La Serena, Chile

La Serena (Spanish pronunciation: [la seˈɾena]) is a city and commune in northern Chile, capital of the Coquimbo Region. Founded in 1544, it is the country's second oldest city after the national capital, Santiago. As of 2012, it had a communal population of roughly 200,000, and was one of the fastest-growing areas of Chile.

La Serena
City and Commune
Archbishopric of La Serena, Court of Appeals, Landscape, Japanese Park, Plaza de Armas, Lighthouse, Avenida Francisco de Aguirre, Fountain of the Plaza de Armas, Court and the Plaza and University of La Serena (Campus Colina El Pino)
La Serena
Location in Chile
Coordinates (city): 29°54′S 71°15′W
Country Chile
Region Coquimbo
ProvinceElqui
Founded1544
Named forLa Serena, Spain
Government
  TypeMunicipality
  AlcaldeRoberto Jacob Jure (PRSD)
Area
  Total1,892.8 km2 (730.8 sq mi)
Elevation
28 m (92 ft)
Population
 (2012 Census)
  Total198,163
  Density100/km2 (270/sq mi)
  Urban
147,815
  Rural
12,333
DemonymSerenean
Sex
  Men77,385
  Women82,763
Time zoneUTC−4 (CLT)
  Summer (DST)UTC−3 (CLST)
Postal code
1700000
ClimateBWk
Websitewww.laserena.cl (in Spanish)

The city is an important tourist destination for Chileans and Argentines, especially during the summer, where people go to visit the beaches. It is the headquarters of the University of La Serena and also is home to the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of La Serena, one of five Catholic Archdioceses of the Catholic Church in Chile.

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