Ovalle, Chile
The city's setting is often likened to an oasis, being lush and green although surrounded by barren hills.
There is a trail leading from the city that lasts roughly 50 minutes, and features relatively safe bathing and an area where dinosaur fossils can be found. On the trail is a life-sized model of a brachiosaurus.
The town's football club is Deportes Ovalle. Famous players have played for the club, including 1982 FIFA World Cup player Rodolfo Dubó.
Demographics
According to the 2002 census of the National Statistics Institute, Ovalle spans an area of 3,834.5 km (1,481 sq mi) and has 98,089 inhabitants (47,805 men and 50,284 women). Of these, 73,790 (75.2%) lived in urban areas and 24,299 (24.8%) in rural areas. The population grew by 15.4% (13,107 persons) between the 1992 and 2002 censuses.
Climate
The climate is semi-desertic. Ovalle has hot and dry summers, with temperatures in the range 22–33°C. Winters are humid and fresh, and is when rains occur. The temperatures in winter are generally lower than nearby cities like La Serena or Punitaqui, due to cold winds that come from the Andes through the Ovalle valley. Temperatures rarely fall below -5°C.
| Climate data for Ovalle | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 28.4 (83.1) |
28.3 (82.9) |
26.8 (80.2) |
23.9 (75.0) |
21.0 (69.8) |
18.4 (65.1) |
18.1 (64.6) |
19.6 (67.3) |
21.7 (71.1) |
23.8 (74.8) |
25.8 (78.4) |
27.4 (81.3) |
23.6 (74.5) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 19.8 (67.6) |
19.8 (67.6) |
17.6 (63.7) |
15.2 (59.4) |
13.2 (55.8) |
11.4 (52.5) |
10.9 (51.6) |
11.7 (53.1) |
13.4 (56.1) |
14.8 (58.6) |
16.9 (62.4) |
18.6 (65.5) |
15.3 (59.5) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 13.0 (55.4) |
12.4 (54.3) |
11.0 (51.8) |
9.2 (48.6) |
7.7 (45.9) |
6.5 (43.7) |
6.1 (43.0) |
6.5 (43.7) |
7.7 (45.9) |
8.6 (47.5) |
9.9 (49.8) |
11.5 (52.7) |
9.2 (48.5) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 0.0 (0.0) |
1.1 (0.04) |
0.7 (0.03) |
2.1 (0.08) |
29.5 (1.16) |
42.1 (1.66) |
26.9 (1.06) |
21.2 (0.83) |
5.7 (0.22) |
2.7 (0.11) |
0.9 (0.04) |
1.1 (0.04) |
134 (5.27) |
| Average relative humidity (%) | 74 | 65 | 69 | 73 | 76 | 78 | 78 | 76 | 73 | 69 | 66 | 64 | 72 |
| Source: Bioclimatografia de Chile | |||||||||||||
Administration
As a commune, Ovalle 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 2012-2016 alcalde is Claudio Rentería Larrondo.
Within the electoral divisions of Chile, Ovalle is represented in the Chamber of Deputies by Pedro Velásquez (Ind.) and Matías Walker (PDC) as part of the 8th electoral district, (together with Coquimbo and Río Hurtado). The commune is represented in the Senate by Gonzalo Uriarte (UDI) and Jorge Pizarro Soto (PDC) as part of the 4th senatorial constituency (Coquimbo Region).
Notable people
The pediatrician and biochemist Hermann Niemeyer, one of the central figures in the development of biochemistry in Chile, was born in Ovalle in 1918. Elisa Berroeta was born in Ovalle and was a wood engraver and illustrator, active in Santiago and Paris.
Gallery
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See also
References
- ^ "Municipality of Ovalle" (in Spanish). Retrieved 28 July 2010.
- ^ "National Statistics Institute" (in Spanish). Retrieved 4 November 2010.
- ^ "Tourism in Ovalle 2021: Summer in Ovalle".
- ^ Hajek, Ernst; Castri, Francesco (1975). "Bioclimatografia de Chile" (PDF) (in Spanish). Archived from the original (PDF) on 22 November 2009. Retrieved 27 May 2024.
- ^ "Hermann Niemeyer Fernández, Premio Nacional de Ciencias 1983". Retrieved 25 June 2021.
- ^ Cortés Aliaga, Gloria (2018). Modernas: Historias de Mujeres en el Arte Chileno 1900–1950 [Modern Women: stories of Women in Chilean Art 1900–1950]. Santiago, Chile: Origo. ISBN 9789563161465.
External links
- (in Spanish) Municipality of Ovalle
- (in Spanish) Ovallito.cl
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