Los Andes, Chile facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Los Andes
|
|||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|||||
| Country |  Chile |
||||
| Region |  Valparaíso |
||||
| Province | Los Andes | ||||
| Santa Rosa de Los Andes | 31 July 1791 | ||||
| Government | |||||
| • Type | Municipality | ||||
| Area | |||||
| • Total | 1,248.3 km2 (482.0 sq mi) | ||||
| Elevation | 819 m (2,687 ft) | ||||
| Population
(2012 Census)
|
|||||
| • Total | 63,009 | ||||
| • Density | 50.4758/km2 (130.732/sq mi) | ||||
| • Urban | 55,388 | ||||
| • Rural | 4,810 | ||||
| Sex | |||||
| • Men | 30,247 | ||||
| • Women | 29,951 | ||||
| Time zone | UTC-4 (CLT) | ||||
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-3 (CLST) | ||||
| Area code(s) | 56 + 34 | ||||
| Climate | BSk | ||||
| Website | Official website: http://www.munilosandes.cl/ | ||||
Los Andes is a city and commune in Chile. It was founded on July 31, 1791, and was first named Santa Rosa de Los Andes. This city is located in the province of the same name, which is part of the Valparaíso Region.
Los Andes is an important city because it sits on the main road between Santiago, Chile's capital, and the border crossing into Argentina. This border crossing is found high up in the Andes mountains, at a place called the Uspallata Pass.
Contents
Who Lives in Los Andes?
Let's look at the people who live in Los Andes! A special count, called a census, was done in 2002. This count showed that Los Andes covers an area of about 1,248 square kilometers (482 square miles).
At that time, 60,198 people lived there.
- About 30,247 were men.
- About 29,951 were women.
Most people, about 55,388 (92%), lived in the urban area (the city itself). The rest, about 4,810 people (8%), lived in rural areas (the countryside). Between 1992 and 2002, the number of people living in Los Andes grew by 21%. That's about 10,451 more people!
How Los Andes is Governed
Los Andes is managed like a local government, called a municipality. It's a third-level administrative division of Chile.
City Leadership
The city is led by a municipal council. This council is headed by an alcalde, who is like a mayor. The alcalde is chosen by the people in an election every four years.
From 2008 to 2012, the alcalde was Mauricio Navarro S. The council members at that time included:
- Marta Yochum G.
- Oscar Araya S.
- Alejandro Tapia C.
- Sergio Montenegro P.
- Ivan Salinas S.
- Julio Lobos L.
Representing the City
Los Andes also has people who represent it in the national government.
- In the Chamber of Deputies, which is like one part of the country's parliament, Los Andes is part of the 11th electoral district. This district also includes other towns like San Esteban and San Felipe.
- In the Senate, the other part of the parliament, Los Andes is part of the 5th senatorial area.
What Los Andes Produces
The main ways Los Andes makes money are through mining and farming.
Mining and Agriculture
- Mining: The city is known for producing copper and other minerals. A company called Codelco Chile handles this mining.
- Agriculture: Farming is also very important. Vineyards, where grapes are grown, are a big part of the local economy. Grapes are a major fruit that Los Andes exports to other countries.
Car Manufacturing History
For many years, from 1973 to 2004, a factory in Los Andes called Automotores Franco Chilena S.A. put together cars. They assembled Peugeot and Renault cars using parts from France and Argentina.
- Peugeot cars like the 404 and later the 206 were made there.
- Renault cars were also produced from 1979 to 1991.
- These cars were even sent to other countries in Latin America.
After 2004, the factory changed. It became a center for preparing, selling, and repairing Peugeot Citroën cars for people in Chile.
How to Get Around
Los Andes was once the starting point of an important railway called the Transandine Railway. This railway, opened in 1910, used to go all the way to Mendoza in Argentina.
- It connected different train lines, making it possible to travel from Valparaiso in Chile to Buenos Aires in Argentina by train.
- The railway is not used anymore, but there have been talks about rebuilding it. However, as of 2011, no work had started to restore it.
Los Andes Weather
| Climate data for Los Andes, elevation 816 m (2,677 ft) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 31.6 (88.9) |
31.1 (88.0) |
29.2 (84.6) |
25.5 (77.9) |
20.3 (68.5) |
16.6 (61.9) |
17.3 (63.1) |
18.8 (65.8) |
21.2 (70.2) |
24.7 (76.5) |
27.9 (82.2) |
30.5 (86.9) |
24.6 (76.2) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 22.0 (71.6) |
21.3 (70.3) |
18.9 (66.0) |
15.4 (59.7) |
11.6 (52.9) |
8.9 (48.0) |
9.2 (48.6) |
10.4 (50.7) |
12.5 (54.5) |
15.5 (59.9) |
18.4 (65.1) |
20.9 (69.6) |
15.4 (59.7) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 12.4 (54.3) |
11.7 (53.1) |
9.8 (49.6) |
7.1 (44.8) |
5.0 (41.0) |
3.0 (37.4) |
2.8 (37.0) |
3.6 (38.5) |
5.2 (41.4) |
7.2 (45.0) |
9.2 (48.6) |
11.1 (52.0) |
7.3 (45.2) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 2.1 (0.08) |
3.8 (0.15) |
3.5 (0.14) |
12.8 (0.50) |
65.5 (2.58) |
78.1 (3.07) |
53.1 (2.09) |
49.5 (1.95) |
21.8 (0.86) |
11.3 (0.44) |
4.9 (0.19) |
4.0 (0.16) |
310.4 (12.21) |
| Average relative humidity (%) | 52 | 54 | 56 | 60 | 65 | 70 | 66 | 66 | 64 | 60 | 54 | 50 | 60 |
| Source: Bioclimatografia de Chile | |||||||||||||
Los Andes has a cold semi-arid climate. This means it's generally dry, but not a desert. Summers are hot, and winters are cool. Most of the rain falls during the cooler months.
Famous People from Los Andes
Some notable people were born or lived in Los Andes:
- Laura Rodig (1901-1972): She was a talented artist, known for her paintings, sculptures, and illustrations. She was also an educator.
- Gaspar Rivas (born 1978): He is a well-known politician.
See also
In Spanish: Los Andes (Chile) para niños
