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Home > Travel South America > South America Destinations > Chuquicamata
Chuquicamata
South America is thefourth largest continent of the Western Hemisphere. It is divided politically into 12 independent countries namely Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Uruguay, and Venezuela and the overseas department of French Guiana. The continent extends to 7,640 kilometers from Punta Gallinas, Colombia, in the north to Cape Horn, Chile, in the south. At its broadest point, near where it is crossed by the equator, the continent extends to 5,300 kilometers from east to west.
Chuquicamata is a municipality, which is located in the North of Chile in the region of Atacama and is the capital of a province of the same name. It is situated at 27 degrees south and 70 degrees west close to the port city of Caldera in Chile. As of 2002, it had a population of 141.979 inhabitants. It lies about 800 kilometers on north of Santiago near the Copiapo river in the Copiapo valley. Recently, the river has dried because of mining in the region. It is surrounded by the Atacama Desert and receives little rain.
Chuquicamata was founded on December 8, 1744 by Don Francisco Cortez Cartabio Roldan. During that period, it was lush with vegetation and was christened San Francisco de la Selva, Saint Francis of the Jungle. It was known as an oasis in the desert of Atacama. It is a part of a rich silver and copper mining district and possesses a bronze statue of Juan Godoy, the discoveror of the Chanarcillo silver mines. The Copiapo to Caldera railway line, which was built in 1854, was the one of the first in South America. The original wooden railway station is now a national monument.
Chuquicamata is known as the town of best geographical environment and has traced its origins back to prehistoric times. Today, one can also learn about its history, from its earliest times and can also enjoy its natural beauty concealed by the beautiful landscapes.
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