Introduction Arica-Parinacota Region Tarapacá Region Antofagasta Region Atacama Region Coquimbo Region Valparaíso Region O´Higgins Region Maule Region Bío Bío Region La Araucanía Region Los Ríos Region Los Lagos Region Aysén Region Magallanes & the Chilean Antartic Region Metropolitan Region

Capital: Antofagasta

Area: 126,049.1 km2

Population: 493,984 inhabitants (2002 Census)

Population density: 3.9 inhab/km2

Principal economic activities: Mining, electricity generation and construction.

 

The Antofagasta Region accounts for 53% of Chile's mining output and includes principally copper but also potassium nitrate, gold, iodine and lithium. Mining products represent 93.7% of the region's exports to other countries.

The region is also rich in landscapes and culture. Chile's second largest region in terms of area, it is one of contrasts. The blue of the Pacific Ocean washes its 500 kms of coastline while the Atacama Desert wraps old inland settlements, hidden valleys and the remains of ancient cultures in different shades of red.

Most of the region's population lives in Antofagasta and Mejillones on the coast or in Calama, a key mining center, in the interior. These towns depend heavily on the development of mining and associated financial, port, energy and other services.

This region became part of Chile as a result of the Pacific War.

Antofagasta is known as the “world capital” of mining. The largest international copper producers have, or plan to have, offices there along with the most important suppliers of mining services.

An important number of astronomical observatories are located in the Antofagasta Region. In 2003, the Very Large Telescope (VLT), the largest in the world, built by the European Southern Observatory (ESO), opened on Cerro Paranal at 2,635 meters above sea level in the Atacama Desert. 

Through Associated Universities and ESO, the main astronomy centers of the United States and Canada are currently building the Atacama Large Millimeter Array (ALMA) of radio telescopes on the Chajnantor plateau at 5,000 meters above sea level in the interior of San Pedro de Atacama. This will occupy 17,000 hectares ceded under a 50-year concession from the state of Chile and will come into full operation in 2011.

One of the characteristic sights of Antofagasta is La Portada, a natural rock arch formed in the Jurassic period.

 

Coordinates and area

The region stretches between 20°56'S and 26°05'S south and from 67°00'W to the Pacific Ocean. According to the Military Geographic Institute (IGM), it has an area of 126,049.1 km2. 

 

Land formation

The region's main land formations are the Andes Mountains with its foothills and the valleys of the altiplano,  the Intermediate Depression comprising mainly the Atacama Desert, the Cordillera de la Costa which is high and compact in the west and, to the east, drops gradually to join the Intermediate Depression, and the narrow coastal plains where cities and towns are located (Antofagasta, Tocopilla, Taltal and Mejillones).

 

Climate

As in the Tarapacá Region, a desert climate prevails and is divided into its coastal, typical and marginal mountain varieties. This region is very dry and water is scarce which, combined with scarce vegetation, creates the characteristic landscape of the Atacama Desert. On the coast, the tempering effect of the Humboldt Current makes for a pleasant climate. 

 

Water resources

The Antofagasta Region is extremely arid, reflecting principally its desert climate, its land formation and the high salt content of its soils. The River Loa, with its 34,000-km2 basin, is the exception to this rule and flows into the sea, although with a very low level of water. 

 

Population

According to the 2002 Census, the region had a population of 493,984 inhabitants of whom 256,165 were men and 237,819 were women, with a population density is 3.9 inhabitants/km2. Between 2000 and 2005, the population expanded at an estimated mean annual rate of 1.22%. 

 

Economic sectors

Mining is the region's predominant economic activity and accounts for around 60% of its output. The single most important mineral is copper which represents some 45% of national GDP, with the Antofagasta region accounting for an average of approximately 57% of Chilean production over the past five years. Other important mining products are gold, silver, molybdenum, nitrates, iodine and lithium. 

 

Administrative divisions

REGIONAL CAPITAL	PROVINCES	MUNICIPALITIES
Antofagasta	Tocopilla	Tocopilla María Elena
	El Loa	Calama Ollagüe San Pedro de Atacama
	Antofagasta	Antofagasta Mejillones Sierra Gorda Taltal

Foreign Direct Investment DL 600 Statistics in the Antofagasta Region (1974 - 2008), (Excel, 44 Kb.)

You may find information about this Region in the following websites (spanish):

- TodoChile
- ProChile
- Corfo
- Servicio de Impuestos Internos
- Gobierno de Chile
- Cámara Chilena de la Construcción (Antofagasta)
- Cámara Chilena de la Construcción (El Loa)
- Servicio Nacional de Turismo
- Centro Industrial y Empresarial La Negra
- Asociación de Industriales de Antofagasta
- Centro Industrial Exportador Antofagasta

Also, in the National Statistics Bureau Website you may find more regional information (spanish): Census, Regional Economic Reports, Territorial Publications, Projects, Statistics and other Publications.