Antofagasta Province
Encyclopedia
Antofagasta Province is one of three provinces
in the northern Chile
an region of Antofagasta
(II). The capital is the port city of Antofagasta. Located within the Atacama Desert
, it borders the El Loa
and Tocopilla
provinces to the north, Bolivia
to the west and the Atacama Region
to the south.
, or the Litoral. It fell into the possession of Chile in the War of the Pacific
of 1879-84, and was forcefully ceded to that republic in 1904. This is disputed by Bolivia as the forced takeover of part of a country by a stronger nation.
(1,265,853.7 km2), which is not internationally recognized.
Its area is rich in saline and other mineral deposits with the important Caracoles silver mines about 90 miles (144.8 km) north-east of the Antofagasta. Like the other provinces of this region, Antofagasta produces for export copper, silver, silver ores, lead, nitrate of soda, borax and salt. Iron and manganese ores are also found here.
, the province had a 2002 population of 318,779 (165,847 men and 152,932 women), and a population density of 4.7 PD/sqkm. Of this population, 313,244 (98.3%) lived in urban areas and 5,535 (1.7%) in rural areas. Between the 1992 and 2002 censuses, the population grew by 29.1% (71,779 persons).
Besides Antofagasta, the principal towns are Taltal
and Mejillones
.
, Antofagasta is a second-level administrative division of Chile, which is further subdivided into four communes (comunas). The province is administered by a presidentially appointed governor. Pablo Toloza Fernández was appointed by president
Sebastián Piñera
. Government headquarters are located at Arturo Prat N° 384, Piso 6, Antofagasta.
Provinces of Chile
A province is the second largest administrative division in Chile, after a region. Each region is divided into provinces. There are 54 provinces in total....
in the northern Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
an region of Antofagasta
Antofagasta Region
The II Antofagasta Region is one of Chile's fifteen first-order administrative divisions. It comprises three provinces, Antofagasta, El Loa and Tocopilla...
(II). The capital is the port city of Antofagasta. Located within the Atacama Desert
Atacama Desert
The Atacama Desert is a plateau in South America, covering a strip of land on the Pacific coast, west of the Andes mountains. It is, according to NASA, National Geographic and many other publications, the driest desert in the world...
, it borders the El Loa
El Loa Province
El Loa Province is one of three provinces of the northern Chilean region of Antofagasta . It is named after the longest of rivers in Chile, the Loa River...
and Tocopilla
Tocopilla Province
Tocopilla Province is one of the three provinces in the northern Chilean region of Antofagasta . Its capital is the city of Tocopilla.-Geography and demography:...
provinces to the north, Bolivia
Bolivia
Bolivia officially known as Plurinational State of Bolivia , is a landlocked country in central South America. It is the poorest country in South America...
to the west and the Atacama Region
Atacama Region
The Atacama Region is one of Chile's 15 first order administrative divisions. It comprises three provinces, Chañaral, Copiapó and Huasco. It is bordered to the north by Antofagasta, to the south by Coquimbo, to east with Provinces of Catamarca, La Rioja and San Juan of Argentina, and to west with...
to the south.
History
Before 1866, this region was disputed and claimed by Chile and Bolivia. Between 1866 to 1879 the province contractually belonged to Bolivia, and was known as the Atacama DepartmentAtacama Department
Atacama was a department of Bolivia. It was lost to Chile in the War of the Pacific. It is now the Chilean Antofagasta Region....
, or the Litoral. It fell into the possession of Chile in the War of the Pacific
War of the Pacific
The War of the Pacific took place in western South America from 1879 through 1883. Chile fought against Bolivia and Peru. Despite cooperation among the three nations in the war against Spain, disputes soon arose over the mineral-rich Peruvian provinces of Tarapaca, Tacna, and Arica, and the...
of 1879-84, and was forcefully ceded to that republic in 1904. This is disputed by Bolivia as the forced takeover of part of a country by a stronger nation.
Geography
The province spans an area of 67813.5 sqkm in the Atacama Desert. It is the second largest province in the country, second only to Antártica Chilena ProvinceAntártica Chilena Province
Antártica Chilena Province is the southernmost and one of four provinces in Chile's southernmost region, Magallanes and Antártica Chilena Region . The capital is Puerto Williams...
(1,265,853.7 km2), which is not internationally recognized.
Its area is rich in saline and other mineral deposits with the important Caracoles silver mines about 90 miles (144.8 km) north-east of the Antofagasta. Like the other provinces of this region, Antofagasta produces for export copper, silver, silver ores, lead, nitrate of soda, borax and salt. Iron and manganese ores are also found here.
Demography
According to the 2002 census by the National Statistics InstituteNational Statistics Institute (Chile)
The National Statistics Institute of Chile is a state-run organization of the Government of Chile, created in the second half of the 19th century and tasked with performing a general census of population and housing, then collecting, producing and publishing official demographic statistics of...
, the province had a 2002 population of 318,779 (165,847 men and 152,932 women), and a population density of 4.7 PD/sqkm. Of this population, 313,244 (98.3%) lived in urban areas and 5,535 (1.7%) in rural areas. Between the 1992 and 2002 censuses, the population grew by 29.1% (71,779 persons).
Besides Antofagasta, the principal towns are Taltal
Taltal
Taltal is a Chilean commune and city in Antofagasta Province, Antofagasta Region. According to the 2002 census, the commune population was 11,000 and has an area of ....
and Mejillones
Mejillones
Mejillones is a Chilean port city and commune in Antofagasta Province, Antofagasta Region. Its name is the plural form of the Spanish mejillón meaning "mussel", referring to a particularly abundant species and preferred staple food of its indigenous inhabitants. It is situated in the northern side...
.
Administration
As a provinceProvince
A province is a territorial unit, almost always an administrative division, within a country or state.-Etymology:The English word "province" is attested since about 1330 and derives from the 13th-century Old French "province," which itself comes from the Latin word "provincia," which referred to...
, Antofagasta is a second-level administrative division of Chile, which is further subdivided into four communes (comunas). The province is administered by a presidentially appointed governor. Pablo Toloza Fernández was appointed by president
President of Chile
The President of the Republic of Chile is both the head of state and the head of government of the Republic of Chile. The President is responsible of the government and state administration...
Sebastián Piñera
Sebastián Piñera
Miguel Juan Sebastián Piñera Echenique is a Chilean businessman and politician. He was elected President of Chile in January 2010, taking office in March 2010.- Education :...
. Government headquarters are located at Arturo Prat N° 384, Piso 6, Antofagasta.
| Commune | Area (km2) | 2002Population | Density (km2) |
Governmentwebsite |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Taltal Taltal Taltal is a Chilean commune and city in Antofagasta Province, Antofagasta Region. According to the 2002 census, the commune population was 11,000 and has an area of .... |
20,405.1 | 11,100 | 0.5 | link |
| Sierra Gorda Sierra Gorda, Chile Sierra Gorda is a Chilean commune in Antofagasta Province, Antofagasta Region. The total estimated population was 3,087 in 2006. The two main settlements are the villages of Sierra Gorda and Baquedano Sierra Gorda is a Chilean commune in Antofagasta Province, Antofagasta Region. The total... |
12,866.4 | 2,356 | 0.2 | link |
| Mejillones Mejillones Mejillones is a Chilean port city and commune in Antofagasta Province, Antofagasta Region. Its name is the plural form of the Spanish mejillón meaning "mussel", referring to a particularly abundant species and preferred staple food of its indigenous inhabitants. It is situated in the northern side... |
3,803.9 | 8,418 | 2.2 | link |
| Antofagasta Antofagasta Antofagasta is a port city in northern Chile, about north of Santiago. It is the capital of Antofagasta Province and Antofagasta Region. According to the 2002 census, the city has a population of 296,905... (Capital) |
30,718.1 | 296,905 | 9.7 | link |
| Province | 67,793.5 | 318,779 | 4.7 | link |