Biobío Region
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| See other Chilean regions | |
| Capital | Concepción |
| Provinces | Ñuble |
| Intendant | María Angélica Fuentes Fuentealba |
| Area - Total |
Ranked 8th 37,062.6 km² |
| Population - 2002 Census |
Ranked 2nd 1,861,562 |
| ISO 3166-2 | CL-BI |
The VIII Biobío Region (Spanish: VIII Región del Biobío) is one of Chile's 15 first order administrative divisions and comprises four provinces Arauco, Biobio, Concepción and Ñuble. Its capital is Concepción, other important cities include Chillan, Coronel, Hualpen, Los Angeles and Talcahuano.
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[edit] Geography
It is bordered to the west by the Pacific Ocean, on the east by Argentina, on the north by Maule Region, and on the south by Araucanía Region.
[edit] History
This region has played a distinguished role in the history and culture of Chile. Many patriots who fought for independence, presidents, politicians, and artists, like pianist Claudio Arrau and folklorist Violeta Parra, were born here.
[edit] Economy
For decades, the characteristic feature of the Bío Bío Region has been its manufacturing industry, which contributes 35.6% of its GDP and operates mainly around the ports of Talcahuano, San Vicente, Lirquén, and Coronel, the greatest concentration of ports in Chile The range of activities is broad, extending from iron and steel making to foodstuffs manufacture, petrochemicals, metalworking, oil refining, and shipyards.
The region’s dynamism is also rooted in its large rivers. The important hydropower complex on the Laja River is composed of the El Toro, Abanico, and Antuco power plants, and the Pangue and Ralco plants on the upper Biobío River. These facilities supply 26.6% of the energy used from Taltal in the north to the Island of Chiloé in the south (2,500 kilometers).
The region contains almost 44% of Chile’s forest plantations, of which around 82% are radiata pine. It is the largest exporter of forestry products and supplies raw materials for pulp and paper plants, sawmills, and related activities.
The fishing industry is another dynamic sector. The region possesses 32% of the country’s total fishing fleet, while approximately 50% of the national catch is unloaded at its ports. Moreover, this region alone is responsible for 4% of the world’s catch of seafood. Main items include shellfish and conger eel, sardines, anchovy, mackerel, hake, mollusks, crustaceans, and algae.
High-quality fertile soils support a wide variety of crops, principally produce, grains, vegetables, artificial and improved pastures.
Animal husbandry focuses on production of beef, milk, and dairy products. Mining activity includes non-metallic minerals, principally quartz for the glass and steel industries.
[edit] External links
- Gobierno Regional del Biobío Official website (in Spanish)
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