Colbún

Colbún (Mapudungun: "Cleaning of the land") is a Chilean town and commune in Linares Province, Maule Region. The commune has a population of over 17,000 inhabitants and covers an area of 2,900 km² (1,120 sq mi), making it the province's largest. Its capital, the town of Colbún, has 3,679 inhabitants (2002 census). It is 7 km (4 mi) west of the center of continental Chile.

Demographics

According to the 2002 census of the National Statistics Institute, Colbún spans an area of 2,899.9 km² (1,120 sq mi) and has 17,619 inhabitants (8,943 men and 8,676 women). Of these, 5,152 (29.2%) lived in urban areas and 12,467 (70.8%) in rural areas. The population grew by 3.9% (669 persons) between the 1992 and 2002 censuses.

Geography

The Colbún commune is bordered on the west by Yerbas Buenas; on the southwest by Linares and Longaví; on the north by San Clemente, (Talca Province); on the east and southeast, by Argentina, and on the south, by Parral and San Fabián; the latter in Ñuble Province. The municipality of Colbún occupies the easternmost strip of the Province of Linares, which boasts some of the highest provincial peaks and the headwaters of several provincial rivers.