Editing Atacama Region

{{About|the administrative region|the desert|Atacama Desert}}
{{Short description|Region of Chile}}
{{More citations needed|date=August 2010}}
{{Infobox settlement
<!-- See Template:Infobox settlement for additional fields and descriptions -->| official_name      = Atacama Region
| native_name        = Región de Atacama
| native_name_lang   = es
| settlement_type    = [[Regions of Chile|Region of Chile]]
<!-- provinces ----------------->| seat_type          = [[Capital (political)|Capital]]
| seat               = [[Copiapó, Chile|Copiapó]]
| coordinates        = {{coord|27|22|00|S|70|19|56|W|type:adm1st_region:CL|display=inline,title}}
| subdivision_type   = [[List of sovereign states|Country]]
| subdivision_name   = {{flag|Chile}}
| parts_type         = [[Provinces of Chile|Provinces]]
| parts              = [[Chañaral Province|Chañaral]], [[Copiapó Province|Copiapó]], [[Huasco Province|Huasco]]
| leader_title       = [[Intendant]]
| leader_name        = Francisco Sánchez
| leader_party       = [[National Renewal (Chile)|RN]]
<!-- images --------------------->| image_skyline      = Panoramica de la laguna con las tres Cimas de fondo.jpg
| image_caption      = [[Nevado Tres Cruces National Park]]
| image_flag         = Flag of Atacama, Chile.svg
| flag_size          = 120px
| flag_alt           = Flag of Atacama Region
| image_shield       = Coat of arms of Atacama, Chile.svg
| shield_size        = 75px
| shield_alt         = Coat of Arms of Atacama Region
| image_map          = Atacama in Chile 2018.svg
| mapsize            = 250px
| map_caption        = Map of Atacama Region
<!-- area: for references: use <ref> tags ---------------------->| area_total_km2     = 75176.2
| area_footnotes     = <ref name="BCN">{{cite web |url= https://www.bcn.cl/siit/nuestropais/nuestropais/region3/ |title= Región de Atacama |access-date=7 November 2022 |publisher=Library of National Congress|language=es }}</ref>
| area_rank          = 4
<!-- elevation: for references: use <ref> tags ----------------->| elevation_min_footnotes = 
| elevation_max_footnotes = 
| elevation_max_m    = 6891.3
| elevation_min_m    = 0
<!--population: for references: use <ref> tags ----------------->| population_total   = 286168
| population_as_of   = 2017 census
| population_footnotes = <ref name="BCN"/>
| population_rank    = 13
| population_density_km2 = auto
<!-- GDP --------------------->| demographics_type1 = GDP (PPP)
| demographics1_footnotes = <ref name=":0">[http://stats.oecd.org/ Regions and Cities > Regional Statistics > Regional Economy > Regional GDP per Capita], OECD.Stats.</ref>
| demographics1_title1 = Total
| demographics1_info1 = $8.595 billion (2014)
| demographics1_title2 = Per capita
| demographics1_info2 = $27,882 (2014)
<!-- miscellaneous --------------------------------------------->| blank_name_sec1    = [[Human Development Index|HDI]] (2022)
| blank_info_sec1    = 0.864<ref name="GlobalDataLab">{{Cite web|url=https://hdi.globaldatalab.org/areadata/shdi/|title=Sub-national HDI - Area Database - Global Data Lab|website=hdi.globaldatalab.org|language=en|access-date=26 October 2021}}</ref><br/>{{color|green|very high}}
| website            = [http://www.goreatacama.cl/ Official website] {{in lang|es}}
| iso_code           = [[ISO 3166-2:CL|CL-AT]]
| footnotes          = 
}}
The '''Atacama Region''' ({{langx|es|Región de Atacama}}, {{IPA|es|ataˈkama|pron}}) is one of [[Chile]]'s 16 first order [[administrative division]]s. It comprises three [[Provinces of Chile|provinces]]: [[Chañaral Province|Chañaral]], [[Copiapó Province|Copiapó]] and [[Huasco Province|Huasco]]. It is bordered to the north by [[Antofagasta Region|Antofagasta]], to the south by [[Coquimbo Region|Coquimbo]], to the east by the provinces of [[Catamarca Province|Catamarca]], [[La Rioja Province (Argentina)|La Rioja]] and [[San Juan Province (Argentina)|San Juan]] of [[Argentina]], and to the west by the [[Pacific Ocean]]. The regional capital [[Copiapó]] is located {{convert|806|km|0|abbr=on}} north of the country's capital of [[Santiago]]. The region occupies the southern portion of the [[Atacama Desert]], the rest of the desert is mainly distributed among the other regions of [[Norte Grande, Chile|Norte Grande]]. As a generalization south of Copiapó River the region is mostly semi-arid and north of it it is a true desert. The inland area in the north also differs from the southern part by hosting active volcanoes part of the [[Andean Volcanic Belt|Central Volcanic Zone of Andes]]. The region has a long tradition of mining. 

==Demography==
The Atacama Region is the third least populated region of the country, after [[Aisén Region|Aisén]] and [[Magallanes and Antartica Chilena Region|Magallanes]]. Of its total population, over 50% are located in the cities of [[Copiapó]] and [[Vallenar]].

The largest cities are (2002 census data) [[Copiapó, Chile|Copiapó]] (125,983 inhabitants), [[Vallenar, Chile|Vallenar]] (43,750), [[Caldera, Chile|Caldera]] (12,776), [[Chañaral]] (12,086), [[El Salvador, Chile|El Salvador]] (8,697) [[Tierra Amarilla, Chile|Tierra Amarilla]] (8,578), and [[Diego de Almagro, Chile|Diego de Almagro]] (7,951).

==History==
{{See also|1420 Caldera earthquake|Chilean silver rush}}

The original inhabitants of this area were the [[Diaguitas]] and [[Changos]].{{cn|date=February 2025}}

The region experienced a boom when the [[Chañarcillo]] silver mine was discovered by [[Juan Godoy]] in 1832.<ref name=mem>{{Cite web
 | url   = http://www.memoriachilena.cl/602/w3-article-727.html
 | title = Los Ciclos Mineros del Cobre y la Plata (1820–1880)
 |trans-title=Mining Cycles of Copper and Silver
 | website  = [[Memoria Chilena]]
 | publisher  = [[Biblioteca Nacional de Chile]]
 | language = es
 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20131231053749/http://www.memoriachilena.cl/602/w3-article-727.html
 | archive-date = 31 December 2013
 | url-status = live
}}</ref>

==Natural features==
Much of the region is desert, and encompasses considerable mineral resources.<ref>Teresa Moreno and Wes Gibbons. 2007</ref> Numerous flora and fauna species are found in the Atacama Region. One [[subspecies]] of the [[lesser rhea]], known by the scientific name ''[[Rhea pennata]] tarapacensis'', is a notable large terrestrial bird in this region, which subspecies is considered [[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 [[Population growth|expanding human population]].
<gallery>

File:Laguna Verde - Atacama 2.jpg|Laguna Verde
File:Desierto florido.jpg|Desert in bloom
File:Lamas in the sunset San Pedro de Atacama Chile Luca Galuzzi 2006.jpg|Llamas in the desert
File:Valle Arcoiris, Río Grande, Chile, 2016-02-05, DD 19-25 PAN.JPG|Rainbow Valley
</gallery>

The geology of the region has four [[metallogenetic belt]]s where deposits of valuable metals are found. From west to east these belts are the [[Atacama Fault|Atacama Fault System]] (copper and iron), the [[Inca de Oro Belt]] (silver, gold), the [[West Fissure System]] (copper) and lastly the [[Maricunga Belt]] (gold) close to the [[Argentina–Chile border|Argentine border]].<ref>{{Cite journal |title=Geological development and mineralization in the Atacama segment of the South American Andes, northern Chile (26°15′–27°25′S) |journal=[[Geologische Rundschau]] |last=Palacios |first=C.M. |url=https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/BF00191492 |volume=82 |pages=652-662 |last2=Townley |first2=B.C. |last3=Lahsen |first3=A.A. |last4=Egafia |first4=A.M. |doi=10.1007/BF00191492|year=1993|url-access=subscription }}</ref> The [[Chilean Iron Belt]] largelly follows the Atacama Fault System.<ref name=Simonetal2018>{{cite book |last1=Simon |first1=Adam C.|last2=Knipping |first2=Jaayne|last3=Reich |first3=Martin|last4=Barra |first4=Fernando|last5=Deditius |first5=Artur P. |last6=Bilenker |first6=Laura |last7=Childress |first7=Tristan |date=2018 |title=Metals, Minerals, and Society|chapter=Kiruna-Type Iron Oxide-Apatite (IOA) and Iron Oxide Copper-Gold (IOCG) Deposits Form by a Combination of Igneous and Magmatic-Hydrothermal Processes: Evidence from the Chilean Iron Belt |series=Society of Economic Geologists Special Publication|volume=21|doi=10.5382/SP.21 |pages=89–114 |isbn=9781629493084 |editor-last=Arribas R.|editor-first=Antonio M.|editor-last2=Mauk|editor-first2=Jeffrey L.}}</ref><ref name=Travisanyetal1995>{{cite journal |last1=Travisany |first1=Vinicio |last2=Henríquez |first2=Fernando|last3=Nyström |first3=Jan Olov |date=1995 |title=Magnetite lava flows in the Pleito-Melon District of the Chilean iron belt |journal=[[Economic Geology (journal)|Economic Geology]] |volume=90 |issue=2 |pages=438–444 |doi=10.2113/gsecongeo.90.2.438 |bibcode=1995EcGeo..90..438T }}</ref>

==Economy==
{{See also|Chilean Iron Belt|Chilean pisco|Piquinero}}
Mining accounts for 41%<ref>{{Cite report |title=Distritos productivos para el desarrollo de la minería chilena |url=https://www.sonami.cl/v2/publicaciones/distritos-productivos-desarrollo-mineria-chilena/ |trans-title=Productive districts for the development of mining in Chile|language=es |year=2025 |publisher=[[Sociedad Nacional de Minería|Centro de Estudios y Documentación Mineros de SONAMI]]}}</ref>  of the region's GDP and 90% of its exports.{{fact|date=May 2025}} Moreover, various geological surveys have identified new deposits.{{cn|date=March 2025}} In Atacama Region [[medium-scale mining|medium]] and small-scale mining has a larger share of mining properties relative to larg-scale mining that is dominant in the more northern regions of [[Tarapacá Region|Tarapacá]] and [[Antofagasta Region|Antofagasta]].<ref>{{cite book|last1=Ulloa Urrutia| first1=Alfie|last2=Contreras Biekert|first2=José Luis|last3=Gana Aravena|first3=Joaquín|last4=Miranda Toledo |first4=Rodrigo|last5=Chauveau Gerber|first5=Paul|first6=Fernando|last6=Villalobos Valenzuela|last7=Farías Soto|first7=Javiera|title=Productividad en la Gran Minería del Cobre|chapter=|year=2017 |pages= |publisher=Comisión Nacional de Productividad|language=Spanish|isbn=978-956-7725-08-3|page=283}}</ref> [[Iron]] ore [[mining]] is the most dynamic activity and there are numerous small-scale mines, which sell their output to [[ENAMI (Chile)|ENAMI]] (the national mining company) for processing at its [[Fundición Paipote|Paipote smelter]]. The region's main copper deposit is [[Candelaria mine|Candelaria]], which produces around 200,000 tonnes per year and is controlled by [[Phelps Dodge]], an international corporation. The next in size is El Salvador, owned by [[CODELCO]], with an annual output of around 81,000 tonnes. Both mines export through the port of [[Chañaral]].{{cn|date=March 2025}}

[[File:ValledeCopiapo.jpg|thumb|200px|left|Irrigated fields in the outskirts Copiapó.]]
Over recent decades, fresh [[fruit]] also emerged as regional export item, when the [[Copiapó Valley|Copiapó]] and [[Huasco, Chile|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, [[olive]]s, [[tomato]]es, [[capsicum|peppers]], [[onion]]s, [[Vicia faba|broad bean]]s, [[citrus]] fruits, [[nectarine]]s, [[apricot]]s, [[oregano]], and [[flower]]s.
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.<ref name=guardianSolar /> Many [[photovoltaics|PV]] and [[concentrated solar power|CSP]] plants are being built in this area.<ref name=guardianSolar>{{cite news|last1=Watts|first1=Jonathan|title=Desert tower raises Chile's solar power ambition to new heights|url=https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/dec/22/desert-tower-raises-chiles-solar-power-ambition-to-new-heights|access-date=13 March 2017|work=The Guardian|date=22 December 2015}}</ref>

==See also==
*[[Flag of Atacama]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}
* Teresa Moreno and Wes Gibbons. 2007. The geology of Chile, Geological Society of London, 414 pages

==External links==
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20070519175448/http://www.goreatacama.cl/ Gobierno Regional de Atacama] Official website {{in lang|es}}

{{Communes in Atacama Region}}
{{Atacama Region rivers and lakes}}
{{Regions_of_Chile}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Atacama Region| ]]
[[Category:Regions of Chile]]