Editing Coquimbo Region

{{Short description|Region of Chile}}
{{More citations needed|date=August 2010}}
{{Infobox settlement
<!-- See Template:Infobox settlement for additional fields and descriptions -->
| official_name           = Coquimbo Region
| native_name             = Región de Coquimbo
| native_name_lang        = es
| settlement_type         = [[Regions of Chile|Region of Chile]]
<!-- provinces ----------------->
| seat_type               = [[Capital (political)|Capital]]
| seat                    = [[La Serena, Chile|La Serena]]
| coordinates             = {{coord|29|54|28|S|70|15|15|W|type:adm1st_region:CL|display=inline,title}}
| subdivision_type        = [[List of sovereign states|Country]]
| subdivision_name        = {{flag|Chile}}
| parts_type              = [[Provinces of Chile|Provinces]]
| parts                   = [[Elqui Province|Elqui]], [[Limarí Province|Limarí]], [[Choapa Province|Choapa]]
| leader_title            = [[Intendant]]
| leader_name             = [[Lucía Pinto]]
| leader_party            = [[Independent Democratic Union|UDI]]
<!-- images --------------------->
| image_skyline           = Montaje de la Región de Coquimbo (202012160).png
| image_caption           = <small>''Montage of Coquimbo Region''</small>
| image_flag              = Flag of Coquimbo Region, Chile.svg
| flag_size               = 120px
| flag_alt                = Flag of Coquimbo Región - Chile
| image_shield            = Coat of arms of Coquimbo Region, Chile.svg
| shield_size             = 75px
| shield_alt              = Coat of Arms of Coquimbo Región - Chile
| image_map               = Coquimbo in Chile 2018.svg
| mapsize                 = 250px
| map_caption             = Map of Coquimbo Región - Chile
<!-- area: for references: use <ref> tags ---------------------->
| area_total_km2          = 40579.9
| area_footnotes          = <ref name="CINVER-CO">{{cite web |url= http://www.cinver.cl/english/chile/coquimbo.asp |title= Coquimbo Region |access-date= 13 March 2010 |publisher= [[Government of Chile]] Foreign Investment Committee }}{{Dead link|date=July 2019 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>
| area_rank               = 7
<!-- elevation: for references: use <ref> tags ----------------->
| elevation_min_footnotes = 
| elevation_max_footnotes = 
| elevation_max_m         = 6216
| elevation_min_m         = 0
<!--population: for references: use <ref> tags ----------------->
| population_total        = 742178
| population_as_of        = 2013 census
| population_footnotes    = <ref name="CINVER-CO"/>
| population_rank         = 8 
| population_density_km2  = auto
<!-- GDP --------------------->
| demographics_type1 = GDP (PPP)
| demographics1_footnotes = <ref name=":0">[http://stats.oecd.org/ Regions and Cities > Regional Statistics > Regional Economy > Regional GDP per Capita], OECD.Stats.</ref>
| demographics1_title1 = Total
| demographics1_info1 = $11.237 billion (2014)
| demographics1_title2 = Per capita
| demographics1_info2 = $14,800 (2014)
<!-- miscellaneous --------------------------------------------->
| blank_name_sec1        = [[Human Development Index|HDI]] (2019)
| blank_info_sec1        = 0.830<ref name="GlobalDataLab">{{Cite web|url=https://hdi.globaldatalab.org/areadata/shdi/|title=Sub-national HDI - Area Database - Global Data Lab|website=hdi.globaldatalab.org|language=en|access-date=26 October 2021}}</ref><br/>{{color|green|very high}} 
| website                 = [http://www.gorecoquimbo.gob.cl/ Official website] {{in lang|es}}
| iso_code                = [[ISO 3166-2:CL|CL-CO]]
| footnotes               = 
}}
[[File:Cruz del tercer milenio.JPG|thumb|200px|[[Cruz del Tercer Milenio]] in [[Coquimbo]].]]
[[File:La Serena lighthouse.jpg|thumb|200px|El Faro in [[La Serena, Chile|La Serena]].]]
[[File:Centro Historico de La Serena1.JPG|thumb|Historic Centre of [[La Serena, Chile|La Serena]].]]
[[File:Torre Bauer-01.jpg|thumb|200px|Bauer's Tower of [[Vicuña, Chile|Vicuña]].]]
[[File:Coquimbo por la noche.JPG|thumb|200px|Night view of [[Coquimbo]]'s port.]]
The '''Coquimbo Region''' ({{langx|es|Región de Coquimbo}}, {{IPA|es|koˈkimbo|pron}}) is one of [[Chile]]'s 16 administrative [[Regions of Chile|regions]]. It is located approximately {{convert|400|km}} north of the national capital, [[Santiago]]. The region is bordered by the [[Atacama Region]] to the north, the [[Valparaíso Region]] to the south, [[Argentina]] to the east, and the [[Pacific Ocean]] to the west.

The capital and largest city is [[La Serena, Chile|La Serena]]. Other significant cities include [[Coquimbo]], a major seaport, and [[Ovalle, Chile|Ovalle]], a center for agriculture.

==Geography and ecology==
{{See also|Transverse Valleys}}
The Coquimbo Region forms the narrowest part of Chile and is one of the most mountainous areas in the country, as the [[Andes]] range lies closer to the sea here than in other regions. The region is home to diverse marine and terrestrial species. [[Upwelling]] along the coast fosters high marine productivity, contributing to a rich ecosystem.<ref>R.N. Gibson, R.J.A. Atkinson and J.D.M. Gordon, 2007</ref>

In the southern mountainous areas, the [[endangered]] [[Chilean Wine Palm]] (''Jubaea chilensis'') can be found. Its habitat is under threat from human activities, such as population growth and [[deforestation]] for agriculture and urban expansion.<ref>C. Michael Hogan, 2008</ref>

The [[Elqui Valley (wine region)|Elqui Valley]], known for its clear skies, is home to numerous [[Observatory|astronomical observatories]].<ref>{{cite book |last=Frier Hansen |first=Henrik |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=m3XSpeAmgUIC&q=Elqui+Valley+observatories&pg=PA26 |title=Viva Chile: Travels, Tips and Tales |publisher=AuthorHouse |year=2008 |isbn=978-1467020671 |pages=26}}</ref> Additionally, the [[Puclaro Dam]], a 640-meter-long structure, contains a reservoir that holds 4.63 million cubic meters of water for agricultural irrigation along the [[Elqui River]].

==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.

==Economy==
{{see also|Iron mining in Chile|Chilean pisco}}
The Coquimbo Region is a popular tourist destination, known for its long, white-sand beaches and mild climate. The region's economy is also supported by agriculture and fishing. Additionally, its mountainous terrain makes it a key location for [[Astronomy in Chile|astronomical research]].

Until 2009 when [[manganese mining in Chile|mining of manganese]] ceased in Chile Coquimbo Region produced all of manganse in the country.<ref name=anuario2024>{{Cite report |title=Anuario de estadisticas del cobre y otros minerales |year=2024 |publisher=[[Comisión Chilena del Cobre]] |trans-title=Yearbook: Copper and Other Mineral Statistics: 2004 2023}}</ref><ref name=manganese>{{Cite report |title=Estado del arte y potenciales recursos Co y Mn en Chile |url=https://bibliotecadigital.ciren.cl/server/api/core/bitstreams/46bb6767-93de-405d-a5d5-2aad3cc57adb/content |last=Townley |first=Brian |last2=Díaz |first2=Alejandro |last3=Luca |first3=Rodrigo |year=2017 |publisher=Advanced Mining Technology Center|language=es|pages=29 & 49}}</ref> All the manganse mining districts of the region lie in the inland.<ref name=manganese/> Historically [[Corral Quemado mine|Corral Quemado]] and other areas of Coquimbo Region have produced most manganese in Chile.<ref name=manghis>{{Cite journal |title=Viva en la guerra, agonizante en la paz. La minería del manganeso en Chile y la inscripción estratégica del Norte Chico en el orbe de los conflictos (1884-1953) |journal=Perfiles Económicos |last=Galaz-Mandakovic |first=Damir |url=https://revistas.uv.cl/index.php/Perfiles/article/view/3427/3570 |volume=14 |pages=119-141 |year=2023 |trans-title=Alive in war, dying in peace. Manganese mining in Chile and the strategic inscription of the Norte Chico in the orb of conflicts (1884-1953)}}</ref> Manganese mining in Chile and Corral Quemado had a strong peak in 1943 when it came to produce more of what was being purchased leading to large [[stockpile]]s accumulating in ports and railway stations and ultimately to a halt in mining and thus mass unemployment.<ref name=manghis/>

==Media and communications==
The first [[newspaper]] in the region, ''El Minero de Coquimbo'', was published in 1828. Today, the region is served by several local newspapers, including ''[[El Día (Chile)|El Día]]'' in La Serena, founded in 1944, ''La Región'' in Coquimbo, founded in 2004, and ''El Ovallino'', founded in 1989 in Ovalle.

TVN Red Coquimbo, a regional affiliate of [[Televisión Nacional de Chile]] (TVN), began broadcasting in 1993. Several local cable and [[Ultra high frequency|UHF]] television channels, such as CuartaVisión and Ovalle TV, offer regional programming that includes news, sports, and cultural content. However, several regional stations have ceased operations, including [[Telenorte]] and [[Canal 8 UCV TV]], which broadcast until 2001 and 2002, respectively.

==Notable people==
The Coquimbo Region is the birthplace of several notable figures, including:

* [[Gabriela Mistral]], the [[Nobel Laureate]] poet, who was born in [[Vicuña, Chile|Vicuña]], a town in the Elqui Valley known for [[pisco]] production.<ref>{{cite web |title=Gabriela Mistral - Biographical - Nobel Peace Prize |url=https://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/literature/laureates/1945/mistral-bio.html |access-date=25 January 2014 |work=nobelprize.org}}</ref>
* [[Hermann Niemeyer]], a pediatrician and biochemist born in Ovalle in 1918, who played a key role in the development of [[biochemistry]] in Chile.<ref>{{cite web |title=Hermann Niemeyer Fernández, Premio Nacional de Ciencias 1983 |url=https://www.uchile.cl/portal/presentacion/historia/grandes-figuras/premios-nacionales/ciencias-/6644/hermann-niemeyer-fernandez |access-date=25 June 2021}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}
*R.N. Gibson, R.J.A. Atkinson and J.D.M. Gordon (2007) ''Oceanography and Marine Biology: An Annual Review'', CRC Press, 560 pages {{ISBN|1-4200-5093-1}}
*C. Michael Hogan (2008) [https://web.archive.org/web/20121017013207/http://globaltwitcher.auderis.se/artspec_information.asp?thingid=82831 ''Chilean Wine Palm: Jubaea chilensis'', GlobalTwitcher.com, ed. Nicklas Stromberg]

==External links==
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20150726020728/http://www.gorecoquimbo.cl/ Gobierno Regional de Coquimbo] Official website – archived {{in lang|es}}

{{Regions of Chile}}
{{Communes in Coquimbo Region}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Coquimbo Region| ]]
[[Category:Regions of Chile]]