Torres del Paine, Chile Facts for Kids

This page is about the Chilean commune. For the national park in Chile, see Torres del Paine National Park. For the mountain range, see Cordillera Paine.

Quick facts for kids

Torres del Paine

Commune

Location of the Torres del Paine commune in the Magallanes Region

Torres del Paine, Chile

Location in Chile

Country

Chile

Region

Magallanes y Antártica Chilena

Province

Última Esperanza

Seat

Cerro Castillo

Government

• Type

Municipality

Area

• Total

6,469.7 km² (2,498.0 sq mi)

Elevation

113 m (371 ft)

Population

(2012 Census)

• Total

180

• Density

0.0278/km² (0.0721/sq mi)

• Urban

• Rural

739

Sex

• Men

543

• Women

196

Time zone

UTC-4 (CLT)

• Summer (DST)

UTC-3 (CLST)

Area code(s)

56 + 61

Website

Municipality of Torres del Paine

Torres del Paine is a special area in Chile. It is a commune, which is like a local government area. It is found in the Última Esperanza Province and the Magallanes Region. The main town and where the local government works is called Cerro Castillo.

A very famous place, the Torres del Paine National Park, is also located within this commune. The word Paine means "blue" in the old Tehuelche language. You say it like PIE-nay.

People and Land in Torres del Paine
How Torres del Paine is Governed
Images for kids
See also

People and Land in Torres del Paine

How many people live in Torres del Paine? A study from 2002 found that 739 people lived there. Out of these, 543 were men and 196 were women. The commune is a very large area, about 6,469.7 square kilometers (2,498 square miles).

Because there are so few people spread across such a big area, Torres del Paine is considered a completely rural area. This means it is mostly countryside, not big cities. The number of people living here grew quite a bit between 1992 and 2002. It increased by 257 people, which is a 53.3% jump!

How Torres del Paine is Governed

As a commune, Torres del Paine is a local government area in Chile. It is managed by a group called the municipal council. The leader of this council is called an alcalde, which is like a mayor. The people living in the commune vote directly for their alcalde every four years.

From 2012 to 2016, the alcalde was Anahi Cardenas Rodríguez. She was an Independent candidate, meaning she did not belong to a specific political party.