As a region, Valparaíso is a first-level administrative division. Since 2021, the region is governed by the governor, who is elected by popular vote. The current governor isRodrigo Mundaca (Broad Front).
The Valparaíso Region is part of the restricted range of theendangeredChilean wine palm (Jubaea chilensis); in prehistoric times, thisendemic Chilean tree had a significantly larger range.[FN 2]
The Valparaíso Region is populated by 1.71 million inhabitants. The population density reached 94.1 inhabitants/km2. 91.6% of the population lives in urban areas and only 8.4% of the population lives in rural areas.[citation needed]
The most populous municipalities in the region are Valparaíso, with 308,000 inhabitants andViña del Mar, with 287,000 inhabitants, which together withVilla Alemana,Quilpué andConcón form theGreater Valparaíso, a continuum of 1.75 million people. There are alsoQuillota, with about 201,000 inhabitants andSan Antonio with more than 200,000 inhabitants with estimates at 250,000 to be the region's second-largest city.[citation needed][when?]
Valparaíso developed as a trans-oceanic rest stop for fishing ships, sea cruise-liners, and international naval ships. Therefore, a large proportion of residents have a variety of national origins, ethnic groups, and cultures.[4] The16th-century colonial population was founded by male settlers from the Spanish regions ofAndalusia,Asturia andLeón, and the largeBasque contingent has given rise to a substantialBasque Chilean population. Large numbers came from other countries of Latin America from Mexico to Uruguay, esp. came during colonial rule in the 17th century. And in the late 18th–early 19th centuries came a small wave ofGalician settlers from the Spanish region ofGalicia.
The Valparaíso Region is a host of agricultural lands, wine producers, and industrial activity such as copper mining and cement. Chile's largest oil refinery is located inConcón (on the mouth of theAconcagua River and about 20 km (12 mi) north of Valparaíso) and there are two important copper ore refineries: the state-ownedVentanas (on the coast and north of Concón) and the private works inChagres, about 55 mi (89 km) inland.
The region also is a hub for chemicals and gas storage near the port ofQuintero. In the interior valleys, there is a booming export industry, mainly around the avocado (palta), chirimoyas and flowers. The most striking recent development has been the cultivation of hillsides using high-tech drip feed irrigation. This has allowed otherwise dry and unproductive land to bear high yields.
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