Antofagasta Region
The Antofagasta Region is one of the 15 regions in Chile and the third one from north to south. The Region borders on the north by the Tarapacá Region, on the south by the Atacama Region, on the west by the Pacific Ocean, and on the east by Argentina and Bolivia.
As it is located in the middle of the Atacama Desert, it has a hot climate varying between 12°C and 24°C in average. Up to 2 millimeters of rainfall are expected in a normal year.
The most distinctive image of the Region is “La Portada”, located at the capital of Antofagasta. This natural monument formed by marine sedimentary rocks with fossil content gives shape to a 43-m high and 70-m long arch.
According to the National Statistics Institute (INE), population by 2015 is projected to be 622.640 people.
Antofagasta Region Highlights
65% of Region’s GDP comes from the mining industry, whose main product is copper. The most distinctive ore deposit is Chuquicamata, the largest open-pit mine in the world. Fishing and tourism also contribute to the economic development of the Region, whose GDP is of USD 25,000 per capita, the highest in Chile.