{{Infobox settlement <!-- See Template:Infobox settlement for additional fields and descriptions --> | name = Choapa | official_name = | native_name = | native_name_lang = es | settlement_type = [[Provinces of Chile|Province]] | image_skyline = | image_alt = | image_caption = | nickname = | image_seal = Logo de la DPP Choapa.svg | motto = | image_map = Provincia de Choapa.svg | mapsize = 175px | map_caption = Location in the Coquimbo Region | map_alt = Location in the Coquimbo Region | pushpin_map = Chile | pushpin_map_alt = Location in Chile | pushpin_mapsize = 175<!--omit "px"--> | pushpin_map_caption = Location in Chile | coordinates = {{coord|31|40|S|71|00|W|type:adm2nd_region:CL-CO|display=inline,title}} | coordinates_footnotes = | subdivision_type = Country | subdivision_name = Chile | subdivision_type1 = [[Regions of Chile|Region]] | subdivision_name1 = [[Coquimbo Region|Coquimbo]] | established_title = | established_date = | seat_type = [[Capital (political)|Capital]] | seat = [[Illapel]] | parts_type = [[Communes of Chile|Communes]] | parts_style = coll | parts = List of 4: | p1 = [[Illapel]] | p2 = [[Salamanca, Chile]] | p3 = [[Los Vilos]] | p4 = [[Canela, Chile|Canela]] | government_footnotes = | government_type = [[Province|Provincial]] | unit_pref = Metric | area_footnotes = <ref name="INE">{{cite web|url=http://www.ine.cl/canales/chile_estadistico/territorio/division_politico_administrativa/pdf/dpa_completa.pdf |title=Territorial division of Chile |access-date=18 March 2011 |publisher=[[National Statistics Institute (Chile)|National Statistics Institute]] |year=2007 |language=es |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20101114052159/http://www.ine.cl/canales/chile_estadistico/territorio/division_politico_administrativa/pdf/DPA_COMPLETA.pdf |archive-date=14 November 2010 }}</ref> | area_total_km2 = 10131.6 | elevation_footnotes = | elevation_m = | population_footnotes = | population_total = 92350 | population_as_of = 2024 Census | population_density_km2 = auto | population_demonym = | demographics1_footnotes = | timezone = [[Time in Chile|CLT]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.world-time-zones.org/zones/chile-time.htm |access-date=1 July 2011|title=Chile Time |work=World Time Zones |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070911130719/http://www.world-time-zones.org/zones/chile-time.htm |archive-date=11 September 2007 }}</ref> | utc_offset = −4 | timezone_DST = [[Time in Chile|CLST]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.world-time-zones.org/zones/chile-summer-time.htm |access-date=28 July 2010 |title=Chile Summer Time |work=World Time Zones |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070911130451/http://www.world-time-zones.org/zones/chile-summer-time.htm |archive-date=11 September 2007 }}</ref> | utc_offset_DST = -3 | postal_code_type = | postal_code = | area_code_type = | area_code = 56 + 53 | website = [http://dppchoapa.gob.cl/ Government of Choapa] | footnotes = }}
'''Choapa Province''' is a [[Provinces of Chile|province]] in the [[Coquimbo Region]] of Chile. Its capital is [[Illapel]]. Spread over an area of {{cvt|10136.6|km2}}, it had a population of 92,350 inhabitants as per the [[2024 Chilean census]]. The province was established by law on 1 August 1974. It is one of the major [[wine]] producing regions in Chile.
==History== The [[Coquimbo Region]] was established on 1 August 1974, from the erstwhile Intendency of Coquimbo, which had been established on 23 September 1811. It is divided into three provinces: Choapa, [[Limarí Province|Limarí]] and [[Elqui Province|Elqui]], which are further divided into 18 [[Communes of Chile|communes]].<ref name="Hist">{{cite web|url=https://www.descentralizachile.cl/region_de_coquimbo/|lang=es|title=Region de Coquimbo|trans-title=Coquimbo region|work=[[Ministry of the Interior (Chile)]]|access-date=1 April 2026}}</ref>
==Geography== Choapa Province is one of the provinces of the [[Coquimbo Region]] in Chile.<ref name="Hist"/><ref name="Admin">{{cite web|url=https://www.citypopulation.de/en/chile/mun/admin/|title=Administrative division of Chile|work=City Population.de|access-date=1 April 2026}}</ref> It spans an area of {{cvt|10136.6|km2}}<ref name="INE"/> and has its capital at [[Illapel]].<ref name="Water">{{cite web|url=https://dialogue.earth/en/water/57035-illapel-chile-city-mega-drought-mining-perfect-storm/|title=Illapel: Chilean city caught in perfect storm of mega-drought and mining|work=Dialogue Earth|access-date=1 April 2026}}</ref> The province is divided into four [[Communes of Chile|communes]]–[[Illapel]], [[Salamanca, Choapa|Salamanca]], [[Los Vilos]], and [[Canela, Chile|Canela]].<ref name="Admin"/>
The province is located in the Choapa Valley, which is one of the major [[wine]] producing regions in Chile. It is located in the narrowest part of Chile, with less than {{cvt|100|km}} width between the [[Andes]] mountains in the east and the Pacific Ocean in the west.<ref name="Water"/><ref name="Wine">{{cite web|url=http://www.winesofchile.org/chilean-wine/wine-regions/choapa-valley/|title=Choapa Valley |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140401035824/http://www.winesofchile.org/chilean-wine/wine-regions/choapa-valley/ |archive-date=1 April 2014|work=Wines of Chile|access-date=11 June 2013}}</ref> The region has an arid climate with an average of only {{cvt|10|cm}} rainfall annually. The vineyards are planted on rocky, foothill soils and produce high quality [[Syrah]] and [[Cabernet Sauvignon]] grapes, which have a high acidity and low pH.<ref name="Wine"/>
The economy has been dependent on [[agriculture]] and [[mining]] previously. However, years of mining, has left huge toxic wastes, which have polluted the water bodies. The region faced severe drought in the 2010s due to increased [[desertification]], and shortage of water in the [[Illapel River|Illapel]] and [[Choapa River]]s.<ref name="Water"/>
==Demographics== According to the [[2024 Chilean census]], the province had a population of 92,350 inhabitants. The population consisted of 46,880 females (50.8%) and 45,470 males (49.2%). About 18.2% of the population was below the age of 15 years, 64.7% belonged to the age group of 15–64 years, and 17.2% was aged 65 years or older. The province had an urban population of 55,845 inhabitants (60.5%) and a rural population of 36,505 inhabitants (39.5%). Most of the residents were born in Chile, accounting for 88,621 inhabitants (96%). Non-indigenous people formed the majority of the population with 83,603 inhabitants (90.5%), while 8,740 inhabitants (9.5%) identified themselves as belonging to indigenous groups. [[Roman Catholics]] formed the largest religious group with 48,519 adherents (64.4%), followed by 16,628 inhabitants (22.1%) indicating no religious affiliation, and [[Evangelicals]] or [[Protestants]] with 8,323 adherents (11%).<ref name="CP">{{cite web|url=https://www.citypopulation.de/en/chile/mun/admin/042__choapa/|title=Choapa Province|work=City Population.de|access-date=1 April 2026}}</ref><ref>{{cite report|url= https://storage.googleapis.com/bktdescargascenso2024/viviendas_censo2024.zip|title=Chilean Census 2024, Results|work=[[National Statistics Institute (Chile)]]|access-date=1 April 2026}}</ref>
==See also== * [[Chilean wine]] * [[Elqui Valley (wine region)|Elqui Valley]]
==References== {{reflist}} {{Provinces of Chile}} {{Communes in Coquimbo Region}}
[[Category:Provinces of Chile]] [[Category:Provinces of Coquimbo Region]]