Arica

Port and northernmost city of Chile, in Tarapacá region 20 km/12 mi from the Peruvian border; it is situated in a rainless district north of the Atacama Desert; population (1992) 169,200. The city is linked by railway to La Paz, Bolivia, and much of Bolivia's foreign trade is shipped via Arica. Fishmeal is an important industry. Tourism and the creation of a duty-free zone have boosted the local population. There is an increasing international trade in minerals. The world's largest open-pit copper mine at nearby Chuquicamata dominates the country's mining sector.

Arica was several times devastated by earthquakes, and was razed in 1880 when captured by Chile from Peru. The city was the subject of a long dispute between Chile and Peru, which led to mediation by the USA; the settlement, accepted by both countries in 1929, awarded Arica to Chile.