Huasco facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Huasco
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| Country |  Chile |
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| Region |  Atacama |
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| Province | Huasco | |||||
| Government | ||||||
| • Type | Municipality | |||||
| Area | ||||||
| • Total | 1,601.4 km2 (618.3 sq mi) | |||||
| Elevation | 30 m (100 ft) | |||||
| Population
(2012 Census)
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| • Total | 8,977 | |||||
| • Density | 5.6057/km2 (14.5187/sq mi) | |||||
| • Urban | 6,445 | |||||
| • Rural | 1,500 | |||||
| Sex | ||||||
| • Men | 3,999 | |||||
| • Women | 3,946 | |||||
| Time zone | UTC−4 (CLT) | |||||
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−3 (CLST) | |||||
| Area code(s) | (+56) 51 | |||||
| Climate | BWh | |||||
Huasco is a city and a commune in Chile. A commune is like a local government area. It's located in the Huasco Province, which is part of the Atacama Region.
This port city is about 50 kilometers (31 miles) west of Vallenar. It's also very close to a smaller town called Huasco Bajo. This town sits on the southern side of the Huasco River, not far from where the river meets the ocean.
If you want to visit Llanos de Challe National Park, you can take a coastal road between Huasco Bajo and Carrizal Bajo. This road is one of the main ways to get to the park. Long ago, between 1851 and 1873, the port of Huasco was busy. Ships used it to send things like copper ore, copper, alpaca wool, and animal hides all the way around Cape Horn to places like Swansea in Wales.
Contents
People Living in Huasco
Population Numbers
The National Statistics Institute in Chile counts how many people live in different areas. Their count from 2002 showed that Huasco had 7,945 residents.
- Of these, 3,999 were men.
- And 3,946 were women.
Most people in Huasco live in urban (city) areas. About 6,445 people (81.1%) lived in the city. The rest, about 1,500 people (18.9%), lived in rural (countryside) areas. Between 1992 and 2002, the number of people living in Huasco grew by 5.7%. This means 429 more people moved there during that time.
How Huasco is Managed
Local Government
Huasco is a commune, which means it's a local area with its own government. This government is run by a municipal council. The council is led by an alcalde, who is like a mayor. The people of Huasco directly vote for their alcalde every four years. For the years 2008 to 2012, the alcalde was Rodrigo Loyola Morenilla.
Representing Huasco
Huasco is part of larger areas for elections in Chile.
- In the Chamber of Deputies, which is like one part of the country's parliament, Huasco is represented by two people. They are part of a larger electoral district that includes other towns like Caldera and Vallenar.
- In the Senate, which is the other part of the country's parliament, Huasco is represented by two senators. They represent the whole Atacama Region.
See also
- In Spanish: Huasco para niños
