TECHNICAL DATA ATACAMA III REGION

LOCATION AND ACCESS

Copiapó, the Capital of the Region is located at 804 km. north of Santiago.

LanChile, Ladeco and Avant Airlines offer daily, regular flights to this city. Traveling by plane takes approximately 3 hours.

The access way to the city is by 5 North Route Pan-American Highway. Every 1 or 2 hours, buses depart from Santiago and regional bus stations. Traveling by bus takes 17 hours.

GENERAL ASPECTS

SUPERFICIES

It has a superficies of 75, 573.3 km².

CLIMATE

This Region constitutes a transition area between the desert and the transversal valleys projecting from Cordillera de Los Andes. Thus, warm weather of the coastal zone coexists with the low temperatures of the Cordillera zone. Average rainfall of the Region is 100 mm. From time to time, "florid desert" phenomenon occurs, specifically between September and October, when rainfall exceeds the annual rate. This phenomenon allows the underground seeds to sprout, giving this arid Region a colorful aspect.

POPULATION

230, 873 inhabitants, according 1992 census.

ECONOMY

The main economic activity is mining, with a wide variety of mineral resources, such as: iron, copper, gold, silver, quartz, sulfur and marble (white and red marble).

The Region also has agricultural resources, such as: barley, wheat, corn and vegetables like onions and tomatoes. Grapes grown in this zone can be either exported or utilized by the pisco industry.

Tourism is another important economic activity for the Region, especially the area between Chañaral and Puerto Viejo, also Caldera and Bahía Inglesa beaches. Ruins and petroglyphs can be found in the rivers of the transversal valleys. These archaeological reminders are a vestige of the pre-Hispanic native inhabitants. In the Cordillera zone we can find the Ojos del Salado Volcano which is a highly attractive expedition site.

ADMINISTRATIVE DIVISION AND GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS OF THE PROVINCE

The Region s provinces are:

Chañaral

Copiapó

Huasco

CHAÑARAL PROVINCE

The Capital of the Province is Chañaral, a stopping place city whose main economic activity is mining. Some interesting tourist sites are: the bay, the church, and Pan de Azúcar National Park, with its endemic cactaceous species and marine birds.

Other tourist places of the Province are Diego de Almagro mining town; Pedernales Salt Deposit, with its lakes and native flora and fauna; and the modern mining city El Salvador.

COPIAPÓ PROVINCE

Copiapó is the Capital of the Region and a mining and fruitgrowing center. Here we can find the Mineralogical and Regional museums, Candelaria Virgin Sanctuary, San Francisco Church, the Railroad Station and the Museum. It is important to note that the first railroad of South America was built in this place, and its route was Caldera-Copiapó. We can also find mining and railroad commemorative monuments.

Caldera, a port and a beach at the same time, is located in the outskirts of Copiapó. Some tourist places we can find here are: the Railroad Station, Mackenzie and Tornini Houses, Rodillo, Brava, Loreto, Calderilla and Mansa beaches. Bahía Inglesa beach, which is well-known for its whitish sand and placid water, is situated near Caldera.

One of the world s highest mountain tops can be found in this region: Nevado Ojos del Salado (6,893 m. height above sea level), which is located northeast of Copiapó, and constitutes a natural frontier with Argentina.

Tierra Amarilla, a mining-agricultural productive center, can be found in the proximity of Copiapó. In this place, grape especially grown for exportation is produced.

Among its tourist attractions, we can find El Tránsito mine museum, and other national historical monuments like Jotabeche s House, de la Puerta Inca Palace, Punta Brava Pukará, Pabellón ex-station, Amolanas Patronal House, etc.

HUASCO PROVINCE

Vallenar, the capital of the province, is mainly a vegetable, fruit and vineyard growing zone. An important iron mining zone is also found here.

The tourist attractions of the city are: San Francisco Church, the Municipal Tree Nursery and Huasco River.

In the outskirts, we can find some towns like Huasco, which is a mineral transportation port and a beach; Freirina and Alto del Carmen, a typical town of the Region, whose main activities are handcrafting and agriculture.