Ñuble Province (1974–2018)

Ñuble Province (Provincia de Ñuble, ) was one of the provinces of the Chilean region of Bío Bío (VIII). It used to span an area of 13178.5 sqkm and it was administratively constituted by 21 communes. It has in 2017 a population of 441,604 inhabitants. Its capital was the city of Chillán. On the 6th of September of 2018, the province became the Ñuble Region.

History
The province was created in 1974 from the territory of the historical province of Ñuble. Two years later, the communes of Coelemu and Ránquil from Concepción Province, and the commune of Tucapel from Bío Bío Province, were added. Following the 8.8 magnitude earthquake and tsunami, at least eight small communities and two towns were abandoned by residents, who took up makeshift camps in the hills, fearful of further tsunamis. Over 800 residences in the town of Quirihue were destroyed, leaving little for townspeople to return to.

In 2015 the Ñuble Region law which converts the Ñuble Province into a Region, was proposed. In August 2017 a law to create the new territorial division was promulgated by the President of the Republic in Chillán. It became operational on 6 September 2018.

Administration
As a province, Ñuble was a second-level administrative division of Chile, governed by a provincial governor who was appointed by the president.

Communes
The province used to comprise 21 communes, each governed by a municipality consisting of an elected alcalde and municipal council.


 * Bulnes
 * Cobquecura
 * Coelemu
 * Coihueco
 * Chillán
 * Chillán Viejo
 * El Carmen
 * Ninhue
 * Ñiquén (San Gregorio de Ñiquén)
 * Pemuco
 * Pinto
 * Portezuelo
 * Quillón
 * Quirihue
 * Ránquil
 * San Carlos
 * San Fabián
 * San Ignacio
 * San Nicolás
 * Treguaco
 * Yungay