{{Infobox settlement |official_name = Natales |other_name = |native_name = |settlement_type = Commune |image_skyline = Parroquia Maria Auxiliadora Puerto Natales.JPG |image_caption = Cathedral of Puerto Natales |image_flag = |flag_alt = Flag |image_shield = Escudo de Natales.svg |shield_alt = Coat of arms |image_map = Comuna de Natales.svg |map_caption = |map_alt = Location of the Natales commune in Magallanes Region |pushpin_map = Chile | pushpin_map_narrow = yes |pushpin_label_position = bottom |pushpin_map_caption =Location in Chile |coordinates = {{coord|51|44|S|72|31|W|region:CL-MA|display=inline,title}} | coor_pinpoint = capital | coordinates_footnotes = |subdivision_type = Country |subdivision_name = {{flag|Chile}} |subdivision_type1 = Region |subdivision_name1 = {{Flag|Magallanes y Antártica Chilena}} |subdivision_type2 = Province |subdivision_name2 = Última Esperanza | seat_type = Capital | seat = Puerto Natales | government_footnotes = <ref name="Official">{{Cite web |url = http://www.puerto-natales.com |title=Municipality of Puerto Natales | accessdate=27 January 2011|language=es}}</ref><ref name="Munitel">{{Cite web |url = http://www.munitel.cl/intro.htm |title = Asociación Chilena de Municipalidades |accessdate = 27 January 2011 |language = es |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150505081519/http://www.munitel.cl/intro.htm |archive-date = 5 May 2015 |url-status = dead }}</ref> | government_type = Municipality | leader_title = Alcaldesa | leader_party = IND | leader_name = Antonieta Oyarzo Alvarado |established_title = Founded |established_date = 1927 | 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 |accessdate=27 January 2010|language=es}}</ref> | area_total_km2 = 48974.2 | population_footnotes = <ref name="INE"/> | population_total = 19116 | population_as_of = 2002 Census | population_density_km2 = auto | population_demonym = Natalino | population_blank2_title = Rural | population_blank2 = 2138 | demographics_type1 = Sex | demographics1_footnotes = <ref name="INE"/> | demographics1_title1 = Men | demographics1_info1 = 10,068 | demographics1_title2 = Women | demographics1_info2 = 9,048 | timezone = CLT<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.world-time-zones.org/zones/chile-time.htm |accessdate=2007-05-05 |title=Chile Time |publisher=WorldTimeZones.org |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070911130719/http://www.world-time-zones.org/zones/chile-time.htm |archivedate=2007-09-11 }}</ref> | utc_offset = -4 | timezone_DST = CLST<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.world-time-zones.org/zones/chile-summer-time.htm |accessdate=2007-05-05 |title=Chile Summer Time |publisher=WorldTimeZones.org |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070911130451/http://www.world-time-zones.org/zones/chile-summer-time.htm |archivedate=2007-09-11 }}</ref> | utc_offset_DST = -3 |elevation_m =3 |area_code = 61 |website = [http://www.muninatales.cl Official website] {{in lang|es}} |footnotes = }}
'''Natales''' (Spanish for "births") is a commune of the Última Esperanza Province in the Magallanes and Antartica Chilena Region of extreme southern Chile. Its capital and only port city is Puerto Natales.
==Geography== The commune's area spans {{convert|48974.2|km2|0|abbr=on}},<ref name="INE"/> making it one of the largest communes in Chile, after only Antártica (which is, however, 25 times Natales' size), and larger than eleven of the country's 16 political regions. The Cueva del Milodón Natural Monument lies {{convert|24|km|0|abbr=on}} northwest of Puerto Natales.
==Demography== {{Historical populations |align=left |source={{cite web|url=https://www.ine.gob.cl/estadisticas/sociales/censos-de-poblacion-y-vivienda/censo-de-poblacion-y-vivienda|publisher=National Statistics Institute|title=Censo de Población y Vivienda}} |percentages=pagr |1930 |4987 |1940 |7505 |1952 |9197 |1970 |13979 |1982 |16932 |1992 |17275 |2002 |19116 |2017 |21477 |2024 |24152 }} Its capital and only city, Puerto Natales (2002 population: 16,978), is one of the southernmost settlements in the world.<ref name="2007INE">{{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 |accessdate=11 September 2010|language=es}}</ref>
According to the 2002 census of the National Statistics Institute, the Natales commune has 19,116 inhabitants (10,068 men and 9,048 women). Of these, 16,978 (88.8%) lived in urban area of the city and 2,138 (11.2%) in rural areas. The population grew by 10.7% (1,841 persons) between the 1992 and 2002 censuses. The commune comprises 96.3% of the total provincial population of 19,855.<ref name= "INE"/> Its population density is only {{convert|0.38|/km2|/sqmi|abbr=on}}.
==Administration== Puerto Natales serves as capital of both the Natales commune and the Última Esperanza Province. As a commune, Natales 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 2012-2016 alcalde is Fernando Paredes Mansilla (UDI).<ref name="Official"/><ref name="Munitel"/> The regional governor, since 14 July 2021, is Jorge Flies Añón.<ref name="Intendants">{{Cite web |url=https://www.goremagallanes.cl/sitioweb/gobregCL_curriculum.php |title=Gobierno de Chile: Gobernadores |accessdate=21 September 2021|language=es}}</ref> * Herminio Fernández García (UDI) * Ana Mayorga Bahamonde (UDI) * Tolentino Soto Ríos (PDC) * José Cuyul Rogel (PS) * Alfonso Coñoecar Millalonco (PC) * Felipe Muñoz Muñoz (Ind.).
Within the electoral divisions of Chile, Natales is represented in the Chamber of Deputies by Juan Morano Cornejo (PDC) and Gabriel Boric Font (Ind.) as part of the 60th electoral district, which includes the entire Magallanes and Chilean Antarctica Region. The commune is represented in the Senate by Carolina Goic Boroevic (PDC) and Carlos Bianchi Chelech (Ind.) as part of the 19th senatorial constituency (Magallanes Region).
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== * {{in lang|es}} [http://www.muninatales.cl Municipality of Natales]
{{Communes in Magallanes Region}} {{Authority control}}
Category:Communes of Chile Category:Populated places in Última Esperanza Province