Houses in Valparaiso

Port of Valparaíso.

Reñaca beach.

High-rise buildings by the shore.

Greater Valparaíso (Gran Valparaíso) is the third largest metropolitan area in Chile, after Greater Santiago, and Greater Concepción. 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 was 803,683 at the 2002 census and it is estimated to be 892,143 in 2008.

The agglomeration is composed of several municipalities (comunas):^[1]

• Valparaíso
• Viña del Mar
• Concón
• Quilpué
• Villa Alemana

These comunas have the following characteristics:

• Valparaíso, Viña del Mar and Concón 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 (bedroom communities).

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 Andres Bello, and Universidad del Mar.

There is a metro system which serves most of the "comunas" in the conurbation: The Gran Valparaíso Metro System

[edit] References

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