BiobÃÂo Province ( ) is one of three provinces of the Chilean region of BiobÃÂo (VIII). Its capital is Los ÃÂngeles (2002 pop. 94,716). It is bounded on the north, west and south by the provinces of Concepción, Arauco and Malleco, respectively, and on the east by Argentina. It has an area of of well-wooded and mountainous country, and exports timber to a large extent. The population is 373,981 according to the census of 2012.
The great trunk railway from Santiago south to Puerto Montt crosses the western part of the province and also connects it with the port of Concepción. Los ÃÂngeles lies east of this railway and is connected with it by a branch line.
The Province of Bio-BÃÂo was created on October 13, 1875, as part of the province of Araucan. In 1887, President José Manuel Balmaceda set aside the Province of Malleco. The province was then named for the BiobÃÂo River which flows through it. The Province of Bio-BÃÂo was divided, into three departments:
As part of the process of regionalization in the 1970s, the Region of BiobÃÂo was created. By Decree #1,213 of 27 of November 4, 1975, the VIII Region comprises the provinces of Bio BÃÂo, Arauco and Concepción. ÃÂuble was formerly part of BiobÃÂo Province, before becoming its own region on the 5th of September 2018.
As a province, BiobÃÂo is a second-level administrative division of Chile, governed by a provincial governor who is appointed by the president.
The province is composed of 14 communes, each governed by a municipality consisting of an elected alcalde and municipal council.
According to the 2002 census by the National Statistics Institute (INE), the province spans an area of and had a population of 353,315 inhabitants (176,960 men and 176,355 women), giving it a population density of . It is the tenth most populated province in the country. Of these, 245,775 (69.6%) lived in urban areas and 107,540 (30.4%) in rural areas. Between the 1992 and 2002 censuses, the population grew by 9.1% (29,405 persons).
The Bio BÃÂo Valley wine region is located in the province and region of the same name. One of Chile's southern wine regions, it has become known for its crisp, aromatic wines. The region is located at a latitude of 36ðS, similar to southern Spain and Monterey in California. The majority of its vineyards lie between and above sea level with a moderate Mediterranean climate. It receives of rain per year, among the highest of all Chilean wine valleys, although winds prevent excessive humidity - a phenomenon that can also be observed in northern France. For most of the 20th century, the main varieties grown in the Bio BÃÂo valley were Moscatel de Alejandria and Pais (known as Missiones in USA), but today, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Sauvignon Blanc are also grown throughout the valley.
The UK's Co-Op's Bio BÃÂo Valley Malbec (2014) was awarded silver at the International Wine Challenge and a bronze from Decanter magazine.
Total hectares planted: