Cochrane, Chile

Cochrane
Town and Commune

The town of Cochrane

The town of Cochrane
Flag
Flag
Map of Cochrane commune in Aisén Region
Map of Cochrane commune in Aisén Region
Location in Chile
Cochrane
Location in Chile
Coordinates (town): 47°15′17″S 72°34′30″W / 47.25472°S 72.57500°W / -47.25472; -72.57500Coordinates: 47°15′17″S 72°34′30″W / 47.25472°S 72.57500°W / -47.25472; -72.57500
Country Chile
Region Aisén
Province Capitán Prat
Founded 1954
Founded as Pueblo Nuevo de Cochrane ("New Town of Cochrane")
Government[1]
  Type Municipality
  Alcalde Patricio Ulloa Georgia (UDI)
Area[2]
  Total 8,930.5 km2 (3,448.1 sq mi)
Elevation 199 m (653 ft)
Population (2012 Census)[2]
  Total 2,976
  Density 0.33/km2 (0.86/sq mi)
  Urban 2,217
  Rural 650
Sex[2]
  Men 1,555
  Women 1,312
Time zone CLT (UTC−4)
  Summer (DST) CLST (UTC−3)
Area code(s) 56 + 67
Climate Cfb
Website www.cochranepatagonia.cl (Spanish)

Cochrane is a Chilean town and commune in Capitán Prat Province of the Aisén Region. According to the 2002 census it has a population of 2,867. The urban population in 2002 was 2,217 and the rural population was 650.

Cochrane was founded in 1954 (as Pueblo Nuevo), but didn't have road access to the rest of Chile until 1988, when the Carretera Austral was opened. The town was later named Cochrane in honour of Thomas Cochrane, 10th Earl of Dundonald, a British naval captain and radical politician who was appointed the first Admiral of the Chilean Navy in 1818 and made a major contribution to winning independence for the young nation from Spain. Cochrane remains the southernmost town along the highway, with only a few villages south of it.

Nearby is the prominent peak of Monte San Lorenzo, also known as Cerro Cochrane.

Demographics

According to the 2002 census of the National Stat is tics Institute, Cochrane spans an area of 8,930.5 km2 (3,448 sq mi) and has 2,867 inhabitants (1,555 men and 1,312 women). Of these, 2,217 (77.3%) lived in urban areas and 650 (22.7%) in rural areas. The population fell by 4.3% (129 persons) between the 1992 and 2002 censuses.[2]

Administration

Cochrane

As a commune, Cochrane is a third-level administrative division of Chile administered by a municipal council, headed by an alcalde who is directly elected every four years. The 2008-2012 alcalde is Patricio Ulloa Georgia (UDI). The council has the following members:[1]

Within the electoral divisions of Chile, Cochrane is represented in the Chamber of Deputies by René Alinco (PDC) and David Sandoval (UDI) as part of the 59th electoral district, which includes the entire Aisén Region. The commune is represented in the Senate by Antonio Horvath Kiss (RN) and Patricio Walker Prieto (PDC) as part of the 18th senatorial constituency (18).

Climate

Cochrane has an oceanic climate (Köppen Cfb) with drying trend in summer. Owing to its location in a valley behind the Northern Patagonian Ice Field, it is shielded from the heavy rainfall caused by the Humboldt Current, but the precipitation is still relatively abundant and able to support forest, unlike further east in Argentinian Patagonia. The record high is 35.0 °C (95.0 °F) on January 2013 and the record low is −16.2 °C (2.8 °F) in July 1995.[3]

Climate data for Cochrane (1970–2000, extremes 1970–present)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 35.0
(95)
34.0
(93.2)
31.4
(88.5)
24.8
(76.6)
19.0
(66.2)
16.4
(61.5)
16.2
(61.2)
16.6
(61.9)
22.4
(72.3)
24.8
(76.6)
28.0
(82.4)
32.0
(89.6)
35.0
(95)
Average high °C (°F) 19.3
(66.7)
19.4
(66.9)
16.9
(62.4)
12.7
(54.9)
7.8
(46)
4.1
(39.4)
4.2
(39.6)
7.3
(45.1)
11.2
(52.2)
14.2
(57.6)
16.4
(61.5)
18.1
(64.6)
12.6
(54.7)
Daily mean °C (°F) 15.6
(60.1)
15.3
(59.5)
13.0
(55.4)
9.3
(48.7)
5.1
(41.2)
1.9
(35.4)
1.8
(35.2)
4.4
(39.9)
7.9
(46.2)
10.8
(51.4)
13.0
(55.4)
14.6
(58.3)
9.4
(48.9)
Average low °C (°F) 9.4
(48.9)
8.8
(47.8)
6.8
(44.2)
4.2
(39.6)
1.8
(35.2)
−0.7
(30.7)
−1.0
(30.2)
0.4
(32.7)
2.7
(36.9)
5.0
(41)
7.3
(45.1)
8.8
(47.8)
4.4
(39.9)
Record low °C (°F) −0.3
(31.5)
0.0
(32)
−5.1
(22.8)
−5.8
(21.6)
−8.2
(17.2)
−15.2
(4.6)
−16.2
(2.8)
−11.8
(10.8)
−6.8
(19.8)
−4.6
(23.7)
−3.2
(26.2)
−0.6
(30.9)
−16.2
(2.8)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 42.6
(1.677)
32.6
(1.283)
47.0
(1.85)
63.7
(2.508)
83.5
(3.287)
79.5
(3.13)
84.5
(3.327)
86.5
(3.406)
56.7
(2.232)
47.0
(1.85)
43.8
(1.724)
47.1
(1.854)
714.5
(28.13)
Average precipitation days 9 8 9 10 13 11 12 12 9 8 9 9 119
Average relative humidity (%) 51 52 59 66 76 81 77 69 60 55 53 52 62.6
Source: Dirección Meteorológica de Chile[4][3]

References

  1. 1 2 "Municipality of Cochrane" (in Spanish). Retrieved 17 January 2011.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "National Statistics Institute" (in Spanish). Retrieved 16 January 2010.
  3. 1 2 "Temperatura Mensual Histórica de Lord Cochrane Ad. (470001)". Sistema de Administración de Datos Climatológicos (in Spanish). Dirección Meteorológica de Chile. Retrieved April 25, 2016.
  4. "Estadisca Climatologica Tomo III" (PDF) (in Spanish). Dirección General de Aeronáutica Civil. March 2001. pp. 416–431. Retrieved April 25, 2016.
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