View source for Lago Ranco, Chile

{{Multiple issues|{{Cleanup|date=December 2010}}
{{Lead too short|date=October 2020}}
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{{Infobox settlement
| official_name      = Lago Ranco
| other_name         = 
| native_name        = 
| nickname           = 
| motto              = 
| settlement_type    = [[List of towns in Chile|Town]] and [[Communes of Chile|commune]]
| image_skyline      = Lago Ranco Town.JPG
| imagesize          = 
| image_caption      = 
| image_flag         = 
| flag_alt           = Flag
| image_shield       = Escudo de Lago Ranco.svg
| shield_alt         = Coat of arms
| image_map          = Comuna_de_Lago Ranco.svg
| mapsize            = 
| map_caption        = Map of the Lago Ranco commune in the Los Ríos Region
| map_alt            = Map of the Lago Ranco commune in the Los Ríos Region
| pushpin_map_narrow = yes
| pushpin_map        = Chile
| pushpin_mapsize    = 100
| pushpin_label_position = bottom
| pushpin_map_alt    = Location in Chile
| pushpin_map_caption = Location in Chile
| coordinates        = {{coord|40|19|S|72|30|W|region:CL-LR|display=inline,title}}
| coor_pinpoint      = town
| coordinates_footnotes = 
| subdivision_type   = [[List of sovereign states|Country]]
| subdivision_name   = [[Chile]]
| subdivision_type1  = [[Regions of Chile|Region]]
| subdivision_name1  = [[Los Ríos Region|Los Ríos]]
| subdivision_type2  = [[Provinces of Chile|Province]]
| subdivision_name2  = [[Ranco Province|Ranco]]
| government_footnotes = <ref name="Munitel">{{Cite web |url = http://www.lagoranco.cl |title=Asociación Chilena de Municipalidades | accessdate=27 January 2011|language=es}}</ref>
<ref name="Official">{{Cite web |url = http://www.lagoranco.cl |title=Municipality of Lago Ranco | accessdate=27 January 2011|language=es}}</ref>
| government_type    = [[Municipality]]
| leader_title       = [[Alcalde]]
| leader_party       = [[Christian Democratic Party (Chile)|PDC]]
| leader_name        = Santiago Rosas Lobos
| established_title  = Lago Ranco
| established_date   = 14 February 1941
| unit_pref          = Metric
| area_footnotes     = <ref name="INE">{{Cite web |url= http://www.ine.cl/canales/chile_estadistico/censos_poblacion_vivienda/censo_pobl_vivi.php |title= National Statistics Institute |accessdate=13 December 2010|language=es}}</ref>
| area_total_km2     = 1763.3
| elevation_footnotes = 
| elevation_m        = 64
| population_footnotes = <ref name="INE"/>
| population_total   = 9575
| population_as_of   = 2012 Census
| population_density_km2 = auto
| population_demonym = 
| population_blank1_title = [[Urban area|Urban]]
| population_blank1  = 2205
| population_blank2_title = [[Rural area|Rural]]
| population_blank2  = 7893
| demographics_type1 = Sex
| demographics1_footnotes = <ref name="INE"/>
| demographics1_title1 = Men
| demographics1_info1 = 5,295
| demographics1_title2 = Women
| demographics1_info2 = 4,803
| timezone           = [[Time in Chile|CLT]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.world-time-zones.org/zones/chile-time.htm |accessdate=26 September 2010 |title=Chile Time |publisher=WorldTimeZones.org |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070911130719/http://www.world-time-zones.org/zones/chile-time.htm |archive-date=11 September 2007 }}</ref>
| utc_offset         = -4
| timezone_DST       = [[Time in Chile|CLST]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.world-time-zones.org/zones/chile-summer-time.htm |accessdate=26 September 2010 |title=Chile Summer Time |publisher=WorldTimeZones.org |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070911130451/http://www.world-time-zones.org/zones/chile-summer-time.htm |archive-date=11 September 2007 }}</ref>
| utc_offset_DST     = -3
| postal_code_type   = 
| postal_code        = 
| area_code          = 56 + 63
| website            = [https://web.archive.org/web/20070320071510/http://www.municipalidadelagoranco.cl/ Municipality of Lago Ranco]
| footnotes          = 
}}

'''Lago Ranco''' is a [[List of towns in Chile|town]] and [[Communes of Chile|commune]] in southern [[Chile]] administered by the  Municipality of Lago Ranco. It is located in [[Ranco Province]] in [[Los Ríos Region]]. Lago Ranco takes its name from [[Ranco Lake]], which it shares with the commune of [[Futrono, Chile|Futrono]].

== History ==
{{Unreferenced|section|date=May 2025}}
Ranco Lake Basin was inhabited since ancient times by indigenous people belonging to Huilliche "people of the south", which was characterized by a more peaceful than that of the [[Mapuche]]. However, this was not the norm, as demonstrated in the great rebellion led by toqui Pelantaru in 1599. That meant the destruction and abandonment of cities and fountains built by the Spanish conquistadors south of the Bío-Bío.

Most of the life of the Huilliche communities in the area was spent in quiet, close contact with the natural environment that gave them their livelihood. Gathering, hunting, fishing, livestock, and incipient agriculture were the activities that allowed them to maintain their sedentary lifestyle and the development of certain cultural expressions.

During the colonial period, there was little change as it remained outside the territories of the colonization process Only occasional attempts were made to integrate this area into civilized life, such as through the missionary work of the Jesuits from the fortifications of Quinchilca in the north and San José de Alcudia in the south, situated on the banks of the river Well to the west of the lake.

The Huilliche communities in the area lived in the geographical setting of the Maihue and Ranco lacustrine basins, both lakes situated in the pre-Andean region and connected by the Calcurrupe River. This geographical landscape, which originated in the last glacial period, was inhabited by the early settlers of the Quaternary era. Each sector of this region was given a name that is still used today, such as Maihue, Curriñe, Chabranco, Hueinahue, and Rupumeica in the Maihue sector, and TRINGL, Ranco, Huapi, Calcurrupe, Llifén, Illahuapi, Pocuro, Riñinahue, Pitreño, Ilihue, Quillaico, Ignatieff, and Pitriuco in the Lago Ranco area.

During the Republican era in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, the Chilean state promoted a process of settlement and integration of its various territories into national order. However, the location of Lake Ranco in the pre-Andean sector was not an objective considered in this process, as the focus was primarily on the [[longitudinal valley]] and the coastal sector. 

In 1846, the cartographer Bernardo Phillippi created a map of the province of Valdivia, which encompassed the departments of Valdivia and Osorno. Another historical record from the nineteenth century mentions that in 1885, the Department of Valdivia was subdivided into sub-delegations and districts. Sub-delegation No. 8 of Quinchilca was established, comprising the districts of Quinchilca, Riñihue, and Maihue. Maihue later served as the foundational land area for the future community of Lago Ranco.

The first colonists arrived on the shores of Lake Ranco in the late nineteenth century, driven to settle in the western sector of the lake, particularly in the areas of Hueimen and Ignatieff. The beauty and abundant resources of the native forests attracted these families. German colonists were among the early settlers who played a key role in the settlement of this region, fostering integration with the central valley and paving the way for further arrivals.

== Gesta Railroad ==
{{Unreferenced|section|date=May 2025}}
The construction of a railway between Cocula (southern sector of La Union) and Lago Ranco began in 1928, this project was initiated by the first settlers: Konust, Daniel and Rettig, who, with business vision prompted this action. The branch was completed in the 1930s, was at first only to Ignatieff, while difficult to solve the section called "Return of the Guitar", at the height of Quillaico.
Once the railway lines in its path, began a slow settling of population engaged in preference to the work resulting from logging, which was the main economic activity of the time and the main objective of the railway.
So in the first instance, this town received the name of Punta de Rails, later by expansion into the hills, was renamed Pérez Rosales TRINGL and then drive in honor of German colonization in the area.
In 1935 he prepared the first master plan for this fledgling town. In 1937 by Decree ordered the auction of public lands into subdivisions, which later gave rise to the town.

On February 14, 1941, under the government of Pedro Aguirre Cerda, Lagoe Ranco, was formally granted the status of a commune.
Decree Law No. 6826 carried and article No. 1 stated: "Believe the commune sub-delegation of Lake Ranco, Department of Rio Bueno. His head is the village of Ranco Lake, located south of Lake Ranco."
The respective decree also sets the limits of the new community and set the procedure for holding elections to form the new municipality.
With the creation of the commune in 1941, begins to intensify the slow process of urbanization and community development; since then has been unfolding is communal life with the push of its authorities and citizens and with the support of central governments, as This has led to greater integration with neighboring communities, particularly the town of Rio Bueno.
Significant activity is to highlight the lake in 1947 and recorded a great climax. Several steamers plied the waters of Lake Ranco, covering different areas in a large area stretching from Puerto Rettig, and the same Ranco, until Riñinahue, Llifén, Futrono, Isla Huapi and Puerto Nuevo. A whole era marked vapors as the Laja, the Saturn, Osorno, Lili, the Valdivia, going back and bringing people and goods on the waters of Ranco, rarely troubled by the puihua. Several of them were destroyed by the force of black puelche. One of the major works undertaken in the commune, has been the building of the Liceo Antonio Varas, "which concluded in 1960, the stock of education certainly has become a cornerstone of the municipality's development in educational level, social and cultural.
The force of nature, through their violent demonstrations has not been absent during the twentieth century are remembered two major natural disasters: the eruption of Cars in 1955 and the 1960 earthquake, which caused concern and damage, then overcome.
Another important milestone in the history community, were determined by the regionalization process driven from 1974, which established the autonomy of the town of Lake Ranco, but also meant segregated Llifén eastern sector, which was integrated into the Futrono commune.

==Demographics==
{{Update|part=section|date=May 2025|reason=Census data from 2002}}[[File:SRTM-W74.00E71.50S41.00N40.00.Osorno.png|thumb|right|Zone of the Lago Ranco comune]]
According to the 2002 [[census]] of the [[National Statistics Institute (Chile)|National Statistics Institute]], Lago Ranco spans an area of {{convert|1763.3|sqkm|0|abbr=on}} and has 10,098 inhabitants (5,295 men and 4,803 women). Of these, 2,205 (21.8%) lived in [[urban area]]s and 7,893 (78.2%) in [[rural area]]s. The population fell by 3.5% (362 persons) between the 1992 and 2002 censuses.<ref name= "INE"/> 

== Hydrography ==
The community of Lake Ranco has numerous streams, which belong to the Andean sector of the watershed of the Rio Bueno, Andean valley with 17 210&nbsp;km ² with a distance of 130&nbsp;km east–west. The river Well get as many tributaries from the south bank by presenting a high rainfall regime and shows characteristics rushing mountain range with nival.1 The river system is good natural drainage of Lake Ranco which is 443&nbsp;km ² to 69 m and 199 m maximum depth, characterized by being the second largest lake in area within the territory of Lake Ranco nacional.1 fall in water from Lake Maihue with an area of 49&nbsp;km ² and Huishue, which lie north of Caulle cord. Also drains into Lake Ranco Riñinahue River, which rises near the Nevada Mountains, close to the limits of the National Park Puyehue.
Buttress Rivers, Deer and Nilahue born north of Puyehue volcano, draining the central sector of the volcanic zone Puyehue - Carr, both rivers join near the volcano Carran, taking the name of Nilahue River, which flows to the east of Lake Ranco.
In the area of the Cordillera Nevada, born Iculpe River, which empties into the southern shore of Lake Ranco, near the village of Lake Ranco.
Gray Lake is located in the southwest of the town of Lake Ranco and within the Puyehue National Park, with an approximate area of 9&nbsp;km ² and 1,000 meters. The lake gives rise to the White River, which joins the river Chol Chol, the latter being born of the lagoon Twins. These rivers flow into Lake Huishue. Also flows into the lake the stream the Virgin, who was born northwest of Lake Gris.{{Citation needed|date=May 2025}}

== Weather ==
{{Unreferenced|section|date=May 2025}}
Three types of very different climates can be found in Lago Ranco: the so-called rainy temperate climate with Mediterranean influence (Cfsb) mountain weather (G) and icy climate by the effect of height (EFH).
The first type of climate is developed between the Cordillera Pre - Andean Middle surrounding the Depression. Not to be characterized by a dry season rainfall occurring throughout the year, presenting however some features of a break during the warm season rainfall. In this temperate rainforest does not have large temperature swings. This is facilitated by the liquid surface of Lake Ranco, moreover, prevents frost on its banks. During the spring and summer there is a persistent cloudiness that tends to dissipate by noon, which is known as South negro.
The mountain climate is evident in the Andes, in some sectors of the foothills. It is above curve at 500 m, height corresponding approximately to the development of 5&nbsp;°C isotherm in the coldest month and even that disappears where tree-like vegetation, the effect of low temperatures.
The third type of weather that occurs in the town of Lake Ranco is the icy climate by the effect of height, which takes place in high mountain areas, where the elevation exceeds 3,000 m, the conditions in such sectors are broken between a climate of tundra, no trees, to a climate of perpetual snow without vegetation with increasing altitude.

The community of Lake Ranco is characterized by rainfall throughout the year. The average annual rainfall reaches Lake Ranco 2020&nbsp;mm, while in the lake Maihue is 4072&nbsp;mm. This shows that precipitation increases as height increases, resulting in increased rainfall in the commune in its eastern sector.

In the commune averages temperatures descend towards the east, however there are large areas close to the lake where temperatures are conditioned by the thermal moderating effect. The mean maximum and minimum temperatures are recorded annually in the months of January and July.
Lago Ranco temperature for between 3 and 20&nbsp;°C and the lake Maihue between 0 and 18&nbsp;°C. The municipality has no dry months, but the most affected by this natural phenomenon are the months of February for Lake Ranco and December for the lake Maihue.

In the town of Lake Ranco winds prevail northwest, southwest and west. Along with that winds are typical, as the Puigua or Puelche over all the commune, which dry the air in the summer and cause storms at invierno.

The fauna is closely related to the vegetation existing in the area, called Valdivian rainforest, which is characterized by the high proportion of endemic species, i.e. species whose distribution area is bounded in this region. However, many of these species are in danger of extinction due to man's unconsciousness. The most common mammals in these forests are the winks, pudú whose preferred habitat is the forest and ulmo coihue, puma the south, living in the mountain range, the gray fox, the coypu in the south, which is located in wetlands and swamps, and wild cat, and other introduced species like the hare.
With regard to birds, it highlights the Chucao, the Huet hued, the Pigeon, the Choroy, the Carpenter and Partridge Grande Southern, among others.
Among insects, highlights: the Stag Beetle, the Beetle of the Moon, the Mother of the Snake and Horse of the Devil.
As the fish are native and introduced species, which are a major attraction for sport fishing. The most abundant native fish are puye, carmetita, percatrucha zebra trout, mackerel of the river, and among the introduced species are rainbow trout, brook trout, brown trout and trout in Europe.

==Administration==
As a commune, Lago Ranco 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 2008-2012 alcalde is Santiago Rosas Lobos ([[Christian Democratic Party|PDC]]).<ref name="Munitel"/><ref name="Official"/> He was preceded by Santiago Rosas Lobos (2004–2008){{Citation needed|date=January 2011}}

Within the [[electoral divisions of Chile]], Lago Ranco is represented in the [[Chamber of Deputies of Chile|Chamber of Deputies]] by Enrique Jaramillo  (PDC) and Gastón Von Mühlenbrock ([[Independent Democratic Union|UDI]]) as part of the 54th electoral district, together with [[Panguipulli, Chile|Pangipulli]], [[Los Lagos, Chile|Los Lagos]], [[Futrono]], [[Río Bueno, Chile|Río Bueno]], [[La Unión, Chile|La Unión]] and [[Paillaco]]. The commune is represented in the {{Current senators (16th senatorial constituency of Chile)}} as part of the 16th senatorial constituency (Los Ríos Region).

== Business ==
The primary economic activities in Lago Ranco are agriculture and forestry, tourism, and services. With regard to agriculture and forestry sector, according to an agroclimatic study conducted in the district, much of it does not have a good potential for agricultural activities, except the Lake Ranco.
Moreover, the climate allows all crops from the area except where the soil constraints only accept natural grasslands. In the commune dominated by mountainous terrain and only about 4.2% are suitable for agriculture.
According to the agroclimatic diagnosis made, Lago Ranco has a potential forest predominantly due to agro-ecological characteristics of the soil and the existence of abundant reserve of native forests and young plantations of exotic species, the activity is performed at a level primary operation and is characterized by an extraction process without processing timber for other more technology centers.
On a smaller scale, is the livestock and agricultural sector, which belongs to [[smallholding|smallholder]] farmers who use a minimal operating system, with limited technology and geared specifically to the cultivation of traditional items such as wheat and potatoes, which is normally used for consumption, with family labor, so integrated into fewer medium-sized farmers, who use more manpower and more technology.
Besides the activities described above, the town of Lake Ranco has a potential for tourism and increased economic activity within this sector, since the community is within the Lake Ranco, which is part of the Andean Lake Tourist Zone, which is constituted as a tourist area in the process of consolidation by the Tourism Development Master Plan of the Lake District, this coupled with the great beauty that has next to its natural attractions, plus the history and cultural identity that has the commune.
It also established as part of the destination "Cuenca del Lago Ranco," in conjunction with the municipalities of Rio Bueno, Paillaco, Futrono and La Union.{{Citation needed|date=May 2025}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* {{in lang|es}} [https://web.archive.org/web/20070320071510/http://www.municipalidadelagoranco.cl/ Municipality of Lago Ranco]

{{Communes in Los Ríos Region}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Populated places in Ranco Province]]
[[Category:Communes of Chile]]
[[Category:Populated places established in 1941]]
[[Category:Populated lakeshore places in Chile]]