Cautín Province is a province in the Araucanía Region of southern Chile, bounded on the north by Arauco, Malleco, and Bio-Bio Provinces, on the east by Argentina, on the south by Valdivia Province, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean. Its area is officially estimated at 5,832 sq. m. (15,100 km²). Cautin lies within the temperate agricultural and forest region of the south, and produces wheat, cattle, lumber, tan-bark and fruit. The state central railway from Santiago to Puerto Montt crosses the province from north to south, and the Cautin, or Imperial, and Tolten rivers (the latter forming its southern boundary) cross from east to west, both affording excellent transportation facilities. The province once formed part of the territory occupied by the Araucanian Indians, and its present political existence dates from 1887. Its population, in 1905, was 96,139, of whom a large percentage were European immigrants, principally Germans. The capital is Temuco, on the Rio Cautin, which has grown from a population of 7,078 in 1895, to over 300,000 in 2002. The principal towns besides Temuco are Lautaro and Nueva Imperial, both of historic interest because they were fortified Spanish outposts in the long struggle with the Araucanians.

Temuco
Temuco, which in the mapudungun language means "temu water", herbal tree used by Mapuches to cure diseases, is the capital of the IX región (la Araucanía), Chile, and is located 670kms south of Santiago. Because it is located near lake-based resort centers, it constitutes a hub for touristic excursions.

History
It was founded in 1881 february 24th. Manuel Recabarren, in charge of the project, founded Fuerte (Fort) Recabarren or Temuco. Born as a military task, Temuco had in its origins the attributes of a camp, and a year after its founding, the first major streets started to form in the downtown area. Later, in 1888 April 15th, the first city officers were elected, being the mayor José del Rosario Muñoz. The city grew quickly; a census in 1895 indicated a population of 7,708 people, and when Cautin was declared province, Temuco became its capital, being its population by that time 16,037.