The Tarapacá Region ( es, Región de Tarapacá, ) is one of
Chile
Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in the western part of South America. It is the southernmost country in the world, and the closest to Antarctica, occupying a long and narrow strip of land between the Andes to the eas ...
's 16 first-order
administrative divisions. It comprises two provinces,
Iquique and
Tamarugal
Tamarugal Province ( es, Provincia de Tamarugal) is one of two provinces in the northern Chilean region of Tarapacá. The capital is the city of Pozo Almonte.
Name
The province is named after Pampa del Tamarugal.
Spanish name:
* Provincia de Ta ...
. It borders the Chilean
Arica and Parinacota Region
The Arica y Parinacota Region ( es, link=no, Región de Arica y Parinacota ) is one of Chile's 16 first order administrative divisions. It comprises two provinces, Arica and Parinacota. It borders Peru's Department of Tacna to the north, Bolivi ...
to the north,
Bolivia
, image_flag = Bandera de Bolivia (Estado).svg
, flag_alt = Horizontal tricolor (red, yellow, and green from top to bottom) with the coat of arms of Bolivia in the center
, flag_alt2 = 7 × 7 square p ...
's
Oruro Department and
Potosí Department on the east, Chile's
Antofagasta Region
The Antofagasta Region ( es, Región de Antofagasta, ) is one of Chile's sixteen first-order administrative divisions. The second-largest region of Chile in area, it comprises three provinces, Antofagasta, El Loa and Tocopilla. It is bordered t ...
to the south and the Pacific Ocean to the west. The port city of
Iquique is the region's capital.
Much of the region was once the
Tarapacá Province of
Peru
, image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg
, image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg
, other_symbol = Great Seal of the State
, other_symbol_type = National seal
, national_motto = "Firm and Happy f ...
, which was annexed by Chile under the 1883
Treaty of Ancón at the close of the
War of the Pacific. The region was important economically as a site of intense
saltpeter
Potassium nitrate is a chemical compound with the chemical formula . This alkali metal nitrate Salt (chemistry), salt is also known as Indian saltpetre (large deposits of which were historically mined in India). It is an ionic salt of potassium ...
mining
Mining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the Earth, usually from an ore body, lode, vein, seam, reef, or placer deposit. The exploitation of these deposits for raw material is based on the econom ...
, before synthetic nitrate manufacturing became possible. A number of abandoned mining towns can still be found in the region.
The present day Tarapacá Region was created in 2007 by subdividing the former Tarapacá Region under Law No. 20,175, which was signed by
President
President most commonly refers to:
*President (corporate title)
* President (education), a leader of a college or university
* President (government title)
President may also refer to:
Automobiles
* Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ...
Michelle Bachelet in
Arica
Arica ( ; ) is a commune and a port city with a population of 222,619 in the Arica Province of northern Chile's Arica y Parinacota Region. It is Chile's northernmost city, being located only south of the border with Peru. The city is the capita ...
.
Administration
The government of the region resides in the
intendant
An intendant (; pt, intendente ; es, intendente ) was, and sometimes still is, a public official, especially in France, Spain, Portugal, and Latin America. The intendancy system was a centralizing administrative system developed in France. In ...
, who is assigned by the president. Each of the region's two provinces are further subdivided into communes.
Climate
A desert climate dominates the region. Near the coast, cloudiness can limit the temperature swing throughout the day, but in other drier areas, temperatures can vary greatly as is typical in deserts. A marginal desert region can be found over above sea level, which sees milder temperatures and summer rains.
Rivers
*
Isluga River
*
Cariquima
Cariquima is a highland town in Chile. The town is a few kilometers south of Colchane, in the Tarapacá Region of Chile. It can be found on the slopes of Nevado Cariquima or Mama Huanapa. It is a central meeting point for Aymara indigenous commu ...
*
Concosa (Altiplano)
Economic activities
*Fishing
*Tourism
*Mining
**
Cerro Colorado
**
Collahuasi
See also
*
2007 Tocopilla earthquake
The 2007 Tocopilla earthquake occurred on November 14 at . Its epicenter was located between Quillagua and Tocopilla, affecting the Tarapacá and the Antofagasta regions in northern Chile. The earthquake had a moment magnitude of 7.7 and lasted ab ...
*
Coastal Cliff of northern Chile
*
Pulpería
References
External links
Gobierno Regional de TarapacáOfficial website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Tarapaca Region
Regions of Chile
States and territories established in 1883
1883 establishments in Chile