Los Ángeles 6.02

Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Bío Bío, in the commune of the same name, in Bío Bío, in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 186,671 inhabitants (census 2012). The municipality ("comuna") of Los Ángeles has the highest absolute rural population of any Chilean municipality.To the north of the city is Salto del Laja (Laja Falls), and roughly 100 kilometers to the east is the 2,979m high Antuco volcano, in the Andes mountain range. The city is a gateway for tourists visiting the nearby Laguna del Laja National Park, the location of the volcano.HistoryFounded as Nuestra Señora de Los Ángeles in 1739 by José Antonio 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, made it a strategic location.