Los Angeles

Encyclopedia : L : LO : LOS : Los Angeles

This article is about a Chilean city; for the city in California, see Los Angeles.

Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII (the Biobío region), in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 94,716 inhabitants (census 2002).

To the north of the city is Salto del Laja (Laja Falls), and roughly 100 kilometers to the east is the 2.985 meter high (9,793 ft) Antuco volcano, in the Andes mountain range.

History

Founded as Santa María de Los Ángeles in 1739 by Manso de Velasco, it was originally a Spanish fort as an outpost in the War of Arauco. It received the title of villa in 1748. The city underwent numerous rebuildings, due to the Spanish military campaigns against the native Mapuche in their efforts to colonize the area. Its geographic location, just to the north of the Biobío river (the border established by the Spaniards), made it a strategic location.

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