Tacna Province (Chile)

The Tacna Province was a territorial division of Chile that existed between 1884 and 1929, was created on 31 October 1884, on the basis of the provinces of Tacna and Arica of the Tacna Department.

Tacna Province Provincia de Tacna  (Spanish)
1883–1929
Flag
Map of the Tacna Province made in 1895. Part of the "Geografía descriptiva de Chile" colection.
Capital	Tacna
Common languages	Spanish
Religion	Catholicism
Demonym(s)	Tacnense / Tacneño-a
Government	Province of Chile
Historical era	War of the Pacific aftermath
• Treaty of Ancón	20 October 1883
• Reincorporation of Tarata to Peru	1 September 1925
• Treaty of Lima	3 June 1929
• Reincorporation of Tacna to Peru	28 August 1929
Preceded by Succeeded by Litoral Departament Tarata Province Moquegua Region Tacna Region Tarapacá Region
Today part of	Tacna Departament (Perú) Arica y Parinacota Region (Chile)

Map showing the Tacna-Arica dispute and its solution.

It covered from the Sama River to the north, to the Quebrada de Camarones to the south, and from the Andes mountain range to Pacific Ocean. This was under the conditions of Treaty of Ancón, by means of which Chile achieved dominion over the Tarapacá Department, and possession of the provinces of Tacna and Arica for a decade, after which a plebiscite was to be held to determine the region's sovereignty, however there were some problems to carry out the plebiscite. The provisional legal organization will end up working for 50 years until 1929.

In 1885 Chile integrated Tarata to the administration since this country considered that the town was to the east of the Sama river. In 1925 Chile gave back Tarata because Calvin Coolidge, the President of the United States that was in charge of giving a solution to the issue, said that Tarata was in the west of the Sama river.

In 1929 the Treaty of Lima was signed, Tacna was given to Peru and Arica to Chile, after the treaty, the Arica Departament was moved to the Tarapacá Province and the Chilean Tacna Province stopped to exist.

Some of the important persons that lived in Tacna during the Chilean administration is Salvador Allende and his family, they lived eight years in the city. Salvador lived in Tacna since he was a baby, he arrived in 1908 and he studied in the Tacna School (Liceo de Tacna).

Administrative division

The Tacna Province was divided into two departaments:

• Tacna Departament
  • Capital: Tacna
• Arica Departament
  • Capital: Arica