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: Coyhaique

Area: 108,494.4 km2

Population: 91,492 inhabitants (2002 Census)

Population density: 0.8 inhab/km2

Principal economic activities: Livestock farming, wood production, tourism and fishing.

 

Chile's second largest region in terms of area, the Aysén Region has a smaller population than any other region. Its intricate terrain --with a myriad of islands, sea channels, fjords, lakes, glaciers and ice fields-- is the epitome of what Benjamín Subercaseaux described as Chile's “mad geography” and settlement did not begin until the early twentieth century with the award of livestock- farming concessions.

For decades, Aysén's inhabitants had to cross to Argentina in order to travel to the rest of Chile. This changed, however, with the construction of the Carretera Austral (Southern Road), which now extends 1,240 kms south from Puerto Montt. It was begun in 1976 and represents a feat of engineering and human endeavor and an investment of some US$200 million.

It changed the life of the region's inhabitants, promoting development and opening the way to tourism, which is now one of the main economic activities.

The road, which was carved out of rock, through forests and across rivers and sea channels, passes through areas of extraordinary natural beauty. It is unpaved, narrow and, in some places, steep but is kept in good condition despite the sometimes extreme rain and wind.

The region has only two cities. Its capital, Coyhaique, was founded in 1929 to provide support to the farmer colonizers who arrived in Aysén at the end of the nineteenth century while Puerto Aysén was founded in 1914 as a dock. When this silted up, its operations moved to nearby Puerto Chacabuco, which is now a boat and ferry terminal. Smaller towns are found along the Carretera Austral, close to tourist attractions, fishing harbors, hot springs or lakes and on roads to Argentina.

The region's islands form the Chonos Archipelago in the north and the Guayaneco Archipelago to the south, divided by the usually rough Golfo de Penas.

Primary economic activities, based on fishing, mining, forest and livestock resources, predominate. However, the region is also important for fish farming, accounting for 80% of Chile's salmon production.

An industrial park has developed around Puerto Chacabuco, Puerto Aysén and Puerto Cisne, with plants that freeze and can food products. 

Although mining output --from poly-mineral zinc, gold and silver mines-- is small by national standards, it represents an important part of the region's exports.

Three-dimensional and laminated wood and panels for furniture are produced mainly for export while beef and wool production also goes partly to overseas markets as do dried mushrooms.

The region offers a variety of investment opportunities. Todo Chile, a government investment attraction program, focuses on four key areas: wood, fish farming, tourism and fresh flowers.

The Ley Austral (Southern Law) also seeks to promote investment by providing a tax credit that -- depending on the type and size of a project-- is equivalent to between 10% and 40% of investment outlay.

The 620-km bilateral corridor from Puerto Chacabuco to Comodoro Rivadavia in Argentina, through the Huemules Pass, provides other opportunities for development.

Tourism is the region's fastest-growing activity and is expanding at an annual rate of 15%, generating income of US$50 million. Each year, some 18,000 visitors travel to the region's fly- fishing lodges. Its lakes and rivers, such as the Simpson, Ñirehuao and La Paloma, are considered some of the world's best-fly-fishing waters, yielding brown trout weighing as much as five kilos, and its lodges offer world-class accommodation and services.

The Puyuhuapi spa, with its open-air pools and water that reaches 85°C, offers an attractive blend of high-standard comfort and spectacular Patagonian scenery. However, Aysén's best known and most popular attraction is undoubtedly the San Rafael Lake with its glacier calving into the water below.

 

Coordinates and area

The region stretches between 43°38'S and 49°16'S and from 71°06'W to the Pacific Ocean. It has an area of 108,494.4 km2.

 

Land formation

The region's land formations are the result of tectonic sinking combined with intense glacial activity, forming a steep and morphologically complex terrain. This can be divided into an area of archipelagos, the Central Depression, the Andes Mountains, the eastern sub-Andean ranges and the eastern flatlands. 

 

Climate

The region's weather is heavily influenced by the polar front. To the west of the Andes, it has a maritime climate and, in the east, a continental climate. However, the existence of large lakes means that there are an important number of microclimates. The main climate types are cold wet temperate, trans-Andean merging into steppe, cold steppe and a sub-zero high-altitude climate.

 

Water resources

In general, the region's rivers rise on the east side of the Andes but meet glacial-fluvial deposits that force them to cross the mountains through narrow valleys before flowing into wide fjords. The rivers carry a large quantity of water, regulated by large lakes, and include the Palena, Cisnes, Aysén, Baker, Bravo and Pascua. Aysén is also home to the General Carrera and O'Higgins Lakes, which are among the largest in Chile. 

 

Population

As of 2002, the region had 91,492 inhabitants in 2002, of whom 48,177 were men and 43, 315 were women. The municipalities of Coyhaique and Aysén account for 71.9% of the region's population, the density of which is 0.8 inhabitants/km2. Between 2000 and 2005, the population expanded at an estimated mean annual rate of 1.35%. 

 

Economic sectors

Basic primary activities predominate and show little diversification, a phenomenon aggravated by the region's geographic isolation and the resulting high cost of freight and passenger transport. However, its potential for livestock farming, wood production, fishing, tourism and hydrogenetics, together with the existence of the Carretera Austral offer opportunities for regional development. 

 

Administrative divisions

REGIONAL CAPITAL	PROVINCES	MUNICIPALITIES
Coyhaique	Coyhaique	Coyhaique Lago Verde
	Aysén	Aysén Cisnes Guaitecas
	General Carrera	Chile Chico Río Ibáñez
	Capitán Prat	Cochrane O'Higgins Tortel

Foreign Direct Investment DL 600 Statistics in the Aysén Region (1974 - 2008), (Excel, 35 Kb.)

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

- Gobierno Regional
- TodoChile
- ProChile
- Corfo
- Corfo Aysén
- Invierta en Aysén
- Servicio de Impuestos Internos
- Gobierno de Chile
- Cámara Chilena de la Construcción
- Servicio Nacional de Turismo

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.