Page:Statesman's Year-Book 1921.djvu/787

 RELIGION

735

which period a plebiscite of the province would decide to which country it should belong As the plebiscite has not yet been taken, the provinces are still occupied by Chile.

Area and population of the provinces on January 1, 1919 : —

Provinces

Area : 8q. Miles

Popula- tion 1919

Pop.

persq.

Kile

Province*

Nuble.

Ap. Sq. Milts

3,498

Popula- tion 1919

Pop.

j. r ,q. Mile

Tacna

8,999

40,630

4 51

57-91

Tarapaca.

16,689

137,050

8-21

Concepcion.

3,313

S3 ?/.

Antofagasta

46,408

235,506

5-07

Arauco

2,189

76,785

35-07

Atacama.

30,711

64,019

•J Of

Biobio.

5,363

107.407

20-06

Coquimbo.

14,098

1S-C7

Malleeo

3,803

139,166

42 13

Aconcagua

5,406

24 44

Cautin.

6,381

i .:.''-:

Valparaiso

1,775

355,356

200-20

Valdivia

8,991

196,289

21-83

Santiago.

5,895

940,067

108 61

Llanqnihue. Cbiloe.

156,246

4-49

O'Higgins

2,168

1S9.M9

59-95

6,979

100,161

14 35

Colchagua

3,851

MMU

Magallanes

Curico

3,045

116,465

38 24

territory.

65,355

34,752

0-53

Talca

3,864 2,811

131,106 110,465

33-93 39-2b

Maule

Linares

MM

129,851

32-71

Total.

289,829

«,M8,1M

13-93

Many islands to the north, west, and south belong to Chile. The coast line is about 2,485 miles in length.

In 1885 the population numbered 2,527,320; in 1895, 2,712,145. In 1907 (last census), 3,249,279 (1,624,221 males and 1,625,058 females).

The estimated population of the principal towns in 1919 was : — Santiago. 424,993 ; Valparaiso, 218,465 ; Concepcion, 74,808 ; Iquique, 47,677 ; Talca, 43,044; Chilian, 40,278; Antofagasta, 69,175; Vina del Mar, 35,320; Curico, 23,707 ; Temuco, 33,860 ; La Serena, 16,191 ; Talcahuano, 24,857 ; Valdivia, 27,513. The great majority of the population is of European origin. The indigenous inhabitants are of three branches, the Fuegians. mostly nomadic, living in or near Tierra del Fuego ; the Araucans (101,118) in the valleys or on the western slopes of the Andes ; the Changes, who inhabit the northern coast region and work as labourers.

Births, marriages, and deaths, exclusive of stillbirths : —

Tear

Total Births

Illegitimate Births

Marriages

Deaths

Surplus of Births

1915 1916 1917 1918 1919

136,597 144,193 149,161 145,871 144,980

50,365 54,987 58,334 55,832 55,706

19,150 20,121 21,379 21,614 21,471

96,716

99,856

107,199

108,667

137,538

39,881 44,337 41,962 37,204 7,442

Illegitimate births in 1919 were 384, and legitimate births 616 per thousand of the population. Immigration is small, but is encouraged by the Government.

Religion.

The Roman Catholic religion is maintained by the State, but according to the Constitution all religions are respected and protected. There is one archbishop (Santiago), three bishops, and four vicars apostolic. There were in 1919, 349 parishes in the Republic, 664 churches, and 729 chapels.