Maule, Chile Facts for Kids

Maule is a town and a type of local government area called a commune in central Chile. It is located in the Talca Province, which is part of the Maule Region. The name "Maule" comes from the Mapudungun language. It means "valley" (mau) and "rainy" (len).

Exploring Maule's Location
- Where is Maule?
Maule's Past: A Look at Its History
Maule's Economy: How People Make a Living
Maule's People: Understanding the Population
How Maule is Governed
- Local Government
- National Representation
See also

Exploring Maule's Location

Where is Maule?

The town of Maule is located close to the Maule River. The entire Maule commune covers an area of about 238.2 square kilometers.

Maule's Past: A Look at Its History

Early Days and Important Locations

For a very long time, even back to the time of the Incas, the area where Maule is today was important. It was a good place for travel and communication because it was so close to the Maule River. The city of Talca was founded about 12 kilometers north of this area. It was first called Villa de San Agustín.

In the mid-1700s, a nearby town called Duao was founded. It became the main town for the local area.

Mining and New Settlements

During the 1800s, many people came to this area. They were looking for gold in the El Chavito mining area. They hoped to find a better future. These new settlers started different towns, with Peumo being the most important. To the west, there was an old river port called Linares de Perales. It was located where the Maule and Claro rivers meet. From here, boats carried farm products to Constitución.

How Maule Became a Commune

On December 30, 1927, the president of Chile, Carlos Ibáñez del Campo, made an important change. He renamed Peumo to Maule. He also officially created the commune of Maule with a special rule called Supreme Decree 8583. At this time, the main office for the local government moved from Duao to Maule. It has been there ever since.

In 1928, the commune of Maule was owned by the Lailhacar brothers. It used to be part of the Duao municipality. But then it was renamed the Maule municipality. Before 1927, the old city of Duao had seven different mayors. Since its first mayor, Carlos Garcena, the current commune of Maule has had 39 mayors.

Maule's Economy: How People Make a Living

Farming and Ranching

The main ways people make money in Maule are through farming and raising animals.

Gold Mining

You can find the El Chavito goldmine on the riverbank. In the 1800s, El Águila hill was the main place to find gold in the area. This hill was owned by the Silva Neale family.

Flower Exports

There is a special farm called La Vertientes, which means "The Slopes." It has become a very important industrial flower garden. This farm grows flowers and seeds and sends them to other countries, especially to Germany. The owner, Carlos Steinhoff von Bohlen, started this business in the 1950s. He was one of the first people in the commune to export these kinds of products. In the Maule Region, other important exports are wine and fruits like apples and grapes.

Maule's People: Understanding the Population

Population Numbers

According to information from the 2002 Census, Maule had 16,837 people living there. Out of these, 6,739 people (40.0%) lived in urban areas, which are towns and cities. The other 10,098 people (60.0%) lived in rural areas, which are the countryside.

Gender Distribution

At that time, there were 8,691 men and 8,146 women in Maule.

Population Growth

Between the 1992 and 2002 censuses, the population of Maule grew by 22.3%. This means 3,068 more people came to live there.

What are People from Maule Called?

If you are from Maule, you are called a Maulino if you are a boy or man. If you are a girl or woman, you are called a Maulina.

How Maule is Governed

Local Government

Maule is a commune, which is a third-level administrative division in Chile. It is managed by a municipal council. The head of the council is an alcalde (mayor), who is chosen by voters every four years. The mayor from 2008 to 2012 was Iván Riveros Cerda. His council members were:

Luis Vasquez Galvez (UDI)
Sergio Jelvez Medina (PS)
Pablo Opazo Encina (DC)
Vladimir Albornoz Espina (ILD)
Carlos Ovalle Rojas (ILF)
Juan Gutierrez Moreno (RN)

National Representation

Maule is part of a larger area for national elections. In the Chamber of Deputies (one part of Chile's national government), Maule is represented by Pablo Lorenzini (PDC) and Pedro Pablo Alvarez-Salamanca (UDI). They are part of the 38th electoral district. This district also includes other communes like Curepto, Constitución, Empedrado, Pencahue, San Clemente, Pelarco, Río Claro, and San Rafael.

In the Senate (the other part of Chile's national government), Maule is represented by Juan Antonio Coloma Correa (UDI) and Andrés Zaldívar Larraín (PDC). They are part of the 10th senatorial constituency, which is called Maule-North.

Maule, Chile facts for kids

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