Atacama Region

Coordinates: 27°22′00″S 70°19′56″W / 27.36667°S 70.33222°W / -27.36667; -70.33222
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
This article is about the administrative region. For the desert, see Atacama Desert.
Atacama Region
Región de Atacama
Region of Chile
Nevado Tres Cruces National Park
Nevado Tres Cruces National Park
Copiapó
ProvincesChañaral, Copiapó, Huasco
Government
 • IntendantFrancisco Sánchez (RN)
Area
[1]
 • Total75,176.2 km2 (29,025.7 sq mi)
 • Rank4
Highest elevation
6,891.3 m (22,609.3 ft)
Lowest elevation
0 m (0 ft)
Population
 (2017 census)[1]
 • Total286,168
 • Rank13
 • Density3.8/km2 (9.9/sq mi)
GDP (PPP)
[2]
 • Total$8.595 billion (2014)
 • Per capita$27,882 (2014)
ISO 3166 codeCL-AT
HDI (2019)0.855[3]
very high
WebsiteOfficial website (in Spanish)

The Atacama Region (

Norte Grande
.

Demography

The Atacama Region is the third least populated region of the country, after

Magallanes. Of its total population, over 50% are located in the cities of Copiapó and Vallenar
.

The largest cities are (2002 census data)

Vallenar (43,750), Caldera (12,776), Chañaral (12,086), El Salvador (8,697) Tierra Amarilla (8,578), and Diego de Almagro
(7,951).

History

See also: 1420 Caldera earthquake and Chilean silver rush

The original inhabitants of this area, the

Changos
valued its mineral wealth. Since the 19th century, iron, copper, silver, and gold have brought prosperity.

The region experienced a boom when the Chañarcillo silver mine was discovered in 1832.[4] For many years, this was the world's third largest silver mine.

Natural features

Much of the region is desert, and encompasses considerable mineral resources.

endangered. The diminished numbers of this bird are due to prehistoric and modern hunting but more significantly due to agricultural land conversion in order to feed the expanding human population
.

  • Laguna Verde
    Laguna Verde
  • Desert in bloom
    Desert in bloom
  • Llamas in the desert
    Llamas in the desert
  • Rainbow Valley
    Rainbow Valley

Economy

See also: Chilean Iron Belt and El Indio Gold Belt

Mining accounts for 45% of the region's GDP and 90% of its exports. Moreover, various geological surveys have identified new deposits.

CODELCO, with an annual output of around 81,000 tonnes. Both mines export through the port of Chañaral
.

Irrigated fields in the outskirts Copiapó.

Over recent decades, fresh

Huasco valleys joined Chile
’s fruit-growing boom. They enjoy a comparative advantage because, thanks to the sunny climate, fruit ripens earlier than in the rest of the country and reaches northern hemisphere markets first. Grapes are the main crop and, on a smaller scale,
nectarines, apricots, oregano, and flowers
. The region's organic wealth, its clear waters and sheltered bays, together with its entrepreneurial experience, favor the development of aquaculture. Species produced include the northern scallop, Japanese and Chilean oysters, abalone, turbot, algae, and different varieties of mussels. Other products with more value added include boned fish fillets, smoked and salted fish, roe, and fishburgers.

The unique weather conditions in the

Atacama desert, with extremely rare cloudy days, are ideal for solar power generation.[6] Many PV and CSP plants are being built in this area.[6]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b "Región de Atacama" (in Spanish). Library of National Congress. Retrieved 7 November 2022.
  2. ^ Regions and Cities > Regional Statistics > Regional Economy > Regional GDP per Capita, OECD.Stats.
  3. ^ "Sub-national HDI - Area Database - Global Data Lab". hdi.globaldatalab.org. Retrieved 26 October 2021.
  4. ^ "Los ciclos mineros del cobre y la plata (1820-1880)". www.memoriachilena.gob.cl. 2018. Retrieved 9 April 2020.
  5. ^ Teresa Moreno and Wes Gibbons. 2007
  6. ^ a b Watts, Jonathan (22 December 2015). "Desert tower raises Chile's solar power ambition to new heights". The Guardian. Retrieved 13 March 2017.
  • Teresa Moreno and Wes Gibbons. 2007. The geology of Chile, Geological Society of London, 414 pages

External links

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