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Iquique () is a port city and commune in northern Chile, capital of both the Iquique Province and Tarapacá Region. It lies on the Pacific coast, west of the Pampa del Tamarugal, which is part of the Atacama Desert. It has a population of 191,468 according to the 2017 census. It is also the main commune of Greater Iquique. The city developed during the heyday of the saltpetre mining in the Atacama Desert in the 19th century. Once a Peruvian city with a large Chilean population, it was conquered by Chile in the War of the Pacific (1879–1883). Today it is one of only two of Chile, the other one being Punta Arenas, in the country's far south.
In July 1835, Charles Darwin, during his voyage on the Beagle, traveled to Iquique and described it as a town "very much in want of everyday necessities, such as water and firewood". These necessities had to be brought in from considerable distances. Darwin also visited the saltpetre works.
The city has been devastated by several earthquakes, including the 1868 Arica earthquake, the 1877 Iquique earthquake, and the 2005 Tarapacá earthquake. The 2014 Iquique earthquake occurred with a moment magnitude of 8.2 on April 1, 2014.
Territorial disputes between Bolivia and Chile triggered the War of the Pacific in 1879. The Battle of Iquique was fought in the harbor of Iquique on May 21, 1879, now commemorated as Navy Day, an annual public holiday in Chile. The outcome of the war gave Chile this portion of the Peruvian territory.
Over the years there was substantial emigration from other parts of Chile to this area which was called the Norte Grande. In subsequent years the further exportation of Chilean saltpetre (mainly to European countries) significantly helped in the development of the city, attracting foreigners and rapidly expanding housing projects.
In December 1907, the city was marred by the Santa María de Iquique Massacre when the Chilean Army, under the command of Gen. Roberto Silva Renard, opened fire on thousands of saltpetre miners, and their wives and children, who assembled inside the Santa María School. The workers had marched into town to protest their working conditions and wages. Somewhere between 500 and 2,000 people were killed. The folk group Quilapayún recorded an album in remembrance of the event (Cantata Santa María de Iquique) in 1970. In December 2007 a series of cultural and ceremonial activities were planned, culminating in the week between December 14 to 21, to commemorate the centenary year of the massacre.
Mars 96 was launched by Russia in 1996, but failed to leave the Earth orbit, and re-entered the atmosphere a few hours later. The two RTGs onboard carried 200 g of plutonium in total and are assumed to have survived the re-entry as they were designed to do. They are thought to now lie somewhere in a northeast-southwest running oval long by wide, which is centred east of Iquique, Chile. Mars 96 timeline, NASA
Prior to becoming Chilean territory, Iquique was home to some of the greatest Peruvian heroes, namely Alfonso Ugarte (who was elected mayor in 1876), Ramón Zavala, a rich saltpetre entrepreneur; Guillermo Billinghurst, later President of Peru (who after being overthrown in 1914 came to Iquique – then already under Chilean rule – to live out his last years), and Ramón Castilla, thrice president of Peru, who was born in San Lorenzo de Tarapacá and died in the Desert of Tiviliche, Tarapacá, who lived in Iquique during his mandate as Governor of Tarapacá in 1825.
Within the electoral divisions of Chile, Iquique is represented in the Chamber of Deputies by Marta Isasi (Ind.) and Hugo Gutiérrez (PC) as part of the 2nd electoral district, which includes the entire Tarapacá Region. The commune is represented in the Senate by José Miguel Insulza (PS, 2018–2026) and José Durana (UDI, 2018–2026) as part of the 1st senatorial constituency (Arica and Parinacota Region and Tarapacá Region).
Copper mining, mainly in Quebrada Blanca, Cerro Colorado, and Doña Inés de Collahuasí, is also an important industry in Iquique.
Iquique commune is divided into the following districts:
| Port | 3,721 | 0.8 |
| Industrial District | 12,800 | 65.4 |
| Hospital | 11,087 | 5.1 |
| Caupolicán | 19,486 | 2.2 |
| Playa Brava | 18,580 | 2.1 |
| Cavancha | 13,729 | 1.4 |
| Parque Balmaceda | 10,843 | 1.1 |
| Arturo Prat | 10,773 | 1.0 |
| Punta Lobos | 1,592 | 2,127.8 |
| Gómez Carreño | 23,165 | 1.7 |
| La Tirana | 40,428 | 33.5 |
There is a significant percentage of residents from different international ethnic groups. The largest communities are Croatians, Italians, Greeks, Chinese, nationalities, and Bolivian people, British peoples (i.e. Scottish people), and the French.
In the 1910s and 1920s, about a thousand Indian people (from India and Pakistani people) Sodium nitrate mine workers hired by British mine companies appeared in Iquique and today, their descendants are mixed into the local population. Lately, a wave of North American and Australian immigrants came to retire and enjoy the city's beach climate. Immigrants currently make up 9.2% of the total population.http://latercera.com/contenido/680_194898_9.shtml Iquique has almost 10% of its foreign population.
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