ago ▁de ▁la ▁Nueva ▁Ext rem ad ura " ▁by ▁Pedro ▁de ▁Val div ia . ▁It ▁is ▁officially ▁the ▁provincial , ▁regional ▁and ▁national ▁capital . ▁It ▁en comp ass es ▁the ▁oldest ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁city ▁— that ▁en closed ▁by ▁old ▁rail ▁lines — , ▁including ▁dow nt own , ▁and ▁houses ▁all ▁major ▁government ▁infrastr ucture , ▁including ▁the ▁government ▁palace ▁La ▁Mon eda . ▁ ▁Dem ograph ics ▁According ▁to ▁the ▁ 2 0 0 2 ▁census ▁of ▁the ▁National ▁Statistics ▁Institute , ▁the ▁commune ▁has ▁an ▁area ▁of ▁ ▁and ▁a ▁population ▁of ▁ 2 0 0 , 7 9 2 ▁( 9 9 , 1 5 5 ▁men ▁and ▁ 1 0 1 , 6 3 7 ▁women ), ▁giving ▁it ▁a ▁population ▁density ▁of ▁. ▁The ▁population ▁sh rank ▁by ▁ 1 3 . 1 % ▁( 3 0 , 1 8 5 ▁persons ) ▁in ▁the ▁ten ▁years ▁since ▁the ▁ 1 9 9 2 ▁population ▁of ▁ 2 3 0 , 9 7 7 . ▁In ▁ 2 0 0 2 , ▁there ▁were ▁ 1 7 , 5 1 4 ▁households , ▁each ▁with ▁an ▁average ▁income ▁of ▁$ 3 8 , 6 4 8 ▁in ▁P PP ▁US ▁dollars ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 6 . ▁ ▁The ▁commune ▁is ▁sub div ided ▁into ▁ 2 9 ▁census ▁districts . ▁ ▁Administration ▁As ▁a ▁commune , ▁Santiago ▁is ▁a ▁third - level ▁administrative ▁division ▁of ▁Chile ▁admin ister ed ▁by ▁a