page_title: Copiapó
section_title: Attractions
hierarchical_section_title: Copiapó / Attractions
caption_attribution_description: English: Mineralogic Museum of Copiapó. Español: Museo Mineralógico de Copiapó.
context_page_description: Copiapó is a city in northern Chile, located about 65 kilometers east of the coastal town of Caldera. Founded on December 8, 1744, it is the capital of Copiapó Province and Atacama Region.
  Copiapó lies about 800 km north of Santiago by the Copiapó River, in the valley of the same name. In the early 21st century, the river has dried up in response to climate change and more severe droughts. The town is surrounded by the Atacama Desert and receives 12 mm of rain per year. The population of Copiapó was 9,128 in 1903; and 11,617 in 1907. As of 2012, there are 158,438 inhabitants.
  Copiapó is in a rich silver and copper mining district. A bronze statue commemorates Juan Godoy, discoverer of the Chañarcillo silver mines in the 19th century. The Copiapó-Caldera railway line, built in 1850, was the first one in South America. The first section between Caldera and Monte Amargo was inaugurated on July 4, 1850 in honor of the Independence Day, as American businessman William Wheelwright was responsible for the project. The original wooden railway station is now a National Monument.
context_section_description: Mineralogic Museum,
  Plaza de Armas,
  Regional Museum of the Matta Family,
  Wooden Railway Station,
  the San José Copper Mine (closed in 2010);
  Totoralillo, Totoral and the zone of "Travesía" on the coast, wherein after rain, the "Desierto Florido" appears;
  In the Andes, the Ojos del Salado volcano, and the lakes Green and Negro Francisco,
  Tres Cruces National Park in the Andes.
caption: Copiapó Mineralogic Museum
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