Atacama Region, Chile: Vallenar

Vallenar: p.1 | p.2 | p.3 | p.4

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In 1789 Ambrosio O´Higgins founded St. Ambrose of Ballenary (the future Vallenar) and named him in honor of his hometown Ballenary in Ireland.

The Vallenar sector was known for its rich copper and silver deposits, in recent decades iron was added.
In 1811 the great silver deposit "Agua Amarga" was discovered south of Vallenar. In 1812 he opened the first bank. The Agua Amarga Mine strongly pushed the development of the young village.
In June 1835 the English scientist Charles Darwin arrived in Vallenar. Continuing his trip to Copiapó. (see original text: -Link: Lit.org)

Vallenar shows a permanent growth in inhabitants during the last 150 years. Between 1960 and 1970 the number of people in the city doubled, iron mining left its traces. But after 1981, a year marked by the world steel crisis, the population remained at least the same. The 2012 data point to a resurgent demographic growth.

Informative Chart
Atacama Statistics: Development of the population in the city of Vallenar between 1875 and today.
Vallenar, urban:
52,147 inhabitants (2012) comuna Vallenar (source: INE)
43,750 inhabitants (2002, comuna Vallenar, urban) (source: INE)
38,357 inhabitants (1982) (source: Visión Atacama, 1986)
26,800 inhabitants (1970) (source: Visión Atacama, 1986)
15,693 inhabitants (1960) (source: Visión Atacama, 1986)
9,677 inhabitants (1952) (source: Visión Atacama, 1986)
8,471 inhabitants (1940) (source: Visión Atacama, 1986)
6,348 inhabitants (1920) (source: Visión Atacama, 1986)(source: Census 1920)
5,861 inhabitants (1907) (source: Visión Atacama, 1986)
5,025 inhabitants (1895) (source: Visión Atacama, 1986)
4,948 inhabitants (1875) (source: Census 1875)
4,562 inhabitants (1865) (source: Census 1875)
more statistics from the Atacama Region