Talca

{{Infobox settlement

|official_name = Talca

|native_name =

|image_skyline = Montaje de Talca.jpg

|imagesize = 250px

|image_caption = 1º row: Andes mountains in Talca. 2º row: (left) Town square of Talca, (centre-top) Catholic University of the Maule, (centre-down) Ancient Library of the University of Talca, (right) architectural contrasts. 3º row: Old Intendancy of Maule, statue of Bernardo O'Higgins, BCI Bank. 4º row: 1 Norte street, St. Augustine Cathedral, and 1 Sur street. 5º row: Nocturnal cityscape of Talca.

|image_flag =

|flag_alt = Flag

|image_shield = Escudo de Talca.svg

|shield_alt = Coat of arms

|image_map = Comuna de Talca.svg

|map_caption = Location of Talca commune in Maule Region

|map_alt = Location of Talca commune in Maule Region

|pushpin_map = Chile

| pushpin_map_narrow = yes

|pushpin_label_position = bottom

|pushpin_map_caption =Location in Chile

|coor_pinpoint =

|coordinate_footnotes =

|subdivision_type = Region

|subdivision_name = Maule Region

|subdivision_type1 = Province

|subdivision_name1 = Talca Province

| government_footnotes ={{Cite web |url=http://www.talca.cl/ |title=Municipality of Talca |access-date=January 22, 2010 |language=es}}{{cite web |url=http://www.munitel.cl/ |title=Asociación Chilena de Municipalidades|access-date=January 22, 2010 |language=es|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110419202659/http://www.munitel.cl/|archive-date=April 19, 2011}}

| government_type = Municipality

| leader_title = Alcalde

| leader_name = Juan Carlos Díaz Avendaño

|established_title = Founded

|established_date = May 12, 1742

|unit_pref = Metric

|area_footnotes ={{cite web |url=http://www.ine.cl/canales/chile_estadistico/censos_poblacion_vivienda/censo_pobl_vivi.php |title=National Statistics Institute |access-date=July 28, 2010 |language=es}}

|area_total_km2 = 231.5

|population_as_of = 2015 Census

|population_note =

|settlement_type = City and Commune

|population_total = 233339

|population_footnotes ={{cite web |url=http://reportescomunales.bcn.cl/2015/index.php/Talca |title=National Statistics Institute |access-date=April 28, 2017 |language=es}}

|population_demonym = Talquino

|population_blank1_title = Urban

|population_blank1 =

|population_blank2_title = Rural

|population_blank2 =

|demographics_type1 = Sex

|population_density_km2 = auto

|demographics1_footnotes =

|demographics1_title1 = Men

|demographics1_info1 = 111,796

|demographics1_title2 = Women

|demographics1_info2 = 121,543

|timezone = CLT

| utc_offset = −4

|timezone_DST = CLST

| utc_offset_DST = −3

|coordinates = {{coord|35|25|37|S|71|39|56|W|region:CL-ML|display=inline,title}}

|postal_code_type = Postal code

|postal_code = 3460000

|area_code_type =

|area_code = 56 (country) + 712 (Talca Province)

|elevation_m = 102

|blank_name = Climate

|blank_info = Csb

|website ={{url|talca.cl/}} {{in lang|es}}

|footnotes =

}}

Talca ({{IPA|es|ˈtalka}}) is a city and commune in Chile located about {{convert|255|km|0|abbr=on}} south of Santiago, and is the capital of both Talca Province and Maule Region (7th Region of Chile). As of the 2012 census, the city had a population of 201,142.

The city is an important economic center, with agricultural (wheat) and manufacturing activities, as well as wine production. It is also the location of the Universidad de Talca and the Catholic University of Maule, among others. The Catholic Church of Talca has held a prominent role in the history of Chile.

Demographics

According to the 2002 census of the National Statistics Institute, Talca spans an area of {{convert|231.5|sqkm|0|abbr=on}} and had, in that year, 201,797 inhabitants. Of these, in 2002, 193,755 (96%) lived in urban areas and 8,042 (4%) in rural areas. The city had about 233,339 inhabitants (111,796 men and 121,543 women), according to the 2015 census. The population grew by 15.63% (31,542 persons) between the 2002 and 2015 censuses.

History

The city was founded in 1692 by Tomás Marín de Poveda and refounded as Villa San Agustín de Talca in 1742 by José Antonio Manso de Velasco.{{cite web |url=http://www.utalca.cl/english/htm/location/region.htm |title=Maule Region |access-date=July 30, 2008 |publisher=Universidad de Talca |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080314030726/http://www.utalca.cl/english/htm/location/region.htm |archive-date = March 14, 2008}}

The city played a role in Chile's independence. For example, the siege of Talca took place there on March 4, 1814, and the Battle of Cancha Rayada on March 29 and the Second battle of Cancha Rayada, on March 16. 1818. Also, on February 12, 1818, Bernardo O'Higgins signed the Chilean declaration of independence.

Talca Province was founded in 1833. This ended the dependency of Colchagua Province. Also, Talca was a focus of insurrection during the revolutions of 1851 and 1859.

Talca was partially destroyed by the 1928 Talca earthquake and the 2010 Chile earthquake, being rebuilt both times. It sits near the epicenter of the 2010 8.8 magnitude earthquake and suffered severe shaking[https://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/dyfi/events/us/2010tfan/us/index.html Intensity of shaking in cities around the 2010 Chilean earthquake from USGS] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160113092429/http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/dyfi/events/us/2010tfan/us/index.html |date=January 13, 2016 }} causing the collapse of much of the historic town centre.[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/in_pictures/8540473.stm Images of earthquake including collapse of Talca historic centre]

Administration

Image:Talca Municipalidad.jpg

As a commune, Talca 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 2008–2012 alcalde is Juan Castro Prieto (Independent Democratic Union, centre-right).

Within the electoral divisions of Chile, Talca is represented in the Chamber of Deputies by Sergio Aguiló (PS) and Germán Verdugo (RN) as part of the 37th electoral district, which consists entirely of the Talca commune. The commune is represented in the Senate by Juan Antonio Coloma Correa (UDI) and Andrés Zaldívar Larraín (PDC) as part of the 10th senatorial constituency (Maule-North).

Geography

The commune of Talca spans an area of {{convert|231.5|sqkm|0|abbr=on}}. The city of Talca is located {{convert|250|km|0|abbr=on}} south of Santiago, south of the confluence of the rivers Lircay and Claro, in the Central Valley. The city is bisected by the Pan-American Highway.

=Climate=

Talca has a Mediterranean climate (Köppen: Csb) with dry summers and wet winters, though it is hotter in summer and cooler in winter than coastal cities like Valparaíso and Concepción.

{{Weather box

|width = auto

|location = Talca (1976–2005)

|metric first = Yes

|single line = Yes

|Jan high C = 30.3

|Feb high C = 29.5

|Mar high C = 26.8

|Apr high C = 21.5

|May high C = 16.4

|Jun high C = 13.4

|Jul high C = 13.1

|Aug high C = 15.3

|Sep high C = 18.1

|Oct high C = 21.6

|Nov high C = 25.4

|Dec high C = 28.7

|year high C = 21.7

|Jan mean C = 21.2

|Feb mean C = 20.3

|Mar mean C = 17.4

|Apr mean C = 13.4

|May mean C = 10.5

|Jun mean C = 8.7

|Jul mean C = 7.9

|Aug mean C = 9.1

|Sep mean C = 11.3

|Oct mean C = 14.1

|Nov mean C = 17.1

|Dec mean C = 20.1

|year mean C = 14.2

|Jan low C = 12.4

|Feb low C = 11.9

|Mar low C = 9.8

|Apr low C = 7.5

|May low C = 6.3

|Jun low C = 5.1

|Jul low C = 4.2

|Aug low C = 4.5

|Sep low C = 5.8

|Oct low C = 7.6

|Nov low C = 9.6

|Dec low C = 11.9

|year low C = 8.1

|rain colour = green

|Jan rain mm = 4.0

|Feb rain mm = 3.9

|Mar rain mm = 13.3

|Apr rain mm = 33.8

|May rain mm = 115.8

|Jun rain mm = 146.2

|Jul rain mm = 155.1

|Aug rain mm = 85.9

|Sep rain mm = 53.1

|Oct rain mm = 34.3

|Nov rain mm = 19.4

|Dec rain mm = 11.5

|year rain mm = 676.2

|Jan humidity = 58.2

|Feb humidity = 62.7

|Mar humidity = 69.4

|Apr humidity = 78.1

|May humidity = 86.9

|Jun humidity = 89.5

|Jul humidity = 88.7

|Aug humidity = 85.0

|Sep humidity = 79.2

|Oct humidity = 72.7

|Nov humidity = 64.1

|Dec humidity = 58.9

|year humidity = 74.4

|Jan sun = 359.6

|Feb sun = 288.2

|Mar sun = 263.5

|Apr sun = 168.0

|May sun = 105.4

|Jun sun = 75.0

|Jul sun = 93.0

|Aug sun = 145.7

|Sep sun = 183.0

|Oct sun = 248.0

|Nov sun = 300.0

|Dec sun = 337.9

|year sun =

|source 1 = University de Talca{{cite web |publisher=University of Talca |url=http://www.citrautalca.cl/html/agroclimatologia/resumen_datos_meteorologicos_talca.html |title=Resumen de datos meteorológicos de Talca |language=es| access-date = November 21, 2014}}

|date=May 2012

}}

Transportation

Talca has a public bus system managed by the municipal Department of Transportation. The routes are tracked through Moovit.{{Cite web |url=https://moovitapp.com/index/es-419/transporte_p%C3%BAblico-Talca-Talca-site_14546957-3809 |title=¿Cómo llegar en Autobús a Talca? |access-date=June 6, 2022 |language=es}}

Gallery

Image:Talca plaza.JPG|A garden pavilion in Plaza de Armas (Armas Square)

Image:Talca Museo.JPG|O'Higginian Historical Museum (Museo Histórico O'Higginiano)

Image:Talca 1 sur.jpg|Calle Sur de Talca (Talca Southern Street)

Image:28quake.jpg|Aftermath in damage at Talca Cathedral, by 1928 Talca earthquake

References

External links

{{in lang|es}} [http://www.talca.cl/ Municipality of Talca]
[https://web.archive.org/web/20091021073508/http://betweencreation.com/art/urban-umbrella/ Urban Umbrella Architectural Exhibition]
[https://web.archive.org/web/20070115215317/http://www.talcaurbano.cl/ Talca's Gate]
[http://www.elamaule.cl El aMaule]
[http://www.diariolaprensa.cl La Prensa]
[http://www.diarioelcentro.cl/ El Centro]
[http://www.delmaule.cl/ WWW.DELMAULE.CL]