Concepción, city in south central Chile, capital of Biobío Region, on the Biobío River. Nearby are its ports of entry, Talcahuano and Tomé, on the Concepción Bay, an inlet of the Pacific Ocean. Concepción is a center of trade in the agricultural products of the surrounding fertile region. Manufactures include processed food, iron and steel, refined petroleum, chemicals, and wood products. The University of Concepción (1919) is located here.
The city, founded in 1550 on the site of the present city of Penco, was, under Spanish rule, the second largest city of Chile. In 1754 it was rebuilt on its present site following the earthquake that in 1751 destroyed the former town. In 1818 the independence of Chile was proclaimed in Concepción. An earthquake nearly destroyed the city in 1835, and others in 1939 and 1960 caused severe damage. Population (1998) 372,252.
