Lebu, Chile facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Lebu
City and Commune
Panoramical view of Lebu
Coat of arms Location of the Lebu commune in Bío Bío Region Lebu, Chile Location in Chile
Country	Chile
Region	Bío Bío
Province	Arauco
Founded	8 October 1862
Government
• Type	Municipality
Area
• Total	561.4 km2 (216.8 sq mi)
Elevation	74 m (243 ft)
Population  (2012 Census)
• Total	23,722
• Density	42.255/km2 (109.440/sq mi)
• Urban	21,991
• Rural	3,044
Demonym(s)	Lebulense
Sex
• Men	12,416
• Women	12,619
Time zone	UTC−4 (CLT)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−3 (CLST)
Area code(s)	56 + 41
Climate	Csb
Website	Official website: http://www.lebu.cl/

Lebu is a port city and a local government area (called a commune) in central Chile. It is managed by the Municipality of Lebu. Lebu is also the main city of Arauco Province in the Bío Bío Region. It is located on the south side of where the Lebu River meets the sea.

The commune of Lebu also includes Mocha Island.

History of Lebu

Lebu was first settled a bit further up the Lebu River from where the city is today. This happened in early 1557 when Fort Santa Margarita was built by García Hurtado de Mendoza. It was on the north bank of the Lebu River, near a waterfall called Gualgalén.

In 1566, Governor Rodrigo de Quiroga built another fort almost exactly where the city of Lebu stands now. This fort was led by Captain Agustín de Ahumada. However, the Mapuche people surrounded the fort, and it had to be left in 1569.

Fort Santa Margarita was destroyed in 1599. But in 1603, it was rebuilt by Governor Alonso de Ribera and named Fort Santa Margarita de Austria.

In the 1900s, Lebu grew into an important center for coal mining. Sadly, the big 1960 Valdivia earthquake caused a lot of damage and destroyed many houses in the town.

Culture and Arts

Every summer since 2001, Lebu hosts the Lebu International Film Festival. This unique festival is held inside a cave!

The commune has three interesting museums:

• The Lebu Mining Museum: This museum shows items related to the history of coal mining in the area.
• The Tamaya Museum: Opened in 1998, this museum focuses on the natural history of the commune and the province.
• The Ethnographic and Historical Archaeological Museum of Punta Morhuilla: This museum explores the history and culture of the local people.

Lebu also holds an international writing competition every year called the Gonzalo Rojas Pizarro Literary Contest. It is organized by a local library club and supported by the government. Many well-known writers from different countries have won awards in this contest.

Because of this, two literary and art magazines, Chonchón 32 and Sudras y Parias, were created. Also, in 2018 and 2019, Lebu hosted the first and second Latin American Meetings of poets and storytellers. Authors from Chile, Mexico, El Salvador, and Spain attended these events.

Climate

The climate in Lebu is classified as a warm-summer Mediterranean climate. This means it has warm, dry summers and mild, wet winters.

Local Government

Lebu is a commune, which is a local administrative area in Chile. It is managed by a municipal council. The head of this council is an alcalde, who is like a mayor. The alcalde is chosen by the people in an election every four years.

Lebu is also part of larger areas for national elections. For example, in the Chamber of Deputies, which is part of Chile's parliament, Lebu is represented by two members. These members also represent other nearby towns like Lota, Arauco, Curanilahue, Los Álamos, Cañete, Contulmo, and Tirúa.

For the Senate, which is the other part of Chile's parliament, Lebu is represented by two senators. They are part of the Biobío-Coast senatorial area.

See also

In Spanish: Lebu para niños