Santiago Metropolitan Region (Spanish:Región Metropolitana de Santiago) is one ofChile's 16 first-orderadministrative divisions. It is the country's onlylandlocked administrativeregion and contains the nation's capital,Santiago. Most commercial and administrative centers are located in the region, including Chile's main international airport,Arturo Merino Benítez International Airport.
With an area of 15,403.2 km2 (5,947 sq mi) and population over seven million, it is Chile's most populated and most densely populated region. It is also the most developed subdivision in all of South America with a very high HDI of 0.908.[5]
The region's history of European influence started in 1542,[1] a few days afterSantiago was founded. When the Santiagocabildo was built, its function was to supervise the entire territory. Later, with the creation of the cities ofLa Serena andConcepción and the creation of their respective cabildos, its territorial reach was reduced.
On 30 August 1826, 8provinces were created, with the Santiago Province being one of them, but it wasn't until 1980 that the Metropolitan Region was created.
Metropolitana is Chile's only landlocked region and lies in theIntermediate Depression valley between theChilean Coast Range and theAndes Mountains.Cerro San Cristóbal dominates the sprawling Santiago cityscape at a height of 880 m (2,887 ft) above sea level with city suburbs steadily climbing the foothills of the Andes to the east. TheTupungatostratovolcano, measures 6,570 m (21,555 ft) on theArgentine border, is one of South America's highest peaks.
The dominant drainage basin feeds into theMaipo River; its main tributaries are theMapocho,Yeso and Colorado rivers.[1]
Most of the region is made up of an extremely fertile, level prairie that the locals callla Depresión intermedia (Intermediate Depression). The terrain is known for its low elevation in relation to sea level and for being surrounded by hills, as well as emergent so-calledisland hills, such asSanta Lucía (an ancient extinct volcano), Blanco, andRenca, present today in the city of Santiago.
The region mountainous parts of the region host various deposits ofcopper ore. To the north the mine ofLos Bronces straddle the border with Valparaíso Region in the highAndes. Also in the high Andes but to the south along the border withO'Higgins Region lies the unexploited copper ore prospect ofCatedral.[7] To the west of the region at the foot of theChilean Coastal Cordillera lies the mineLo Aguirre whichclosed in 2000.[8]
The climate of the Metropolitan Region is temperate Mediterranean cold, of the kind calledcontinental. Precipitation is concentrated in the winter months, generally as snow over 900 mabove sea level and, in colder years, over the city of Santiago. Winter tends to be cold with frequent frosts during which temperature drops below 0 °C (32 °F). The summer months are usually dry and hot. TheCordillera de la Costa acts as a climate screen and reduces marine influence, which makes the climate more continental. This situation becomes apparent when comparing precipitation from a coastal location such asValparaíso (460 mm) with that of Santiago de Chile (360 mm).
The annual median precipitation reaches 367 mm on average. The annual median temperature comes out to 13.5 °C (56 °F), with a median high of 21 °C (70 °F) and a median low of 6 °C (43 °F) in urban areas. Rural areas tend to be colder, as temperature reaches −10 °C (14 °F) in the coldest months (July, August)
The region is divided into 6provinces, which are themselves divided into 52communes. Since 2021 the region is governed by the governor, who is elected by popular vote. The current governor isClaudio Orrego Larraín (Independent).
As of the 2024 census, the region has a population of 7,400,741, of which 48.4% are male and 51.6% are female, compared to the nationwide average of 48.5% and 51.5% respectively. People under 15 years old make up 17.3% of the population, and people over 65 years old make up 13.2%, compared to the nationwide average of 17.7% and 14.0% respectively. 96.2% of the population is urban and 3.8% is rural.[2]
The region's principal industries include manufacturing, services, retail, and financial services. The capital of Santiago serves as the country's administrative, industrial, commercial, financial and cultural center, producing 41.5% of Chile's gross domestic product, according to central bank estimates.
ThePlaza de Armas, the central square in downtown Santiago, hosts thecity's cathedral and city hall. Eight city blocks around the presidential palace,La Moneda, are where most ministries, services and commercial banks can be found.Vitacura and El Golf host most of the city's high-rise buildings and are also home to the Latin American headquarters of several United Nations organizations.[1] Though Santiago's expansion has caused newer vineyards to move to more rural locations, many of the country's oldest wineries, built in the 19th century, have preserved cellars in the valley.[1]
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