Atacama Region

The Atacama Region Region () is one of Chile's 15 first order administrative divisions. The southern portion of the Atacama Desert is in the region; the rest of the desert is in the other regions to the north ("Norte Grande" natural region).
The capital of the region is the city of Copiapó; it is at north of Santiago, the capital of country.
History.
From 1843, Atacama was a province of Chile but in 1974, with the creation of the Regions of Chile, it became one of those regions.
Geography.
The Atacama region borders the Tarapacá region to the north, Argentina (provinces of Catamarca, La Rioja and San Juan), on the east, the Coquimbo region on the south and the Pacific Ocean on the west.
The highest mountains of the region are: Nevados Ojos del Salado, high, and Nevado Tres Cruces, high; they are in the Andes, in the border with Argentina.
Population.
, there were (estimated) 312,486 persons living in the region, for a population density of inhabitants/km².
The largest city in the region is its capital, Copiapó, with 125,983 inhabitants (2002 census).
Administration.
The Atacama region is divided in three provinces: Chañaral, Copiapó and Huasco.