Page:Statesman's Year-Book 1899 American Edition.djvu/802

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CHILE

and Public Works. The Council of State consists of five members nominated by the President, and six members chosen by the Congress.

Local Government.

For the purposes of local government the Republic is divided into Provinces, presided over by Intendcnts ; and the Provinces into Depart- ments, with Gobernadores as chief officers. The Departments constitute one or more municipal districts each with a council or municipality of 9 members, inhabitants popularly elected for three years. The police of Santiago and of the capitals of departments is organised and regulated by the President of the Republic at the charge of the national treasury.

Area and Population.

The Republic is divided (according to rearrangement of 1887) into 28 provinces, subdivided into 74 departments and 1 territory. Departments and territories are subdivided into 865 sub-delegations and 3,068 districts.

In 1884 the province of Antofagasta was ceded to Chile by Bolivia, and those of Tarapacii and Tacna by Peru. The cession of Tacna was originally for ten years, at the end of which period a plebiscite of the province would decide to which country it should belong. Owing to troubles in Peru the decision was deferred ; but a convention for the purpose of carrying out the plebiscite was signed at Santiago Aprd 16, 1898. Boundary disputes with the Argentine Republic have been referred to the decision of the Government of Queen Victoria, who have agreed to arbitrate.

The following are the area and population of the provinces and territories, according to the censuses of November 26, 1885, and November 28, 1895, with the population of the provincial capitals, 1895 : —

1

Provinces and ' Territoiies

1

Area : Sq. Miles

Popula- tion 1885 Census

Popula- tion 1895 Census

Pop.

per Sq.

Mile

1895

Capitals

Pop. of '■ Capitals ; 1895

Magallanes, ter.

75,292

2,085

5,170

_

Punta Arenas

3,227

Chiloe

3,995

73,420

77,750

19-4

Ancud.

3,182

Llanquihue

7,823

62,809

78,315

10-0

Puerto-Montt

3,480

Valdivia.

8,315

50,938

60,687

7-3

Valdivia

8,060

Arauco

4,248

73,658

59,237

13-9

Lebu.

2,784

Cautin

3,127

33,291

78,221

25-1

Teniuco

7,078

Malleco

2,857

59,492

98,032

34-3

Angol.

7,056

Bio-Bio

4,158

101,768

88,749

21-3

Angeles

7,868

Concepciun

3,535

182,459

188,190

56-1

Concepcion.

39,837

Nuble

3,556

149,871

152,935

43-0

Chilian

28,738

Maule

2,931

124,145

119,791

40-8

Cauquenes.

8,574

Linares

3,589

110,652

101,858

29-2

Linares

7,331

Talca.

3,678

133,472

128,961

35-0

Talca.

33,232

Curici'i

2,913

100,002

103,242

35-4

Curico.

12,669

Colcha^na.

3,795

155,687

157,566

41-5

San Fernando

7,447

O'Higgin.s.

2,524

87,641

85,277

33-7

Rancagua.

6,665

Santiago

5,223

329,753

415,636

79-5

Santiago. .

256,413

Valparaiso.

1,659

203,320

220,756

134-9

Valparaiso.

122.447

Aconcagua

6,226

144,125

113,165

19-3

San Felipe.

11,313

Coquimbo.

12,873

176,344

160,898

12-4

Serena

15,712

Atacaiaa.

28,380

76,566

59,713

2-1

Copiap(')

9,301

Antofagasta

72,204

21,213

44,085

0-6

Antofiigasta

13,530

Tarapaca.

19,306

45,086

89,751

4-6

Iquique

33,031

Tacna

Grand Total

8,688

29,523

24,160

2-8

Tacna.

■ * •

9,418

290,829

2,527,320

2,712,145

9-3

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