Natales
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Natales | |
|---|---|
 Cathedral of Puerto Natales | |
|
 Coat of arms    Natales Location in Chile | |
| Coordinates (capital): 51°44′S 72°31′W / 51.733°S 72.517°W | |
| Country |  Chile |
| Region |  Magallanes y Antártica Chilena |
| Province | Última Esperanza |
| Founded | 1927 |
| Capital | Puerto Natales |
| Government | |
| • Type | Municipality |
| • Alcaldesa | Antonieta Oyarzo Alvarado (IND) |
| Area | |
• Total | 48,974.2 km2 (18,909.0 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 3 m (9.8 ft) |
| Population (2002 Census)[3] | |
• Total | 19,116 |
| • Density | 0.39033/km2 (1.0109/sq mi) |
| • Rural | 2,138 |
| Demonym | Natalino |
| Sex | |
| • Men | 10,068 |
| • Women | 9,048 |
| Time zone | UTC-4 (CLT[4]) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-3 (CLST[5]) |
| Area code | 61 |
| Website | Official website (in Spanish) |
Natales (Spanish for "births") is a commune of the Última Esperanza Province in the Magallanes and Antartica Chilena Region of extreme southern Chile. Its capital and only port city is Puerto Natales.
The commune's area spans 48,974.2 km2 (18,909 sq mi),[3] making it one of the largest communes in Chile, after only Antártica (which is, however, 25 times Natales' size), and larger than eleven of the country's 16 political regions. The Cueva del Milodón Natural Monument lies 24 km (15 mi) northwest of Puerto Natales.
Demography
| Year | Pop. | ±% p.a. |
|---|---|---|
| 1930 | 4,987 | — |
| 1940 | 7,505 | +4.17% |
| 1952 | 9,197 | +1.71% |
| 1970 | 13,979 | +2.35% |
| 1982 | 16,932 | +1.61% |
| 1992 | 17,275 | +0.20% |
| 2002 | 19,116 | +1.02% |
| 2017 | 21,477 | +0.78% |
| 2024 | 24,152 | +1.69% |
| Source: "Censo de Población y Vivienda". National Statistics Institute. | ||
Its capital and only city, Puerto Natales (2002 population: 16,978), is one of the southernmost settlements in the world.[6]
According to the 2002 census of the National Statistics Institute, the Natales commune has 19,116 inhabitants (10,068 men and 9,048 women). Of these, 16,978 (88.8%) lived in urban area of the city and 2,138 (11.2%) in rural areas. The population grew by 10.7% (1,841 persons) between the 1992 and 2002 censuses. The commune comprises 96.3% of the total provincial population of 19,855.[3] Its population density is only 0.38/km2 (0.98/sq mi).
