Atacama Region

The Atacama Region (Spanish: Región de Atacama) is one of Chile's 16 first order administrative divisions. It has three provinces: Chañaral, Copiapó and Huasco.

The region borders Antofagasta to the north, Coquimbo to the south, Argentina to the east, and the Pacific Ocean to the west. Its capital is Copiapó, which is 806 km north of Santiago, the country's capital.

The Atacama Region includes the southern part of the Atacama Desert, one of the driest places on Earth. North of the Copiapó River is a true desert, while south of it is mostly semi-arid. In the northern inland area, there are active volcanoes in the Central Volcanic Zone of Andes.

Mining has always been important here. There was a silver rush from 1832 to 1850 and later strong growth in iron mining from 1952 to 1966. The region has valuable reserves of gold, copper and lithium. Agriculture happens mainly in the valleys of Copiapó and Huasco, where dams like Lautaro and Santa Juana help with irrigation. Farmers grow table grapes, olives, alfalfa and pisco grapes.

Demography

The Atacama Region has very few people living there. Most people live in two big cities: Copiapó and Vallenar.

Some of the largest towns in the Atacama Region are Copiapó, Vallenar, Caldera, Chañaral, Tierra Amarilla, Diego de Almagro, and Huasco. Many families and communities live in these towns.

History

See also: 1420 Caldera earthquake and Chilean silver rush

The area was first home to the Diaguitas and Changos people. Things changed when the Chañarcillo silver mine was found by Juan Godoy in 1832. This brought growth to the region.

Natural features

The Atacama Region in Chile is mostly a desert and has many important minerals. It is home to many plants and animals, including a special type of large bird called the lesser rhea. This bird is in danger because of hunting and because land is being used for farming.

The area has four main places where valuable metals can be found. From west to east, these places contain copper and iron, silver and gold, more copper, and gold near the border with Argentina.

Economy

See also: Iron mining in Chile and Chilean pisco

Mining is very important in the Atacama Region. It makes up a lot of the area's money and most of what it sells to other countries. The main mining here is for copper, but there are also mines for iron and gold. Many small mines sell their products to a national company called ENAMI. Two big copper mines in the area are Candelaria and El Salvador, and they send their products to the port of Chañaral to be shipped out.

Besides mining, the Atacama Region also grows a lot of fresh fruit. The Copiapó and Huasco valleys are good places for growing fruit. Because the weather there is sunny, the fruit ripens earlier than elsewhere in Chile. The main fruits grown are grapes, but there are also olives, tomatoes, peppers, onions, broad beans, citrus fruits, nectarines, apricots, oregano, and flowers. The area is also good for fishing and growing things like scallops, oysters, abalone, and different kinds of mussels. The clear weather in the Atacama Desert is perfect for making solar power, and many solar power plants are being built there.