Ovalle facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ovalle
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| Country |  Chile |
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| Region |  Coquimbo |
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| Province | Limarí | |||||
| Founded | 1831 | |||||
| Government | ||||||
| • Type | Municipality | |||||
| Area | ||||||
| • Total | 3,834.5 km2 (1,480.5 sq mi) | |||||
| Elevation | 215 m (705 ft) | |||||
| Population
(2012 Census)
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| • Total | 103,734 | |||||
| • Density | 27.0528/km2 (70.0665/sq mi) | |||||
| • Urban | 73,790 | |||||
| • Rural | 24,299 | |||||
| Sex | ||||||
| • Men | 47,805 | |||||
| • Women | 50,284 | |||||
| Time zone | UTC−4 (CLT) | |||||
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−3 (CLST) | |||||
| Postal code |
1840000
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| Area code(s) | 56 + 53 | |||||
| Climate | BSh | |||||
| Website | Official website: http://www.municipalidaddeovalle.cl/ | |||||
Ovalle is a city in Chile, located in the Coquimbo Region. It was founded in 1831 and is named after José Tomás Ovalle, a former vice-president of Chile. Ovalle is also the capital of the Limarí Province. More than 113,000 people live here.
The city is often described as an oasis. It looks green and full of life, even though it is surrounded by dry hills.
There is a fun trail near the city that takes about 50 minutes to walk. Along the trail, you can find a safe place to swim. You might even discover dinosaur fossils! There is also a life-sized model of a brachiosaurus, a very tall dinosaur.
Ovalle has its own football club called Deportes Ovalle. Famous players, like Rodolfo Dubó who played in the 1982 FIFA World Cup, have been part of this team.
Contents
People and Population
This section talks about the people who live in Ovalle. According to a study in 2002, Ovalle covers an area of about 3,834.5 square kilometers. At that time, 98,089 people lived there. This included 47,805 men and 50,284 women.
Most of the people, about 75.2%, lived in urban areas (cities and towns). The rest, about 24.8%, lived in rural areas (the countryside). Between 1992 and 2002, the population of Ovalle grew by 15.4%.
Weather and Climate
Ovalle has a semi-desert climate. This means it has hot and dry summers. During summer, temperatures usually range from 22 to 33 degrees Celsius.
Winters are more humid and cool. This is when most of the rain happens. Winter temperatures are often lower than in nearby cities like La Serena. This is because cold winds blow from the Andes Mountains through the Ovalle valley. Temperatures rarely drop below -5 degrees Celsius.
| Climate data for Ovalle | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 28.4 (83.1) |
28.3 (82.9) |
26.8 (80.2) |
23.9 (75.0) |
21.0 (69.8) |
18.4 (65.1) |
18.1 (64.6) |
19.6 (67.3) |
21.7 (71.1) |
23.8 (74.8) |
25.8 (78.4) |
27.4 (81.3) |
23.6 (74.5) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 19.8 (67.6) |
19.8 (67.6) |
17.6 (63.7) |
15.2 (59.4) |
13.2 (55.8) |
11.4 (52.5) |
10.9 (51.6) |
11.7 (53.1) |
13.4 (56.1) |
14.8 (58.6) |
16.9 (62.4) |
18.6 (65.5) |
15.3 (59.5) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 13.0 (55.4) |
12.4 (54.3) |
11.0 (51.8) |
9.2 (48.6) |
7.7 (45.9) |
6.5 (43.7) |
6.1 (43.0) |
6.5 (43.7) |
7.7 (45.9) |
8.6 (47.5) |
9.9 (49.8) |
11.5 (52.7) |
9.2 (48.5) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 0.0 (0.0) |
1.1 (0.04) |
0.7 (0.03) |
2.1 (0.08) |
29.5 (1.16) |
42.1 (1.66) |
26.9 (1.06) |
21.2 (0.83) |
5.7 (0.22) |
2.7 (0.11) |
0.9 (0.04) |
1.1 (0.04) |
134 (5.27) |
| Average relative humidity (%) | 74 | 65 | 69 | 73 | 76 | 78 | 78 | 76 | 73 | 69 | 66 | 64 | 72 |
| Source: Bioclimatografia de Chile | |||||||||||||
How Ovalle is Governed
Ovalle is a commune, which is like a local government area in Chile. It is managed by a municipal council. The head of this council is an alcalde, which is similar to a mayor. The alcalde is chosen by the people in an election every four years. From 2012 to 2016, the alcalde was Claudio Rentería Larrondo.
Famous People from Ovalle
Many interesting people were born in Ovalle. For example, Hermann Niemeyer, a pediatrician and biochemist, was born here in 1918. He was very important in developing the study of biochemistry in Chile. Also, Elisa Berroeta, a talented wood engraver and illustrator, was born in Ovalle. She created art in both Santiago and Paris.
Images for kids
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Public Square Kiosk
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Vista de Ovalle
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The Andean Mountains as seen from Fundina, Ovalle, Chile.
See also
In Spanish: Ovalle para niños
