Greater Valparaíso is the third largest metropolitan area

Metropolitan area

The term metropolitan area refers to a region consisting of a densely populated urban core and its less-populated surrounding territories, sharing industry, infrastructure, and housing. A metropolitan area usually encompasses multiple jurisdictions and municipalities: neighborhoods, townships,...

 in 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...

, after Greater Santiago

Santiago, Chile

Santiago , also known as Santiago de Chile, is the capital and largest city of Chile, and the center of its largest conurbation . It is located in the country's central valley, at an elevation of above mean sea level...

, and Greater Concepción

Concepción, Chile

Concepción is a city in Chile, capital of Concepción Province and of the Biobío Region or Region VIII. Greater Concepción is the second-largest conurbation in the country, with 889,725 inhabitants...

. It takes this name after the city of Valparaíso

Valparaíso

Valparaíso is a city and commune of Chile, center of its third largest conurbation and one of the country's most important seaports and an increasing cultural center in the Southwest Pacific hemisphere. The city is the capital of the Valparaíso Province and the Valparaíso Region...

, the oldest city of the group and the most important harbour in Chile. Its total population was 803,683 at the 2002 census and it is estimated to be 892,143 in 2008.

Major cities

The agglomeration is composed of several communes , and each is governed by its respective municipality

Municipality

A municipality is essentially an urban administrative division having corporate status and usually powers of self-government. It can also be used to mean the governing body of a municipality. A municipality is a general-purpose administrative subdivision, as opposed to a special-purpose district...

:

• Valparaíso
  Valparaíso
  Valparaíso is a city and commune of Chile, center of its third largest conurbation and one of the country's most important seaports and an increasing cultural center in the Southwest Pacific hemisphere. The city is the capital of the Valparaíso Province and the Valparaíso Region...
  
  
• Viña del Mar
• Concón
• Quilpué
  Quilpué, Chile
  Quilpué is a city and capital of the Marga Marga Province in central Chile's Valparaíso Region. It is part of the Greater Valparaíso metropolitan area...
  
  
• Villa Alemana

Communes

These communes have the following characteristics:

• Valparaíso, Viña del Mar and Concón are coastal cities. Villa Alemana and Quipué are located in inner valleys and belong to the group of cities known as El Interior (The Interior).
• Valparaíso and Viña del Mar have traditionally concentrated industrial and commercial activities, while Quilpué and Villa Alemana are primarily residential, and therefore often considered ciudades dormitorio (bedroom communities).

Education

Gran Valparaíso also has the third largest concentration of universities in Chile. Besides the Traditional Universities

Chilean Traditional Universities

In Chile, the term universidades tradicionales is used to denote the group of universities founded before the 1980s. This term usually includes derivative universities, which are not really traditional but were derived from traditional ones...

, it has several private institutions, including Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez

Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez

The Adolfo Ibáñez University is a private university of Chile pertaining to the Adolfo Ibáñez Foundation. In 1988, according with the new educational legislation, a new university was founded on the base of the Valparaiso Business School , an old institution for the professional teaching in...

, Universidad Andres Bello, and Universidad del Mar.

Transportation

There is a metro system which serves most of the communes in the conurbation: The Gran Valparaíso Metro System

Valparaíso Metro

Metro Valparaíso is the metro system serving the urban conglomeration of Gran Valparaíso, Chile , connecting the cities of Valparaíso, Viña del Mar, Quilpué, Villa Alemana and Limache, this last one, outside of the conurbation...

Tourism

The area is a major tourist draw due to the internationally important Viña del Mar Musical Festitval, its balnearios (beaches and resorts), and the world's largest pool San Alfonso del Mar

San Alfonso del Mar

San Alfonso del Mar is a private resort located in Algarrobo, Chile, about west of the capital Santiago. It is notable for having the Guinness world record for the largest and deepest swimming pool in the world. It has been attracting tourists since it opened in December 2006.-Pool and resort:San...

 in Algarrobo

Algarrobo, Chile

Algarrobo is a Chilean city and commune in San Antonio Province, Valparaíso Region. Located on the country's central coast, it is a popular summer resort for the population of Santiago...

.