MALLECO  , a

province of southern Chile, once a part of the Indian territory of Araucania (q.v.), lying between the provinces of Bio-Bio on the N. and E., Cautin on the S. and Arauco on the W . Area, 2973 sq. m . Pop . (1895), 98,032 .. It belongs to the rainy, forested region of southern Chile, and is thinly populated, a considerable part of its population being Araucanian Indians, who occupy districts in the Andean foothills . Gold placer mining has attracted some attention, but the output is small . The principal industries are cattle and wheat raising and timber-cutting . The capital is Angol (pop., 7056 in 2895; estimated at 7638 in 1902), a small town in the northern part of the province, on the Malleco river, and a station on the Traiguen branch of the state railway . Traiguen (pop., 5732 in 1895; estimated at 7099 in 1902) in the southern part of the province is the second town in importance, and Victoria (pop., 6989 in 1895; estimated at 10,002 in 1902), about 20 M . E. of the last-named town, was for a time the terminal station of the main line of the railway .