Santiago Metropolitan Region

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Lore & Background

The region’s European-influenced history began in 1542, shortly after the founding of Santiago, when the Santiago cabildo was established to oversee the entire territory. Its jurisdiction later shrank as the cities of La Serena and Concepción were founded and formed their own cabildos. In 1826, eight provinces were created, including Santiago Province, but the modern Metropolitan Region was not formed until 1980. Geographically, it is Chile’s only landlocked region, lying in the Intermediate Depression valley between the Coast Range and the Andes. The capital, Santiago, spreads beneath Cerro San Cristóbal, while the Tupungato stratovolcano rises on the Argentine border. The Maipo River and its tributaries—the Mapocho, Yeso, and Colorado—drain the region. Much of the terrain is a fertile, level prairie known as the Intermediate Depression, dotted with isolated hills such as Santa Lucía, an ancient extinct volcano. The endangered Chilean Wine Palm still occurs in the Santiago Province. Copper deposits are found in the mountainous areas, including the Los Bronces mine on the border with Valparaíso Region, the unexploited Catedral prospect near O’Higgins Region, and the closed Lo Aguirre mine at the foot of the coastal range. The climate is temperate Mediterranean and continental, with winter precipitation, frequent frosts, and dry summers; the coastal range reduces marine influence, making Santiago drier than coastal Valparaíso.

Reader's Guide

The Santiago Metropolitan Region is Chile's administrative, industrial, commercial, financial, and cultural center, producing 41.5% of Chile's gross domestic product, according to central bank estimates. Its principal industries include manufacturing, services, retail, and financial services. The region's geography is defined by the Intermediate Depression valley between the Chilean Coast Range and the Andes Mountains, with the Maipo River as its dominant drainage basin. Notable landmarks include Cerro San Cristóbal at 880 m above sea level, the Plaza de Armas (the central square hosting the city's cathedral and city hall), and the presidential palace La Moneda. The region also hosts Chile's main international airport, Arturo Merino Benítez International Airport, and many of the country's oldest wineries built in the 19th century. Its climate is temperate Mediterranean cold and continental, with winter frosts and dry, hot summers. The region is divided into six provinces and 52 communes, governed since 2021 by an elected governor. The current governor is Claudio Orrego Larraín (Independent).

Did You Know?

• The Santiago Metropolitan Region is Chile's only landlocked administrative region.
• The region's HDI of 0.908 makes it the most developed subdivision in all of South America.
• The Metropolitan Region was not created until 1980, though the Santiago Province was established on 30 August 1826.
• Cerro San Cristóbal dominates the Santiago cityscape at a height of 880 m above sea level.
• The region produces 41.5% of Chile's gross domestic product, according to central bank estimates.