Providencia, Santiago Metropolitan Region, Santiago Metro, Chile

🇨🇱 Providencia is a commune of Chile located in Santiago Province, Santiago Metropolitan Region. Part of Greater Santiago, it is bordered by the communes of Santiago to the west, Recoleta to the north-west, Las Condes and Vitacura to the north-east, La Reina to the east, and Ñuñoa to the south. It belongs to the North-eastern zone of Santiago de Chile. Providencia is home to a large upper middle to upper-class population and it holds the region's highest percentage of population over 60. It contains many high-rise apartment buildings as well as a significant portion of Santiago's commerce. It is notable for its large, old and elegant houses inhabited in the past by the Santiago elite and now mostly used as offices. The municipality is also home to many embassies, including those of Canada, Poland, Hungary, Italy, France, Egypt, Russia, Japan, China, and Uruguay. Providencia has one of the highest human development indexes of any city in Latin America.

Demographics According to the 2002 census of the National Statistics Institute, Providencia spans an area of 14.4 km² (6 sq mi) and has 120,874 inhabitants (53,082 men and 67,792 women), and the commune is an entirely urban area. The population grew by 8.7% (9,692 persons) between the 1992 and 2002 censuses.

Indicators • Area: 14.4 km² • Population: 126,436 (2009 projection) • Average annual household income: US$53,767 (PPP, 2006) • Population below poverty line: 3.5% (2006) • Regional quality of life index: 83.01, high, 5 out of 52 (2005) • Human Development Index: 0.911, 4 out of 341 (2003).

Administration As a commune, Providencia is a third-level administrative division of Chile administered by a municipal council, headed by an alcalde who is directly elected every four years. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation has its headquarters in Providencia.

Landmarks Providencia includes Barrio Bellavista, a bohemian area populated with artists and performers. The latter lies in the shadow of Cerro San Cristóbal, a prominent hill in the city topped by a 22 m statue of The Virgin Mary. The north of Providencia is its financial and commercial district (centred on Providencia and Nueva Providencia (Ex 11 de Septiembre) avenues), while the remainder of it contains high-priced residential development.

Other notable areas of interest in Providencia include the Metropolitan Zoo, the Teleférico (an aerial gondola) that transports people from the foot of Pedro de Valdivia Norte Street to the top of San Cristóbal Hill), several television networks and Radio Cooperativa.