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Antofagasta
Columbia Encyclopedia entry: Antofagasta
Antofagastaäntōfägä'stä, city (1992 pop. 226,749), capital of Antofagasta region, N Chile, a port on the Pacific Ocean. Antofagasta was founded by Chileans in 1870 to exploit nitrates in the Atacama Desert, then under Bolivian administration. Its occupation by Chilean troops in 1879 sparked the War of the Pacific (see Pacific, War of the), and after the war the city and province were ceded to Chile. Antofagasta has depended primarily on nitrates and copper and sulfur exports, and its economy has often been affected by sharp fluctuations in world demands. Borax and iodine are also mined. The city is an international commercial center and a major industrial hub with large foundries and ore refineries. Backed by desert hills, Antofagasta enjoys a fine climate but has little rainfall. Water is piped in from the San Pedro River, 280 mi (451 km) away. The Univ. of the North was established in Antofagasta in 1956. The city is located on the Pan-American Highway, which facilitates communication with the rest of Chile.

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Wikipedia search results for: Antofagasta
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Antofagasta is a port city in northern Chile, about north of Santiago. It is the capital of both Antofagasta Province and Antofagasta Region. According to the 2002 census, the city has an urban population of 281,155 and a municipal population of 296,905 Instituto Nacional de Estadísticas, Censos 2002, accessed 10 July 2007 . The city's name comes from either a Quechua or Aymara word for "town of the great saltpeter bed." Antofagasta is a long and narrow city located south of the Mejillones Peninsula and north of the Cerro Coloso, north of Santiago. The city is bordered on the east by steep hills that are part of Chile's Cordillera de la Costa, and on...more »
Columbia Encyclopedia search results: Antofagasta
Results 1 - 4  of 4
  • Chuquicamata

    Chuquicamata, town (1992 pop. 12,722), Antofagasta region, N Chile, on the western slopes of the Andes. At an elevation of 10,435 ft (3,181 m), Chuquicamata has one of the world's largest copp...

  • Pacific, War of the

    Pacific, War of the, 1879–84, war between Chile and the allied nations, Peru and Bolivia; also called the Chile–Peruvian War. The trouble began when President Hilarión Daza of Bolivia rescinde...

  • Atacama Desert

    Atacama Desert, arid region, c.600 mi (970 km) long, N Chile, extending south from the border of Peru. The desert itself, c.2,000 ft (610 m) above sea level, is a series of dry salt basins fla...

  • Chile

    Chile, officially Republic of Chile, republic (2005 est. pop. 15,981,000), 292,256 sq mi (756,945 sq km), S South America, west of the continental divide of the Andes Mts. Chile is bordered by...

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