Iquique Province

Iquique Province (Spanish: Provincia de Iquique) is one of two provinces in the northern Chilean region of Tarapacá. Its capital is the port city of Iquique.

Iquique Provincia de Iquique
Province
Iquique
Flag Seal
Location in the Tarapacá Region
Iquique Location in Chile
Coordinates: 20°12′50″S 70°9′9″W
Country	Chile
Region	Tarapacá
Capital	Iquique
Communes	Iquique Alto Hospicio
Government [1]
• Presidential Provincial Delegate	None
Area [2]
• Total	2,835.3 km2 (1,094.7 sq mi)
• Rank	2
Population  (2012 census)[2]
• Total	275,042
• Rank	1
• Density	97/km2 (250/sq mi)
• Urban	214,586
• Rural	1,833
Sex [2]
• Men	108,897
• Women	107,522
Time zone	UTC-4 (CLT[3])
• Summer (DST)	UTC-3 (CLST[4])
Area code	56 + 57

History

Until October 2007, the Province of Iquique was composed of 7 communes: Alto Hospicio, Camina, Colchane, Huara, Iquique, Pica and Pozo Almonte, but since then, with the creation of the Region of Arica and Parinacota, much of the province, specifically the municipalities of Huara, Camina, Colchane, Pozo Almonte and Pica, was transferred administratively to Tamarugal Province, leaving Iquique Province consists of two communes.^{[citation needed]}

Geography and demography

According to the 2012 census by the National Statistics Institute (INE), the province spans an area of 2,835.3 km² (1,095 sq mi) and had a population of 275,042 inhabitants, giving it a population density of 76.3/km² (198/sq mi). Between the 1992 and 2002 censuses, the population grew by 30.8% (50,959 persons).^[2]

Administration

As a province, Iquique is a second-level administrative division of Chile, which is further divided into two communes (comunas): the capital Iquique and its suburb Alto Hospicio. The province is administered by the presidentially appointed regional delegate.^[1]