than 400 years by local residents, isChillanejo, yet this is not found in the Royal Spanish Academy Dictionary, which only recognizesChillanense.[20]
Isabel Riquelme, mother of Chilean independence leader Bernardo O'Higgins, was born in Chillán in 1758.María Cornelia Olivares, one of the national heroines of theChilean War of Independence, was also from the city. In addition, Chillán has produced a number of artists. A notable example isClaudio Arrau, apianist. Additionally,Ramón Vinay is the tenor who playedOtello in the 1950s, his recording of the role with Toscanini. He was a regular at the New York CityMetropolitan Opera, where he sang both tenor and baritone roles. One of his last performances at this house was as theBarber of Seville's Basilio, a bass role. He retired from the stage in 1969.
In 2021, the number of registered companies in Chillán was 14,689.[21] The Economic Complexity Index (ECI) in 2018 was 2.02, while the economic activities with the highest Revealed Comparative Advantage (RCA) indices were Repair of Agricultural and Forestry Machinery (140.3), Other Sports-Related Activities (45.83), and Retail Sale of Lamps, Wall Lights, and Similar Items (20.48).
The city of Chillán hosts a series of international relations institutions, such as the Regional Unit of International Affairs (URAI) of the Regional Government of Ñuble, responsible for the analysis and management of the region’s bilateral and multilateral relations with Latin America and the rest of the world; the Regional Unit for Investment Promotion and Attraction; the regional offices of the National Migration Service and the General Directorate for Export Promotion (ProChile); the Department of Migration and International Police of the Investigations Police of Chile; and the Office of Social and Cultural Diversity of the Municipality of Chillán, which provides support to the city’s migrant population.[22]In the field of international relations and higher education, the main actor in Chillán is the International Relations Unit of the Office of Outreach and Engagement, together with the Institute of Languages of the Adventist University of Chile.[23]
The city of Chillán is connected to Chile's capital Santiago by both a modern highway and a rebuilt railway systemTerraSur that makes the trip in less than five hours. TerraSur, which terminates in Chillán station, and the Alameda-Temuco train both operate on the railway connecting Chillan withRancagua andSantiago.
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