Maule Region
The Maule Region (Chile's seventh administrative region from north to south) is made up of four provinces. It covers an area of 30,296 km2 and has a population of 908,097 (2002 Census). Its capital is the city of Talca. The region takes its name from the Maule river, which running westward from the Andes, bisects the region and spans a basin of about 20,600 km². The Maule river is of considerable historic interest because, among other reasons, marked the southern limits of the Inca Empire.
The region is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean; on the east by the Argentine Republic; on the north by the O'Higgins Region, and on the south by the Bío-Bío Region.
With one third of its population living in rural areas, Maule has a greater proportion of rural inhabitants than any other region of Chile.
Political and Administrative Division of Maule Region
The four provinces of the Region are:
| Province | Surface in km2 |
Population | Capital |
|---|---|---|---|
| Curicó | 7,281 | 244,053 | Curicó |
| Talca | 9,961 | 352,966 | Talca |
| Linares | 10,050 | 253,990 | Linares |
| Cauquenes | 3,027 | 57,088 | Cauquenes |
The provinces of the Maule Region are divided into "comunas". In total there are 30 of them.
| Political & Administrative Division of Maule Region, Chile | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Heritage
The Maule Region has produced a remarkable number of famous men and women, in particular writers and poets but also, statesmen and presidents, scientists and naturalists, churchmen, musicians and folklorists, journalists and historians. Thus, the Maule river - the long and wide artery that runs through the region - has been considered Chile's literary river par excellence. Many novels and short stories have had the river as their main background or protagonist. Several antologies, author's dictionaries and essays have given their account of the wealth of culture that the region has generated.
The region can boast many small towns and villages with well-preserved colonial rural architecture both in the religious as well as the civil fields. The Talca and Linares dioceses (the two Roman Catholic dioceses in the Maule region) have several parish churches of particular beauty and architectural and historic value.
Politics
Regional Intendant (Intendente)
- Alexis Sepúlveda Soto
Provincial Governors
- Curicó Province: Gloria Rojas
- Talca Province: María Elena Villagrán
- Linares Province: Gloria Alegría Vásquez
- Cauquenes Province: María Angélica Sáez
Final results: Chilean presidential election, 2005-2006
Runoff election 15 January 2006
Maule Region
| Comune | Michelle Bachelet: votes (%) | Sebastián Piñera: votes (%) |
|---|---|---|
| Cauquenes | 8.879 (39,45%) | 13.624 (60,54%) |
| Chanco | 2.722 (44,82%) | 3.350 (55,17%) |
| Pelluhue | 1.862 (43,71%) | 2.397 (56,28%) |
| Curicó | 29.109 (52,41%) | 26.425 (47,58%) |
| Hualañé | 3.571 (61,66%) | 2.220 (38,33%) |
| Licantén | 2.462 (59,15%) | 1.700 (40,84%) |
| Molina | 13.598 (63,67%) | 7.756 (36,32%) |
| Rauco | 3.163 (55,29%) | 2.557 (44,70%) |
| Romeral | 3.828 (52,30%) | 3.491 (47,69%) |
| Sagrada Familia | 6.086 (65,75%) | 3.170 (34,24%) |
| Teno | 6.131 (49,27%) | 6.311 (50,72%) |
| Vichuquén | 1.659 (51,20%) | 1.581 (48,79%) |
| Colbún | 5.409 (57,51%) | 3.996 (42,48%) |
| Linares | 19.227 (46,20%) | 22.385 (53,79%) |
| Longaví | 7.247 (49,71%) | 7.329 (50,28%) |
| Parral | 8.996 (43,39%) | 11.736 (56,60%) |
| Retiro | 3.634 (39,99%) | 5.453 (60,00%) |
| San Javier | 11.626 (54,43%) | 9.731 (45,56%) |
| Villa Alegre | 4.438 (55,69%) | 3.531 (44,30%) |
| Yerbas Buenas | 4.222 (53,91%) | 3.609 (46,08%) |
| Constitución | 11.813 (57,61%) | 8.689 (42,38%) |
| Curepto | 3.630 (57,68%) | 2.663 (42,31%) |
| Empedrado | 1.258 (47,01%) | 1.418 (52,98%) |
| Maule | 4.942 (56,49%) | 3.806 (43,50%) |
| Pelarco | 2.494 (52,30%) | 2.274 (47,69%) |
| Pencahue | 3.686 (57,24%) | 2.753 (42,75%) |
| Río Claro | 3.508 (56,18%) | 2.736 (43,81%) |
| San Clemente | 11.875 (63,05%) | 6.957 (36,94%) |
| San Rafael | 2.559 (55,90%) | 2.018 (44,09%) |
| Talca | 51.144 (57,69%) | 37.500 (42,30%) |
| Total votes: Maule Region | 244.778 (53,45%) | 213.166 (46,54%) |
