Andacollo
title: "Andacollo" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["communes-of-chile", "populated-places-in-elqui-province", "1891-establishments-in-chile", "mining-communities-in-chile"] topic_path: "general/communes-of-chile" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andacollo" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0
::data[format=table title="Infobox settlement"]
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| official_name | Andacollo |
| native_name | |
| settlement_type | City and Commune |
| image_skyline | Andacollo_Plaza.jpg |
| image_caption | Andacollo Plaza |
| image_map | Comuna de Andacollo.svg |
| image_shield | Escudo de andacollo.png |
| pushpin_map | Chile |
| pushpin_map_narrow | yes |
| pushpin_label_position | bottom |
| pushpin_map_caption | Location in Chile |
| subdivision_type | Country |
| subdivision_name | Chile |
| subdivision_type1 | Region |
| subdivision_name1 | Coquimbo |
| subdivision_type2 | Province |
| subdivision_name2 | Elqui |
| government_footnotes | {{cite web |
| accessdate | 6 September 2010 |
| government_type | Municipality |
| leader_title | Alcalde |
| unit_pref | Metric |
| area_footnotes | |
| area_total_km2 | 310.3 |
| population_total | 11093 |
| population_footnotes | |
| population_as_of | 2012 Census |
| population_density_km2 | auto |
| population_blank1_title | Urban |
| population_blank1 | 9444 |
| population_blank2_title | Rural |
| population_blank2 | 844 |
| demographics_type1 | Sex |
| demographics1_footnotes | |
| demographics1_title1 | Men |
| demographics1_info1 | 5,148 |
| demographics1_title2 | Women |
| demographics1_info2 | 5,140 |
| timezone | CLT |
| utc_offset | −4 |
| timezone_DST | CLST |
| utc_offset_DST | −3 |
| coordinates | |
| elevation_m | 1019 |
| area_code | country 56 + city 51 |
| website | Municipality of Andacollo |
| :: |
|official_name = Andacollo |other_name = |native_name = |settlement_type = City and Commune |image_skyline = Andacollo_Plaza.jpg |image_caption = Andacollo Plaza |image_map = Comuna de Andacollo.svg |map_caption = |image_flag = |image_shield = Escudo de andacollo.png |shield_caption = |pushpin_map = Chile |pushpin_map_narrow = yes |pushpin_label_position = bottom |pushpin_map_caption = Location in Chile |coordinates_footnotes = |subdivision_type = Country |subdivision_name = Chile |subdivision_type1 = Region |subdivision_name1 = Coquimbo |subdivision_type2 = Province |subdivision_name2 = Elqui |government_footnotes = {{cite web |url=http://www.andacollochile.cl/ |title=Municipality of Andacollo |accessdate=6 September 2010| archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20100921095816/http://www.andacollochile.cl/| archivedate= 21 September 2010 | url-status= live|language=es}} |government_type = Municipality |leader_title = Alcalde |leader_name = |leader_party = |unit_pref = Metric |area_footnotes = |area_total_km2 = 310.3 |population_total = 11093 |population_footnotes = |population_as_of = 2012 Census |population_density_km2 = auto |population_blank1_title = Urban |population_blank1 = 9444 |population_blank2_title = Rural |population_blank2 = 844 |demographics_type1 = Sex |demographics1_footnotes = |demographics1_title1 = Men |demographics1_info1 = 5,148 |demographics1_title2 = Women |demographics1_info2 = 5,140 |population_rank = |timezone = CLT |utc_offset = −4 |timezone_DST = CLST |utc_offset_DST = −3 |coordinates = |elevation_footnotes = |elevation_m = 1019 |postal_code_type = |postal_code = |area_code = country 56 + city 51 |website = Municipality of Andacollo |footnotes =
Andacollo (, from quechua anta, copper, gold; coya, queen) is a city and commune in the Elqui Province, Coquimbo Region, Chile. It is one of Chile's oldest and best known pilgrimage centers with Our Lady of Andacollo attracting thousands of devotees and tourists each year.
Economically, Andacollo is the central town of a mining district dominated by medium-scale mining. There are gold placers and gold mineralizations within felsic volcanic rock in its vicinity.
Andacollo has the first project in Chile of reforestation aided by the creation of technosols.
History
There are indications that the Inca Empire transferred a population of Churumatas from Tarija in present-day Bolivia to the area of Andacollo as attested by existence of a gold mine named Churumata in Spanish colonial times. Similarly, it has been proposed that a population of Tomatas were transferred the other way round from the vicinities of Elqui Valley to Bolivia.
Andacollo is a copper and gold mining city located in the semi-arid mountains of the Norte Chico. It was founded in 1891.
The town was subject to gold rush in the early 1930s when there was a large inflow of gold miners exploiting local placer deposits. While gold mining declined in the late 1930s, around 1935 Andacollo produced as much as 43% of all placer gold of Chile causing a shortage of water needed for processing.
Several legends are told about the name of the city. Some say that it comes from the Quechua Anta-Goya which means cobre-reina (copper queen). Others say that the name means "Hurry up, Collo" (Anda, Collo). According to these legends, La Virgen del Rosario, also known as la Virgen Morena, or Black Madonna, appeared to an indigenous miner called "Collo" in the form of a small wooden statuette hidden in rocks. The statue told the newly converted Collo to build up a church at the place where Andacollo is located today. As many miracles are attributed to the Dark Lady (like stopping the smallpox epidemic of 1871) the city celebrates the Virgin every year on December 24 to 26.
In 1971 state-owned ENAMI began studies to establish the Carmen de Andacollo copper mine where previously disorganized small-scale mining had occurred. The mine entered production in 1994.
Demographics
According to the 2002 census of the National Statistics Institute, Andacollo had 10,288 inhabitants (5,148 men and 5,140 women). Of these, 9,444 (91.8%) lived in urban areas and 844 (8.2%) in rural areas. The population fell by 16% (1,958 persons) between the 1992 and 2002 censuses.
Administration
As a commune, Andacollo is a third-level administrative division of Chile administered by a municipal council, headed by an alcalde who is directly elected every four years.
Within the electoral divisions of Chile, Andacollo is represented in the Chamber of Deputies by Mr. Mario Bertolino (RN) and Marcelo Díaz (PS) as part of the 7th electoral district, (together with La Serena, La Higuera, Vicuña and Paiguano). The commune is represented in the Senate by Evelyn Matthei Fornet (UDI) and Jorge Pizarro Soto (PDC) as part of the 4th senatorial constituency (Coquimbo Region).
Gallery
Image:Andacollo_church.jpg|Basilica of Andacollo Image:Andacollo_City view.jpg|City view Image:Andacollo.jpg|City view Image:AndacolloVistaAerea.jpg|Aerial view of the city Image:Andacollo_Gold mine.jpg|Industrial gold mine Image:Andacollo_traditional Gold processing.jpg|Traditional gold processing Image:Andacollo_Mercury evaporation.jpg|Mercury evaporation to produce gold
References
;Bibliography
References
- "National Statistics Institute".
- (2025). "Distritos productivos para el desarrollo de la minería chilena". [[Sociedad Nacional de Minería.
- "About Carmen de Andacollo".
- (2025-07-30). "Andacollo convierte relave minero en parque reforestado con tecnosuelo, el primero en Chile". Chile País Minero.
- Barragán V., Mario E.. (2020). "Los churumatas del valle de Elqui, en Chile y los indios Tomatas "Copiapóes" de Tarija". Revista Científica de Humanidades.
- Millán, Augusto. (2006). "La minería metálica en Chile en el siglo XX". [[Editorial Universitaria]].
- (2007-08-23). "Teck Cominco successfully acquires Aur Resources". International Mining.
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