Iquique

Iquique
Iquique
Montage of images of Iquique.
Flag of Iquique
Coat of arms of Iquique
Map of Iquique in Tarapacá Region
Location in Chile
Location in Chile
Iquique
Location in Chile
Coordinates: 20°13′S 70°9′W / 20.217°S 70.150°W / -20.217; -70.150
Country Chile
Region Tarapacá
ProvinceIquique
Founded16th Century
Government
 • TypeMunicipal council
 • AlcaldeMauricio Soria Macchiavello
Area
 • Total2,242.1 km2 (865.7 sq mi)
Elevation
1 m (3 ft)
Population
 (2017 Census)[2]
 • Total191,468
 • Density85/km2 (220/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC−4 (CLT)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−3 (CLST)
Postal code
1100000
ClimateBWh
WebsiteOfficial website (in Spanish)

Iquique (Spanish pronunciation: [iˈkike]) is a port city and commune in northern Chile, capital of both the Iquique Province and Tarapacá Region. It lies on the Pacific coast, west of the Pampa del Tamarugal, which is part of the Atacama Desert. It has a population of 191,468 according to the 2017 census.[2] It is also the main commune of Greater Iquique. The city developed during the heyday of the saltpetre mining in the Atacama Desert in the 19th century. Once a Peruvian city with a large Chilean population, it was conquered by Chile in the War of the Pacific (1879–1883). Today it is one of only two free ports of Chile, the other one being Punta Arenas, in the country's far south.

  1. ^ "Municipality of Iquique" (in Spanish). Retrieved October 31, 2010.
  2. ^ a b c d "National Statistics Institute" (in Spanish). Retrieved September 9, 2010.