The city of Concepción has received, from its foundation, a great historical, social, and cultural relevance in the country. The city is well-known like the second financial, demographic, administrative, political and commercial nucleus of Chile. In addition, that is considered the second metropolis in national importance, and the greatest in the south of the country. Many organizations of the city, as the University of Concepción, and places of Concepción are known at international level, such as the Independence Square or the University City of Concepción.

In politics area, the University of Concepción was the cradle of the MIR (Movement of Revolutionary Left), that was important a referring one of the left in the 8th Region and that, next to the miners of the coal of Lota, the workers of the industries of Talcahuano and the working class, took the reins from the Chilean revolutionary process of Salvador Allende until the Coup d'etat of 1973. Speaking historically, it would have been demonstrated the penquista relevance, for example, when the Liberator of Chile Bernardo O'Higgins proclaimed in the Independence Square the National Independence. On the other hand, Concepción transformed into the nucleus of the War of Arauco when being in the shores of the Spanish-Mapuche border (Bío-Bío River), which, although somehow “restrained” the penquista growth, laid the foundations what would be the Concepción of today.

The climate is tempered marine with Mediterranean influence. Its annual temperature average is 9.1 °C, whereas the average in summer is 17 °C, and in 8 winter 8 °C. The thermal oscillations are moderate if we considered its latitude, this due to their proximity to the Pacific Ocean. The precipitations throughout appear the year, being the period May-August the one of greater rainfall. During the year precipitations average 1,110 mm.
The city adjoins geographically two important rivers: the Bío-Bío in the west and the Andalién in the north. These demarcate geographically the city. In addition it is crossed by the Stream Nonguén. In addition, Concepción has five urban lagoons that are: Lo Méndez (5.2 hectares), Lo Custodio, Lo Galindo, Las Tres Pascualas (5.9 hectares), and Laguna Redonda (4.1 hectares). To them, Laguna Pineda is added in the rural sector.

Concepción is located in the Valley of Mocha, which is seated on rocky grounds. On these there is clayey land. Because the Bío-Bío River has suffered by thousand of years of changes in the direction of its volume, there are sectors of Concepción through which formerly passed arms of the river. They are generally these sectors the most affected by floods. The geomorphology of the city is irregular due to its proximity with the Mountain range of the Coast. Concepción, therefore, is marked by many geographic landmarks like hills, and depressions.

According to the collected data in 2002 in the Census of the National Institute of Statistics, the commune has a surface of 221.6 km ² and a population of 216,061 inhabitants, who 103,860 are men and 112,201 are women. Concepción welcomes in 11.61% of the total population of the region. A 1.88% (4,058 people) corresponds to rural population and a 98.12% (212.003) to urban population. Between 1970 and 1982 there is a great increase in the population. One of the causes is the inclusion of San Pedro, segregated of the commune of Coronel. Concepción diminished its population strongly because in 1996 it was divided, being created Chiguayante and San Pedro de La Paz. In these communes the population has grown quickly since they have transformed into cities dormitory of Concepción. The projections indicate for 2006 a considered population of 225,158 inhabitants. There is an important percentage of foreigner residents in the city, being the most numerous ones Spaniard, Italian, and American people.

Historically, as much the region as the large city has been characterized to display a strong presence of the manufacturing industry. This, along with to be an important center of distribution and services, sets the bases of the penquista economy. Within the city, the operations centers and branches of multiple industrial companies are in the Industrial Park Army, whereas the companies of services are characterized to be in center of the city and in the periphery of the most important districts of Concepción.

The commercial pole of the city is concentrated downtown, around the Independence Square, the Pedestrian Street Alonso de Ercilla y Zúñiga, and in the peripheries of the most important avenues of the city. The street Diego Barros Arana is a clear example of this concentration. Here, great part of the commerce of the city and the Great Concepción is developed. In fact until 1907 this route denominated “Comercio Street”. On its layout, between the streets Carlos Castellón and Aníbal Pinto, a section of the Pedestrian Street is located Alonso de Ercilla and Zúñiga constructed in 1981. There, a great amount of commercial stores is concentrated. Another public space that is on that street is the Boulevard Diego Barros Arana, using the space including six blocks between Arturo Prat Avenue and Caupolicán Street. Within the framework of the projects of the Bicentennial of Chile, it is had been developing to another commercial pole around the District Station and the new Civic District of Concepción. On the other hand, an important percentage of the penquista commerce is developed outside the city, in communes like Hualpén, Talcahuano and San Pedro de La Paz, where commercial centers exist, like the Mall Plaza del Trébol, very well-attended, and where also a renewed commercial development is being developed. Other commercial centers are developed in the Vega Monumental and Mercado Central of Concepción, places where varied agricultural products are offered and also cattle services.

The Independence Square is located between the streets O'Higgins, Caupolicán, Barros Arana and, Aníbal Pinto. Next to the square, it is located the Cathedral de la Santísima Concepción, Regional Council, the Theater of the University of Concepción, Building Pedro de Valdivia and the underground Parking Cathedral. In the Cathedral of the Santísima Concepción is the Museum of Sacred Art. It is also the Campus of the University of Concepción, main and important academic center of the denominated city “University District” in where some of their buildings, like the Arc of Medicine and the Bell Tower, are penquistas icons and traditional postcards of the city. In the House of Art of this house of studies, next to the Peru Square, is located the Mural “Presence of Latin America” painted by the Mexican artist Jorge González Camarena in 1964. The lagoons are a natural attraction of the city. The most important ones are the Laguna Redonda, in district Lorenzo Arenas, and Laguna Las Tres Pascualas, where the University San Sebastián is, next to Paicaví Avenue corner Manuel Bulnes. “Lo Mendez”, “Lo Custodio”, and “Lo Galindo” are the remaining lagoons. The Ecuador Park is extended throughout 10 blocks, from Arturo Prat Avenue to Tucapel Street and between Victor Lama Street and the Caracol Hill, constituting the greater green lung of the city. There, the museum Gallery of History is located.

Another important place is the Costanera Park in the side of the North shore of the Bio-Bío River. Both green areas count on a network of cycle paths. Finally, to the center of the sector in the zone of recovery of the North Shore of the Bio-Bío, is the Central base which has been constructed by stages (the first in 2006). This park unites the Central station of Concepción with the North Shore of the Bio-Bío, and in him is a Memorial of the Disappeared Prisoners of Concepción

Concepción is inserted within the integrated system of urban transport of the Great Bio-vias Concepción that began to work in 2005. The city is an important part of the plan since the railway system Bio-tren, made up of two lines, connects the communes of Talcahuano, Hualpén, Chiguayante, Hualqui, and San Pedro de La Paz with its nucleus in Concepción. On the other hand, the bid system of buses crosses the main axes of the city.

Concepción is well-known like “the University City of the South”, because in this city they have seat and they have been born some of the most important universities at national level, as it is the University of Concepción. In addition, this metropolis has a great educational supply, centered in institutes, centers of technical formation and already mentioned universities. Universities Concepción shows the first university of origin deprived of the country, the University of Concepción, founded on 1919 by a group of citizens between who they are Enrique Molina Garmendia, its first director. Only years later this university began to have state support, getting to comprise of the traditional universities, becoming one of the pluses more important universities of the country, and the one of greater importance in the regional scope.

• Universidad de Concepción.
• Universidad del Bío-Bío.
• Universidad Católica de la Santísima Concepción.
• Universidad de Los Lagos.

Private Universities

• Universidad del Desarrollo.
• Universidad San Sebastián.
• Universidad Santo Tomás.
• Universidad de las Américas.
• Universidad Regional San Marcos.
• Universidad La República.

Professional Institutes

• Instituto Profesional Duoc UC.
• Instituto Profesional Santo Tomás.
• Instituto Profesional AIEP.
• Instituto Profesional Providencia.
• Instituto de Estudios Bancarios Guillermo Subercaseaux.
• Instituto Profesional Virginio Gómez, de la Universidad de Concepción.
• Instituto Profesional Diego Portales.
• Instituto Profesional La Araucana.

Concepción is a city characterized by its rich culture. This is extremely diverse, because, on the one hand, the city can live an effect known like “feedback”, that characterizes by social demands and youthful culture, but by another one, occurs that Concepción is a city with several museums, among them some of most important of the country and even of South America. Concepción is considered like “the Capital of the Chilean Rock” since numerous bands of that one sort have left or been born this zone, for example “Los Tres” and “Los Bunkers”. Other bands have declared that his first massive presentations have occurred in this city, as it is the case of “Los Prisioneros”, the most important band of the history of  Chilean Rock.
Concepción is also well-known like “the University City”, by the amount of universities that exist and, that represent, in addition, an alternative for several regions of Chile. It is by that in Concepción an effect known like feedback occurs since it is a city formed by many young people who come from other parts of Chile. This causes that the city is characterized by the youthful culture like music, social art, demands, etc.

Concepción is rich culturally by its museums, between which some of most important are told to be at national level. At communal level the Gallery of the History is remarkable, that counts, as it says his name to it, the history of the city.

Also it is the Museum of Natural History of Concepción. This one has one of the more important archaeological collections of Chile. And, under the trusteeship of the University of Concepción, that by the others is the “cradle” of the penquista culture, it is the House of the also well-known Art or like Pinacoteca. In fact, this museum has the more valuable and important pictorial collection of the country, thing that is recognized in all South America, by where has made several tours the collection. Besides, one of the most attractive cultural places, apart from museums, is the University City of Concepción.

Cultural Festivities and Focuses

The most important festivity in the city is the Day of Concepción, which is celebrated every year on October 5th, in memory of the foundation of the city. The celebrations include civic acts, special presentations, and a carnival. More recently the expression “Day of Concepción” has already been extended to a month in Concepción since they get used to making activities throughout October. Another celebration is the “Day of Spanishness”, in which the numerous residents of Spanish Colony in Concepción are present. This festivity is made all the 12 of October. During the Celebrations Mother countries, the Celebration of the Chilenidad Penquista is celebrated, having like nucleus the Ecuador Park, where boardinghouses and fairs settle. One of the most important cultural centers of the city, and that is recognized national level, is the International Fair of Popular Art. In this fair they not only expose craftsmen of the zone, but that also worldwide.

Concepción is well-known by its great sportsmen of national and international level. The Corporation Sport Club University of Concepción is the greater sport partnership of the city. This corporation owns a soccer club, that at the moment participates in the First Division, a club of basketball, that participates in the Dimayor, two equipments of gymnastics (an artistic and another rhythmical one) and one equipment of rugby.

Horse Racing
The equestrian penquista was developed around the Equestrian Club of Concepción. It receives hundreds of bets daily and it organizes races, championships and competitions.

Tennis
 The practice of tennis is developed in the city around Casa del Deporte of the University of Concepción, and the Club of Tennis of Concepción, with its seat in the side of the Caracol Hill, in the Ecuador Park, with several clay fields. Several outstanding tennis players at national level have started off here, like Adrian Garcia.

Basketball
This sport is one of most emblematic of the city since it has obtained enough profits representing Concepción. The professional most popular team of basketball is the Club Deportivo Universidad de Concepción that participates in the National Dimayor and has won three championships. Also it has an amateur team known at national level, the Deportivo Alemán.

Soccer
Concepción has three football teams within the Chilean league. Professionally, the Club Deportivo Universidad de Concepción, Fernández Vial, and Deportes Concepción. These three teams play in the Estadio Municipal de Concepción. .

Concepción, being one of the biggest cities of Chile, has some of the oldest newspapers such as “Diario El Sur”.
 About radio, the city has one of the most important national radio stations, Radio Bío Bío; and with respect to television, we can mention Canal Regional, TV8, and TVU.