Nacimiento | |
|---|---|
 | |
 Flag .svg) Coat of arms  Location of Nacimiento commune in the Bío Bío Region   Nacimiento Location in Chile | |
| Coordinates (city): 37°30′S 72°40′W / 37.500°S 72.667°W | |
| Country | Chile |
| Region | Bío Bío |
| Province | Bío Bío |
| Founded | 1603 |
| Government | |
| • Type | Municipality |
| • Alcalde | Hugo Inostroza Ramírez |
| Area | |
| • Total | 934.9 km2 (361.0 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 57 m (187 ft) |
| Population (2012 Census)[3] | |
| • Total | 26,523 |
| • Density | 28/km2 (73/sq mi) |
| • Urban | 20,884 |
| • Rural | 5,087 |
| Demonym | Nacimentano |
| Sex | |
| • Men | 13,090 |
| • Women | 12,881 |
| Time zone | UTC−4 (CLT) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−3 (CLST) |
| Area code | 56 + 43 |
| Website | Official website (in Spanish) |
Nacimiento (Spanish pronunciation: [nasiˈmjento], English: Birth) is a Chilean city situated in the Bío Bío Province, Bío Bío Region, 550 km (342 mi) south of Santiago, and 104 km (65 mi) from the closest major city in the region, Concepción.
It was first used as a fort for the Spanish army to advance and control the territory, and it was officially baptised on Christmas Eve of December 1603 with the name of Nacimiento de Nuestro Señor (Nativity of Our Lord). Destroyed in the later risings of the Mapuche and repaired in 1665, 1724 and for the last time in 1739, it was transferred with its inhabitants in 1749 to the site of the current town.
For a long time it was considered the last frontier of Chile, but after the arrival of foreign investors and developers it became a very prosperous city. The Palacio Gleisner is testament to that early prosperity.
Among the rivers that surround the city include the Bío Bío and the Vergara rivers. Industrial practices of lumber companies such as Mininco, Inforsa and Santa Fé (among others) have caused contaminants to pollute the waters of the Vergara River, which was the life source of local agricultural cultivation.
- ^ "Asociación Chilena de Municipalidades" (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 7 July 2011. Retrieved 23 February 2011.
- ^ "Municipality of Nacimiento" (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 7 July 2011. Retrieved 23 February 2011.
- ^ a b c "National Statistics Institute" (in Spanish). Retrieved 13 December 2010.