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34-512: Antofagasta's climate is extremely arid, albeit somewhat milder near the coast. Nearly all of the region is devoid of vegetation, except close to the Loa River and at oases such as San Pedro de Atacama . Much of the inland is covered by salt flats , tephra and lava flows , and the coast exhibits prominent cliffs . The region was sparsely populated by indigenous Changos and Atacameños until massive Chilean immigration in conjunction with

68-640: A continental climate . In the extreme northeast and southeast the border of Chile extends beyond the Andes into the Altiplano and the Patagonian plains, giving these regions climate patterns similar to those seen in Bolivia and Argentina respectively. It [Chile] has four months of winter, no more, and in them, except when there is a quarter moon, when it rains one or two days, all the other days have such

102-626: A saltpeter boom in the later 19th century. Most of the region was organised as Bolivia 's only coastal territory until Chilean takeover in 1879 at the onset of the War of the Pacific . Antofagasta's history is divided, as the territory itself, into two sections: the coastal region, and the highlands plateau or altiplano around the Andes . In pre-Columbian times, the coastline was populated by nomadic fishing clans of Changos Indians, of which very little

136-549: A beautiful sunshine... (Cwc) The climate of Easter Island is tropical rainforest . The lowest temperatures are registered in July and August (18 °C (64 °F)) and the highest in February (maximum temperature 28 °C (82 °F) ), the summer season in the southern hemisphere. Winters are relatively mild. The rainiest month is April, though the island experiences year-round rainfall. As an isolated island, Easter Island

170-548: A consequence of the phenomenon known locally as Bolivian Winter . Its banks have been inhabited from early times. Evidence of this is the notable number of geoglyphs , petroglyphs and pictographs that are found along its course and in its upper basin. Another indication of its rich past is the Pukará de Lasana . To the south of Conchi reservoir, the river is spanned by the Conchi Viaduct , an old railroad bridge. It

204-493: A considerable elevation above sea level and receive a large volume of water from the Andes, mainly of two major tributaries: San Pedro de Inacaliri River and Salado River . The former joins the Loa near Conchi reservoir and the latter about 3 km (1.9 mi) south of Chiu Chiu. The water of its upper course and tributaries is fresh. However the lower course, as in all the rivers of this region becomes brackish. From Chiu Chiu,

238-404: A large degree of autonomy. The mining industry regularly accounts for more than 90% of the region's exports. Fishing and manufacturing also contribute to the income of the area. The availability of infrastructure and services, due to the region's mining boom, together with its abundance of beautiful natural scenery, have opened vast prospects for the travel industry, both in the interior and on

272-568: A large geographic scale, extending across 38 degrees in latitude, making generalizations difficult. According to the Köppen system , Chile within its borders hosts at least seven major climatic subtypes, ranging from low desert in the north, to alpine tundra and glaciers in the east and southeast, tropical rainforest in Easter Island , Oceanic in the south and Mediterranean climate in central Chile. There are four seasons in most of

306-507: A massive Chilean colonization of the coastline. Friction between the new settlers from both countries grew until 1879 when the War of the Pacific erupted. Antofagasta was permanently annexed by the Chilean government at the end of the war. Colonization by Chileans followed mainly from Norte Chico (the contemporary regions of Atacama and Coquimbo , also known as the III and IV regions), into

340-511: Is constantly exposed to winds which help to keep the temperature fairly cool. Precipitation averages 1,118 mm per year. Occasionally, heavy rainfall and rainstorms strike the island. These occur mostly in the winter months (June–August). Since it is close to the Pacific High and outside the range of the ITCZ , cyclones and hurricanes do not occur around Easter island. The Atacama Desert

374-488: Is high enough to preclude any month with an average temperature of 10°C, precipitation is low enough to allow a transition between a cold desert (Köppen classification BWk) and tundra (ET). The climate of Central Chile is of temperate Mediterranean type, with the amount of rainfall increasing considerably and progressively from north to south. In the Santiago area, the average monthly temperatures are about 19.5 °C in

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408-613: Is known due to very limited contact with the Spanish conquerors . The inland section was populated by the Atacaman culture around the great dry salt lake Salar de Atacama , the Loa River basin, and valleys and oases across the altiplano, with the most important settlement being the village of San Pedro de Atacama . The Atacaman culture was deeply influenced by Tiwanaku culture and later fell under Inca rule. The Atacamans harvested mainly corn and beans and developed trade as far as

442-674: Is the coldest region of South America. Puerto Natales in Zona Austral is the city with most rainy days per year in Chile, averaging 161. Loa River The Loa River ( Spanish : Río Loa ) is a U-shaped river in Chile 's northern Antofagasta Region . At 440 km (270 mi) long, it is the country's longest river and the main watercourse in the Atacama Desert . The Loa's sources are located on Andean mountain slopes at

476-649: Is the driest place on Earth , and is virtually sterile because it is blocked from moisture on both sides by the Andes mountains and by the Chilean Coast Range . The cold Humboldt Current and the Pacific Anticyclone are essential to keep the dry climate of Atacama Desert. The average rainfall in the Chilean region of Antofagasta is just 1 mm per year. Some weather stations in the Atacama have never received rain. Evidence suggests that

510-574: The Amazon basin and Pacific shores. The arrival of the Spaniards in the 16th century did not destroy the culture but transformed it deeply through the process of mestizaje , in which both cultures mixed. Under Spanish rule, Atacaman territory was placed under the administration of the Audiencia Real de Charcas , though it is disputed whether the Audiencia Real de Charcas was to administer only

544-465: The Antofagasta is just 1 millimetre (0.04 in) per year. From the coast, east to the Chilean Coast Range , is the south-central part of the Atacama Desert , the driest desert in the world. Further to the east, it is part of the less arid Central Andean dry puna ecoregion. The surroundings of abandoned Yungay town have been named the driest place in the world. Most of the population lives on

578-465: The Bío-Bío River , historically called La Frontera corresponds to southern limit of the mediterranean climate, with typical mediterranean fruits such as avocado, citrus, olives and grapes being cultivated north of it and oat, wheat, apples and potatoes to the south. This more or less drastic transition is caused by the split of the westerlies at these latitudes (~37° S) into one branch going to

612-530: The Atacama do receive a marine fog known locally as the Camanchaca ( garúa in Peru ), providing sufficient moisture for hypolithic algae , lichens and even some cacti . But in the region that is in the "fog shadow" of the high coastal crest-line, which averages 3,000 m height for about 100 km south of Antofagasta, the soil has been compared to that of Mars . As the climate map shows, where elevation

646-572: The Atacama may not have had any significant rainfall from 1570 to 1971. It is so arid that mountains that reach as high as 6,885 metres (22,590 feet) are completely free of glaciers and, the southern part from 25°S to 27°S, may have been glacier-free throughout the Quaternary —though permafrost extends down to an altitude of 4,400 metres and is continuous above 5,600 metres. Studies by a group of British scientists have suggested that some river beds have been dry for 120,000 years. Some locations in

680-404: The Loa flows west and north in a great curve to Quillagua . After flowing for 115 km (71 mi) in this portion of its course and having run through the city of Calama , the Loa receives the waters of San Salvador River at the locality of Chacance . Thence the river flows north for about 80 km (50 mi) to Quillagua. From Quillagua, its dry channel turns westward again and marks

714-625: The border between the regions of Tarapacá and Antofagasta . Along its lower course, the Loa flows through a 500-metre-deep (1,600 ft) canyon, which crosses the Chilean Coastal Range . The river reaches the Pacific Ocean in lat. 21° 26' S., a few miles south of the old port of Huanillos. The hydrologic regime of the river basin is rain-dominated. The increase of its water volume occurs mainly in January and February, as

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748-587: The coast in Antofagasta and Mejillones , or in Calama in the interior, the hub of the mining industry and the home of a large part of its work force. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, immigrant settlers also arrived from Europe (mainly Croatians , Italians , Spaniards , Greeks , English , French , and Portuguese peoples), from the Levant , and in smaller numbers from China , Japan , Korea , Peru and Bolivia . Various immigration flows joined with

782-770: The coast. Interesting tourist attractions include the small town of San Pedro de Atacama , once the center of the Atacameño culture, Atacama Salt Flat, the Valley of the Moon, the Quitor Pukará, the Puritama hot springs and the numerous astronomical observatories including the Very Large Telescope and ALMA . Climate of Chile The climate of Chile comprises a wide range of weather conditions across

816-583: The country: summer (December to February), autumn (March to May), winter (June to August), and spring (September to November). On a synoptic scale , the most important factors that control the climate in Chile are the Pacific Anticyclone , the southern circumpolar low pressure area , the cold Humboldt current , the Chilean Coast Range and the Andes Mountains . Despite Chile's narrowness, some interior regions may experience wide temperature oscillations and cities such as Lonquimay , may even experience

850-585: The culture of the altiplano region creating the modern culture of the north of Chile, which arguably presents more Andean- and multi-European-features than the Central Valley and mainstream Chilean culture. The Antofagasta Region is the heart of the mining industry, Chile's main source of export revenue. It represents 53% of Chile's mining output, led by copper and followed by potassium nitrate , gold , iodine , and lithium , which means it could have had GDP per capita higher than Luxembourg had it had

884-413: The foot of Miño Volcano . The upper Loa basin is flanked on the west by a ridge with elevations that reach above 4,500 m (14,800 ft), whereas to the east lies a volcanic chain, which separates it from endorheic basins as that of Salar de Ascotán . The river flows south on an elevated plateau, for about 150 km (90 mi), to the oasis of Chiu Chiu . The upper courses of the river are at

918-695: The inland portion or the coast as well. At the time of independence general Simón Bolívar integrated it into the new Republic of Bolivia , under the name of " Litoral Department ". This decision was disputed by the Chilean Government and has been a source of conflict until present times. Chile claimed that according to the Uti possidetis of the Spanish crown, the coastal region belong to them and their territory bordered directly with Peru . Chilean explorers such as Juan López and José Santos Ossa discovered rich nitrate and guano deposits which produced

952-470: The mountains, creating heavy rainfall on the mountains' west-facing slopes. The northward-flowing oceanic Humboldt Current creates humid and foggy conditions near the coast. The tree line is at about 2,400 m in the northern part of the ecoregion (35° S), and descends to 1,000 m in the south of the Valdivian region. In the summer average temperature can climb to 16.5 °C (62 °F), while during winter

986-440: The new territories of Antofagasta and Tarapacá , known as Norte Grande . In the early 20th century the region became a significant base of Chile's union-organizing movements. It continued to depend economically on the nitrate-extraction industry until its replacement by copper mining. Two of the largest and richest open pit mines in the world are located inland from Antofagasta: La Escondida and Chuquicamata . Each province in

1020-602: The region is further subdivided into communes . The main river is the Loa . Along the Coastal Cordillera lies Atacama Fault . The area of the Coastal Cordillera around the fault is rich in iron ore constituting the northern part of the so-called Chilean Iron Belt . These ore deposits are often of the manto-type deposits and are chiefly emplaced on rocks of La Negra Formation . The average rainfall in

1054-477: The southeast and another to the northeast, to this it is necessary to add the north-south lowering of the Chilean Coast Range which reduced the rain shadow effect. In Zona Sur and the northern part of Zona Austral the climate is Temperate oceanic . Here the Andean Cordillera intercepts moist westerly winds along the Pacific coast during winter and summer months; these winds cool as they ascend

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1088-521: The summer months of January and February and 7.5 °C in the winter months of June and July. The average monthly precipitation is no more than a trace in January and February and 69.7 millimeters in June and July. By contrast, in Concepción the average monthly temperatures are somewhat lower in the summer at 17.6 °C but higher in the winter at 9.3 °C, and the amount of rain is much greater. In

1122-541: The summer, Concepción receives an average of twenty millimeters of rain per month; in June and July, the city is pounded by an average of 253 millimeters per month. The numerous rivers greatly increase their flow as a result of the winter rains and the spring melting of the Andean snows, and they contract considerably in the summer. The combination of abundant snow in the Andes and relatively moderate winter temperatures creates excellent conditions for Alpine skiing. Areas around

1156-508: The temperature can drop below 7 °C (45 °F). The seasonal temperature in Zona Austral is greatly moderated by its proximity to the ocean and is known for its stable constant temperatures, only small variability with season. The heaviest rainfalls goes between April and May and snow season goes all through Chilean winter (June till September), although the average temperature does not descend below 1 °C in coastal areas. This

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