CHILOE, a province of southern Chile, and also the name of a large island off the Chilean coast forming part of the province. The province, area about 12,738 sq.m., pop. (193o) about (including Llanquihue), is composed of three groups of islands, Chiloe, Guaitecas and Chonos, and a large body of the mainland, including since 1928 part of the former province of Llanquihue. The population is composed mainly of Indians. The capital of the province is Puerto Montt, the former capital of the province of Llanquihue, pop. (1930) 16,15o. Other towns are Ancud or San Carlos, at the northern end of the island of Chiloe, on the sheltered bay of San Carlos, once frequented by whalers, pop. (1930) 3,341. Castro, on the eastern shore of Chiloe, is the oldest town of the island.
The island of Chiloe is a continuation of the western Chilean formation, the coast range appearing in the mountainous range of western Chiloe and the islands extending south along the coast. Between this coast range and the Andes, the gulfs of Chacao, or Ancud and Corcovado (average width, 3om.) separate the island from the mainland. Chiloe has an extreme length north to south of about 118m., and an average width of 35 to 4om., with an area of about 4,700 sq.m. There are several lakes on the island Cucao, long, being the largest—and one small river, the Pudeto, in the northern part of the island, is celebrated as the scene of the last engagement in the war for independence, the Spanish retaining possession of Chiloe until 1826.