Talca

Formerly �San Agust�n De Talca, � capital of Talca provincia and Maule regi�n, central Chile, in the Central Valley near the Maule River. Founded in 1692, it was destroyed by earthquakes in 1742 and 1928; completely rebuilt, it is now a major urban centre midway between Santiago, 160 miles (260 km) to the north-northeast, and Concepci�n. It lies in the nation's greatest wine-making zone and contains Chile's largest match industry,