Aysén Province Provincia de Aysén | |
|---|---|
 | |
 Seal | |
 Location in the Aysén del General Carlos Ibáñez del Campo Region | |
  Aysén Province Location in Chile | |
| Coordinates:44°55′S73°35′W / 44.917°S 73.583°W /-44.917; -73.583 | |
| Country | Chile |
| Region | Aysén |
| Capital | Puerto Aysén |
| Communes | Puerto Aysén Cisnes Guaitecas |
| Government | |
| • Type | Provincial |
| • Governor | Manuel Ortiz Torres (UDI) |
| Area | |
• Total | 46,588.8 km2 (17,988.0 sq mi) |
| Population (2012 Census)[2] | |
• Total | 26,858 |
| • Density | 0.58/km2 (1.5/sq mi) |
| • Urban | 16,180 |
| • Rural | 13,451 |
| Time zone | UTC-4 (CLT[3]) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-3 (CLST[4]) |
| Area code | country 56 +area 67 |
| ISO 3166 code | CL-AI |
| Website | Government of Aysén |
Aysén Province (Spanish:Provincia de Aysén) is one of fourprovinces of theChileanregion ofAysen (XI). Its capital isPuerto Aysén.
The province had a 2002 population of 23,498 according to the census by theNational Statistics Institute. Of these, 16,180 (68.9%) lived inurban areas and 13,451 (57.2%) inrural areas. Between the 1992 and 2002 censuses, the population fell by 20.7% ( persons). The census also yielded a surface area of 46,588.8 km2 (17,988 sq mi), the largest in the region and fifth largest province in the country, though it is the tenth least populated in the country.[2]
As a province, Palena is a second-leveladministrative division, administered by a presidentially appointed governor. Manuel Ortiz Torres was appointed bypresidentSebastián Piñera.[1]
The province comprises threecommunes, each governed by a municipality, headed by analcalde:Aisén,Cisnes, andGuaitecas.
| Commune | Area (km2)[2] | 2002[2] Population | Density (km2) | Website[1] |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Guaitecas | 787.0 | 1,539 | 2.0 | link |
| Cisnes | 15,831.4 | 5,739 | 0.4 | link |
| Aisén | 29,970.4 | 22,353 | 0.7 | link |
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During the 1990s, it was suggested that the name might be derived from an 1831 map made by captain Robert Fitz-Roy, who made an expedition to the coast on board the Beagle with Charles Darwin and labeled the area around modern Aisén province with the words "Ice End." This theory, however, was largely dismissed because the name "Aysen" appears in documents of the explorer Father Garcia, who made an expedition to this region in 1766, more than 60 years prior to the arrival of the Beagle. Despite this, the Fitz-Roy myth has become popular among the many European tourists who visit Patagonia each year. SeeAisén (name) for more information. Many of the region's people are ofBritish andGerman descent (includingSudeten Germans from presentCzech Republic), although the majority of inhabitants are Chileans ofmestizoSpanish origins. The province was recently developed in the early 20th century by Chilean government officials to place thousands of transplanted settlers from theCentral Valley.
Communes and municipalities inAysén Region | ||
|---|---|---|
| Aysén |  | |
| Capitán Prat | ||
| Coyhaique | ||
| General Carrera | ||
