Mariquina is a

commune A commune is an alternative term for an intentional community. Commune or comună or comune or other derivations may also refer to: Administrative-territorial entities * Commune (administrative division), a municipality or township ** Communes of ...

in southern

Chile Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in the western part of South America. It is the southernmost country in the world, and the closest to Antarctica, occupying a long and narrow strip of land between the Andes to the east a ...

Valdivia Province Valdivia Province ( es, Provincia de Valdivia; ) is one of two provinces of the southern Chilean region of Los Ríos (XIV). The provincial capital is Valdivia. Located in the province are two important rivers, the Calle-Calle / Valdivia River ...

Los Ríos Region The Los Ríos Region (Spanish: ''Región de Los Ríos'', , ''Region of the Rivers'') is one of Chile's 16 regions, the country's first-order administrative divisions. Its capital is Valdivia. It began to operate as a region on October 2, 2007 ...

. It is located about 40 km northeast of

Valdivia Valdivia (; Mapuche: Ainil) is a city and commune in southern Chile, administered by the Municipality of Valdivia. The city is named after its founder Pedro de Valdivia and is located at the confluence of the Calle-Calle, Valdivia, and Cau-Cau R ...

, close to

Cruces River The Cruces River ( es, Río Cruces) is a river in south-central Chile. Río Cruces originates from hills near the Villarica volcano and flows then in south-west direction. The southern and final part of the river flows in a south-south-west di ...

. The capital is the city of San José de la Mariquina. The commune's main economic activities are agriculture, cattle farming and wood pulp manufacturing.

Demographics

According to the 2002

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses in ...

of the

National Statistics Institute National Institute of Statistics may refer to: *National Institute of Statistics of Bolivia *National Institute of Statistics of Cambodia *National Institute of Statistics and Census of Costa Rica *National Institute of Statistics and Census of Nica ...

, Mariquina spans an area of and has 18,223 inhabitants (9,361 men and 8,862 women). Of these, 8,925 (49%) lived in

urban area An urban area, built-up area or urban agglomeration is a human settlement with a high population density and infrastructure of built environment. Urban areas are created through urbanization and are categorized by urban morphology as cities ...

s and 9,298 (51%) 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 typically are descr ...

s. The population grew by 1.5% (271 persons) between the 1992 and 2002 censuses.

Administration

As a commune, Mariquina is a third-level administrative division of Chile 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, rural counc ...

, headed by an alcalde who is directly elected every four years. The current alcalde is Ronaldo Mitre Gatica. Within the electoral divisions of Chile, Mariquina is represented in the Chamber of Deputies by Alfonso De Urresti ( PS) and Roberto Delmastro ( RN) as part of the 53rd electoral district, together with

, Lanco, Máfil and

Corral A pen is an enclosure for holding livestock. It may also perhaps be used as a term for an enclosure for other animals such as pets that are unwanted inside the house. The term describes types of enclosures that may confine one or many animal ...

. The commune is represented in the as part of the 16th senatorial constituency (Los Ríos Region).

History

In the mid-17th century local cacique Juan Manqueante ruled the lands of Mariquina. He presented himself to the Dutch who had arrived in Valdivia in 1643 as a friend.Barros Arana 2000, p. 285. When the Spanish returned in 1645 he allied to them for about ten years until the Mapuche uprising of 1655. Local lore consider him the most notable person ever born in the lands of Mariquina. Manqueante was catholic according to contemporary chronicler

Diego de Rosales Diego de Rosales (Madrid, 1601 - Santiago, 1677) was a Spanish chronicler and author of ''Historia General del Reino de Chile''. He studied in his hometown, where he also joined the Society of Jesus. He came to Chile in the year 1629, without ha ...

. According to Tomás Guevara by the 18th century the Mapuche of Mariquina were among the last to raise chilihueques, a now extinct llama-like animal. During the

Mapuche uprising of 1881 The last major rebellion of the indigenous Mapuches of Araucanía took place in 1881, during the last phase of the Occupation of Araucanía (1861–1883) by the Chilean state. It was planned by Mapuche chiefs in March 1881 to be launched in Nove ...

most women of San José de la Mariquina were sent to the city of

as men prepared for hostilities. Chileans and German settlers dug defensive trenches around the town. At the moment of the uprising it was even thought that rebels could reach Valdivia in the south if they succeeded in penetrating San José de la Mariquina.

References

;Bibliography *

External links

*
Municipality of Mariquina
{{Communes in Los Ríos Region Populated places in Valdivia Province Communes of Chile Populated places established in 1850