O'Higgins Region

The VI Libertador General Bernardo O'Higgins Region (Spanish: VI Región del Libertador General Bernardo O'Higgins), often shortened to O'Higgins Region, is one of Chile's 15 first order administrative divisions. It is subdivided into three provinces. It is named in honour of Bernardo O'Higgins Riquelme, one of Chile's founding fathers.

The Libertador General Bernardo O'Higgins Region is bordered to the west by the Pacific Ocean, to the east by the Republic of Argentina, to the north by the Valparaíso and Santiago Metropolitan Regions, and to the south by the Maule Region. It extends approximately between the parallels of 33°51’ and 35°01’ south latitude, and between the meridian of 70°02’ west longitude and the Pacific Ocean.

The capital and largest city of the region is Rancagua. The second major town is San Fernando.

Geography

In pre-Quaternary times extensive Nothofagus forests covered much of Libertador General Bernardo O'Higgins Region.

The Libertador General Bernardo O'Higgins Region is part of the very restricted range of the endangered Chilean Wine Palm, Jubaea chilensis; in prehistoric times this Chilean endemic tree had a significantly larger range.

O'Higgins

O’Higgins may refer to:

Articles whose names are derived from Bernardo O'Higgins, Chilean independence leader

O'Higgins (surname)

O'Higgins is an Irish surname and a sept of the O'Neill family. It may refer to:

People of the Surname (Not always related to each other

Chilean frigate O'Higgins (1816)

O'Higgins was a Chilean frigate famous for her actions under Captain Lord Cochrane.

Russian career

The ship was launched in Russia in 1816, as the Speshni-class frigate Patrikii ("Патрикий"). To save time and money, the Russians built her of pine and larch. In 1817 the Russians sold her to Spain, which renamed her María Isabel.

Spanish career

In 1818 she sailed under Captain Dionisio Capas with a convoy to the coast of Peru. There the First Chilean Navy Squadron, under the command of Manuel Blanco Encalada, captured her at Talcahuano.

Chilean career

The Chileans renamed the María Isabel the O'Higgins after Bernardo O'Higgins, the South American Independence leader and first Chilean head of state.

She was Thomas Cochrane's flagship when he commanded the Chilean navy during the Freedom Expedition of Perú. He also sailed her to Acapulco.

In 1823, after a conservative coup on 28 January deposed O'Higgins, the new government under Ramón Freire) renamed the frigate María Isabel again.