COPIAPO, a city of northern Chile, capital of the province of Atacama, about 35m. from the coast on the Copiapo river. Pop. (1930), 10,747. The Caldera and Copiapo railway (built 1848-51 and one of the first in South America) extends beyond Copiapo to the Chanarcillo mines (5om.) and other mining dis tricts. Copiapo stands 1,400ft. above sea-level and has a mean temperature of about 67° in summer and 51° in winter. Its port, Caldera, 5om. distant by rail, is situated about 6m. N. of the mouth of the Copiapo river. Copiapo is perhaps the best built and most attractive of the desert region cities. The river brings down from the mountains enough water to supply the town and irrigate a considerable area in its vicinity. Beyond the small fertile valley in which it stands is the barren desert, on which rain rarely falls and which has no economic value apart from its minerals (especially saline compounds). Copiapo was settled about 1540 and took its name from the Copayapu Indians who occupied that region. It was primarily a military station and transport post on the road to Peru, but after the discovery of the rich silver deposits near Chanarcillo by Juan Godoy in 1832 it be came an important mining centre. It has a good mining school and reduction works, and is the supply station for an extensive mining district. For many years the Famatina mines of Argentina received supplies from this point by way of the Come-Caballo pass.