Demography
The Atacama Region is the third least populated region of the country, after Aysen and Magallanes. Of its total population, over 50% are located in the cities of Copiapó and Vallenar.
The largest cities are (2002 census data) Copiapó (125,983 inhab.), Vallenar (43,750 hab.), Caldera (12,776 hab.), Chañaral (12,086 hab.), El Salvador (8697 hab.) Tierra Amarilla (8578 pop.), and Diego de Almagro (7951 pop.).
A large imprint of Indigenous peoples, mestizos and mining towns culturally connected with the nation of Bolivia in the Atacama region is noted. Alike the regions of Antofagasta and Arica/Parinacota, most of the population descended from settlement programs transplanted from the Central Valley of Chile in the late 19th century.
Read more about this topic: Atacama Region