Rancagua is a city in central Chile, located 54 miles south of the national capital of Santiago. It was founded on 5 October 1743 by Jose Antonio Manso de Velasco as "Villa Santa Cruz de Triana", and it was the site of the 1814 "Disaster of Rancagua" during the Chilean War of Independence. Due to its vineyards, Rancagua became one of the most attractive cultural and tourist centers in the country. The surrounding region became known for its huaso culture, with the population being a mixture of European (including Argentine immigrants) and indigenous descent. French and Italian immigrants founded Rancagua's wine industry, while the Germans and Swiss founded the brewing industry and the British, Greek, and Yugoslavian settlers contributed to the livestock industry. In 2012, Rancagua had 232,211 residents, with most of them being of Spanish (particularly Basque) or mestizo descent, with significant numbers of German, Croatian, Italian, Greek, Levantine Arab, Swiss, French, English, Irish, and Mapuche residents as well.
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