Politics of Chile
Executive
National Congress
Judiciary
Law
Administrative divisions
Recent elections
Independent institutions
Foreign relations
flag Chile portal

A commune (Spanish: comuna, IPA: [koˈmuna]) is the smallest administrative subdivision in Chile. It may contain cities, towns, villages, hamlets as well as rural areas. In highly populated areas, such as Santiago, Valparaíso and Concepción, a conurbation may be broken into several communes. In sparsely populated areas, conversely, a commune may cover a substantial rural area together with several settled areas which could range from hamlets to towns or cities.

The term "commune" is ambiguous in English, but the word is commonly used in translation for "comuna", although with some controversy among translators. A comuna is similar to a "county" in Anglo-American usage and practice, and may be more universally understood as a "municipality".

Each commune or municipality is governed by a directly elected body known as a municipal council (concejo municipal) consisting of a mayor (alcalde) and a group of councillors (concejales), for a period of four years. The communal civil service administration is known as the municipality (municipalidad) and is headquartered at the mayor's office (alcaldía). According to Chilean law, a single municipality may administer one or more communes, though currently, the only such case is the municipality of Cabo de Hornos, which administers the communes of Antártica and Cabo de Hornos.[1]

Chile's 346 communes are grouped into 56 provinces (provincia, pl. provincias), which are themselves grouped into 16 regions (región, pl. regiones).

List of communes by region and province

Traditionally, Chilean regions are listed in geographical order starting with the northernmost region, leaving the Santiago Metropolitan Region at the end. The following table lists all Chilean communes, providing a complete list of administrative divisions at all levels. Each commune's municipality website is given along with the area and population from the National Statistics Institute's most recent census conducted in 2002.

INE
Region 		Natural
Region 		Region Province Commune Area
(km2)[2][3] 		2002[2][3]
Population 		2014[4]
Population 		Website[5]
North Far North Chile Arica and Parinacota (XV) Arica Camarones 3,927 1,220 783 link
Arica 4,799 185,268 231,611 link Archived 2010-09-21 at the Wayback Machine
Parinacota Putre 5,903 1,977 2,073 link
General Lagos 2,244 1,179 614 link
Tarapacá (I) Iquique Iquique 2,835 166,204 196,437 link
Alto Hospicio 593 50,215 106,078 link
Tamarugal Pozo Almonte 13,766 10,830 13,723 link
Pica 8,934 6,178 6,626 link
Huara 10,475 2,599 2,923 link
Colchane 4,016 1,649 1,698 link
Camiña 2,200 1,275 1,297 link
Antofagasta (II) Antofagasta Taltal 20,405 11,100 12,937 link
Sierra Gorda 12,866 2,356 3,040 link
Mejillones 3,804 8,418 11,090 link
Antofagasta 30,718 296,905 372,325 link
El Loa San Pedro de Atacama 23,439 4,969 7,212 link
Ollagüe 2,964 318 315 link
Calama 15,597 138,402 173,691 link
Tocopilla Tocopilla 4,039 23,986 27,378 link
María Elena 12,197 7,530 5,340 link
Near North Chile Atacama (III) Chañaral Diego de Almagro 18,664 18,589 15,501 link
Chañaral 5,772 13,543 13,746 link
Copiapó Tierra Amarilla 11,191 12,888 16,867 link
Copiapó 16,681 129,091 168,946 link
Caldera 4,667 13,734 17,263 link
Huasco Vallenar 7,084 48,040 52,824 link
Huasco 1,601 7,945 10,083 link
Freirina 3,578 5,666 6,823 link
Alto del Carmen 5,939 4,840 6,194 link
Coquimbo (IV) Choapa Salamanca 3,445 24,494 27,181 link
Los Vilos 1,861 17,453 19,980 link
Illapel 2,629 30,355 32,753 link
Canela 2,197 9,379 9,914 link
Elqui Vicuña 7,610 24,010 26,561 link
Paiguano 1,495 4,168 4,483 link
La Serena 1,893 160,148 212,621 link
La Higuera 4,158 3,721 4,568 link
Coquimbo 1,429 163,036 226,223 link
Andacollo 310 10,288 11,348 link
Limarí Río Hurtado 2,117 4,771 4,994 link Archived 2015-04-02 at the Wayback Machine
Punitaqui 1,339 9,539 10,748 link
Ovalle 3,835 98,089 119,014 link
Monte Patria 4,366 30,276 33,641 link
Combarbalá 1,896 13,483 15,199 link
Central North Central Chile Valparaíso (V) Isla de Pascua Isla de Pascua 164 3,791 6,148 link
Los Andes San Esteban 1,362 14,400 18,201 link
Rinconada 123 6,692 10,084 link
Los Andes 1,248 60,198 67,659 link
Calle Larga 322 10,393 14,108 link
Marga Marga Villa Alemana 97 95,623 134,999 link
Quilpué 537 128,578 165,284 link
Limache 294 39,219 45,061 link
Olmué 232 14,105 15,897 link
Petorca Zapallar 288 5,659 6,185 link
Petorca 1,517 9,440 10,294 link
Papudo 166 4,608 5,242 link
La Ligua 1,163 31,987 33,853 link
Cabildo 1,455 18,916 20,106 link
Quillota Quillota 302 75,916 92,482 link
Nogales 405 21,633 23,708 link
La Cruz 78 12,851 18,647 link
La Calera 61 49,503 54,878 link
Hijuelas 267 16,014 17,966 link
San Antonio Santo Domingo 536 7,418 9,177 link
San Antonio 405 87,205 96,360 link
El Tabo 99 7,028 9,863 link
El Quisco 51 9,467 12,819 link
Cartagena 346 16,875 20,035 link
Algarrobo 176 8,601 10,359 link
San Felipe Santa María 166 12,813 15,484 link
San Felipe 186 64,126 73,326 link
Putaendo 1,474 14,649 16,306 link
Panquehue 122 6,567 7,301 link
Llaillay 349 21,644 24,519 link
Catemu 362 12,112 13,863 link
Valparaíso Viña del Mar 122 286,931 321,760 link
Valparaíso 402 275,982 295,075 link
Quintero 148 21,174 27,213 link
Puchuncaví 300 12,954 17,403 link
Concón 76 32,273 47,447 link
Juan Fernández 148 633 850 link
Casablanca 953 21,874 28,338 link
Metropolitana (RM) Chacabuco Tiltil 653 14,755 17,423 link
Lampa 452 40,228 82,249 link
Colina 971 77,815 117,573 link
Cordillera San José de Maipo 4,995 13,376 14,922 link
Puente Alto 88 492,915 602,203 link
Pirque 445 16,565 21,595 link
Maipo San Bernardo 155 246,762 294,019 link
Paine 678 50,028 65,603 link
Calera de Tango 73 18,235 24,097 link Archived 2015-08-11 at the Wayback Machine
Buin 214 63,419 81,760 link
Melipilla San Pedro 788 7,549 9,476 link
Melipilla 1,356 94,540 115,197 link
María Pinto 395 10,343 12,725 link Archived 2017-09-15 at the Wayback Machine
Curacaví 693 24,298 29,288 link
Alhué 845 4,435 5,631 link
Santiago Vitacura 28 81,499 88,065 link
Santiago 22 200,792 344,711 link
San Ramón 7 94,906 99,615 link
San Miguel 10 78,872 107,797 link
San Joaquín 10 97,625 104,040 link
Renca 24 133,518 150,546 link
Recoleta 16 148,220 167,258 link
Quinta Normal 12 104,012 114,297 link
Quilicura 58 126,518 202,151 link
Pudahuel 197 195,653 230,833 link
Providencia 14 120,874 145,869 link
Peñalolén 54 216,060 241,576 link
Pedro Aguirre Cerda 10 114,560 122,093 link
Ñuñoa 17 163,511 216,452 link
Maipú 133 468,390 544,876 link
Macul 13 112,535 123,506 link
Lo Prado 7 104,316 112,579 link
Lo Espejo 7 112,800 119,842 link
Lo Barnechea 1,024 74,749 101,651 link
Las Condes 99 249,893 281,623 link
La Reina 23 96,762 101,459 link
La Pintana 31 190,085 211,536 link
La Granja 10 132,520 142,862 link
La Florida 71 365,674 388,119 link
La Cisterna 10 85,118 92,289 link
Independencia 7 65,479 81,755 link
Huechuraba 45 74,070 94,342 link
Estación Central 14 130,394 144,188 link
El Bosque 14 175,594 193,185 link
Conchalí 71 133,256 140,950 link
Cerro Navia 11 148,312 158,046 link
Cerrillos 21 71,906 84,437 link
Talagante Talagante 126 59,805 70,043 link
Peñaflor 69 66,619 88,139 link
Padre Hurtado 81 38,768 54,541 link
Isla de Maipo 189 25,798 34,563 link
El Monte 118 26,459 34,986 link
O'Higgins (VI) Cachapoal San Vicente 476 40,253 46,643 link
Requínoa 673 22,161 30,184 link
Rengo 592 50,830 60,486 link
Rancagua 260 214,344 232,639 link
Quinta de Tilcoco 93 11,380 13,147 link Archived 2015-05-10 at the Wayback Machine
Pichidegua 320 17,756 20,111 link
Peumo 153 13,948 15,981 link
Olivar 45 12,335 14,823 link
Mostazal 524 21,866 26,170 link
Malloa 113 12,872 13,816 link
Machalí 2,586 28,628 50,141 link
Las Cabras 749 20,242 23,773 link
Graneros 113 25,961 33,227 link
Doñihue 78 16,916 20,127 link
Coltauco 225 16,228 19,503 link
Coinco 98 6,385 7,160 link
Codegua 287 10,796 13,952 link
Cardenal Caro Pichilemu 749 12,392 14,311 link
Paredones 562 6,695 6,491 link
Navidad 300 5,422 5,941 link
Marchihue 660 6,904 7,565 link
Litueche 619 5,526 6,251 link
La Estrella 435 4,221 3,283 link
Colchagua Santa Cruz 420 32,387 37,303 link
San Fernando 2,441 63,732 73,105 link
Pumanque 441 3,442 3,471 link
Placilla 147 8,078 9,213 link
Peralillo 283 9,729 11,460 link
Palmilla 237 11,200 13,158 link
Nancagua 111 15,634 17,029 link
Lolol 597 6,191 6,961 link
Chimbarongo 498 32,316 37,172 link
Chépica 503 13,857 15,980 link Archived 2014-01-03 at the Wayback Machine
South Central Chile Maule (VII) Cauquenes Pelluhue 371 6,414 7,553 link
Chanco 530 9,457 9,173 link
Cauquenes 2,126 41,217 40,896 link
Curicó Vichuquén 426 4,916 5,146 link
Teno 618 25,596 28,397 link
Sagrada Familia 549 17,519 19,467 link
Romeral 1,597 12,707 14,983 link
Rauco 309 8,566 9,970 link
Molina 1,552 38,521 42,128 link
Licantén 273 6,902 7,267 link
Hualañé 629 9,741 10,249 link
Curicó 1,328 119,585 142,662 link
Linares Yerbas Buenas 262 16,134 18,160 link
Villa Alegre 190 14,725 15,369 link
San Javier 1,313 37,793 41,032 link
Retiro 827 18,487 19,704 link
Parral 1,638 37,822 38,809 link
Longaví 1,454 28,161 29,562 link
Linares 1,457 83,249 90,845 link
Colbún 2,900 17,619 19,387 link Archived 2015-06-21 at the Wayback Machine
Talca Talca 232 201,797 231,860 link
San Rafael 264 7,674 9,652 link
San Clemente 4,504 37,261 41,366 link
Río Claro 431 12,698 13,513 link
Pencahue 957 8,315 8,845 link
Pelarco 332 7,266 7,910 link
Maule 238 16,837 45,676 link
Empedrado 565 4,225 4,486 link Archived 2011-07-07 at the Wayback Machine
Curepto 1,074 10,812 10,895 link
Constitución 1,344 46,081 50,631 link
Ñuble (XVI) Diguillín Chillán Viejo 292 22,084 31,502 link
Chillán 511 161,953 178,871 link
Bulnes 425 20,595 21,910 link
El Carmen 664 12,845 12,942 link
Pemuco 563 8,821 9,298 link
Pinto 1,164 9,875 11,242 link
Quillón 423 15,146 16,769 link
San Ignacio 364 16,106 16,080 link
Yungay 824 16,814 18,206 link Archived 2015-05-03 at the Wayback Machine
Itata Cobquecura 570 5,687 5,735 link
Coelemu 342 16,082 16,910 link
Ninhue 401 5,738 5,847 link
Portezuelo 282 5,470 5,648 link
Quirihue 589 11,429 13,303 link
Ránquil 248 5,683 6,041 link
Treguaco 313 5,296 5,346 link
Punilla Coihueco 1,777 23,583 25,763 link
Ñiquén 493 11,421 11,689 link
San Carlos 874 50,088 52,923 link
San Fabián 1,568 3,646 4,030 link
San Nicolás 491 9,741 11,348 link
Biobío (VIII) Arauco Tirúa 624 9,664 10,433 link
Los Álamos 599 18,632 23,252 link
Lebu 561 25,035 26,509 link
Curanilahue 994 31,943 34,802 link
Contulmo 962 5,838 5,624 link
Cañete 760 31,270 34,129 link
Arauco 956 34,873 38,163 link
Biobío Yumbel 727 20,498 21,594 link
Tucapel 915 12,777 14,300 link
Santa Bárbara 3,380 12,943 12,985 link
San Rosendo 92 3,918 3,956 link
Quilleco 1,122 10,428 10,097 link
Quilaco 1,124 4,021 4,118 link
Negrete 157 8,579 10,148 link
Nacimiento 935 25,971 28,305 link
Mulchén 1,925 29,003 30,479 link
Los Ángeles 1,748 166,556 193,252 link
Laja 340 22,404 24,006 link
Cabrero 640 25,282 28,918 link
Antuco 1,884 3,908 3,962 link
Alto Biobío 2,125 7,027 6,179 link
Concepción Tomé 495 52,440 55,693 link
Talcahuano 146 163,626 177,567 link
Santa Juana 731 12,713 13,687 link
San Pedro de la Paz 113 80,447 126,416 link
Penco 108 46,016 51,346 link Archived 2015-05-04 at the Wayback Machine
Lota 136 49,089 48,098 link
Hualqui 531 18,768 24,793 link
Hualpén 54 86,722 106,628 link
Florida 609 10,177 9,045 link
Coronel 279 95,528 113,850 link
Concepción 222 216,061 228,848 link
Chiguayante 72 81,302 97,909 link
South South Chile Araucanía (IX) Cautín Villarrica 1,291 45,531 54,427 link Archived 2020-07-29 at the Wayback Machine
Vilcún 1,421 22,491 27,349 link
Toltén 860 11,216 11,455 link
Teodoro Schmidt 650 15,504 16,167 link
Temuco 464 245,347 285,487 link
Saavedra 401 14,034 13,104 link
Pucón 1,249 21,107 27,221 link
Pitrufquén 581 21,988 24,552 link
Perquenco 331 6,450 7,220 link
Padre Las Casas 401 58,795 84,684 link
Nueva Imperial 1,160 29,994 33,247 link
Melipeuco 1,107 5,628 5,848 link
Loncoche 977 23,037 23,482 link
Lautaro 901 32,218 36,648 link
Gorbea 695 15,222 15,711 link
Galvarino 568 12,596 12,632 link
Freire 935 25,514 24,904 link Archived 2015-08-01 at the Wayback Machine
Curarrehue 1,171 6,784 7,419 link Archived 2015-05-02 at the Wayback Machine
Cunco 1,907 18,703 19,090 link
Cholchol 428 10,065 11,731 link
Carahue 1,341 25,696 26,606 link
Malleco Victoria 1,256 33,501 34,968 link
Traiguén 908 19,534 19,892 link
Renaico 267 9,128 10,499 link
Purén 465 12,868 13,020 link
Lumaco 1,119 11,405 11,379 link
Los Sauces 850 7,581 7,853 link
Lonquimay 3,914 10,237 10,940 link
Ercilla 500 9,041 9,216 link
Curacautín 1,664 16,970 17,263 link
Collipulli 1,296 22,354 24,490 link
Angol 1,194 48,996 54,995 link Archived 2012-07-18 at the Wayback Machine
Los Ríos (XIV) Ranco Río Bueno 2,212 32,627 33,166 link
Lago Ranco 1,763 10,098 10,810 link
La Unión 2,137 39,447 43,093 link
Futrono 2,121 14,981 16,403 link
Valdivia Valdivia 1,016 140,559 166,048 link
Panguipulli 3,292 33,273 36,261 link
Paillaco 896 19,237 20,798 link
Mariquina 1,321 18,223 21,845 link
Máfil 583 7,213 7,464 link
Los Lagos 1,791 20,168 22,457 link
Lanco 532 15,107 17,455 link
Corral 767 5,463 5,748 link
Los Lagos (X) Chiloé Quinchao 161 8,976 8,934 link
Quemchi 440 8,689 9,109 link
Quellón 3,244 21,823 29,951 link
Queilén 224 5,138 5,551 link
Puqueldón 97 4,160 4,053 link
Dalcahue 1,239 10,693 15,005 link
Curaco de Vélez 80 3,403 4,128 link
Chonchi 1,362 12,572 15,086 link
Castro 428 39,366 48,247 link
Ancud 1,252 39,946 43,832 link
Llanquihue Puerto Varas 4,065 32,912 40,315 link
Puerto Montt 1,673 175,938 239,534 link
Maullín 861 15,580 15,788 link
Los Muermos 1,246 16,964 16,692 link
Llanquihue 421 16,337 18,036 link
Frutillar 831 15,525 17,224 link
Fresia 1,278 12,804 12,868 link
Cochamó 3,911 4,363 4,159 link
Calbuco 591 31,070 34,638 link
Osorno San Pablo 637 10,162 10,510 link
San Juan de la Costa 1,517 8,831 7,646 link
Río Negro 1,266 14,732 13,826 link
Puyehue 1,598 11,368 11,109 link
Purranque 1,459 20,705 21,478 link
Puerto Octay 1,796 10,236 9,680 link Archived 2014-12-18 at the Wayback Machine
Osorno 951 145,475 157,389 link
Palena Palena 2,764 1,690 2,131 link
Hualaihué 2,788 8,273 10,923 link
Futaleufú 1,280 1,826 3,339 link
Chaitén 8,471 7,182 3,533 link
Austral Chile Aysén (XI) Aysén Guaitecas 787 1,539 1,733 link
Cisnes 15,831 5,739 5,339 link
Aysén 29,970 22,353 27,316 link
Capitán Prat Tortel 19,931 507 649 link Archived 2009-08-31 at the Wayback Machine
O'Higgins 8,183 463 657 link
Cochrane 8,931 2,867 3,336 link
Coyhaique Lago Verde 5,622 1,062 1,005 link
Coihaique 7,320 50,041 59,862 link
General Carrera Río Ibáñez 5,997 2,477 2,367 link
Chile Chico 5,922 4,444 5,070 link
Magallanes (XII) Antártica Chilena Cabo de Hornos 15,854 2,262 2,782 link
Antártica 1,250,000 130 184 link
Magallanes San Gregorio 6,884 1,158 342 link
Río Verde 9,975 358 134 link
Punta Arenas 17,846 119,496 129,555 link
Laguna Blanca 3,696 663 587 link
Tierra del Fuego Timaukel 10,996 423 191 link
Primavera 4,614 1,016 553 link
Porvenir 6,983 5,465 7,296 link
Última Esperanza Torres del Paine 6,470 739 732 link
Natales 48,974 19,116 21,392 link

See also

References

  1. ^ Law 19,726
  2. ^ a b "National Statistics Institute" (in Spanish). Retrieved 30 December 2010.
  3. ^ a b "Territorial division of Chile" (PDF) (in Spanish). Archived from the original (PDF) on 14 November 2010. Retrieved 30 December 2010.
  4. ^ "Comunas: Actualización Población 2002-2012 y Proyecciones 2013-2020". National Statistics Institute (in Spanish). Retrieved 20 April 2015.
  5. ^ "Asociacion Chilena de Municipalidades". Archived from the original on 19 April 2011. Retrieved 7 February 2011.

External links

Spanish terms for administrative divisions
Articles on third-level administrative divisions of countries
Categories