Loncoche facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Loncoche
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| Country | Chile | |||
| Region | Araucanía | |||
| Province | Cautín | |||
| Founded as | Villa Carrera | |||
| Government | ||||
| • Type | Municipality | |||
| Area | ||||
| • Total | 976.8 km2 (377.1 sq mi) | |||
| Elevation | 98 m (322 ft) | |||
| Population
(2012 Census)
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| • Total | 21,458 | |||
| • Density | 21.9676/km2 (56.896/sq mi) | |||
| • Urban | 15,223 | |||
| • Rural | 7,814 | |||
| Sex | ||||
| • Men | 11,499 | |||
| • Women | 11,538 | |||
| Time zone | UTC−4 (CLT) | |||
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−3 (CLST) | |||
| Area code(s) | country 56 + city 45 | |||
| Website | Municipality of Loncoche | |||
Loncoche is a city and a commune in southern Chile. A commune is like a local government area. Loncoche is located in the Araucanía Region, which is in the south of Chile. It's also close to the border of the Los Ríos Region.
The name "Loncoche" comes from the Mapudungun language. It means "head of an important person." This city is a big center for producing milk. A company called Loncoleche is the main producer of milk and dairy products in the area.
A famous Chilean poet, Pablo Neruda, even wrote a poem about Loncoche. It was called "Aromos rubios en los campos de Loncoche," which means "Blonde Wattles in the Fields of Loncoche."
Who Lives in Loncoche?
We know about the people in Loncoche thanks to a census taken in 2002. A census is a count of all the people living in a place.
According to this count, Loncoche covers an area of about 976.8 square kilometers. At that time, 23,037 people lived there. This included 11,499 men and 11,538 women.
Most of the people, about 15,223 (66.1%), lived in the urban area (the city part). The rest, about 7,814 (33.9%), lived in rural areas (the countryside). The total number of people in Loncoche went down by 2.6% between 1992 and 2002.
How Loncoche is Governed
Loncoche is a commune, which means it has its own local government. This government is run by a municipal council. The council is led by an alcalde, who is like a mayor. The alcalde is chosen by the people in an election every four years.
The alcalde from 2008 to 2012 was Ricardo Peña Riquelme. He belonged to a political party called RN.
Loncoche is also part of a larger area for national elections. It is represented in the Chamber of Deputies (one part of Chile's parliament). Its representatives are René Manuel García (RN) and Fernando Meza (PRSD). They represent Loncoche along with several other nearby communes.
The commune is also represented in the Senate (the other part of Chile's parliament). Its senators are José Garcia Ruminot (RN) and Eugenio Tuma Zedan (PPD).
Loncoche has two high schools for students: Liceo Bicentenario P. Alberto Hurtado Cruchaga and Santa Cruz.
See also
In Spanish: Loncoche para niños
