A province is the second largest administrative division in Chile with 56 in total. The largest administrative division in Chile is that of a region with 16 in total.
Each provincial presidential delegation (delegación presidencial provincial) is headed by a provincial presidential delegate (delegado presidencial provincial) appointed by the President. The governor exercises their powers in accordance with instructions from the regional presidential delegate (delegado presidencial regional). The provincial delegate is advised by the Provincial Economic and Social Council (Consejo Económico y Social Provincial or CESPRO). No provincial presidential delegations exist in those provinces where the regional capital is located; its functions were merged with those of the regional presidential delegate.
The country’s provinces are further divided into 346 communes which are administered by an alcalde and municipal council.
Until 1976, a province was the main administrative division in Chile, with 25 provinces: Aconcagua, Aysén (since 1929), Antofagasta, Arauco, Atacama, Biobío, Cautín, Chiloé, Colchagua, Concepción, Coquimbo, Curicó, Linares, Llanquihue, Magallanes (since 1929), Malleco, Maule, Ñuble, O’Higgins, Osorno (since 1940), Santiago, Talca, Tarapacá, Valdivia, and Valparaíso. Despite being claimed by Chile, Antártica Chilena is not generally recognized as part of Chile due to being located in Antarctica.
List of provinces
The following table gives each province, its capital, surface area and 2002 population according to the National Statistics Institute.
| INE Region |
Natural Region |
Region | Province | Capital | No. of Communes |
Area[1][2] | 2002[1][2] Population |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| North | Far North Chile | Arica and Parinacota (XV) | Arica | Arica | 2 | 8,726.4 | 186,488 |
| North | Far North Chile | Arica and Parinacota (XV) | Parinacota | Putre | 2 | 8,146.9 | 3,156 |
| North | Far North Chile | Tarapacá (I) | Iquique | Iquique | 2 | 2,835.3 | 216,419 |
| North | Far North Chile | Tarapacá (I) | Tamarugal | Pozo Almonte | 5 | 39,390.5 | 22,531 |
| North | Far North Chile | Antofagasta (II) | Antofagasta | Antofagasta | 4 | 67,793.5 | 318,779 |
| North | Far North Chile | Antofagasta (II) | El Loa | Calama | 3 | 41,999.6 | 143,689 |
| North | Far North Chile | Antofagasta (II) | Tocopilla | Tocopilla | 2 | 16,236 | 31,516 |
| North | Near North Chile | Atacama (III) | Copiapó | Copiapó | 3 | 32,538.5 | 155,713 |
| North | Near North Chile | Atacama (III) | Huasco | Vallenar | 4 | 18,201.5 | 66,491 |
| North | Near North Chile | Atacama (III) | Chañaral | Chañaral | 2 | 24,436.2 | 32,132 |
| North | Near North Chile | Coquimbo (IV) | Elqui | La Serena | 6 | 16,894.8 | 365,371 |
| North | Near North Chile | Coquimbo (IV) | Limarí | Ovalle | 5 | 13,553.2 | 156,158 |
| North | Near North Chile | Coquimbo (IV) | Choapa | Illapel | 4 | 10,131.6 | 81,681 |
| Central | North Central Chile | Valparaíso (V) | Isla de Pascua | Hanga Roa | 1 | 163.6 | 3,791 |
| Central | North Central Chile | Valparaíso (V) | Los Andes | Los Andes | 4 | 3,217.7 | 95,474 |
| Central | North Central Chile | Valparaíso (V) | Marga Marga | Quilpué | 3 | 927.2 | 263,420 |
| Central | North Central Chile | Valparaíso (V) | Petorca | La Ligua | 6 | 4,736.4 | 71,243 |
| Central | North Central Chile | Valparaíso (V) | Quillota | Quillota | 6 | 1,344.9 | 190,022 |
| Central | North Central Chile | Valparaíso (V) | San Antonio | San Antonio | 6 | 1,611.6 | 136,594 |
| Central | North Central Chile | Valparaíso (V) | San Felipe de Aconcagua | San Felipe | 6 | 2,659.2 | 131,911 |
| Central | North Central Chile | Valparaíso (V) | Valparaíso | Valparaíso | 6 | 1,999.1 | 651,188 |
| Central | North Central Chile | O’Higgins (VI) | Cachapoal | Rancagua | 17 | 7,384.2 | 542,901 |
| Central | North Central Chile | O’Higgins (VI) | Colchagua | San Fernando | 10 | 5,678 | 196,566 |
| Central | North Central Chile | O’Higgins (VI) | Cardenal Caro | Pichilemu | 6 | 3,324.7 | 41,160 |
| Central | South Central Chile | Maule (VII) | Talca | Talca | 10 | 9,937.8 | 352,966 |
| Central | South Central Chile | Maule (VII) | Linares | Linares | 8 | 10,041.2 | 253,990 |
| Central | South Central Chile | Maule (VII) | Curicó | Curicó | 9 | 7,280.9 | 244,053 |
| Central | South Central Chile | Maule (VII) | Cauquenes | Cauquenes | 3 | 3027.2 | 57,088 |
| Central | South Central Chile | Ñuble (XVI) | Diguillín | Bulnes | 9 | 5,229.3 | 319,809 |
| Central | South Central Chile | Ñuble (XVI) | Punilla | San Carlos | 5 | 5,202.5 | 98,596 |
| Central | South Central Chile | Ñuble (XVI) | Itata | Quirihue | 7 | 2,177.11 | 53,832 |
| Central | South Central Chile | Biobío (VIII) | Concepción | Concepción | 12 | 3,439.3 | 912,889 |
| Central | South Central Chile | Biobío (VIII) | Biobío | Los Ángeles | 14 | 14,987.9 | 353,315 |
| Central | South Central Chile | Biobío (VIII) | Arauco | Lebu | 7 | 5,457.2 | 157,255 |
| South | South Chile | Araucanía (IX) | Cautin | Temuco | 21 | 18,409 | 667,920 |
| South | South Chile | Araucanía (IX) | Malleco | Angol | 11 | 13,433.3 | 201,615 |
| South | South Chile | Los Ríos (XIV) | Valdivia | Valdivia | 8 | 10,197.2 | 259,243 |
| South | South Chile | Los Ríos (XIV) | Ranco | La Unión | 4 | 8,232.3 | 97,153 |
| South | South Chile | Los Lagos (X) | Llanquihue | Puerto Montt | 9 | 14,876.4 | 321,493 |
| South | South Chile | Los Lagos (X) | Osorno | Osorno | 7 | 9,223.7 | 221,509 |
| South | South Chile | Los Lagos (X) | Chiloe | Castro | 10 | 7,165.5 | 142,194 |
| South | South Chile | Los Lagos (X) | Palena | Futaleufú | 4 | 15,301.9 | 18,971 |
| South | Austral Chile | Aysén (XI) | Coihaique | Coihaique | 2 | 12,942.5 | 51,103 |
| South | Austral Chile | Aysén (XI) | Aysén | Puerto Aysén | 3 | 46,588.8 | 29,631 |
| South | Austral Chile | Aysén (XI) | General Carrera | Chile Chico | 2 | 11,919.5 | 6,921 |
| South | Austral Chile | Aysén (XI) | Capitan Prat | Cochrane | 3 | 37,043.6 | 3,837 |
| South | Austral Chile | Magallanes (XII) | Magallanes | Punta Arenas | 4 | 36,400.8 | 121,675 |
| South | Austral Chile | Magallanes (XII) | Última Esperanza | Puerto Natales | 2 | 55,443.9 | 19,855 |
| South | Austral Chile | Magallanes (XII) | Tierra del Fuego | Porvenir | 3 | 22,592.7 | 6,904 |
| Central | North Central Chile | Santiago Metropolitan (XIII) | Santiago | Santiago | 32 | 2,090.3 | 4,668,473 |
| Central | North Central Chile | Santiago Metropolitan (XIII) | Cordillera | Puente Alto | 3 | 5,528.3 | 522,856 |
| Central | North Central Chile | Santiago Metropolitan (XIII) | Maipo | San Bernardo | 4 | 1,120.5 | 378,444 |
| Central | North Central Chile | Santiago Metropolitan (XIII) | Talagante | Talagante | 5 | 582.3 | 217,449 |
| Central | North Central Chile | Santiago Metropolitan (XIII) | Melipilla | Melipilla | 5 | 4,076.7 | 141,165 |
| Central | North Central Chile | Santiago Metropolitan (XIII) | Chacabuco | Colina | 3 | 2,076.1 | 132,798 |