Concepcion
the name of several places in Spanish America, including (1) a province of Chile stretching from the Andes to the coast N. of Arauco. It is an important agricultural and cattleraising district; and has valuable coalmines. Area, 3,535 square miles; pop. about 225,000. 225,000. Concepcion, the capital, near the mouth of the Biobio, has a cathedral and notable buildings.
Its port is the safest in Chile. It ranks next to Valparaiso as a mart of foreign trade.
Pop. about 55,000. (2) Concepcion del Uruguay, the former capital of the Argentine province of Entre Rios, on the Uruguay, 180 miles S. E. of Paraná by the Entre Rios railway, with large slaughter-houses and active river-trade. (3) Concepcion, a town of Paraguay, on the Paraguay river, about 260 miles above Asuncion, with trade in maté. (4) The name of several places in Bolivia, the largest being Concepcion de Apolobamba, capital of the province of Caupolican, formerly a Franciscan mission. Its Indian population cultivate coca and cacao, and collect medicinal barks from the surrounding forests. (5) Concepcion, a town of Mexico, 50 miles W. of Chihuahua, in the upper Yaqui valley, famous for its apples. (6) Concepcion de la Vega, a town of San Domingo, 5 miles S. E. of Santiago.