Alto Hospicio facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Alto Hospicio
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Panoramic view of Alto Hospicio
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| Country |  Chile |
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| Region |  Tarapacá |
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| Province | Iquique Province | |||||
| Government | ||||||
| • Type | Municipal council | |||||
| Area | ||||||
| • Total | 593.2 km2 (229.0 sq mi) | |||||
| Elevation | 600 m (2,000 ft) | |||||
| Population
(2012 Census)
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| • Total | 94,441 | |||||
| • Density | 159.206/km2 (412.34/sq mi) | |||||
| Demonym(s) | Hospiciano | |||||
| Time zone | UTC−4 (CLT) | |||||
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−3 (CLST) | |||||
| Postal code |
1130000
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| Area code(s) | (+56) 5 | |||||
| Website | Official website: http://www.maho.cl/ | |||||
Alto Hospicio is a city in Chile. It's a commune (like a local government area) right next to Iquique. It's in the Tarapacá Region and is growing very fast. In 2012, about 94,254 people lived there. It's the second largest part of the bigger Iquique area, which had 275,000 people in 2012.
Contents
History of Alto Hospicio
Early Inhabitants and Mining
The first people to live in Alto Hospicio were the Chango people. They were an indigenous group who came from the coast. They climbed 550 meters (about 1,800 feet) from the Ique Ique cove. They would stop to rest on the flat land, called the pampa.
Later, during the time of Tupac Inca Yupanqui (around 1380 to 1410 CE), people started mining silver. These silver mines were about 3 kilometers (1.9 miles) northeast of where the Alto Hospicio Central Prison is now. Mining continued until the late 1700s. A rich resident named Basilio de la Fuente made a lot of money from this silver. He used his wealth to build important irrigation systems.
Growth and Modern Development
After the War of the Pacific, Alto Hospicio was mostly a quiet train station. Only about 100 people lived there. By the 1950s, groups of Aymara farmers moved to the area. They brought farm products from the high plains (altiplano). They built small farms to grow crops and raise animals.
In the mid-1990s, Iquique's economy grew a lot. This caused a huge increase in people moving to Alto Hospicio. It changed from a small town of about 2,000 people in the early 1990s to a big city with over 100,000 residents. Alto Hospicio is about 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) away from Iquique. It is also 600 meters (about 2,000 feet) higher than Iquique.
In August 2007, the Alto Hospicio Basic Emergency Hospital opened. It is in the La Pampa area of the city. Alto Hospicio used to be part of Iquique. But on April 12, 2004, it became its own municipality. This happened when Law No. 19943 was approved by President Ricardo Lagos.
Alto Hospicio is home to a large outdoor market called La Quebradilla. This market is open six days a week. It sells used clothing from all over the world.
Population and Demographics
How Many People Live Here?
A count of the population in 2012 showed that 94,254 people lived in Alto Hospicio. Before that, in 2002, the National Statistics Institute counted 50,215 people. Most of these people lived in the city areas outside of Iquique. Only a very small number lived in the countryside, because the area is mostly desert.
The population grew very quickly. Between 1992 and 2002, it increased by almost 900%. That's 44,627 more people! Between 2002 and 2012, it grew by another 90.7%, adding about 44,000 people.
Census Districts
The commune of Alto Hospicio is divided into 4 census districts. This helps keep track of the population in different areas.
| Census district | 2002 Census | 1992 Census | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | District | Area (km2) | Total | Urban | Rural | Total | Urban | Rural |
| 1 | Autódromo | 435.0 | 1,844 | 1,843 | 1 | 505 | 501 | 4 |
| 2 | Alto Hospicio | 4.1 | 31,687 | 31,687 | 0 | 8,915 | 8,915 | 0 |
| 3 | Santa Rosa | 118.6 | 7,352 | 7,328 | 24 | 2,564 | 2,553 | 11 |
| 4 | Pampa del Molle | 35.5 | 9,332 | 9,332 | 0 | 3,068 | 3,068 | 0 |
| Total | 593.2 | 50,215 | 50,190 | 25 | 15,052 | 15,037 | 15 | |
Source: INE 2007 report, "Territorial division of Chile"
Climate and Weather
Understanding the Local Climate
Alto Hospicio has a coastal desert climate. This means it's very dry, like a desert. The Humboldt Current, a cold ocean current, also affects its weather. It often has many clouds, and the temperature doesn't change much from autumn through winter and into early spring.
Seasonal Changes
In summer, things change. Temperatures can double, and they can vary a lot during the day. It might be sunny in the morning but cloudy or rainy in the afternoon. The area gets some rain in summer, especially in January and February. This rain comes from high air pressure systems, sometimes called "Bolivia" because they bring cold air from the Bolivian or Altiplano winters. Alto Hospicio also gets some rain in winter, but not every year.
Temperatures and Sun Safety
The climate in Chile is changing due to global warming. In Alto Hospicio, temperatures are not usually extremely high. However, the sun's rays can be very strong and harmful. The average high temperature in summer is about 24 °C (75.2 °F). In winter, the average high is between 9.4 °C (48.92 °F) and 15 °C (59 °F).
| Climate data for Alto Hospicio | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 34.4 (93.9) |
30.2 (86.4) |
26 (79) |
27.2 (81.0) |
28.4 (83.1) |
25 (77) |
22.9 (73.2) |
21.7 (71.1) |
25 (77) |
28 (82) |
29.9 (85.8) |
31.2 (88.2) |
34.4 (93.9) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 21.3 (70.3) |
23.1 (73.6) |
20.7 (69.3) |
19.6 (67.3) |
16 (61) |
15.2 (59.4) |
12.3 (54.1) |
14.4 (57.9) |
15.7 (60.3) |
16.2 (61.2) |
17.5 (63.5) |
20.3 (68.5) |
17.6 (63.7) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 18.6 (65.5) |
15.3 (59.5) |
13.8 (56.8) |
13 (55) |
12 (54) |
10.6 (51.1) |
8.7 (47.7) |
7.4 (45.3) |
12.1 (53.8) |
14 (57) |
15.7 (60.3) |
16 (61) |
13.1 (55.6) |
| Record low °C (°F) | 11 (52) |
14 (57) |
12 (54) |
8 (46) |
3 (37) |
0 (32) |
−1 (30) |
3 (37) |
6 (43) |
3 (37) |
7 (45) |
9 (48) |
−1 (30) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 0.6 (0.02) |
0.6 (0.02) |
0 (0) |
0.2 (0.01) |
0.2 (0.01) |
0.1 (0.00) |
2.6 (0.10) |
1.3 (0.05) |
0.3 (0.01) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0.1 (0.00) |
6 (0.2) |
| Source: Weather Underground | |||||||||||||
How Alto Hospicio is Governed
Local Government
Alto Hospicio is a commune, which is a local government area in Chile. It is managed by a municipal council. This council is led by an alcalde (mayor), who is chosen by voters every four years. From 2008 to 2012, the mayor was Ramón Galleguillos Castillo.
National Representation
Alto Hospicio is part of Chile's electoral system. In the Chamber of Deputies (one part of the national parliament), Alto Hospicio is represented by two members. These are Marta Isasi (an Independent) and Hugo Gutiérrez (from the Communist Party). They represent the entire Tarapacá Region.
In the Senate (the other part of the national parliament), Alto Hospicio is represented by two senators. These are José Miguel Insulza and José Durana. They represent the first senatorial area, which includes the Arica and Parinacota Region and the Tarapacá Region.
See also
In Spanish: Alto Hospicio para niños
