Bío Bío Region facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Bío Bío Region (VIII Región del Biobío) |
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| Region of Chile | |||
 The Biobío at Concepción close to where it meets the sea
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| Country |  Chile |
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| Provinces | Bío Bío, Concepción, Arauco | ||
| Capital | Concepción | ||
| - coordinates | 36°50′S 73°03′W / 36.833°S 73.050°W | ||
| Lowest point | Pacific Ocean | ||
| - elevation | 0 m (0 ft) | ||
| Area | 23,890.2 km² (9,224 sq mi) | ||
| Population | 1,557,414 (2017) | ||
| Density | 65 /km² (168 /sq mi) | ||
| Intendant | Jorge Ulloa | ||
| ISO 3166-2 | CL-BI | ||
The Bío Bío Region (called Región del Biobío in Spanish) is one of Chile's 16 main areas. Its capital city is Concepción, which is the second-largest city in Chile after Santiago. This region gets its name from its most important river, the Bío Bío river.
Contents
History of the Bío Bío Region
The city of Concepción was founded in 1550. A Spanish explorer named Pedro de Valdivia started the city near the mouth of the Bío Bío river. He died in 1553 during a conflict called the Arauco War. This war was fought against the Mapuche people.
The Bío Bío Region has experienced many strong earthquakes. One of the most powerful earthquakes ever recorded, the Great Chilean Earthquake, happened here in 1960. In 2010, another big earthquake, the earthquake of 2010, hit the region. Many towns were badly affected by the earthquake and the huge wave that followed, called a tsunami.
Geography of Bío Bío
The Bío Bío region covers an area of about 23,890.2 km2 (9,224.1 sq mi).
It shares borders with other regions and a country. To the north, it borders the Ñuble region. To the east, it borders Argentina. The Araucanía region is to the south. To the west, it meets the Pacific Ocean.
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Ñuble region | |
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| Pacific Ocean |  |
Argentina | ||
 Biobío  |
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| Araucanía region |
The most important river in this region is the Bío Bío river. It is about 380 km (236 mi) long. This makes it the second longest river in Chile, after the Loa river.
Population in Bío Bío
In 2017, the Bío Bío Region had 1,557,414 people living there. This makes it the third most populated region in Chile. It has many people living in a smaller space compared to some other areas.
How Bío Bío is Governed
The Bío Bío region is divided into three smaller areas called provinces. These provinces are Arauco, Bío Bío, and Concepción. Each province has its own capital city.
- Concepción Province
- Capital: Concepción
- Arauco Province
- Capital: Lebu
- Bío Bío Province
- Capital: Los Ángeles
These provinces are further divided into even smaller areas called comunas.
Images for kids
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Map showing the comunas (smaller divisions) within the Bío Bío Region.
Related pages
| Regions of Chile |  |
|---|---|
| Arica y Parinacota | Tarapacá | Antofagasta | Atacama | Coquimbo | Valparaíso | O'Higgins | Maule | Bío Bío | La Araucanía | Los Ríos | Los Lagos | Aysén | Magallanes y la Antártica Chilena | RM Santiago | |
See also
In Spanish: Región del Biobío para niños
