Talca

**Talca** is a ceety an commune in Chile locatit aboot  sooth o Santiago, an is the caipital o baith Talca Province an Maule Region (7t Region o Chile). As o the 2002 census, the ceety haed a population o 193,755.

The ceety is an important economic centre, wi agricultural (wheat) an manufacturin activities, as well as wine production. It is the location o the Universidad de Talca an the Catholic Varsity o Maule an aw, amang ithers. The Catholic Kirk o Talca haes held a prominent role in the history o Chile.

The inhabitants o Talca hae a sayin, *Talca, [[Paris]] & [[Lunnon]]*, born frae a hat shop which haed placit a ribbon statin that it haed branches in Paris an Lunnon. The shop wis awned bi a French immigrant namit Jean-Pierre Lagarde.

## Demographics
Accordin tae the 2002 census o the Naitional Statistics Institute, Talca spans a aurie o  an haes 201,797 inhabitants (96,810 men an 104,987 weemen). O these, 193,755 (96%) livit in urban auries an 8,042 (4%) in landwart auriess. The population grew bi 17.8% (30,510 bodies) atween the 1992 an 2002 censuses.

## History
The ceety wis foondit in 1692 bi Tomás Marín de Poveda an refoondit as **Villa San Agustín de Talca** in 1742 bi José Antonio Manso de Velasco. It wis pairtially destroyed bi the 1928 Talca yirdquauk an the 2010 Chile yirdquauk, bein rebuilt baith times. It sits near the epicentre o the 2010, yirdquauk 8.8 yirdquauk an suffered severe shakin causin the collapse o hintle o the historic toun centre. The ceety played a role in Chile's unthirldom. Here, Bernardo O'Higgins signed the Chilean independence declaration in 1818.

## Administration

As a commune, Talca is a third-level admeenistrative diveesion o Chile admeenistered bi a municipal cooncil, heidit bi an alcalde who is directly electit ivery fower years. The 2008-2012 alcalde is Juan Castro Prieto (Independent Democratic Union, centre-richt).

Athin the electoral diveesions o Chile, Talca is representit in the Chamber o Deputies bi Sergio Aguiló (PS) an Germán Verdugo (RN) as pairt o the 37t electoral destrict, which consists entirely o the Talca commune. The commune is representit in the Senate bi Juan Antonio Coloma Correa (UDI) an Andrés Zaldívar Larraín (PDC) as pairt o the 10t senatorial constituency (Maule-North).

## Geografie o climate
The commune o Talca spans a aurie o . The ceety o Talca is locatit  sooth o Santiago, sooth o the confluence o the rivers Lircay an Claro, in the Central Valley. The ceety is bisectit bi the Pan-American Heich-gate.

Talca haes a Mediterranean climate wi dry simmers an wet winters, tho it is hotter in simmer an ceuler in winter than coastal ceeties like Valparaíso an Concepcíon.




## Gallery

Image:Talca plaza.JPG|A garden pavilion in Plaza de Armas (Armas Square)
Image:Talca Museo.JPG|O'Higginian Historical Museum (Museo Historico O'higginiano)
Image:Talca 1 sur.jpg|Calle Sur de Talca (Talca Southern Street}
Image:28quake.jpg|Eftermath in damage at Talca Cathedral, bi 1928 Talca yirdquauk


## See an aw
*Maule River
*Descabezado Grande
*Radal Siete Tazas National Reserve
*Altos de Lircay National Reserve

## References

## Freemit airtins

*  Municipality o Talca
* '''Urban Umbrella''' Architectural Exhibition 
* Talca's Gate 
* El aMaule
* La Prensa 
* El Centro 
* WWW.DELMAULE.CL