The Metropolitan Region, which capital is the lengthy and populated city of Santiago, is located at Chile’s central zone intermediate depression and in between the 32° 55´ and 34° 19´ latitude south and 69° 46´ and 71° 43´longitude west, approximately.
It limits north-westwards with the Region of Valparaiso, eastwards with Argentina and southwards with the region of the Libertador General Bernardo O’Higgins Region.
It has a surface of 15.403,2 km2, which is equivalent to the 2, 05 % of the country’s American and Islander territory, being Chile’s smallest and only landlocked region.
This latter characteristic is due to the fact that its western boundary reaches only to the Coastal ranges, and the littoral zone, which is behind it, belongs to the Region of Valparaiso.
Its provinces
The Metropolitan Region (MR) has as capital the city of Santiago, which is also, the country’s capital. Administratively, this region comprises six provinces: Santiago, Cordillera, Chacabuco, Maipo, Melipilla and Talagante. These provinces are divided in 52 comunities.
– Province of Santiago: it has a surface of 2.030,3 km2 (equivalent to 13, 18% of the regional surface). Its capital is the same national and regional one and includes the following 32 comunas (counties): Cerrillos, Cerro Navia, Conchali, El Bosque, La Pintana, La reina, Las Condes, Lo Barnechea, Lo Espejo, lo Prado, Macul, Maipu, Nuñoa, Pedro Aguirre Cerda, Peñalolen, Providencia, Pudahuel, Quilicura, Quinta Normal, Recoleta, Renca, San Joaquin, San Miguel, San Ramon, Santiago and Vitacura.
According to the 2002 Census information, the province of Santiago has a population of 4.668.473 inhabitants, being the most densely populated
– Province of Cordillera: its capital is the Puente Alto comuna (county) and it includes besides other two: Pirque and San Jose of Maipo. Cordillera has the region’s largest surface with 5.528,3 km2 (in other words, a 35, 8% of the regional total) and a population of 522.8566 inhabitants.
We must point out that his province has the comuna (county) with more inhabitants in the MR and in the country, Puente Alto (4922.915 inhabitants) and the second less populated at regional level is San Jose of Maipo (13.376 inhabitants).
– Province of Chacabuco: is located at the region’s northern part and is formed by the comunas (counties) of Colina, Lampa and Tiltil, being the first the capital. The province’s surface reaches 2.076,2 km2 and its population, according to the 2002 census, is 132.798 inhabitants. Colina is the most populated comuna (county) with 77.815 inhabitants.
– Province of Maipo: is located at the region’s southern-central part with a surface of 1.120,5 km2 (equivalent to 7,2% of the regional surface). It has a population of 378.444 inhabitants. Is constituted by 4 comunas (counties), San Bernardo (the capital), Buin, Calera of Tango and Paine.
– Province of Melipilla: is at the western extreme of the RM, with a surface of 4.065,7 km2 (the second regional extension) and has a population of 141.165 persons. Is formed by these comunas (counties): Melipilla, (its capital), Alhué, Curacaví, Maria Pinto and San Pedro. Its less inhabited comuna (county) is Alhué with 4.435 persons.
– Province of Talagante: is located at the eastern centre of MR and is conformed by the following comunas (counties): El Monte, Isla of Maipo, Padre Hurtado, Peñaflor and Talagante (its capital). It has the lowest regional surface with 582,3 km2 (equivalent to the 3,78 % of the total and a population of 217.449 inhabitants.
