{{Infobox settlement | official_name = Punitaqui | settlement_type = [[List of towns in Chile|Town]] and [[Communes of Chile|Commune]] | image_map = Comuna_de_Punitaqui.svg | image_skyline = Salala & Estero Punitaqui (48338575832).jpg | image_alt = | image_caption = | image_flag = | flag_alt = Flag | image_shield = Escudo Punitaqui.png | shield_alt = Coat of arms | map_caption = | pushpin_map = Chile | pushpin_map_narrow = yes | pushpin_label_position = bottom | pushpin_map_alt = Location in Chile | pushpin_map_caption = Location in Chile | coordinates = {{coord|30|54|S|71|16|W|region:CL-CO|display=inline,title}} | coor_pinpoint = city | coordinates_footnotes = | 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 = [[Limarí Province|Limarí]] | established_title = Founded | established_date = 1785 | founder = | named_for = | government_footnotes = | government_type = [[Municipality]] | leader_party = | leader_title = [[Alcalde]] | leader_name = Carlos Araya Bugueño | unit_pref = Metric | area_footnotes = <ref name="INE">{{in lang|es}} [http://www.ine.cl/canales/chile_estadistico/censos_poblacion_vivienda/censo_pobl_vivi.php Instituto Nacional de Estadísticas]</ref> | area_total_km2 = 1339.3 | area_rank = | elevation_footnotes = | elevation_m = 450 | elevation_max_footnotes = | elevation_max_m = | population_footnotes = <ref name="INE"/> | population_total = 10418 | population_as_of = 2012 | population_rank = | population_density_km2 = auto | population_demonym = Punitaquino | population_note = | population_blank1_title = [[Urban area|Urban]] | population_blank1 = 3615 | population_blank2_title = [[Rural area|Rural]] | population_blank2 = 5924 | demographics_type1 = Sex | demographics1_footnotes = <ref name="INE"/> | demographics1_title1 = Men | demographics1_info1 = 4,791 | demographics1_title2 = Women | demographics1_info2 = 4,748 | timezone = [[Time in Chile|CLT]]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.world-time-zones.org/zones/chile-time.htm |access-date=9 September 2010 |title=Chile Time |publisher=WorldTimeZones.org |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100713071639/http://www.world-time-zones.org/zones/chile-time.htm |archive-date=13 July 2010 }}</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=9 September 2010 |title=Chile Summer Time |publisher=WorldTimeZones.org |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 | postal_code = 04304 | area_code = +(56) 5 | registration_plate = | website = [http://www.munipunitaqui.cl/ Municipality of Punitaqui] | footnotes = }}
'''Punitaqui''' is a [[List of towns in Chile|town]] and [[Communes of Chile|commune]] of [[Chile]] in the [[Limarí Province]]. Punitaqui hosts an [[Punitaqui mining district|eponymous mining district]] which includes the gold mine of [[Tambo de Oro]]. There are [[ore]]s of copper, gold and mercury around Punitaqui.<ref>{{Cite report |title=Los Distritos Mineros de la Zona de Punitaqui, IV Región |last=Portigliati N. |first=Carlos |year=2008 |publisher=[[Servicio Nacional de Geología y Minería]] |language=es}}</ref>
==History== Punitaqui was once part of the [[Ovalle Department]] before the [[Administrative divisions of Chile#History|administrative restructuring]] of 1976.<ref name="GeoDictionary">{{cite book |url=https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_CYYCAAAAYAAJ |title= Geographical Dictionary of the Republic of Chile |publisher=Imp. de F. A. Brockhaus |author=Francisco Solano Asta-Buruaga y Cienfuegos |year=1899 |location=[[New York City|New York]] |access-date=26 September 2010|language=es}}</ref>
===1997 earthquake=== {{main|1997 Punitaqui earthquake}} On October 15, 1997 the town was nearly demolished by an estimated 7.1 [[moment magnitude scale|M<sub>w</sub>]] [[1997 Punitaqui earthquake|earthquake]]. Damage ranged from as far north as the [[Antofagasta Region]] to the southern [[Araucanía Region]]. Both [[Santiago Region|Santiago]] and [[Valparaíso Region]] lost [[Telecommunication|telephone service]] and [[radio]] transmissions. The quake left 8 people dead, 360 injured and 59,913 homeless, concentrating most of those in the provinces of [[Elqui Province|Elqui]] and [[Limarí Province|Limarí]].<ref>[http://www.disaster-info.net/PED-Sudamerica/chile_terremoto1997.htm Disaster-info.net] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090425072113/http://www.disaster-info.net/PED-Sudamerica/chile_terremoto1997.htm |date=2009-04-25 }} Earthquake details.</ref>
==Demographics== According to the 2002 [[census]] by the [[National Statistics Institute (Chile)|National Statistics Institute]], the commune covers an area of {{convert|1339.3|sqkm|0|abbr=on}} with a population of 9,539 inhabitants (4,791 male and 4,748 female). The population grew 9.4% (816 persons) between 1992 and 2002. There are 3,615 inhabitants in [[urban area]]s and 5,924 in [[rural areas]].
==Administration== As a commune, Punitaqui 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 2016-2020 alcalde is Carlos Araya Bugueño.
Within the [[electoral divisions of Chile]], Punitaqui is represented in the [[Chamber of Deputies of Chile|Chamber of Deputies]] by Mr. Miguel Alvarado ([[Christian Democratic Party|PDC]]) and Mr. Luis Lemus ([[Independent (politician)|Ind.]]) as part of the 9th electoral district, (together with [[Combarbalá]], [[Monte Patria]], [[Illapel]], [[Salamanca, Chile|Salamanca]], [[Los Vilos]], [[Canela, Chile|Canela]]). The commune is represented in the [[Senate of Chile|Senate]] by Adriana Muños ([[Christian Democratic Party|PDC]]) and Jorge Pizarro Soto ([[Christian Democratic Party|PDC]]) as part of the 4th senatorial constituency (Coquimbo Region).
==References== <references/>
==External links== * {{in lang|es}} [http://www.munipunitaqui.cl/ Municipality of Punitaqui]
{{Communes in Coquimbo Region}}
[[Category:Communes of Chile]] [[Category:Populated places in Limarí Province]] [[Category:1785 establishments in the Spanish Empire]]