Los Ángeles, Chile facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Los Ángeles
City and Commune
View of Los Ángeles from the Cerro Curamávida.
Flag Coat of arms Map of the Los Ángeles commune in Bío Bío Region Los Ángeles, Chile Location in Chile
Country	Chile
Region	Bío Bío
Province	Bío Bío
Founded as	Villa de Nuestra Señora de Los Ángeles
Founded	May 26, 1739
Named for	Our Lady, Queen of the Angels
Government
• Type	Municipality
Area
• Total	1,748.2 km2 (675.0 sq mi)
Elevation	139 m (456 ft)
Population  (2012 Census)
• Total	186,671
• Density	106.779/km2 (276.556/sq mi)
• Urban	123,445
• Rural	43,111
Demonym(s)	Angelian
Sex
• Men	81,863
• Women	84,693
Time zone	UTC−4 (CLT)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−3 (CLST)
Postal code	4440000
Area code(s)	56 + 43
Website	Official website: http://www.losangeles.cl

Los Ángeles (pronounced los AHN-heh-les) is an important city in the center-south of Chile. It is the capital city of the Bío Bío province and is also a commune (a local government area). The city is located between two rivers, the Laja and the Biobío river.

In 2012, about 186,671 people lived in Los Ángeles. It's interesting because the Los Ángeles area has more people living in the countryside than any other Chilean commune.

Just north of the city, you'll find the beautiful Salto del Laja, also known as the Laja Falls. About 100 kilometers (62 miles) to the east, there's a tall volcano called Antuco in the Andes mountains. Los Ángeles is often a starting point for tourists who want to visit the nearby Laguna del Laja National Park, where the volcano is located.

The city has its own airport, María Dolores Airport, which helps people travel to and from Los Ángeles.

History of Los Ángeles

Founding and Early Years

Los Ángeles was founded on May 26, 1739, by a Spanish leader named José Antonio Manso de Velasco. Its original name was "Nuestra Señora de Los Ángeles," which means "Our Lady of the Angels."

At first, it was a Spanish fort. A fort is like a strong military base. It was built during the War of Arauco, a long conflict between the Spanish and the native Mapuche people. The fort helped the Spanish try to control the area.

In 1748, Los Ángeles was given the title of villa. A villa was a special type of town in the Spanish system. The city had to be rebuilt many times because of battles between the Spanish military and the Mapuche. Los Ángeles was in a very important spot, just north of the Biobío river, which was the border set by the Spanish. This made it a key location for both sides.

German Settlers Arrive

Later, in 1858, a new town called Colonia Humán was started near Los Ángeles. This town was settled by German people who came from Germany and the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Over time, Colonia Humán grew and became part of Los Ángeles, blending into the city we know today. This was part of a bigger movement of German immigration in Chile.

People and Population

How Many People Live Here?

According to a census (a count of all the people) taken in 2002 by the National Statistics Institute, Los Ángeles covers an area of about 1,748.2 square kilometers (675 square miles). At that time, 166,556 people lived there.

• Out of these, 81,863 were men and 84,693 were women.
• Most people, about 123,445 (74.1%), lived in urban areas, which means in the city itself.
• The rest, about 43,111 (25.9%), lived in rural areas, which means in the countryside.

Between 1992 and 2002, the population of Los Ángeles grew quite a lot, by 18.5%. This means 26,021 more people came to live in the area during that time.

People from Other Countries

Los Ángeles has been home to many people who moved there from other countries. Some of the largest groups of immigrants came from:

• Spain
• Arab countries
• Germany
• Switzerland

These groups have helped shape the city and its culture, especially those who came from European countries to settle in the wider Araucanía region.

Climate and Weather

Los Ángeles has a type of weather called a warm-summer Mediterranean climate. This means it has warm, dry summers, but they are not usually extremely hot. The average monthly temperatures in summer don't go above 22 degrees Celsius (71.6 degrees Fahrenheit).

Most of the rain in Los Ángeles falls during the autumn and winter months, from April to September. On average, the city gets about 1070 millimeters (42 inches) of rain each year. May is usually the wettest month, with about 250 millimeters (10 inches) of rain. Snow is very rare in Los Ángeles, and if it does snow, it melts quickly.

How Los Ángeles is Governed

Local Government

Los Ángeles is a commune, which is a local government area in Chile. It is managed by a municipal council. The head of this council is called an alcalde (mayor). The people of Los Ángeles directly vote for their alcalde every four years. From 2008 to 2012, the alcalde was Joel Rosales Guzmán.

Representing Los Ángeles in National Government

The people of Los Ángeles also have representatives in Chile's national government.

• In the Chamber of Deputies (similar to a house of representatives), Los Ángeles is part of the 47th electoral district. This district includes several other communes like Tucapel, Antuco, Quilleco, and Santa Bárbara. The representatives for this district are Juan Lobos and José Pérez.
• In the Senate (similar to a senate), Los Ángeles is part of the 13th senatorial area, called Biobío-Coast. The senators for this area are Victor Pérez Varela and Mariano Ruiz-Esquide Jara.

Education

Los Ángeles has different schools, including international ones.

• One example is the Deutsche Schule Los Angeles, which is a German school.

See also

In Spanish: Los Ángeles (Chile) para niños