Angol facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Angol Angol de los Confines
City and Commune
Plaza de Armas de Angol
Coat of arms Location of the commune of Angol in Araucanía Region Angol Location in Chile
Country	Chile
Region	Araucanía
Province	Malleco
Founded	6 December 1862
Government
• Type	Municipality
Area
• Total	1,194.4 km2 (461.2 sq mi)
Elevation	65 m (213 ft)
Population
• Total	53,262
• Density	44.5931/km2 (115.496/sq mi)
• Urban	43,801
• Rural	5,195
Sex
• Men	23,770
• Women	25,226
Time zone	UTC−4 (CLT)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−3 (CLST)
Postal code	4650000
Area code(s)	country 56 city 45
Climate	Csb

Angol is a city and a commune in southern Chile. It is the main city of the Malleco Province in the Araucanía Region. Angol is located at the bottom of the Nahuelbuta Range. It sits next to the Vergara River. This river allowed small boats to travel to the Bío-Bío River and Concepción.

This location was very important. It explains why the city was built and rebuilt many times. This happened during the Arauco War. Angol was first started in 1553. It was a fort built by Spanish explorers called "conquistadors". The fort was named Confines. It was destroyed and rebuilt many times. The city was finally rebuilt in the late 1800s. This was after a time of peace called the Pacification of Araucania. It was then given the name Angol. Today, about 53,000 people live in Angol.

History of Angol

Early Settlements and Conflicts

The first version of Angol was a fort. It was built in 1553 by Pedro de Valdivia. He was a Spanish conquistador. The fort was called Los Confines. Later that year, the local Mapuche people destroyed it. This happened after the Battle of Tucapel.

In 1560, the city was started again. Governor García Hurtado de Mendoza named it San Andrés de Angol. It was built a bit north of the old fort. People often called it Ciudad de Los Infantes. This means "City of the Infantrymen". It was named after the soldiers who built it.

Repeated Destruction and Rebuilding

In 1599, the Mapuche people attacked and destroyed the city again. This was after the Disaster of Curalaba. In 1611, the city was rebuilt by Luis Merlo de la Fuente. It was moved a little south and called San Luis de Angol. But it did not grow much.

In 1637, Governor Francisco Laso de la Vega rebuilt it again. He named it San Francisco de la Vega. However, in 1641, it was left empty. This was part of a peace agreement with the Mapuche, called the Peace of Quillin.

The city was settled again in 1695 by Tomás Marín de Poveda. He named it Santo Tomás de Colhue. But it was attacked and destroyed once more in 1723. It was attacked again in 1766. After this last attack, the city was not rebuilt for a long time.

Modern Angol's Founding

The Angol we know today was finally founded on December 6, 1862. It was started by Cornelio Saavedra Rodríguez. He built it as a fort. It was a base for his efforts to bring peace to the region. This period was known as the Pacification of Araucania.

Angol was officially declared a city in 1871. It was connected to Santiago by railroad in 1876. In 1881, it was important for the final peace efforts. After that, Angol became a key center for trade and government. It was also a starting point for people moving to the surrounding lands.

Recent Events

Angol was affected by a very strong earthquake in 2010. It was an 8.8 magnitude earthquake on February 27, 2010. A field hospital was set up by the US military. It helped treat people who were hurt by the earthquake and a later tsunami.

Population and Demographics

According to a 2002 study, Angol covers about 1,194.4 square kilometers (461.2 square miles). At that time, it had 48,996 people living there. Most of these people, about 89.4%, lived in the city area. The remaining 10.6% lived in the countryside. The population grew by 6.0% between 1992 and 2002.

How Angol is Governed

Angol is a commune. This means it is a local area managed by a municipal council. The council is led by an alcalde, which is like a mayor. The mayor is chosen by the people every four years. The mayor from 2008 to 2012 was Enrique Neira Neira.

Angol is part of a larger area for elections. It is in the 48th electoral district for the Chamber of Deputies. It is also part of the 14th senatorial area for the Senate.

Climate

Angol has a climate known as a warm-summer Mediterranean climate. This means it has warm, dry summers and cool, wet winters.

See also

In Spanish: Angol para niños