Santa Bárbara, Chile facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Santa Bárbara
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| Country | Chile | |||||
| Region | Bío Bío | |||||
| Province | Bío Bío | |||||
| Named for | Saint Barbara | |||||
| Government | ||||||
| • Type | Municipality | |||||
| Area | ||||||
| • Total | 1,254.9 km2 (484.5 sq mi) | |||||
| Elevation | 222 m (728 ft) | |||||
| Population
(2012 Census)
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| • Total | 13,405 | |||||
| • Density | 10.6821/km2 (27.6666/sq mi) | |||||
| • Urban | 7,932 | |||||
| • Rural | 12,038 | |||||
| Sex | ||||||
| • Men | 10,835 | |||||
| • Women | 9,135 | |||||
| Time zone | UTC−4 (CLT) | |||||
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−3 (CLST) | |||||
| Area code(s) | 56 + 43 | |||||
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Santa Bárbara is a city and commune located in the Bío Bío Province of Chile. It is part of the Bío Bío Region. In 2004, a part of its land was used to create a new commune called Alto Bío Bío.
Contents
History of Santa Bárbara
Santa Bárbara is located on the north bank of the Biobío River. It started as a fort in 1756. Manuel de Amat y Juniet established this fort.
From Fort to Town
The governor then helped to build up the town of Santa Bárbara. This happened on July 4, 1758. Later, during the time of Ambrosio O'Higgins, the town and fort were made even better. It became a very important place. It helped to protect against attacks from the Pehuenche people. These attacks were called malones.
Challenges and Rebuilding
In January 1819, people left the town. Then, in 1821, a royalist leader named Juan Manuel Picó burned it down. Santa Bárbara was in ruins for many years. It wasn't until 1833 that people started to rebuild it. Commander Domingo Salvo led this effort. The town grew and became strong again. On January 2, 1871, it was officially recognized as a town once more.
Population and Demographics
A census is like a big count of all the people living in an area. According to the 2002 census, Santa Bárbara covers an area of 3,379.5 square kilometers. It had 19,970 people living there at that time.
Urban and Rural Living
Out of the total population, 10,835 were men and 9,135 were women. About 7,932 people (39.7%) lived in urban areas, which are like cities or bigger towns. The other 12,038 people (60.3%) lived in rural areas, which are more like the countryside. Between 1992 and 2002, the population of Santa Bárbara grew a lot. It increased by 67.8%, which means 8,069 more people moved there.
How Santa Bárbara is Governed
Santa Bárbara is a commune, which is a local government area in Chile. It is managed by a municipal council. This council helps make decisions for the community.
Local Leaders
The head of the municipal council is called an Alcalde. This person is like the mayor of the commune. The people of Santa Bárbara directly elect their Alcalde every four years. From 2008 to 2012, the Alcalde was Daniel Enrique Iraira Sagredo.
Representing the People
Santa Bárbara is part of a larger area for elections. This means its citizens vote for people to represent them in the national government.
- Chamber of Deputies: Santa Bárbara is in the 47th electoral district. This district also includes many other communes like Los Ángeles and Alto Bío Bío. People from this district elect members to the Chamber of Deputies.
- Senate: For the Senate, Santa Bárbara is part of the 13th senatorial constituency. This area is called Biobío-Coast. People here vote for senators to represent them in the Senate.
See also
In Spanish: Santa Bárbara (Chile) para niños
