Introduction Arica-Parinacota Region Tarapacá Region Antofagasta Region Atacama Region Coquimbo Region Valparaíso Region O´Higgins Region Maule Region Bío Bío Region La Araucanía Region Los Ríos Region Los Lagos Region Aysén Region Magallanes & the Chilean Antartic Region Metropolitan Region

Capital: Temuco

Area: 31,842.3 km2

Population: 869,535 inhabitants (2002 Census)

Population density: 27.2 inhab/km2

Principal economic activities: Agriculture and forestry.

 

The Araucanía Region is known for the great beauty of its verdant landscapes, the traditions of its indigenous Mapuche communities and its diversifying agricultural industry.

The region's damp climate and rich soils mean that native woods, forest plantations and arable and livestock farms flourish here. This is where Chile's southern forests begin, watered by heavy rainfall.

So many Spaniards met their death attempting to conquer this area's indigenous Mapuches that they resigned themselves to accepting the Bío-Bío River as their southern frontier. Only a few missionaries dared to venture beyond this tacit border, mostly with tragic results.

After Chile's independence from Spain, the government initially opted for peaceful relations with the Mapuches and it wasn't until 1862 that the effective occupation of this area began. Cities were founded and the railway, roads and telegraph services expanded to this region.

The incorporation of Araucanía was completed in 1882. The construction of the railway bridge over the Malleco River, inaugurated in 1890, was a key step in the integration of the south with the rest of the country.

Temuco, the capital, was founded in 1881. Although one of Chile's youngest cities, it has one of the largest populations, reflecting its attractiveness as a pole of  industrial, commercial, financial and services development.

Until relatively recently, cereals were the mainstay of the region's economy and it was known as the “breadbasket of Chile”. However, agriculture has since diversified and the region's rapid urban and commercial development and the growth of tourism have created important new opportunities.

Over the past ten years, land use has changed, shifting from traditional crops and natural grasslands to cultivated pastureland. As a result livestock farming --cattle, pigs, sheep and horses--  has increased, giving a high level of production of milk and other byproducts.

Wheat remains the region's main crop but oats, rapeseed and hops have shown a sharp rise while, in the quest for new alternatives, fruit farming and flower growing have also increased in importance. According to experts, these latter activities have promising prospects due to appropriate soil conditions, abundant water supply, a favorable climate and the region's good phytosanitary conditions. 

Virgin forests of coigüe and raulí, two native beech species, as well as bay and cypress spread across the Araucanía Region. The symbol of the region, however, is the majestic araucaria (monkey puzzle) tree whose fruit is still the staple food of the indigenous Pehuenche people.

Much of this natural wealth is protected in the Nahuelbuta, Tolhuaca, Conguillio, Villarrica and Huerquehue National Parks and in the Malalcahuello, Las Nalcas and Alto Bío-Bío National Reserves.

Forest plantations have expanded rapidly in the last decade and supply the raw material for wood pulp and sawn wood as well as for the manufacture of veneers and chipboard. Furniture made from mañío, a conifer, raulí, hazelnut, pine and eucalyptus is another of the region's typical products.

The region's scenery and weather explain the growth of its tourist industry. Thanks to its high infrastructure standards, thousands of tourists visit it throughout the year.

Lake Villarrica, located at the foot of the Villarrica Volcano, is the region's largest lake. The towns of Pucón and Villarrica are located on its shores and even new buildings maintain the area's traditional style of architecture. 

Other important lakes include Caburga, Colico and Budi. The latter is the only saltwater lake and is home to some 134 bird species including the black-necked swan.

 

Ancestral Jewelry

Mapuche jewelry developed in the eighteenth century when Spanish coins were used to make ornaments for their leaders, including trapelakucha and cheltuwe (pendants), chawai (earrings), iwelkuk (rings) and trarilonko (headbands), while their traditional musical instruments are the cultrún (drum), trompe (mouth harp), trutruca (trumpet), caique and pifilca (whistle).

 

Coordinates and area

The region stretches between 37°35'S and 39°37'S and from 70°50'W to the Pacific Ocean. According to a 1:50,000 map drawn up by Military Geographic Institute (IGM), the region has an area of 31,842.3 km2. 

 

Land formation

The region's main land formations are the coastal plains, the Cordillera de la Costa, the Intermediate Depression, the Andes foothills and the Andes Mountains. In general, the basic formations of Chile predominate in this region, although with more complex second-order formations that reveal the influence of transitional conditions. 

 

Climate

As rainfall increases towards the south, this region marks the transition from a Mediterranean climate to a temperate rainy climate in which the Pacific Ocean is a key influence. It can be divided into a warm temperate climate with a short dry season, warm rainy temperate with Mediterranean influence, cold rainy temperate with Mediterranean influence and, at high altitudes, a below-zero climate.

 

Water resources

The Araucanía is drained by the Imperial, Toltén and Bío-Bío Rivers and by some smaller coastal basins such as the Moncul and Queule and Lake Budi. The main tributaries of the Imperial are the Cautín, Cholchol and Quepe and, in the Toltén, the Allipén River. The latter water system includes three lakes of which the most important are Caburga and Villarrica.

 

Population

According to the 2002 Census, the region had a population of 869,535 inhabitants of whom 430,698 were men and 438,837 were women. Between 2000 and 2005, the population expanded at an estimated mean annual rate of 0.98%. 

 

Economic sectors

The region's main economic activity is agriculture, led by traditional cereals such as wheat, oats, barley and rapeseed as well as potatoes and hops. In the case of all these crops, apart from potatoes, the region accounts for the largest area under cultivation in Chile. Livestock farming, particularly beef, is also important and forestry --pine and eucalyptus plantations-- has grown significantly, especially in the Malleco province. 

 

Administrative divisions

REGIONAL CAPITAL	PROVINCES	MUNICIPALITIES
Temuco	Malleco	Angol Renaico Collipulli Lonquimay Curacautín Ercilla Victoria Traiguén Lumaco Purén Los Sauces
	Cautín	Temuco Lautaro Perquenco Vilcún Cunco Melipeuco Currarrehue Pucón Villarrica Freire Pitrufquén Gorbea Loncoche Toltén Teodoro Schmidt Saavedra Carahue Nueva Imperial Galvarino Padre Las Casas Cholchol

Foreign Direct Investment DL 600 Statistics in La Araucanía Region (1974 - 2008), (Excel, 37 Kb.)