Concepcion

Concepcion, (1) a province of Chili, stretching from the Andes to the coast north of Arauco. It is an important agricultural and cattle-raising district, and has valuable coal-mines. Area, 3535 sq. m.; pop. (1885) 182,459.—CONCEPCION, the capital, near the mouth of the Biobio, is one of the most regular and handsome towns of the republic, although it has suffered severely from earthquakes. Its cathedral and several of the other public buildings are noteworthy, and its port, Talcahuano, on Concepcion Bay, is the safest and best harbour in all Chili, and ranks next to Valparaiso as a mart of foreign trade. Pop. 19,000.—(2) CONCEPCION DEL URUGUAY, the former capital of the Argentine province of Entre Rios, on the Uruguay, 180 miles SE. of Paraná by the Entre Rios Railway, with large slaughter-houses and active river-trade. Pop. 10,000.—(3) CONCEPCION, a town of Paraguay, on the Paraguay River, about 260 miles above Asuncion, with trade in maté. The official pop. (1892) 11,000, includes the surrounding districts; the town has less than 2000 inhabitants.—(4) The name of several places in Bolivia, the largest being CONCEPCION DE APOLOBAMBA, capital of the province of Caupolicán, formerly a Franciscan mission. Its Indian popula- tion cultivate coca and cacao, and collect medicinal barks from the surrounding forests.—(5) CONCEPCION, a town of Mexico, 50 miles W. of Chilhuahua, in the upper Yaqui valley, famous for its apples.—(6) CONCEPCION DE LA VEGA, a town of San Domingo, 5 miles SE. of Santiago, with 9000 inhabitants.