Concepción (redirected from Concepcion)

Concepción (kōnsĕpsēōn`), city (1990 est. pop. 306,464), capital of Bío-Bío region, S central Chile, near the mouth of the Bío-Bío River. It is an industrial and commercial center and Chile's third largest city. Its port, Talcahuano, just north of the city, ships the products of the surrounding rich agricultural region. Concepción's industries produce glass, textiles, sugar, lumber, hides, and steel. More than 80% of the country's coal comes from nearby mines. Founded in 1550 by Pedro de Valdivia, the Spanish conqueror of Chile, the city was besieged and destroyed by the Araucanian chief Lautaro in 1554–55. It was completely destroyed by earthquakes in 1570, 1730, 1751, 1835, and 1939 and was severely damaged in 1960. Its numerous rebuildings have given Concepción a modern appearance. Points of interest include the Plaza Independencia and a university.

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Concepción

City (pop., 2002 prelim.: 371,000), capital of Bío-Bío region, south-central Chile. One of Chile's largest cities, it was founded in 1550 on the Pacific coast, where it was twice burned by Araucanian Indians. It has also been struck by numerous earthquakes, two of which were followed by tsunamis, and in 1754 it was moved inland to its present site near the mouth of the Bío-Bío River. Despite its severe seismic activity, it has become a major commercial and industrial centre and a distribution point for southern Chile. Local industries include textiles, food products, and steel.