Coquimbo Region

The Coquimbo Region (Spanish: Región de Coquimbo, pronounced [koˈkimbo]) is one of Chile's 16 administrative regions. It is located approximately 400 kilometres (250 mi) north of the national capital, Santiago. The region is bordered by the Atacama Region to the north, the Valparaíso Region to the south, Argentina to the east, and the Pacific Ocean to the west. The capital and largest city is La Serena. Other significant cities include Coquimbo, a major seaport, and Ovalle, a center for agriculture. Geography The Coquimbo Region forms the narrowest part of Chile and is one of the most mountainous areas in the country, as the Andes range lies closer to the sea here than in other regions. The region is home to diverse marine and terrestrial species. Upwelling along the coast fosters high marine productivity, contributing to a rich ecosystem. In the southern mountainous areas, the endangered Chilean Wine Palm (Jubaea chilensis) can be found. Its habitat is under threat from human activities, such as population growth and deforestation for agriculture and urban expansion. The Elqui Valley, known for its clear skies, is home to numerous astronomical observatories. Additionally, the Puclaro Dam, a 640-meter-long structure, contains a reservoir that holds 4.63 million cubic meters of water for agricultural irrigation along the Elqui River. Demography Mining and agriculture have shaped the distribution of settlements in the Coquimbo Region, particularly around transverse valleys and mineral deposits. Historically, these settlements corresponded to the locations of Diaguita indigenous villages. A significant portion of the population, around 70-75%, is of Mestizo (Euro-Amerindian) descent, the highest percentage in Chile. Other indigenous groups present in the region include the Aymara, Atacameño, Mapuche, and Quechua, many of whom except Mapuche migrated from Peru and Bolivia. The La Serena-Coquimbo conurbation, with an estimated population of around 300,000 people (297,253 as of the last census), accounts for about half of the region's total population. Other major urban centers include Ovalle (118,696), Illapel (32,009), Monte Patria (29,997), Vicuña (28,047), Salamanca (27,823), and Los Vilos (22,897), based on data from the 2024 census. Economy The Coquimbo Region is a popular tourist destination, known for its long, white-sand, beaches, and for its mild climate. The region's economy is also supported by agriculture and fishing. Additionally, its mountainous terrain makes it a key location for astronomical research. The region hosts the iron mines of El Romeral, near La Serena and El Dorado near Ovalle, in addition to the copper mines of Panulcillo also near Ovalle, Carmen de Andacollo next to Andacollo and Los Pelambres in the high Andes near the Argentina–Chile border. The Dominga copper-iron mine project lies in the region. Until 2009, when mining of manganese ceased in Chile, Coquimbo Region produced all of manganese in the country. All the manganese mining districts of the region lie inland. Historically Corral Quemado and other areas of Coquimbo Region have produced the most manganese. Manganese mining in Chile, and Corral Quemado, had a strong peak in 1943 when it produced more than was being purchased, leading to large stockpiles accumulating in ports and railway stations, which led to a halt in mining and thus mass unemployment. Media and communications The first newspaper in the region, El Minero de Coquimbo, was published in 1828. Today, the region is served by several local newspapers, including El Día in La Serena, founded in 1944, La Región in Coquimbo, founded in 2004, and El Ovallino, founded in 1989 in Ovalle. TVN Red Coquimbo, a regional affiliate of Televisión Nacional de Chile (TVN), began broadcasting in 1993. Several local cable and UHF television channels, such as CuartaVisión and Ovalle TV, offer regional programming that includes news, sports, and cultural content. However, several regional stations have ceased operations, including Telenorte and Canal 8 UCV TV, which broadcast until 2001 and 2002, respectively. Notable people The Coquimbo Region is the birthplace of several notable figures, including: Gabriela Mistral, the Nobel Laureate poet, who was born in Vicuña, a town in the Elqui Valley known for pisco production. Hermann Niemeyer, a pediatrician and biochemist born in Ovalle in 1918, who played a key role in the development of biochemistry in Chile. References R.N. Gibson, R.J.A. Atkinson and J.D.M. Gordon (2007) Oceanography and Marine Biology: An Annual Review, CRC Press, 560 pages ISBN 1-4200-5093-1 C. Michael Hogan (2008) Chilean Wine Palm: Jubaea chilensis, GlobalTwitcher.com, ed. Nicklas Stromberg External links Gobierno Regional de Coquimbo Official website – archived (in Spanish)