Pica | |
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 View of Pica town and oasis in the foreground from the southeast. | |
 Coat of arms  Map of Pica in Tarapacá Region   Pica Location in Chile | |
| Coordinates:20°29′21″S69°19′46″W / 20.48917°S 69.32944°W /-20.48917; -69.32944 | |
| Country |  Chile |
| Region |  Tarapacá |
| Province | Tamarugal |
| Government | |
| • Type | Municipal council |
| • Alcalde | Iván Infante |
| Area | |
• Total | 8,934.3 km2 (3,449.6 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 1,106 m (3,629 ft) |
| Population (2017 Census)[2] | |
• Total | 9,296 |
| • Density | 1.040/km2 (2.695/sq mi) |
| • Urban | 3,912 |
| • Rural | 5,384 |
| Sex | |
| • Men | 6,550 |
| • Women | 2,746 |
| Time zone | UTC-4 (CLT[3]) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-3 (CLST[4]) |
| Area code | (+56) 5 |
| Website | www |
Pica is aChileantown andcommune inTamarugal Province,Tarapacá Region. Situated in the inland of theAtacama Desert on anoasis, Pica is famous for its small and unusually acidiclimes known asLimón de Pica. The town has a communalhot spring with a surface temperature of 40 °C, which makes it a popular bath place in the middle of the desert. It has hotels and all basic services. The town lies four kilometers to the northeast of the oasis village ofMatilla.
Pica has a mildmicroclimate that does not display the typical high temperature oscillations seen in many of the world's deserts.[5] The settlement haspre-Hispanic origins and served as an important stopover for transit between the coast and theAltiplano during the time of theInca Empire.[6][5]Bird mummies of pre-Hispanic origin have been found next to Pica.[7] Pica gained prominence over the course of the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries when it grew in association with important mining cycles of nearby areas.[5] The first mining cycle that benefited Pica was thesilver mining ofHuantajaya andSan Rosa between 1718 and 1790, this was then followed by a cycle ofsalpeter mining using theparadas method between 1830 and 1870.[5] The town became part of Chile following theWar of the Pacific (1879–1883).[5] The Peruvian population of the town and specifically the rich and influential Peruvian families were a major concern for Chilean authorities who wished toChilenize the area.[5]
Pica had once an extensive irrigation system ofpuquios, whoseshafts are locally known assocavones.[8] In 1918 geologistJuan Brüggen mentioned the existence of 23socavones in the Pica oasis, yet these have since then been abandoned due to economic and social changes.[8] The socavones transported water from thePica Aquifer to the oasis.[8] As in many oases one of the biggest challenges for farmers in Pica is the scarcity of water.[9] Most of the farmers in Pica own less than fivehectares, and while this size hampers commercialization of products farmers have responded by organising themselves incooperatives.[9] Six producers, compromising one fifth of the agricultural output of the oasis, are organised in Oasis Pica Coop. This organisation was as of 2019 working to certify products asorganic and enforce theappellation control for Limón de Pica.[9] Limón de Pica have had an appellation since 2010.[9]
According to the 2002census of theNational Statistics Institute, Pica has an area of 8,934.3 km (5,552 mi) and 6,178 inhabitants (4,569 men and 1,609 women). Of these, 4,674 (75.7%) lived inurban areas and 1,504 (24.3%) inrural areas. The population grew by 45.9% (3,666 persons) between the 1992 and 2002 censuses.[2]
As a commune, Pica is a third-leveladministrative division of Chile administered by amunicipal council, headed by analcalde who is directly elected every four years. Since 2016 the mayor has been Iván Infante Chacón (Ind./RN). The communal council for the 2021–2024 term has the following members:
Within theelectoral divisions of Chile, Pica is represented in theChamber of Deputies by Marta Isasi (Ind.) and Hugo Gutiérrez (PC) as part of the 2nd electoral district, which includes the entireTarapacá Region. The commune is represented in theSenate byJosé Miguel Insulza (PS, 2018–2026) and José Durana (UDI, 2018–2026) as part of the 1st senatorial constituency (Arica and Parinacota Region andTarapacá Region).
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