 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (August 2012) |
La Serena | |
|---|---|
 Archbishopric of La Serena, Court of Appeals, Landscape, Japanese Park, Plaza de Armas, Lighthouse, Avenida Francisco de Aguirre, Fountain of the Plaza de Armas, Court and the Plaza and University of La Serena (Campus Colina El Pino) | |
 Flag  Coat of arms  La Serena's urban hinterland   La Serena Location in Chile | |
| Coordinates (city): 29°54′S 71°15′W / 29.900°S 71.250°W | |
| Country |  Chile |
| Region |  Coquimbo |
| Province | Elqui |
| Founded | 1544 |
| Named for | La Serena, Spain |
| Government | |
| • Type | Municipality |
| • Alcalde | Luis Henríquez (a) |
| Area | |
• Total | 1,892.8 km2 (730.8 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 28 m (92 ft) |
| Population (2012 Census)[2] | |
• Total | 198,163 |
| • Density | 100/km2 (270/sq mi) |
| • Urban | 147,815 |
| • Rural | 12,333 |
| Demonym | Serenean |
| Sex | |
| • Men | 77,385 |
| • Women | 82,763 |
| Time zone | UTC−4 (CLT) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−3 (CLST) |
| Postal code | 1700000 |
| Climate | BWk |
| Website | www |
La Serena (Spanish pronunciation: [la seˈɾena]) is a city and commune in northern Chile, capital of the Coquimbo Region. Founded in 1544, it is the country's second oldest city after the national capital, Santiago.[3] As of 2012, it had a communal population of roughly 200,000, and was one of the fastest-growing areas of Chile.
The city is an important tourist destination for Chileans and Argentines, especially during the summer, where people go to visit the beaches. It is the headquarters of the University of La Serena and also is home to the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of La Serena, one of five Catholic Archdioceses of the Catholic Church in Chile.
- ^ "Municipality of La Serena" (in Spanish). Retrieved 4 November 2010.
- ^ a b c "National Statistics Institute" (in Spanish). Retrieved 4 November 2010.
- ^ http://www.letsgochile.com/locations/small-north/coquimbo-iv/la-serena Archived 3 June 2017 at the Wayback Machine La Serena article