Copiapó Province

Copiapó Province (Spanish: Provincia de Copiapó) is one of three provinces of the northern Chilean region of Atacama (III). Its capital is the city of Copiapó.

Copiapó Province Provincia de Copiapó
Province
Seal
Location in the Atacama Region
Copiapó Province Location in Chile
Coordinates: 27°27′S 70°00′W
Country	Chile
Region	Atacama
Capital	Copiapó
Communes	Copiapó Caldera Tierra Amarilla
Government [1]
• Type	Provincial
• Presidential Provincial Delegate 3	None
Area [2]
• Total	32,538.5 km2 (12,563.2 sq mi)
Population  (2012 Census)[2]
• Total	183,973
• Density	5.65401/km2 (14.6438/sq mi)
• Urban	148,101
• Rural	7,612
Sex [2]
• Men	79,436
• Women	76,277
Time zone	UTC-4 (CLT[3])
• Summer (DST)	UTC-3 (CLST[4])
Area code	56 + 52

Geography and demography

According to the 2012 census by the National Statistics Institute (INE), the province spans an area of 32,538.5 km² (12,563 sq mi)^[2] and had a population of 183,973 inhabitants, giving it a population density of 4.8/km² (12/sq mi). It is the tenth largest province in the country. Between the 1992 and 2002 censuses, the population grew by 24.9% (31,021 persons).^[2]

Administration

As a province, Copiapó is a second-level administrative division of Chile, which is further divided into three communes (comunas). The province is administered by a presidentially appointed regional delegate.^[1]

Communes

1. Copiapó
2. Caldera
3. Tierra Amarilla