Linares is a

Chile Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in western South America. It is the southernmost country in the world and the closest to Antarctica, stretching along a narrow strip of land between the Andes, Andes Mountains and the Paci ...

an city and commune located in the

Maule Region The Maule Region (, ) is one of Chile's 16 first order administrative divisions. Its capital is Talca. The region derives its name from the Maule River which, running westward from the Andes, bisects the region and spans a basin of about 20,6 ...

and lies in the fertile

Chilean Central Valley The Central Valley (), Intermediate Depression, or Longitudinal Valley is the depression between the Chilean Coastal Range and the Andes Mountains. The Chilean Central Valley extends from the border with Peru to Puerto Montt in southern Chile, wi ...

, south of

Santiago Santiago (, ; ), also known as Santiago de Chile (), is the capital and largest city of Chile and one of the largest cities in the Americas. It is located in the country's central valley and is the center of the Santiago Metropolitan Regi ...

and south of

Talca Talca () is a city and commune in Chile located about south of Santiago, and is the capital of both Talca Province and Maule Region (7th Region of Chile). As of the 2012 census, the city had a population of 201,142. The city is an important ...

, the

regional In geography, regions, otherwise referred to as areas, zones, lands or territories, are portions of the Earth's surface that are broadly divided by physical characteristics (physical geography), human impact characteristics (human geography), and ...

capital. Linares is the capital city of the province of Linares.

Demographics

According to the 2002 census of the National Statistics Institute, Linares spans an area of and has 83,249 inhabitants (40,518 men and 42,731 women). Of these, 68,224 (82%) lived in urban areas and 15,025 (18%) in

rural area In general, a rural area or a countryside is a geographic area that is located outside towns and cities. Typical rural areas have a low population density and small settlements. Agricultural areas and areas with forestry are typically desc ...

s. The population grew by 7.7% (5,933 persons) between the 1992 and 2002 censuses.

Geography

The municipality covers an area of and the city proper, . The rivers Ancoa, Putagán and Achibueno are the main rivers that pass through the municipality or form its natural borders. Most of the territory of the municipality is located within the central plain or "depresión intermedia" ( Valle Central de Chile). Some low altitude hills are located in the westernmost part of the municipality, while its easternmost part is marked by the presence of the foothills of the

Andes The Andes ( ), Andes Mountains or Andean Mountain Range (; ) are the List of longest mountain chains on Earth, longest continental mountain range in the world, forming a continuous highland along the western edge of South America. The range ...

mountains. The municipality of Linares is bordered on the west by San Javier; on the north by Villa Alegre, Yerbas Buenas and Colbún; on the east, by Colbún, and on the south, by Longaví. The municipality of Colbún occupies the easternmost strip of the province, where some of the highest provincial peaks are located, as are the sources of several of the main rivers. The city of Linares contains a large urban wetland known as Ayüwün, of which 1.1 hectares are protected under the Urban Wetlands Law.

Climate

Linares has a mild

mediterranean climate A Mediterranean climate ( ), also called a dry summer climate, described by Köppen and Trewartha as ''Cs'', is a temperate climate type that occurs in the lower mid-latitudes (normally 30 to 44 north and south latitude). Such climates typic ...

(

Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Bernd Köppen (1951–2014), German pianist and composer * Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan * Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author ...

: Csb). The summers are warm and mainly dry (November to March) with temperatures reaching up to 32 -33 degrees Celsius on the hottest days. The winters (late May to mid September) tend to be rather humid and rainy, with typical maximum daily temperatures of 14-15 degrees Celsius, and minimum just above freezing.

History and current status

Linares was founded on May 23, 1794, as the "Villa de San Ambrosio de Linares" by Ambrosio O'Higgins, the then Viceroy of Peru and

Bernardo O'Higgins Bernardo O'Higgins Riquelme (; 20 August 1778 – 24 October 1842) was a Chilean independence leader who freed Chile from Spanish rule in the Chilean War of Independence. He was a wealthy landowner of Basque people, Basque-Spanish people, Spani ...

's father. The city counts among its natives important statesmen, politicians, poets, writers, and musicians and is an active commercial, agricultural, industrial, and

service Service may refer to: Activities * Administrative service, a required part of the workload of university faculty * Civil service, the body of employees of a government * Community service, volunteer service for the benefit of a community or a ...

center. The city of Linares houses the artillery school of the Chilean Army. From 1913 to 1954 Linares had a station on the narrow gauge Putagán—Colbún railway line between Linares and Colbún.

Religion

According to the 2002 census of the municipality of Linares, 75.41% (or 45,987 persons) of the total population aged 15 and older identified themselves as

Roman Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institut ...

; 15.74% described themselves as

evangelical Protestant Evangelicalism (), also called evangelical Christianity or evangelical Protestantism, is a worldwide, interdenominational movement within Protestant Christianity that emphasizes evangelism, or the preaching and spreading of the Christian ...

s; and 0.61% as

Jehovah's Witnesses Jehovah's Witnesses is a Christian denomination that is an outgrowth of the Bible Student movement founded by Charles Taze Russell in the nineteenth century. The denomination is nontrinitarian, millenarian, and restorationist. Russell co-fou ...

. Additionally, 2.00% of the total population aged 15 and older identified themselves as

Mormons Mormons are a Religious denomination, religious and ethnocultural group, cultural group related to Mormonism, the principal branch of the Latter Day Saint movement started by Joseph Smith in upstate New York during the 1820s. After Smith's d ...

, approximately 2.59% declared themselves followers of other religions, and 4.95% of the population declared themselves

atheist Atheism, in the broadest sense, is an absence of belief in the existence of deities. Less broadly, atheism is a rejection of the belief that any deities exist. In an even narrower sense, atheism is specifically the position that there no ...

or agnostic. Linares is a see of a

diocese In Ecclesiastical polity, church governance, a diocese or bishopric is the ecclesiastical district under the jurisdiction of a bishop. History In the later organization of the Roman Empire, the increasingly subdivided Roman province, prov ...

of the Roman Catholic Church, with nine active parishes and many chapels in the ''comuna''. There are also many churches that serve the various

Protestant Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that emphasizes Justification (theology), justification of sinners Sola fide, through faith alone, the teaching that Salvation in Christianity, salvation comes by unmerited Grace in Christianity, divin ...

denominations and places of worship for Jehovah's Witnesses or Mormons.

Main sights

The city and its surroundings have many attractions, for example: * The Cathedral Church of San Ambrosio de Linares. This is one of the finest religious buildings built in

in the 20th century. It was conceived after the

Basilica In Ancient Roman architecture, a basilica (Greek Basiliké) was a large public building with multiple functions that was typically built alongside the town's forum. The basilica was in the Latin West equivalent to a stoa in the Greek Eas ...

Saint Ambrose Ambrose of Milan (; 4 April 397), venerated as Saint Ambrose, was a theologian and statesman who served as Bishop of Milan from 374 to 397. He expressed himself prominently as a public figure, fiercely promoting Roman Christianity against Ari ...

, in

Milan Milan ( , , ; ) is a city in northern Italy, regional capital of Lombardy, the largest city in Italy by urban area and the List of cities in Italy, second-most-populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of nea ...

, a noble building in the

Romanesque style Romanesque architecture is an architectural style of medieval Europe that was predominant in the 11th and 12th centuries. The style eventually developed into the Gothic style with the shape of the arches providing a simple distinction: the Ro ...

. The Cathedral of Linares was built after the old cathedral had been destroyed by an earthquake. Mgr. Juan Subercaseaux Errázuriz, a visionary churchman and second bishop of the Diocese of Linares, was the bright mind that conceived the new Cathedral and gave beginning to its works. * The parish church, Corazón de María — a church declared a National Monument for its Gothic style and beauty * The "Museo de Arte y Artesanía" (Museum of Arts and Crafts) * Some old houses of colonial style * A main library Some natural attractions in the surrounding area include the

piedmont Piedmont ( ; ; ) is one of the 20 regions of Italy, located in the northwest Italy, Northwest of the country. It borders the Liguria region to the south, the Lombardy and Emilia-Romagna regions to the east, and the Aosta Valley region to the ...

of the Andes mountains, with forests of pines and other trees; lakes (the artificial Colbún lake); rivers, and good camping and hiking areas. Other cities and towns in the province include: Colbún, Panimávida, Longaví, Parral, Retiro, San Javier, Villa Alegre and Yerbas Buenas.

Administration

As a commune, Linares is a third-level

administrative division of Chile The administrative division or territorial organization of Chile exemplifies characteristics of a unitary state. State administration is functionally and geographically decentralized, as appropriate for each authority in accordance with the law ...

administered by a

municipal council A municipal council is the legislative body of a municipality or local government area. Depending on the location and classification of the municipality it may be known as a city council, town council, town board, community council, borough cou ...

, headed by an

alcalde ''Alcalde'' (; ) is the traditional Spanish municipal magistrate, who had both judicial and Administration (government), administrative functions. An ''alcalde'' was, in the absence of a corregidor (position), corregidor, the presiding officer o ...

who is directly elected every four years. The 2021-2025 alcalde is Mario Meza. Within the

electoral divisions of Chile This article covers the electoral division of Chile, which involves two distinct systems: # Chamber of Deputies of Chile, Chamber of Deputies and Senate of Chile, Senate: Chile is divided into electoral districts and senatorial constituencies for ...

, Linares is represented in the

Chamber of Deputies The chamber of deputies is the lower house in many bicameral legislatures and the sole house in some unicameral legislatures. Description Historically, French Chamber of Deputies was the lower house of the French Parliament during the Bourb ...

by Jorge Tarud ( PPD) and Romilio Gutiérrez ( UDI) as part of the 39th electoral district, together with Colbún, San Javier, Villa Alegre and Yerbas Buenas. The commune is represented in the

Senate A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the el ...

by Hernán Larraín (UDI) and Ximena Rincón González ( PDC) as part of the 11th senatorial constituency (Maule-South).

Corruption under investigation

In August 2021 the Brigade against Economic Crime PDI in investigating embezzlement and fraud. In August 2021 the Comptroller General of the Republic indicated disproportional costs for over CLP$73million, currently under investigation for chlorine and rapid antigen test during the Covid pandemic.

Economy

Linares is an important agricultural, industrial and financial center of the region.

Notable natives and residents of Linares (city and province)

Juan Ignacio Molina Fr. Juan Ignacio Molina (; (June 24, 1740 – September 12, 1829) was a Chilean-Spanish Jesuit priest, natural history, naturalist, historian, translator, geographer, botanist, ornithologist, and linguist. He is usually referred to as Abate Moli ...

(Abate Molina), a Chilean priest and naturalist, born in Guaraculén, a farm located in Villa Alegre ''comuna''. *

Carlos Ibáñez del Campo General Carlos Ibáñez del Campo (; 3 November 1877 – 28 April 1960) was a Chilean Army officer and political figure. He served as president twice, first between 1927 and 1931, and then from 1952 to 1958, serving for 10 years in office. E ...

, Army General and twice the president of Chile; * Arturo Alessandri Palma, politician, statesman and twice the president of Chile * Valentin Letelier, educator, writer and politician * Pedro Dartnell, General, Army commander-in-chief and politician * Manuel Miquel Rodríguez, politician * José Manuel Sánchez, cofounder of Poliglota

Artists and intellectuals

Pablo Neruda Pablo Neruda ( ; ; born Ricardo Eliécer Neftalí Reyes Basoalto; 12 July 190423 September 1973) was a Chilean poet-diplomat and politician who won the 1971 Nobel Prize in Literature. Neruda became known as a poet when he was 13 years old an ...

, poet and

Nobel Prize The Nobel Prizes ( ; ; ) are awards administered by the Nobel Foundation and granted in accordance with the principle of "for the greatest benefit to humankind". The prizes were first awarded in 1901, marking the fifth anniversary of Alfred N ...

winner, born in Parral, Linares Province * Margot Loyola Palacios,

folk music Folk music is a music genre that includes #Traditional folk music, traditional folk music and the Contemporary folk music, contemporary genre that evolved from the former during the 20th-century folk revival. Some types of folk music may be ca ...

ian and researcher * Edilberto Domarchi Villagra, poet * Samuel Maldonado Silva, poet, novelist and Journalist * Pedro Olmos, painter * Manuel Francisco Mesa Seco, poet and writer * Eduardo Anguita, writer * Rubén Campos Aragón, poet * Max Jara, poet * Jerónimo Lagos Lisboa, poet * Gustavo González Rodríguez, journalist and university professor * Juan Enrique Coeymans Avaria, civil engineer, PhD and university professor. * Manuel Astica Fuentes, writer * Faruk Jose Nome Aguilera - professor of

organic chemistry Organic chemistry is a subdiscipline within chemistry involving the science, scientific study of the structure, properties, and reactions of organic compounds and organic matter, organic materials, i.e., matter in its various forms that contain ...

, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Brasil. * Humberto Pinochet, painter now living in Canada * Juan Cristobal Pinochet, painter now living in Canada

Sports

* Ismael Fuentes, footballer * Juan Luis Mora, footballer * Sebastián Silva (basketball)

References

External links

*
Samuel Maldonado Silva Biography
*
Municipality of Linares
*
Museum of Arts and Crafts/Museo de Arte y Artesanía
*
Diocese of Linares Aerial photo # 1 from Google Maps Aerial photo # 2 from Google MapsAerial photo # 3 from Google Maps. The westernmost portion of Linares comuna, lying between the rives Putagán (north), Loncomilla, (west) and Achibueno (south).Linares in Multimap
{{Authority control Populated places in Linares Province Communes of Chile Capitals of Chilean provinces Populated places established in 1794 1794 establishments in the Spanish Empire