Copiapó

Mining centre and capital of Copiapó province and Atacama region in Chile, 400 km/249 mi south of Antofagasta; population (2002) 126,000. Located on the Copiapó River, it is an important centre for the mining of copper and iron, but is set in an area of farms and orchards.

There is a mineralogical museum containing many of the ores found in the Atacama Desert, and a monument to Juan Godoy, a pioneer of the mining industry.

Copiapó

River in Atacama province, in northern Chile, flowing west to join the Pacific 30 km/19 mi southwest of Caldera; length 180 km/112 mi. It is regarded as the southern limit of the Atacama Desert. The irrigation of the surrounding countryside and the water supply for the city of Copiapó are wholly dependent upon this river.