Parral (Chile)

Parral
Coordinates: 36 ° 9 ′ S , 71 ° 50 ′ W Parral on the map of Chile	Parral
	Parral
Basic data
Country	Chile
city	Región del Maule
City foundation	1795
Residents	39,404 (2012)
	City insignia
Detailed data
surface	1,638.44 km²
Population density	24 people / km 2
height	162 m
Post Code	3630000
prefix	+56 73
Time zone	UTC −4
City Presidency	Paula Retamal Urrutia
Website	www.parral.cl
	; Image wanted

Parral is a city in the center of Chile in the Región del Maule .

Geography and demography

Parral is located about 42 km southwest of Linares , about 90 km south of Talca and 340 km south of Santiago de Chile . It belongs to the province of Linares and lies on the Panamericana .

The climate is Mediterranean with warm summers. The main river in the municipality is the Río Perquilauquén.

The municipality of Parral has an area of 1,638.44 km² and a population of 37,822 inhabitants (2002 census), which corresponds to a share of 3.78% in the region. 18,859 inhabitants are women (49.86%) and 18,963 are men (50.14%), while 11,425 inhabitants (30.21%) belong to the rural and 26,397 inhabitants (69.79%) to the urban population. The city has experienced significant immigration from Italy and Germany.

history

Parral was officially founded on February 27, 1795 under the supreme decree of Ambrosio O'Higgins . O'Higgins named the city "Villa Reina Luisa del Parral" as a tribute to Queen Luise , wife of King Carlos IV. The name "San José de Florida Blanca" was originally intended, but O'Higgins wanted this name Do not use.

Parral is the birthplace of Pablo Neruda , the Chilean winner of the 1971 Nobel Prize for Literature .

General Basilio Urrutia Vásquez (1816–1881), who was Chilean War and Navy Minister during the Saltpeter War , was also born in the city . He was also significantly active in the Arauco War .

The notorious Colonia Dignidad on the Río Perquelauquén is located 33 kilometers south-east of the city center , where torture occurred after the 1973 coup .

Parral was particularly hard hit by the earthquake in February 2010 .

Attractions

As the birth town of Pablo Neruda, the city attracts many tourists. The area around the city offers a number of wine-growing regions. The Termas de Catillo thermal springs are located near the city .

Two large reservoirs, the Embalse Digua and the Embalse Bullileo , invite you to go on excursions.