Administrative divisions of Chile

The administrative division or territorial organization of Chile exemplifies characteristics of a unitary state. State administration is functionally and geographically decentralized, as appropriate for each authority in accordance with the law.

For the interior government and administration within the State, the territory of the republic has been divided into 15 regions (regiones), 54 provinces (provincias) and 346 communes (comunas) since the 1970s process of reform, made at the request of the National Commission on Administrative Reform (Comisión Nacional de la Reforma Administrativa or CONARA). State agencies exist to promote the strengthening of its regionalization, equitable development and solidarity between regions, provinces and communes within the nation.

Since 2005, the creation, abolition and designation of regions, provinces and communes, the altering of their boundaries, and the establishment of the regional and provincial capitals are part of constitutional law.

The Ministries of Chile (except the Ministries of the Interior, National Defense, Foreign Affairs and Secretary General of the Presidency) are devolved to regional level, being represented by regional ministries, integrating the so-called "regional cabinet," chaired by the regional intendent.

History

The political and administrative division of Chile has had four major periods: before 1833, from 1833 to 1925, from 1925 to 1976 and from 1976 onwards.

Before 1974, Chile was divided into:

1. Provinces (provincias) - First level
2. Departments (departamentos) - Second level

In October 2007, two new regions came into force: The I Tarapacá Region was divided laterally to create XV Arica and Parinacota Region to the north, and similarly, the X Los Lagos Region was split to create XIV Los Ríos Region to its north. Also there are plans to create a joint region between the provinces of Linares and Cauquenes by splitting the VII Maule Region.

On March 11, 2010, the creation of the Marga Marga Province gave Chile a new total of 54 provinces.

Current structure

Regions of Chile by their Roman numeral.

Chile is administratively divided into:

1. 15 Regions (regiones) - First level administrative division
2. 54 Provinces (provincias) - Second level administrative division
3. 346 Communes (comunas) - Third level administrative division

Regions

Main article: Regions of Chile

The regional government is headed by the intendant (intendente), appointed by the President of the Republic. The intendant is advised by the Regional Ministerial Secretaries (Secretaría Regional Ministerial or SEREMIs).

The administration of the region lies in the regional government, constituted by the intendente and the Regional Council (Consejo Regional).

Provinces

Main article: Provinces of Chile

The government and administration of each province lies in the provincial governorate (Gobernación Provincial), headed by a governor (gobernador), appointed by the President of the Republic. It exercises its powers in accordance with the instructions from the regional intendant. It is advised by the Provincial Economic and Social Council (Consejo Económico y Social Provincial or CESPRO).

The only exception is the Santiago Province, which makes no provision for a provincial governorate in its regulations. Instead, the position corresponds to the intendant of the Metropolitan Region of Santiago. In January 2001, the Provincial Delegation of Santiago was created with the position of a Provincial Delegate, who exercises the functions of a provincial governor on behalf of the respective intendant.

Communes

Main article: Communes of Chile

The local administration of each commune or group of communities resides in the municipality (municipalidad), consisting of an alcalde and a communal council (Consejo Comuna), elected directly for a period of 4 years renewable.

Municipalities represent the decentralization of central power. They are advised by an Economic and Social Communal Council (Consejo Económico y Social Comunal or CESCO), composed of representatives from the most important of the community's organizations and activities.

There are 346 communes and 345 municipalities, as the municipality of Cabo de Hornos manages the grouping of communities of Cape Horn and Antártica. There are proposals to create a number of new communities to be studied by the Secretariat of Regional and Administrative Development (Subsecretaría de Desarrollo Regional y Administrativo or SUBDERE).

Current list of administrative divisions

Region	Capital	Provinces	Capital	Communes
XV Arica and Parinacota Region	Arica	Arica	Arica	Arica Camarones
		Parinacota	Putre	General Lagos Putre
I Tarapacá Region	Iquique	El Tamarugal	Pozo Almonte	Camiña Colchane Huara Pica Pozo Almonte
		Iquique	Iquique	Iquique Alto Hospicio
II Antofagasta Region	Antofagasta	Tocopilla	Tocopilla	María Elena Tocopilla
		El Loa	Calama	Calama Ollagüe San Pedro de Atacama
		Antofagasta	Antofagasta	Antofagasta Mejillones Sierra Gorda Taltal
III Atacama Region	Copiapó	Chañaral	Chañaral	Chañaral Diego de Almagro
		Copiapó	Copiapó	Copiapó Caldera Tierra Amarilla
		Huasco	Vallenar	Vallenar Freirina Huasco Alto del Carmen
IV Coquimbo Region	La Serena	Elqui	Coquimbo	Andacollo Coquimbo La Higuera La Serena Paiguano Vicuña
		Limarí	Ovalle	Ovalle Río Hurtado Monte Patria Combarbalá Punitaqui
		Choapa	Illapel	Illapel Salamanca Los Vilos Canela
V Valparaíso Region	Valparaíso	Petorca	La Ligua	La Ligua Cabildo Zapallar Papudo Petorca
		Los Andes	Los Andes	Los Andes San Esteban Calle Larga Rinconada
		San Felipe de Aconcagua	San Felipe	San Felipe Llaillay Putaendo Santa María Catemu Panquehue
		Quillota	Quillota	Quillota La Calera Nogales Hijuelas La Cruz
		Valparaíso	Valparaíso	Valparaíso Viña del Mar Concón Quintero Puchuncaví Casablanca Juan Fernández
		Marga Marga	Quilpué	Quilpué Limache Olmué Villa Alemana
		San Antonio	San Antonio	Algarrobo El Quisco El Tabo Cartagena San Antonio Santo Domingo
		Isla de Pascua	Hanga Roa	Isla de Pascua
VI Región del Libertador General Bernardo O'Higgins	Rancagua	Cachapoal	Rancagua	Codegua Coínco Coltauco Doñihue Graneros Las Cabras Machalí Malloa Olivar Peumo Pichidegua Quinta de Tilcoco Rancagua Requínoa Rengo Mostazal San Vicente de Tagua Tagua
		Colchagua	San Fernando	Chépica Chimbarongo Lolol Nancagua Palmilla Peralillo Placilla Pumanque San Fernando Santa Cruz
		Cardenal Caro	Pichilemu	La Estrella Litueche Marchigüe Navidad Paredones Pichilemu
VII Maule Region	Talca	Curicó	Curicó	Curicó Hualañé Licantén Molina Rauco Romeral Sagrada Familia, Chile Teno Vichuquén
		Talca	Talca	Talca San Clemente Pelarco Pencahue Maule San Rafael Curepto Constitución Empedrado Río Claro
		Linares	Linares	Linares San Javier de Loncomilla Parral Villa Alegre Longaví Colbún Retiro Yerbas Buenas
		Cauquenes	Cauquenes	Cauquenes Chanco Pelluhue
VIII Biobío Region	Concepción	Ñuble	Chillán	Bulnes Chillán Chillán Viejo Cobquecura Coelemu Coihueco El Carmen Ninhue Ñiquén Pemuco Pinto Portezuelo Quillón Quirihue Ránquil San Carlos San Fabián San Ignacio San Nicolás Treguaco Yungay
		Biobío	Los Ángeles	Alto Biobío Antuco Cabrero Laja Los Ángeles Mulchén Nacimiento Negrete Quilaco Quilleco San Rosendo Santa Bárbara Tucapel Yumbel
		Concepción	Concepción	Concepción Coronel Chiguayante Florida Hualpén Hualqui Lota Penco San Pedro de la Paz Santa Juana Talcahuano Tomé
		Arauco	Lebu	Arauco Cañete Contulmo Curanilahue Lebu Los Álamos Tirúa
IX Araucanía Region	Temuco	Malleco	Angol	Angol Collipulli Curacautín Ercilla Lonquimay Los Sauces Lumaco Purén Renaico Traiguén Victoria
		Cautín	Temuco	Temuco Carahue Cholchol Cunco Curarrehue Freire Galvarino Gorbea Lautaro Loncoche Melipeuco Nueva Imperial Padre Las Casas Perquenco Pitrufquén Pucón Saavedra Teodoro Schmidt Toltén Vilcún Villarrica
XIV Los Ríos Region	Valdivia	Valdivia	Valdivia	Valdivia Corral Lanco Los Lagos Mariquina Máfil Paillaco Panguipulli
		Ranco	La Unión	La Unión Futrono Lago Ranco Río Bueno
X Los Lagos Region	Puerto Montt	Osorno	Osorno	Osorno Puerto Octay Purranque Puyehue Río Negro San Pablo San Juan de la Costa
		Llanquihue	Puerto Montt	Calbuco Cochamó Fresia Frutillar Llanquihue Los Muermos Maullín Puerto Montt Puerto Varas
		Chiloé	Castro	Ancud Castro Chonchi Curaco de Vélez Dalcahue Puqueldón Queilén Quellón Quemchi Quinchao
		Palena	Chaitén	Futaleufú Hualaihué Palena
XI Aisén Region	Coihaique	Coihaique	Coihaique	Coihaique Lago Verde
		Aisén	Puerto Aisén	Aisén Cisnes Guaitecas
		General Carrera	Chile Chico	Chile Chico Río Ibáñez
		Capitán Prat	Cochrane	Cochrane O'Higgins Tortel
XII Magallanes and Antártica Chilena Region	Punta Arenas	Última Esperanza	Puerto Natales	Puerto Natales Torres del Paine
		Magallanes	Punta Arenas	Laguna Blanca Punta Arenas Río Verde San Gregorio
		Tierra del Fuego	Porvenir	Porvenir Primavera Timaukel
		Antártica Chilena	Puerto Williams	Cabo de Hornos Antártica
Santiago Metropolitan Region (RM)	Santiago	Chacabuco	Colina	Colina Lampa Tiltil
		Cordillera	Puente Alto	Puente Alto San José de Maipo Pirque
		Maipo	San Bernardo	San Bernardo Buin Paine Calera de Tango
		Talagante	Talagante	Isla de Maipo El Monte Padre Hurtado Peñaflor Talagante
		Melipilla	Melipilla	Curacaví María Pinto Melipilla San Pedro Alhué
		Santiago	Santiago	Cerrillos Cerro Navia Conchalí El Bosque Estación Central Huechuraba Independencia La Cisterna La Granja La Florida La Pintana La Reina Las Condes Lo Barnechea Lo Espejo Lo Prado Macul Maipú Ñuñoa Pedro Aguirre Cerda Peñalolén Providencia Pudahuel Quilicura Quinta Normal Recoleta Renca San Miguel San Joaquín San Ramón Santiago Vitacura

Proposed structural changes

SUBDERE continues to examine the proposed creation of the provinces of Villarrica, San Carlos, Admiral Simpson, Aconcagua and others.