Ovalle
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Ovalle | |
|---|---|
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 Flag  Coat of arms    Ovalle Location in Chile | |
| Coordinates: 30°36′S 71°12′W / 30.600°S 71.200°WCoordinates: 30°36′S 71°12′W / 30.600°S 71.200°W | |
| Country |  Chile |
| Region |  Coquimbo |
| Province | Limarí |
| Founded | 1831 |
| Government | |
| • Type | Municipality |
| • Alcalde | Claudio Rentería Larrondo |
| Area | |
| • Total | 3,834.5 km2 (1,480.5 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 215 m (705 ft) |
| Population (2012 Census)[2] | |
| • Total | 103,734 |
| • Density | 27/km2 (70/sq mi) |
| • Urban | 73,790 |
| • Rural | 24,299 |
| Sex | |
| • Men | 47,805 |
| • Women | 50,284 |
| Time zone | UTC−4 (CLT) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−3 (CLST) |
| Postal code | 1840000 |
| Area code(s) | 56 + 53 |
| Climate | BWk |
| Website | Official website (in Spanish) |
Ovalle is a city in the Coquimbo Region of Chile,[3] founded in 1831 as a settlement. It has a population of more than 113,000 people. The name Ovalle was chosen to honor to Chile's vice-president, José Tomás Ovalle. Ovalle is the capital of the Limarí Province.
The city's setting is often likened to an oasis, being lush and green although surrounded by barren hills.[citation needed]
There is a trail leading from the city that lasts roughly 50 minutes, and features relatively safe bathing and an area where dinosaur fossils can be found. On the trail is a life-sized model of a brachiosaurus.
The paediatrician and biochemist Hermann Niemeyer, one of the central figures in the development of biochemistry in Chile, was born in Ovalle in 1918[4]
The town's club is Deportes Ovalle. Famous players have played for the club, including 1982 FIFA World Cup player Rodolfo Dubó.
Demographics[]
According to the 2002 census of the National Statistics Institute, Ovalle spans an area of 3,834.5 km2 (1,481 sq mi) and has 98,089 inhabitants (47,805 men and 50,284 women). Of these, 73,790 (75.2%) lived in urban areas and 24,299 (24.8%) in rural areas. The population grew by 15.4% (13,107 persons) between the 1992 and 2002 censuses.[2]
Climate[]
The climate is semi-desertic with subtropical influence, with long summers and short winters. Ovalle has hot and dry summers, with temperatures in the range 22–40°C, occasionally with temperatures above 43°C. Thunderstorms can hit the city in February and March, but this happens normally in the surrounding areas of Ovalle. Winters are humid and fresh, and is when rains occur. The temperatures in winter are generally lower than nearby cities like La Serena or Punitaqui, due to cold winds that come from the Andes through the Ovalle valley. Temperatures rarely fall below -5°C, but when polar waves affect the area, temperatures can drop down to -12°C.
| hideClimate data for Ovalle | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 46 (115) |
46 (115) |
43 (109) |
40 (104) |
35 (95) |
32 (90) |
30 (86) |
31 (88) |
32 (90) |
34 (93) |
41 (106) |
45 (113) |
46 (115) |
| Average high °C (°F) | 35 (95) |
32 (90) |
30 (86) |
27 (81) |
22 (72) |
17 (63) |
15 (59) |
19 (66) |
22 (72) |
24 (75) |
28 (82) |
32 (90) |
25 (78) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 29 (84) |
26 (79) |
22 (72) |
17 (63) |
13 (55) |
11 (52) |
9 (48) |
12 (54) |
14 (57) |
19 (66) |
23 (73) |
26 (79) |
18 (65) |
| Average low °C (°F) | 23 (73) |
21 (70) |
18 (64) |
14 (57) |
8 (46) |
6 (43) |
4 (39) |
6 (43) |
9 (48) |
14 (57) |
18 (64) |
21 (70) |
14 (56) |
| Record low °C (°F) | 15 (59) |
12 (54) |
7 (45) |
0 (32) |
−8 (18) |
−11 (12) |
−17 (1) |
−16 (3) |
−3 (27) |
2 (36) |
2 (36) |
5 (41) |
−17 (1) |
| Average rainfall mm (inches) | 2 (0.1) |
9 (0.4) |
4 (0.2) |
0 (0) |
20 (0.8) |
50 (2.0) |
20 (0.8) |
20 (0.8) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
125 (5.1) |
| Average relative humidity (%) | 68 | 69 | 72 | 76 | 77 | 82 | 82 | 82 | 79 | 74 | 70 | 67 | 75 |
| Source: Weatherbase [5] | |||||||||||||
Administration[]
As a commune, Ovalle is a third-level administrative division of Chile administered by a municipal council, headed by an alcalde who is directly elected every four years. The 2012-2016 alcalde is Claudio Rentería Larrondo.
Within the electoral divisions of Chile, Ovalle is represented in the Chamber of Deputies by Pedro Velásquez (Ind.) and Matías Walker (PDC) as part of the 8th electoral district, (together with Coquimbo and Río Hurtado). The commune is represented in the Senate by Gonzalo Uriarte (UDI) and Jorge Pizarro Soto (PDC) as part of the 4th senatorial constituency (Coquimbo Region).
Gallery[]
 Public Square Kiosk |
 Vista de Ovalle |
 The Andean Mountains as seen from Fundina, Ovalle, Chile. |
See also[]
- Bosque de Fray Jorge National Park
- Embalse La Paloma
- Embalse Recoleta
References[]
- ^ "Municipality of Ovalle" (in Spanish). Retrieved 28 July 2010.
- ^ Jump up to: a b c d "National Statistics Institute" (in Spanish). Retrieved 4 November 2010.
- ^ http://www.welcomechile.com/ovalle/index_i.html
- ^ "Hermann Niemeyer Fernández, Premio Nacional de Ciencias 1983". Retrieved 25 June 2021.
- ^ "Weatherbase: Historical Weather for Ovalle, Chile". Weatherbase. 2011. Retrieved 24 November 2011.
External links[]
 |
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Ovalle. |
- (in Spanish) Municipality of Ovalle
- (in Spanish) Ovallito.cl
| show Authority control  |
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- Populated places established in 1831
- Communes of Chile
- Populated places in Limarí Province
- Capitals of Chilean provinces
- 1831 establishments in Chile