Greater Valparaíso

Greater Valparaíso (Gran Valparaíso) is the second largest metropolitan area in Chile, after Greater Santiago. It takes this name after the city of Valparaíso, the oldest city of the group and the most important harbour in Chile. Its total population is 979,127 at the 2012 census, with an area of 401.6 square kilometers.[1]

Greater Valparaíso
Gran Valparaíso
Metropolitan area
Map of the Greater Valparaiso
Map of the Greater Valparaiso
SubdivisionValparaíso
Viña del Mar
Placilla de Peñuelas
Reñaca
Concón
Quilpué
Villa Alemana
Population
 • Total1,036,127
Cerro Concepción, Valparaíso
Port of Valparaíso
Beach in Viña del Mar
Wulff Castle, Viña del Mar

Major cities

The agglomeration is composed of several communes (Spanish: comunas), and each is governed by its respective municipality:

Communes

These communes have the following characteristics:

  • Valparaíso, Viña del Mar, Concón and Quintero are coastal cities. Villa Alemana and Quipué are located in inner valleys and belong to the group of cities known as El Interior (The Interior).
  • Valparaíso and Viña del Mar have traditionally concentrated industrial and commercial activities, while Quilpué and Villa Alemana are primarily residential, and therefore often considered ciudades dormitorio (sleeper cities).

Infrastructure

Education

Gran Valparaíso also has the third largest concentration of universities in Chile. Besides the Traditional Universities, it has several private institutions, including Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez, Universidad Andrés Bello, and Universidad del Mar.

Transportation

There is a rapid transit light rail system which serves most of the communes in the conurbation: The Valparaíso Metro. Bus routes almost always span multiple communes and are organized via the Transporte Metropolitano de Valparaíso.

Tourism

The area is a major tourist draw due to the internationally important Viña del Mar International Song Festival, its balnearios (beaches and resorts), and the world's largest pool San Alfonso del Mar in Algarrobo. The Historic Quarter of the Seaport City of Valparaíso is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its cultural significance.

References
  1. Censo 2012 - Instituto Nacional de Estadísticas. Retrieved March 11, 2015 (in Spanish)

33°02′46″S 71°37′20″W


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