Melipeuco facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Melipueco
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Town and Commune
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Street in Melipeuco and Llaima Volcano in the background.
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| Country | Chile | |||
| Region | Araucanía | |||
| Province | Cautín | |||
| Government | ||||
| • Type | Municipality | |||
| Area | ||||
| • Total | 1,107.3 km2 (427.5 sq mi) | |||
| Elevation | 461 m (1,512 ft) | |||
| Population
(2012 Census)
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| • Total | 5,590 | |||
| • Density | 5.048/km2 (13.075/sq mi) | |||
| • Urban | 2,333 | |||
| • Rural | 3,295 | |||
| Sex | ||||
| • Men | 2,906 | |||
| • Women | 2,722 | |||
| Time zone | UTC-4 (CLT) | |||
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-3 (CLST) | |||
| Area code(s) | country 56 + city 45 | |||
Melipeuco is a small town and a type of local government area called a commune in Chile. It's located at the base of the mighty Andes mountains. This area is part of the Cautín Province in the Araucanía Region.
Melipeuco is a great spot for nature lovers. It's only about 12 kilometers (7.5 miles) from the southern entrance of the Conguillío National Park. South of the town, you'll find the Nevados de Sollipulli. This is a huge volcanic area with ice inside, surrounded by many hot springs and geysers. There's also a beautiful spot called Lake Carilafquén nearby. If you travel about 33 kilometers (20.5 miles) to the Alpehue intersection, you can find more hot springs. The water there can be very warm, from 40 to 70 degrees Celsius (104 to 158 degrees Fahrenheit), even near glaciers!
How Many People Live in Melipeuco?
The National Statistics Institute did a count in 2002. They found that Melipeuco covers an area of about 1,107 square kilometers (427 square miles). At that time, 5,628 people lived there.
Out of these residents, 2,908 were men and 2,720 were women. About 2,333 people (41.5%) lived in the town area. The other 3,295 people (58.5%) lived in the countryside. The population of Melipeuco grew by 5.9% between 1992 and 2002. This means 315 more people moved to the area during those years.
How Melipeuco is Governed
Melipeuco is a commune, which is like a local district in Chile. It's managed by a group called a municipal council. The leader of this council is an alcalde, similar to a mayor. The alcalde is chosen directly by the people every four years.
From 2008 to 2012, the alcalde of Melipeuco was Eduardo Navarrete Fuentes. He belonged to a political party called the UDI.
Melipeuco is also part of larger voting areas in Chile. For example, when people vote for the Chamber of Deputies (one part of the Chilean parliament), Melipeuco is in the 49th electoral district. This district also includes other towns like Victoria, Curacautín, and Lonquimay. The representatives for this district were Enrique Estay (UDI) and Fuad Chahín (PDC).
For the Senate (the other part of parliament), Melipeuco is in the 14th senatorial area. The senators for this area were Alberto Espina Otero (RN) and Jaime Quintana Leal (PPD).
Images for kids
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Sollipulli Volcano from above
See also
In Spanish: Melipeuco para niños
