Valdivia is a city and commune in Chile , capital of the homonymous province and Rivers Region .
It was the first city founded in southern Chile in 1552 by the conquistador Pedro de Valdivia and under the name of Santa Mar�a la Blanca de Valdivia , and the fourth of the government, after Santiago , La Serena and Concepci�n . It was considered "the key of the South Sea" in colonial times, it was a strategic location for access to the Pacific Ocean .Following that we built a set of fortifications that protected them from enemy attacks. Integra along with the towns of Corral , Lanco , M�fil and Mariquina Precinct No. 53 and belongs to the Senate District 16. �. The creation of Los R�os Region XIV ( March 16 of 2007 ), becomes an ancient region of Valdivia Province, and transforms this regional capital city. Currently known as the "Beer Capital of Chile ".
The city of Valdivia is located in the South of America, at 39 � 48'30 "S latitude and 73 � 14'30" W longitude, at 841.24 kmof Santiago , capital of Chile. It is located at the confluence of the Calle-Calle , Valdivia - Cau-Cau and Cruces River , and is 15 km from the bay of Corral . Bordered on the north by Marikina , northeast with M�fil , east to the Lakes , southeast with Paillaco , south to Corral and west by the Pacific Ocean .
According to the national census conducted in the year 2002 by the National Statistics Institute of Chile , Valdivia is the eighteenth most populous urban area in the country with 127 750 inhabitants. In 1960, the city and its surroundings were the hardest hit by the most powerful earthquake in the history of mankind, which reached 9.5 on the Richter scale , known in Chile as " Valdivia earthquake
