Coquimbo

Mountainous region in central Chile, which forms a transitional zone between the northern desert and the fertile heartland of Chile; area 39,647 sq km/15,308 sq mi; population (1996) 536,216. The region comprises the provinces of Elquí, Limarí, and Choapa. The capital of Coquimbo is La Serena, and its chief industry is mining copper and iron ore. There is also some gold mining on a limited scale. Outliers of the Cordillera mountains are found in the east; in the west agriculture, mainly wine-growing and fruit cultivation, is conducted in irrigated valleys.

Cerro Tololo, east-south-east of La Serena, is the largest astronomical observatory in the southern hemisphere. It contains five telescopes, the largest of which is 4 m/13 ft. Nearby, west of Oralle, a principal town in the area, are the Fray Jorge and Valle de Encantado national parks. There is a pilgrimage to Andocallo, to the southeast of Coquimbo, to the shrine of the Virgen del Rosario de Andacallo every year on the 25-26 December.