title: Chañaral Province
text: # Chañaral Province
  
  Chañaral Province (Spanish: Provincia de Chañaral) is one of three provinces in the northern Chilean region of Atacama (III). Its capital is the small coastal town of Chañaral.
  
  ## Geography and demography
  
  According to the 2012 census by the National Statistics Institute (INE), the province spans an area of 24,436.2 $km^2$ (9,435 sq mi) and had a population of 28,874 inhabitants, giving it a population density of $1.3/km^2$ (3/sq mi). Between the 1992 and 2002 censuses, the population fell by 22.5% (9,319 persons).
  
  ## Administration
  
  As a province, Chañaral is a second-level administrative division of Chile, which is further divided into two communes (comunas): Chañaral and Diego de Almagro. The province is administered by a presidentially appointed provincial delegate. Jorge Fernández Herrera was appointed by president Gabriel Boric.
  
  