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The 5 Geographical Regions of Chile – Part 2 Norte Chico

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 The Little North (in orange on the map) starts at the Rio Copiapo and extends south to the Rio Aconcagua just north of Santiago. This region is semi arid with some areas receiving some rain in the winter months. This region is very mountainous with transverse valleys that cut across the landscape. These valleys are carved out by rivers which give moisture and fertility to the valleys creating a microclimate where the living and growing is more moderate. Summer temperatures at sea level average 65F (18C)in the summer and 50F (12C) in the winter. The photo below is of Elqui Valley near Coquimbo where all the grapes are grown for Chile's pisco- a distilled wine.

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/9b/Valle_del_Elqui%2C_La_Serena-Chile.JPG/1600px-Valle_del_Elqui%2C_La_Serena-Chile.JPG?20070615215053
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/9b/Valle_del_Elqui%2C_La_Serena-Chile.JPG/1600px-Valle_del_Elqui%2C_La_Serena-Chile.JPG?20070615215053

When the river valleys reach the coast it creates an unusual situation where the moist cool ocean breezes penetrate the coastline creating wetter areas that have become a Valdivian temperate rainforest like in the south of Chile. The best example of this is the Bosque de Fray Jorge south of Coquimbo. This region is also home to several observatories further inland and high in the mountains where there is no light pollution and few cloudy days. Chile's 2 tallest mountains are also in this region - Nevado Ojos del Saladao at 22,615 ft (6893 m) which is also the highest volcano on earth. Nevado Tres Cruces is the 2nd tallest mountain in Chile at 22,139 ft (6748 m).

pexels church Coquimbo

The above photo is a church in Coquimbo.

The three main cities of this region are Copiapo, La Serena, and Coquimbo. La Serena is the largest with 200,000 people and is the 2nd oldest city in Chile behind Santiago. It is a popular tourist destination with beautiful beaches. Coquimbo is very close to La Serena forming a large metro area. Coquimbo has 163,000 inhabitants and has a large port  and shipping center because of the exportation of fruit, copper, and wine from the region. Copiapo is an inland city of 160,000 centered around mining of silver and copper.

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