Editing Coquimbo Region (section)

==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.{{fact|date=September 2024}} Other indigenous groups present in the region include the [[Aymara people|Aymara]], [[Atacama people|Atacameño]], [[Mapuche]], and [[Quechua people|Quechua]], many of whom 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 (66,405), [[Illapel]] (21,826), [[Vicuña, Chile|Vicuña]] (12,910), [[Salamanca, Chile|Salamanca]] (11,615), and [[Los Vilos]] (10,966), based on data from the 2002 census.