{{Infobox settlement | official_name = Illapel | native_name = | settlement_type = [[List of cities in Chile|City]] and [[Communes of Chile|Commune]] | image_skyline = Illapel.JPG | image_caption = | image_flag = Bandera Illapel.png | flag_alt = Flag | image_seal = | image_shield = Escudo Illapel.png | shield_alt = Coat of arms | image_map = Comuna de Illapel.svg | map_caption = Location of Illapel commune in the Coquimbo Region | pushpin_map = Chile | pushpin_map_narrow = yes | pushpin_label_position = | pushpin_map_alt = Location in Chile | pushpin_map_caption = Location in Chile | coordinates_footnotes = | coordinates = {{coord|31|38|S|71|10|W|region:CL-CO|display=inline,title}} | subdivision_type = Country | subdivision_name = {{flag|Chile}} | subdivision_type1 = [[Regions of Chile|Region]] | subdivision_name1 = {{flag|Coquimbo}} | subdivision_type2 = [[Provinces of Chile|Province]] | subdivision_name2 = [[Choapa Province|Choapa]] | government_footnotes = <ref name="Official">{{Cite web |url=http://www.municipalidadillapel.cl/ |title=Municipality of Illapel|access-date=28 July 2010|language=es}}</ref> | government_type = [[Municipality]] | leader_title = [[Alcalde]] | leader_name = Denis Cortés Vargas | leader_party = [[Independent (politician)|IND]]/[[Juntos Podemos Más|JPM]] | established_title = Founded | established_date = 1752 | unit_pref = Metric | area_footnotes = <ref name="INE">{{Cite web |url= http://www.ine.cl/canales/chile_estadistico/censos_poblacion_vivienda/censo_pobl_vivi.php |title= National Statistics Institute |access-date=5 November 2010|language=es}}</ref> | area_total_km2 = 2629.1 | elevation_footnotes = | elevation_m = 388 | population_footnotes = <ref name="INE"/> | population_total = 30074 | population_as_of = 2012 Census | population_density_km2 = auto | population_demonym = Illapelino | population_blank1_title = [[Urban area|Urban]] | population_blank1 = 21826 | population_blank2_title = [[Rural area|Rural]] | population_blank2 = 8529 | demographics_type1 = Sex | demographics1_footnotes = <ref name="INE"/> | demographics1_title1 = Men | demographics1_info1 = 14,940 | demographics1_title2 = Women | demographics1_info2 = 15,415 |timezone = [[Time in Chile|CLT]] | utc_offset = −4 |timezone_DST = [[Time in Chile|CLST]] | utc_offset_DST = −3 | area_code = 56 + 53 | blank_name = [[Köppen climate classification|Climate]] | blank_info = [[Semi-arid climate#Cold semi-arid climates|BSk]] | website = [http://www.municipalidadillapel.cl/ Official website] {{in lang|es}} | footnotes = }}
'''Illapel''' ({{IPA|es|i.ʝa.ˈpel}}) is a [[Chile]]an [[List of cities in Chile|city]], which is the capital of the [[Choapa Province]], [[Coquimbo Region]]. It lies along the [[Illapel River]] and marks the country's narrowest point along a [[Parallel (latitude)|parallel]] (94 km). It is located to the east of [[Los Vilos]].
==Administration== As a commune, Illapel 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 2008–2012 alcalde was Denis Cortés Vargas ([[Independent (politician)|IND]]/[[Juntos Podemos Más|JPM]]).<ref name="Official" />
Within the [[electoral divisions of Chile]], Illapel is represented in the [[Chamber of Deputies of Chile|Chamber of Deputies]] by Adriana Muñoz ([[Christian Democratic Party|PDC]]) and Luis Lemus ([[Independent (politician)|Ind.]]) as part of the 9th electoral district, (together with [[Combarbalá]], [[Punitaqui]], [[Monte Patria]], [[Salamanca, Chile|Salamanca]], [[Los Vilos]], [[Canela, Chile|Canela]]). The commune is represented in the [[Senate of Chile|Senate]] by [[Evelyn Matthei|Evelyn Matthei Fornet]] ([[Independent Democratic Union|UDI]]) and [[Jorge Pizarro|Jorge Pizarro Soto]] ([[Christian Democratic Party|PDC]]) as part of the 4th senatorial constituency (Coquimbo Region).
==Demographics== According to the 2002 [[census]] of the [[National Statistics Institute (Chile)|National Statistics Institute]], Illapel spans an area of {{convert|2629.1|sqkm|0|abbr=on}} and has 30,355 inhabitants (14,940 men and 15,415 women). Of these, 21,826 (71.9%) lived in [[urban area]]s and 8,529 (28.1%) in [[rural area]]s. The population grew by 4.6% (1,348 persons) between the 1992 and 2002 censuses.<ref name= "INE"/>
==Earthquake of September 16, 2015== {{Main|2015 Illapel earthquake}} On September 16, 2015, at 22:54:33 UTC (19:54:33 local time), a [[2015 Illapel earthquake|great earthquake]] of magnitude 8.3 hit the area, with an [[epicenter]] {{convert|46|km|abbr=on}} west of Illapel.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.geographic.org/earthquakes/real_time_details.php?id=nc72282711&lat=38.2153&lon=-122.3178 |title=Map of the earthquake M8.3 – 46km W of Illapel, Chile 2015-09-16 22:54:33 UTC |author=Global Earthquake Epicenters |publisher=Geographic.org |access-date=2015-09-17}}</ref> The earthquake caused physical damage, the loss of human lives, forced the evacuation of one million people from the coast (some sources mistakenly claimed a million people evacuated from Santiago), and a [[tsunami]] warning was issued for parts of South America, Hawaii, California and French Polynesia. Copper prices spiked in early trading, on fears of supply disruption.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-chile-quake-idUSKCN0RG33E20150917 |title=Powerful quake hits off coast of Chile, some coastal flooding |author=Anthony Esposito |date=17 September 2015 |work=Reuters |access-date=2015-09-17}}</ref>
==See also== *[[Las Chinchillas National Reserve]]
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== * {{in lang|es}} [http://www.municipalidadillapel.cl/ Municipality of Illapel] * {{in lang|es}} [https://web.archive.org/web/20120626021309/http://www.comercioillapel.com/ Comercioillapel.com Tu Brujula del Valle del Choapa]
{{Communes in Coquimbo Region}} {{Authority control}}
[[Category:Capitals of Chilean provinces]] [[Category:Populated places in Choapa Province]] [[Category:Communes of Chile]] [[Category:Populated places established in 1752]] [[Category:1750s establishments in the Captaincy General of Chile]] [[Category:1752 establishments in South America]] [[Category:1752 establishments in the Spanish Empire]]