{{Infobox settlement <!-- See Template:Infobox settlement for additional fields and descriptions --> | name = Elqui Province | official_name = | native_name = ''Provincia de Elqui'' | native_name_lang = es | settlement_type = [[Provinces of Chile|Province]] | image_skyline = | image_alt = | image_caption = | nickname = | image_seal = Logo de la Gobernación Provincial de Elqui.svg | motto = | image_map = Provincia de Elqui.svg | mapsize = 175px | map_alt = Location in the Coquimbo Region | map_caption = 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|29|40|S|70|33|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 = [[Coquimbo]] | parts_type = [[Communes of Chile|Communes]] | parts_style = | parts = List of 6: | p1 = [[Andacollo]] | p2 = [[Coquimbo]] | p3 = [[La Higuera, Chile|La Higuera]] | p4 = [[La Serena, Chile|La Serena]] | p5 = [[Paihuano]] | p6 = [[Vicuña, Chile|Vicuña]] | p7 = | 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 |format=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 |archive-url=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 = 16895.1 | elevation_footnotes = | elevation_m = | population_footnotes = | population_total = 562,457 | population_as_of = 2024 | population_density_km2 = auto | population_demonym = | 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 + 51 | iso_code = CL-CO | website = | footnotes = }} '''Elqui Province''' ({{langx|es|Provincia de Elqui}} {{IPA|es|ˈelki|}}) is a [[Provinces of Chile|province]] in the [[Coquimbo Region]] of Chile. Its capital is [[Coquimbo]]. Spread over an area of {{cvt|16895.1|km2}}, it had a population of 562,457 inhabitants as per the [[2024 Chilean census]]. The province was established by law on 1 August 1974.
==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: Elqui, [[Limarí Province|Limarí]] and [[Choapa Province|Choapa]]s, 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== Elqui 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|16895.1|km2}}<ref name="INE"/> and has its capital at [[Coquimbo]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://turismoregiondecoquimbo.cl/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Coquimbo-Destination.pdf|title=Coquimbo|work=Turismo Region de Coquimbo|access-date=1 April 2026}}</ref> It is located in the [[Elqui Valley (wine region)|Elqui Valley]],<ref>{{cite web|url=https://irrigationleadermagazine.com/irrigation-in-the-elqui-valley/|title=Irrigation in the Elqui Valley|work=Irrigation magazine|access-date=1 June 2025}}</ref> which is one of the major [[wine]] producing regions in Chile.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.peek.com/elqui-province-coquimbo-chile/r0ag8p8/guide|title=Elqui Province|work=Peek|access-date=1 April 2026}}</ref><ref name="Pisco">{{cite web|url=https://lacgeo.com/elqui-valley-wine-region-chile|title=Elqui valley wine region|work=Lacgeo|access-date=1 April 2026}}</ref> Located at the end of the [[Atacama desert]], the valley has one of the clearest skies, which attracts stargazers.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nationalgeographic.com/travel/article/why-the-elqui-valley-is-one-of-south-americas-best-stargazing-stays|title=Why the Elqui Valley on the edge of Atacama Desert is one of South America's best stargazing stays|work=[[National Geographic]]|access-date=1 April 2026}}</ref> About 57% of the land area of the province is part of the [[Elqui River]] basin, 20% of the land area forms part of the Los Chorros River basin.<ref name="MI2">{{cite web|url=https://simbio.mma.gob.cl/DPA/DetailsProvincia/34|lang=es|title=Provincia details, Elqui Provincia|trans-title=Details of the Province, Elqui Province|work=[[Ministry of the Interior (Chile)]]|access-date=1 April 2026}}</ref> The village of [[Pisco Elqui]] is popular for the manufacture of [[Pisco]], a type of [[brandy]] made from grapes.<ref name="Pisco"/>
The province is divided into six [[Communes of Chile|communes]]–[[Andacollo]], [[Coquimbo]], [[La Higuera, Chile|La Higuera]], [[La Serena, Chile|La Serena]], [[Paihuano]], and [[Vicuña, Chile|Vicuña]].<ref name="MI2"/><ref>{{cite web |title=Provincia de Elquí |url=http://www.subdere.cl/1510/w3-propertyvalue-24731.html |work=Subsecretaría de Desarollo Regional y Administrativo |publisher=[[Government of Chile]] |access-date=25 July 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101217232309/http://www.subdere.cl/1510/w3-propertyvalue-24731.html |archive-date=17 December 2010 |lang=es|trans-title=Province of Elqui}}</ref>
===Climate=== Elqui has a [[Mediterranean climate]] (Classification: Csb) with an average annual temperature of {{cvt|18.4|C}}. It receives an average of {{cvt|11.16|mm}} of precipitation annually.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://weatherandclimate.com/chile/coquimbo/pisco-elqui|title=Elqui|work=Weather and Climate|access-date=1 June 2025}}</ref>
==Demographics== According to the [[2024 Chilean census]], Elqui Province had a population of 562,457 inhabitants. The population consisted of 289,977 females (51.6%) and 272,480 males (48.4%). About 18.7% of the population was below the age of 15 years, 67.9% belonged to the age group of 15–64 years, and 13.4% was aged 65 years or older. The province had an urban population of 492,369 inhabitants (87.5%) and a rural population of 70,088 inhabitants (12.5%). Most of the residents were born in Chile, accounting for 528,336 inhabitants (93.9%). Non-indigenous people formed the majority of the population with 505,603 inhabitants (89.9%), while 56,782 inhabitants (10.1%) identified themselves as belonging to indigenous groups. [[Roman Catholics]] formed the largest religious group with 277,612 adherents (61%), followed by 118,268 inhabitants (26%) indicating no religious affiliation, and [[Evangelicals]] or [[Protestants]] with 37,557 adherents (8.3%).<ref name="CP">{{cite web|url=https://www.citypopulation.de/en/chile/mun/admin/041__elqui/|title=Elqui 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>
==References== {{Reflist}} {{Provinces of Chile}} {{Communes in Coquimbo Region}} {{Authority control}}
[[Category:Provinces of Chile]] [[Category:Provinces of Coquimbo Region]]