Elqui Province

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Elqui Province
Provincia de Elqui
Province
Official seal of Elqui Province
Seal
Location in the Coquimbo Region
Location in the Coquimbo Region
Location in Chile
Location in Chile
Elqui Province
Location in Chile
Coordinates: 29°40′S 70°33′W / 29.667°S 70.550°W / -29.667; -70.550
CountryChile
RegionCoquimbo
CapitalCoquimbo
Communes
List of 6:
Government
 • TypeProvincial
Area
[1]
 • Total
16,895.1 km2 (6,523.2 sq mi)
Population
 (2024)
 • Total
562,457
 • Density33.2911/km2 (86.2236/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC−4 (CLT[2])
 • Summer (DST)UTC−3 (CLST[3])
Area code56 + 51
ISO 3166 codeCL-CO

Elqui Province (Spanish: Provincia de Elqui [ˈelki]) is a province in the Coquimbo Region of Chile. Its capital is Coquimbo. Spread over an area of 16,895.1 km2 (6,523.2 sq mi), it had a population of 562,457 inhabitants as per the 2024 Chilean census. The province was established by law on 1 August 1974.

History

The Coquimbo Region was established on 1 August 1974, from the erstwhile Intendency of Coquimbo, which had been established on 23 September 1811. It is divided into three provinces: Elqui, Limarí and Choapas, which are further divided into 18 communes.[4]

Geography

Elqui Province is one of the provinces of the Coquimbo Region in Chile.[4][5] It spans an area of 16,895.1 km2 (6,523.2 sq mi)[1] and has its capital at Coquimbo.[6] It is located in the Elqui Valley,[7] which is one of the major wine producing regions in Chile.[8][9] Located at the end of the Atacama desert, the valley has one of the clearest skies, which attracts stargazers.[10] About 57% of the land area of the province is part of the Elqui River basin, 20% of the land area forms part of the Los Chorros River basin.[11] The village of Pisco Elqui is popular for the manufacture of Pisco, a type of brandy made from grapes.[9]

The province is divided into six communes–Andacollo, Coquimbo, La Higuera, La Serena, Paihuano, and Vicuña.[11][12]

Climate

Elqui has a Mediterranean climate (Classification: Csb) with an average annual temperature of 18.4 °C (65.1 °F). It receives an average of 11.16 mm (0.439 in) of precipitation annually.[13]

Demographics

According to the 2024 Chilean census, Elqui Province had a population of 562,457 inhabitants. The population consisted of 289,977 females (51.6%) and 272,480 males (48.4%). About 18.7% of the population was below the age of 15 years, 67.9% belonged to the age group of 15–64 years, and 13.4% was aged 65 years or older. The province had an urban population of 492,369 inhabitants (87.5%) and a rural population of 70,088 inhabitants (12.5%). Most of the residents were born in Chile, accounting for 528,336 inhabitants (93.9%). Non-indigenous people formed the majority of the population with 505,603 inhabitants (89.9%), while 56,782 inhabitants (10.1%) identified themselves as belonging to indigenous groups. Roman Catholics formed the largest religious group with 277,612 adherents (61%), followed by 118,268 inhabitants (26%) indicating no religious affiliation, and Evangelicals or Protestants with 37,557 adherents (8.3%).[14][15]

References

  1. "Territorial division of Chile" (PDF) (in Spanish). National Statistics Institute. 2007. Archived from the original (PDF) on 14 November 2010. Retrieved 18 March 2011.
  2. "Chile Time". World Time Zones. Archived from the original on 11 September 2007. Retrieved 1 July 2011.
  3. "Chile Summer Time". World Time Zones. Archived from the original on 11 September 2007. Retrieved 28 July 2010.
  4. "Region de Coquimbo" [Coquimbo region]. Ministry of the Interior (Chile) (in Spanish). Retrieved 1 April 2026.
  5. "Administrative division of Chile". City Population.de. Retrieved 1 April 2026.
  6. "Coquimbo" (PDF). Turismo Region de Coquimbo. Retrieved 1 April 2026.
  7. "Irrigation in the Elqui Valley". Irrigation magazine. Retrieved 1 June 2025.
  8. "Elqui Province". Peek. Retrieved 1 April 2026.
  9. "Elqui valley wine region". Lacgeo. Retrieved 1 April 2026.
  10. "Why the Elqui Valley on the edge of Atacama Desert is one of South America's best stargazing stays". National Geographic. Retrieved 1 April 2026.
  11. "Provincia details, Elqui Provincia" [Details of the Province, Elqui Province]. Ministry of the Interior (Chile) (in Spanish). Retrieved 1 April 2026.
  12. "Provincia de Elquí" [Province of Elqui]. Subsecretaría de Desarollo Regional y Administrativo (in Spanish). Government of Chile. Archived from the original on 17 December 2010. Retrieved 25 July 2011.
  13. "Elqui". Weather and Climate. Retrieved 1 June 2025.
  14. "Elqui Province". City Population.de. Retrieved 1 April 2026.
  15. Chilean Census 2024, Results. National Statistics Institute (Chile) (Report). Retrieved 1 April 2026.