Our History

The region of Los Ríos as such has recently been established, but the territory has an interesting history with landmarks marked by the era of conquest and then by tragic events like the great earthquake of Valdivia, among others, of which the region has managed to get standing.

Hispanic Population

The area currently covered by the Region of Rivers was inhabited by various indigenous groups of the Mapuche family, now called lafkenches (of Lafkenche "sea people" in Mapudungun) and huilliches (Willich, "people of the South") . They were people who had an economy of subsistence gardening combined with hunting and gathering, cultivating potatoes and beans, raised llamas and practiced a limited metallurgy.

Spanish rule and the history of Valdivia

In 1552, the invading Spanish troops led by Pedro de Valdivia founded the city of Valdivia. The town, one of the most southern Hispanic founded by the hosts, was abandoned after the disaster of Curalaba in 1598, where the Mapuche defeated the Spanish expulsion from the cities founded in the South at that time. In the 1640s there was an attempted Dutch settlement, initially using indigenous, but were recalled by not having the expected support among the Mapuche. Later the city would be rebuilt en1684, although the surrounding lands were still controlled by the Mapuche people.

The city was an important strategic point in the Viceroyalty of Peru to control the passage of ships across the Pacific from Cape Horn to the rich Peruvian area. The city was protected by a strong system to prevent attack by enemies of the Spanish Crown, as pirates of English or Dutch origin. Valdivia, Chiloé with were the only colonial strongholds south of the Arauco War Biobíodurante therefore dependent viceroyalty and not directly from the Captaincy General of Chile, and only until the end of the colony, the product of the Rebellion Huilliche 1792 and the subsequent foundation of the city of Osorno and the creation of the Camino Real, there would be peace and progress in the region and relations between native peoples and Creoles and Hispanic.

The city would remain in Spanish hands until February 4, 1820, when the Chilean patriot troops under Lord Thomas Cochrane made Making Valdivia, whose historical recreation is possible to appreciate each summer at Fort Corral.

XIX century

Incorporated into Chile, Valdivia Province begin to inhabit and in 1821, where he founded the city of La Union. However, to the Spanish government and its strategic importance, Valdivia's economy would enter a period of depression. The Chilean authorities decided to start both in Valdivia and Llanquihue in the area, further south, a process of colonization by immigrants of German origin. The first groups of settlers called Llanquihue Settlement reached Valdivia in 1846 and soon began to develop industry in the city, mainly beer and sausages, becoming the most industrialized city in southern Chile.

Today, the regional economy is mainly based on the item Forester, both for the extraction of wood (mainly pine and to a lesser extent, eucalyptus) and pulp processing plants like the CELCO, located near San Jose the Marikina. there is also paper production. The development of cereal and berries food, and livestock are also important activities in the interior areas of the region, which is producing more than 50% of milk and dairy products in the country. As an added value in the region, highlights the craft brewing, coming to take a position as capital Valdivia, Chile brewery.

Tourism is important for the development of the region by the presence of elements that differ from the rest of the country, such as the Forest Valdiviana large waterway areas where the river is famous street street and path of the moon, the coastal area fairs Traditionalists fishing coves and protected parks. Inside is the Sietelagos sector and the banks of Lake Ranco. In the Andes, the main attractions are health spas and existing nature reserves as Huilo Huilo Reserve.

The region is considered a leader in developing creative industries, non-traditional economic activities, linked to innovation, the arts, culture, science and research, Valdivia presence in some of the nation's leading universities.

XX century.

Valdivia however suffer various disasters throughout the twentieth century. A big fire would wipe out the city in 1909, but the most remembered is the Great Earthquake of Valdivia occurred on May 22, 1960 and with a magnitude of 9.6 degrees on the Richter scale is the strongest in recorded history of humanity. The earthquake destroyed almost all the peoples of the region, caused the famous "Riñihuaso" where by landslides on the banks of the Rio San Pedro, accumulated water Sietelagos, subsequently causing a great display of machinery helped to liberate water, while areas such as Los Lagos, Valdivia Antilhue and well were flooded. The Valdivia earthquake caused several changes in its geography, such as increased wetland areas, which now give the coast of Valdivia, a habitat that allows the development of hundreds of species of birds.

Since March 16, 2007, President Michelle Bachelet promulgated the law creating the new XIV definitively Los Ríos Region, comprising the provinces of Ranco and Valdivia, Valdivia being the regional capital, with 12 communes: Lanco, Panguipulli, San Mariquina Jose, Mafil, Los Lagos, Paillaco, Futrono, Lago Ranco, La Union, Rio Bueno, Valdivia and Corral.