La Higuera, Chile

La Higuera


Coat of arms
Map of La Higuera commune in Coquimbo Region
Location in Chile
Location in Chile
La Higuera
Location in Chile
Coordinates: 29°30′S 71°16′W / 29.500°S 71.267°W / -29.500; -71.267
Country Chile
Region Coquimbo
ProvinceElqui
CapitalLa Higuera
Government
 • TypeMunicipality
 • AlcaldeSylvia Clavería Mondaca
Area
 • Total
4,158.2 km2 (1,605.5 sq mi)
Elevation
594 m (1,949 ft)
Population
 (2012 Census)[2]
 • Total
4,285
 • Density1.0/km2 (2.7/sq mi)
 • Urban
1,080
 • Rural
2,641
Sex
 • Men2,084
 • Women1,637
Time zoneUTC-4 (CLT[3])
 • Summer (DST)UTC-3 (CLST[4])
Area code56 + 51
WebsiteMunicipality of La Higuera

La Higuera is a town and commune in Elqui Province, Coquimbo Region, Chile. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean, the east by the Atacama Region, and the south by the communes of Vicuña and La Serena.

Punta de Choros is famous for its beaches and a colony of bottlenose dolphins, the southernmost colony of that species. Of the total commune population, 1,080 live in urban zones and 2,641 live in rural zones.

The islands of Choros and Damas are also part of the commune, which form the National Reserve of the Humboldt Penguin, administered by the Corporación Nacional Forestal. On the island of Damas, the beach La Tijera is found at the extreme south.

Las Campanas Observatory and La Silla Observatory are also found in the territory of the commune.

  1. ^ "Municipality of La Higuera" (in Spanish). Retrieved 4 November 2010.
  2. ^ a b c "National Statistics Institute" (in Spanish). Retrieved 4 November 2010.
  3. ^ "Chile Time". WorldTimeZones.org. Archived from the original on 11 September 2007. Retrieved 26 September 2010.
  4. ^ "Chile Summer Time". WorldTimeZones.org. Archived from the original on 11 September 2007. Retrieved 26 September 2010.