Alto del Carmen
Alto del Carmen | |
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Coat of arms Commune of Alto del Carmen in the Atacama Region Alto del Carmen Location in Chile | |
| Coordinates (commune): 28°45′34″S 70°29′12″W / 28.75944°S 70.48667°W | |
| Country | Chile |
| Region | Atacama |
| Province | Huasco Province |
| Government | |
| • Type | Municipality |
| Area | |
• Total | 5,938.7 km2 (2,292.9 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 819 m (2,687 ft) |
| Population (2012 Census) | |
• Total | 5,034 |
| • Density | 0.8477/km2 (2.195/sq mi) |
| • Urban | 0 |
| • Rural | 4,840 |
| Sex | |
| • Men | 2,629 |
| • Women | 2,211 |
| Area code | (+56) 51 |
| Website | Municipality of Alto del Carmen |
Alto del Carmen is a Chilean commune and village in Huasco Province, Atacama Region. The commune spans an area of 5,938.7 km2 (2,293 sq mi). The commune has two sub-sectors; Valle del Tránsito in the northeast and Valle del Carmen in the southwest. The former valley has a high concentration of indigenous Diaguitas and while in the latter ancestry tied to Spanish settlers is common.
The commune has an economy based on agriculture, in particular grapes for pisco and pajarete, and mining. The indigenous lineage organization Huascoaltinos represents farming interests in Valle del Tránsito. The now inactive gold mine of Pascua Lama lies in the southeastern edge of commune. The gold-mining project of El Alto remains as of January 2026 active in the northeastern part of the commune. The discovery of valuable black marble in the commune was announced on December 2024.