Chañaral
title: "Chañaral" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["communes-of-chile", "port-settlements-in-chile", "populated-places-established-in-1833", "populated-places-in-chañaral-province", "capitals-of-chilean-provinces", "1833-establishments-in-chile", "coasts-of-atacama-region"] topic_path: "general/communes-of-chile" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chañaral" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0
::data[format=table title="Infobox settlement"]
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| official_name | Chañaral |
| native_name | |
| settlement_type | City and commune |
| image_skyline | 2005.11.08 053 Plaza Chañaral Chile.jpg |
| image_caption | Plaza Chañaral |
| image_shield | Escudo_de_Chañaral.svg |
| image_map | Comuna de Chañaral.svg |
| map_alt | Map of Chañaral commune in the Atacama Region |
| map_caption | Location of Chañaral in Atacama Region |
| pushpin_map_narrow | yes |
| pushpin_map | Chile |
| pushpin_label_position | bottom |
| pushpin_map_caption | Location in Chile |
| coordinates | |
| subdivision_type | Country |
| subdivision_name | Chile |
| subdivision_type1 | Region |
| subdivision_name1 | Atacama |
| subdivision_type2 | Province |
| subdivision_name2 | Chañaral Province |
| government_type | Municipality |
| government_footnotes | |
| leader_title | Alcalde |
| leader_name | Margarita Flores |
| leader_party | PR |
| unit_pref | Metric |
| area_footnotes | |
| area_total_km2 | 5772.4 |
| elevation_m | 198 |
| population_footnotes | |
| population_total | 13143 |
| population_as_of | 2002 Census |
| population_density_km2 | auto |
| population_blank1_title | Urban |
| population_blank1 | 13180 |
| population_blank2_title | Rural |
| population_blank2 | 363 |
| demographics_type1 | Sex |
| demographics1_footnotes | |
| demographics1_title1 | Men |
| demographics1_info1 | 6,968 |
| demographics1_title2 | Women |
| demographics1_info2 | 6,575 |
| timezone | CLT |
| utc_offset | −4 |
| timezone_DST | CLST |
| utc_offset_DST | −3 |
| area_code | 56 + 52 |
| blank_name | Climate |
| blank_info | BWh |
| website | |
| :: |
| official_name = Chañaral | native_name = | other_name = | settlement_type = City and commune | image_skyline = 2005.11.08 053 Plaza Chañaral Chile.jpg | image_caption = Plaza Chañaral | image_flag = | image_shield = Escudo_de_Chañaral.svg | image_map = Comuna de Chañaral.svg | map_alt = Map of Chañaral commune in the Atacama Region | map_caption = Location of Chañaral in Atacama Region | pushpin_map_narrow = yes | pushpin_map = Chile | pushpin_label_position = bottom | pushpin_map_caption = Location in Chile | coordinates = | subdivision_type = Country | subdivision_name = Chile | subdivision_type1 = Region | subdivision_name1 = Atacama | subdivision_type2 = Province | subdivision_name2 = Chañaral Province | established_title = | established_date = | government_type = Municipality | government_footnotes = | leader_title = Alcalde | leader_name = Margarita Flores | leader_party = PR | unit_pref = Metric | area_footnotes = | area_total_km2 = 5772.4 | elevation_footnotes = | elevation_m = 198 | population_footnotes = | population_total = 13143 | population_as_of = 2002 Census | population_density_km2 = auto | population_blank1_title = Urban | population_blank1 = 13180 | population_blank2_title = Rural | population_blank2 = 363 | demographics_type1 = Sex | demographics1_footnotes = | demographics1_title1 = Men | demographics1_info1 = 6,968 | demographics1_title2 = Women | demographics1_info2 = 6,575 | timezone = CLT | utc_offset = −4 | timezone_DST = CLST | utc_offset_DST = −3 | postal_code_type = | postal_code = | area_code = 56 + 52 | blank_name = Climate | blank_info = BWh | website =
Chañaral is a small coastal city and commune in the Atacama Region, Chile and capital of the Chañaral Province. The ocean is contaminated by the copper mining activity in the area.{{ cite journal | author = J.C. Castilla | title = Environmental impact in sandy beaches of copper mine tailings at Chañaral, Chile | year = 1983 | publisher = Elsevier Ltd. | journal = Marine Pollution Bulletin | volume = 14 | issue = 12 | pages = 459–464 | doi = 10.1016/0025-326X(83)90046-2}}{{ cite journal |author=J.A. Vasquez, B. Matsuhiro, M.A. Vega, L.M. Pardo, D. Veliz |title=The effects of mining pollution on subtidal habitats of northern Chile |year=2000 |journal=International Journal of Environment and Pollution |volume=13 |issue=1–6 |pages=2–25 |doi=10.1504/IJEP.2000.002330 |url=http://inderscience.metapress.com/link.asp?id=7vnabq9t8xuvnmwp |last2=Matsuhiro |last3=Vega |last4=Pardo |last5=Veliz |url-access=subscription cite journal |author1=J.L. Stauber |author2=S. Andrade |author3=M. Ramirez |author4=M. Adams |author5=J.A. Correa | title = Copper bioavailability in a coastal environment of Northern Chile: Comparison of bioassay and analytical speciation approaches | year = 2005 | publisher = Elsevier Ltd. | journal = Marine Pollution Bulletin | pmid = 15993430 | volume = 50 | issue = 11 | pages = 1363–1372 | doi = 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2005.05.008}} Just north of the city lies Pan de Azúcar National Park.
It is the central town of a mining district dominated by medium-scale mining, including the nearby El Carmen mine which is considered the basis for the medium-scale iron mining in Chile.
History
In 1824, Diego de Almeyda discovered significant copper deposits near Chañaral, and copper mining began in the area. The town was founded in October 26, 1833 as Chañaral de las Ánimas ("Chañar field of the Souls").
Demographics
According to the 2002 census by the National Statistics Institute (INE) the commune of Chañaral spans an area of 5772.4 sqkm and had 13,543 inhabitants (6,968 men and 6,575 women). Of these, 13,180 (97.3%) lived in urban areas and 363 (2.7%) in rural areas. The population fell by 2.8% (393 persons) between the 1992 and 2002 censuses.
The demonym for a person from Chañaral is Chañaralino for a man and Chañaralina for a woman.
Administration
As a commune, Chañaral is a third-level administrative division of Chile administered by a municipal council, headed by an alcalde (mayor) who is directly elected every four years. Since June 2021 the alcalde is Margarita Flores Salazar (PR).
::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/63/Faro_Monumental_Chañaral.JPG" caption="Faro del Milenio]] lighthouse in Chañaral"] ::
Climate
|metric first=y |single line=y |collapsed = Y |location = Chañaral |Jan high C = 22.9 |Feb high C = 23.2 |Mar high C = 22.5 |Apr high C = 20.3 |May high C = 18.4 |Jun high C = 16.3 |Jul high C = 16.3 |Aug high C = 16.4 |Sep high C = 16.7 |Oct high C = 18.1 |Nov high C = 19.5 |Dec high C = 21.3 | year high C = |Jan low C = 15.6 |Feb low C = 16.2 |Mar low C = 14.8 |Apr low C = 12.9 |May low C = 9.7 |Jun low C = 8.8 |Jul low C = 8.8 |Aug low C = 9.4 |Sep low C = 10.2 |Oct low C = 11.4 |Nov low C = 13.1 |Dec low C = 15.1 | year low C = |precipitation colour = green |Jan precipitation mm = 0.0 |Feb precipitation mm = 0.0 |Mar precipitation mm = 0.0 |Apr precipitation mm = 0.0 |May precipitation mm = 0.0 |Jun precipitation mm = 0.0 |Jul precipitation mm = 1.1 |Aug precipitation mm = 0.0 |Sep precipitation mm = 0.0 |Oct precipitation mm = 0.6 |Nov precipitation mm = 0.0 |Dec precipitation mm = 0.0 |year precipitation mm = | Jan humidity = 64 | Feb humidity = 64 | Mar humidity = 68 | Apr humidity = 71 | May humidity = 75 | Jun humidity = 75 | Jul humidity = 75 | Aug humidity = 76 | Sep humidity = 72 | Oct humidity = 70 | Nov humidity = 67 | Dec humidity = 66 | year humidity = |source 1 = Bioclimatografia de Chile{{cite web | first1 = Ernst | last1 = Hajek | first2 = Francesco | url = http://www.ecolyma.cl/documentos/bioclimatografia_de_chile.pdf | title = Bioclimatografia de Chile | access-date = 27 May 2024 | last2 = Castri |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20091122225453/http://www.ecolyma.cl/documentos/bioclimatografia_de_chile.pdf |archive-date = 22 November 2009 | language = es | year = 1975}}
References
References
- "Municipality of Chañaral".
- "National Statistics Institute".
- Andrade, Sebastián. (2025). "Distritos productivos para el desarrollo de la minería chilena". [[Sociedad Nacional de Minería.
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