Antofagasta, Chile
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ZMontage of Antofagasta, Top:View of downtown Antofagasta, 2nd left:Antofagasta Clock Tower in Colón Square, 2nd middle:"Mano del Desierto" (Hand of the Desert) Sand Sculpture in Atacama Desert, 2nd right:View of Coldelco towers, 3rd left:Balneario Beach, 3rd right:Arturo Prat shopping center area, Bottom:View of La Portada Natural Monument.
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| Nickname(s): La perla del Norte ("Pearl of the North") | |||||
| Motto: "Gloria, patria y tesón es tu lema y tu honor" ("Glory, homeland and tenacity is your motto and your honor") |
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| Coordinates: 23°39′S 70°24′W / 23.650°S 70.400°WCoordinates: 23°39′S 70°24′W / 23.650°S 70.400°W | |||||
| Country |
 Chile
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| Region |
 Antofagasta
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| Province | Antofagasta | ||||
| Settled | 22 October 1868 | ||||
| Capital | Antofagasta | ||||
| Government | |||||
| • Type | Municipal council | ||||
| • Alcalde | Karen Rojo | ||||
| Area | |||||
| • Total | 30,718.1 km2 (11,860.3 sq mi) | ||||
| Elevation | 40 m (130 ft) | ||||
| Population (2012) | |||||
| • Urban | 380,695 | ||||
| Demonym(s) | Antofagastian | ||||
| Time zone | CLT (UTC−4) | ||||
| • Summer (DST) | CLST (UTC−3) | ||||
| Postal code | 3580000 | ||||
| Area code(s) | +56 55 | ||||
| Climate | BWk | ||||
| Website | Municipality of Antofagasta | ||||
Antofagasta (Spanish pronunciation: [antofaˈɣasta]) is a port city in northern Chile, about 1,100 kilometres (700 mi) north of Santiago. It is the capital of Antofagasta Province and Antofagasta Region. According to the 2012 census, the city has a population of 345,420.
Formerly part of Bolivia, Antofagasta was captured by Chile in the War of the Pacific (1879–83), and the transfer of sovereignty was finalized in the 1904 Treaty of Peace and Friendship between the two countries.
The city of Antofagasta is closely linked to mining activity, being a major mining area of the country. The last decade has been a steady growth in the areas of construction, retail, hotel accommodations, population growth, and remarkable skyline development.
Antofagasta has the highest GDP per capita of Chile, 37,000 USD and the 3rd place for Human Development Index just after Metropolitana de Santiago Region and Magallanes and Antártica Chilena Region.
Currently there are several theories to explain the origin of the name Antofagasta. A clear consensus regarding the true origin of the word has not yet been determined.
It is probably a compound word that comes from the southern Cacan "anto" (or "hattun", which means "Grande" –big-), "faya" (or "haya", which means "salar"–dry lake-) and "gasta" (meaning "pueblo"), being a toponymy meaning "Pueblo del Salar Grande" ("Town of the great salt lake").
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