This will be the first in a series of posts explaining the dynamics of our upcoming ministry transition to the city of Antofagasta. As an introduction, this post will mainly focus on some facts about the city and area to give you basic orientation.
*Antofagasta is the capital city for the II Region (similar to the division of
states in the US). This II Region is the second biggest region in Chile (11,860 square miles).
*Population of Antofagasta (2010 estimate): 360,000 people The projection for growth in the city is 500,000 people in by 2020.
*Nickname = Pearl of the North (La Perla del Norte)
*Origin of the city name: It is probably a compound word that comes from "Anto" which means big; "faya" which means dry lake; and "gasta" which means pueblo (or town). People of the Great Salt Lake (El Pueblo del Salar Grande).
*The city is located on the Pacific Ocean in a bay that makes a natural port. Steep coastal hills border the eastern side of Antofagasta.
*The Tropic of Capricorn is located just north of Antofagasta's city limits.
*The city is roughly 7 miles long and 1 mile wide. (Click map below for large size)
*Climate wise - Antofagasta has very mild temperatures throughout the year. Very little weather change. Morning fog that burns off by midday. It rarely rains in Antofagasta.
*Antofagasta's economic development is mainly based on copper mining and other non-metallic minerals such as nitrate, lithium, and iodine. Because of the recent boom in mining, Antofagasta is the most expensive city in Chile. Despite the recent economic crisis in 2009, Antofagasta has lower rates of unemployment than the rest of the country. Due to the high average salary of Antofagasta, it has become one of the cities with the highest proportion of foreign professionals (specifically engineers and technicians).
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