Aysén Region
The Aysén del General Carlos Ibáñez del Campo Region, often shortened to Aysén Region or Aisén, is one of Chile's 16 first order administrative divisions. Although the third largest in area, the region is Chile's most sparsely populated region with a population of 102,317 as of 2017. The capital of the region is Coyhaique, the region's former namesake. The region's current namesake is the former President of Chile, General Carlos Ibáñez del Campo.
The landscape is marked by several glaciations that formed many lakes, channels and fjords. The region contains icefields including the Northern Patagonian Ice Field and the Southern Patagonian Ice Field, the world's third largest after those in Antarctica and Greenland. The northern half of the region feature a north-south string of volcanoes. While the western part of the region is densely vegetated and mountainous, the eastern reaches contain open grasslands and much flat and rolling terrain.
Aysén Region was the last major area to be effectively incorporated into the Republic of Chile, with the first permanent settlements emerging in the second half of the 19th century and the inland part being settled at the turn of the century. Until the construction of Route 7 in the 1980s, the only overland routes from north to south through the region were extremely primitive tracks.
Etymology
There is no certainty about the origin of the name Aysén, which has been used to designate the region since at least the 18th century, although several theories exist. One proposes that it comes from a Huilliche word achén or aichirrn, meaning “twisted” or “crumbled,” a typical characteristic of the fjords in the area. Another suggests it derives from a word of Chono origin meaning “that which goes further inland,” referring to the Aysén Fjord as seen from the coast of the Moraleda Channel.Another possible origin, proposed by Kémel Sade, is a compound word from the Gününa Küne or Aonikenk language that could be translated as “rocks where there is water,” alluding to the numerous water sources compared to the more eastern territory inhabited by these tribes.
One of the most controversial proposals is that the region takes its name from the English words “ice end”. This idea is attributed to the captain of HMS Beagle, Robert FitzRoy, who during his expedition along the region’s coast together with Charles Darwin around 1835 may have marked the area on his maps with these words. However, the name Aysen already appears on maps by the Spanish cartographer José de Moraleda, produced in the early 1790s.
During the period of colonization of the territory, the grave pronunciation with a definite article was common: el Aisen.
Although contemporary Spanish orthography prefers the spelling “Aisén” with i, the name of the region is often written with y. In both cases, the words are pronounced with the same semivowel sound for y/i, since the use of y corresponds to an archaic feature of Spanish orthography that is still preserved in the toponymy of some Spanish localities. The use of both spellings is widespread, although “Aysén” is locally preferred.
Both the Military Geographic Institute, responsible for regulating Chilean toponymy, and the National Statistics Institute used the word Aisén until the beginning of the 21st century; however, in 2010 the IGM decided to use the name Aysén, as well as “Coyhaique” instead of “Coihaique” for the regional capital, which also presents this dual spelling.
Regarding the designation “General Carlos Ibáñez del Campo,” Decree Law No. 712 of 1974 gave the region this name due to “the need to pay tribute to the memory of General Carlos Ibáñez del Campo for his outstanding administration and constant struggle to uplift our Nation.”.
Demography
Region XI, Aysen del General Carlos Ibanez del Campo, is the least populated of the country. According to the 2024 census there were only 100,745 inhabitants in an area of 106,990.9 km². The population density is 0.92 inhabitants per km². Between 2000 and 2005, the average annual growth rate was estimated at 1.35 per 100 inhabitants.The largest cities according to the 2024 census are Coyhaique, Puerto Aysen, Puerto Cisnes, Chile Chico, Cochrane, Río Ibáñez and Guaitecas.
Climate
Aysén Region climate's is classified as a cool oceanic climate with low temperatures, abundant precipitation and strong winds. The relief found throughout the region results in different types of climate zones in the western and eastern parts. There are four distinct climate zones found within the region. Coastal areas to the west have a cool temperate climate. The coastal areas receive abundant precipitation throughout the year with mean annual precipitation that can reach. For example, Puerto Aysen receives of precipitation per year while on San Pedro Island, it receives. Most of the precipitation are associated with strong winds from the northwest and the north. The winter months are usually the wettest months. Mean annual temperatures are between with January being the warmest month. Temperatures decrease with latitude although owing to maritime influence which is reinforced with strong westerly winds throughout the year, temperatures are not extremely low compared to inland areas. As a result, mean temperatures rarely fall below in the coldest months, while the diurnal range is small, averaging. Owing to the high precipitation year-round, relative humidity is high, averaging 87% with no months averaging below 80%. High cloud cover dominates the coastal areas year round.In more inland areas to the east, precipitation is much lower, averaging in Cochrane to in Coyhaique. Precipitation is the highest from May to August, which receives 50% of the annual precipitation. During periods of cold temperatures, precipitation can fall as snow during these months. Being located inland and farther away from the maritime influence, the climate is more continental than coastal areas. Mean temperatures average between which tends to be lower than coastal areas at the same latitude. With lower precipitation, relative humidity is lower, averaging between 71% and 74% in Cochrane and Coyahique respectively. Cloud cover is lower and there are more clear days in inland areas than coastal areas.
Corresponding to the Northern Patagonian Ice Field and the Southern Patagonian Ice Field, which are located at higher altitudes, temperatures are cold enough to maintain permanent ice fields. These two ice fields receive abundant precipitation year-round, particularly in the west facing slopes of the Andes that descend to the ocean and fiords. The climate is very windy. No meteorological stations exist in the ice fields so it is estimated that the average high, average low and mean temperatures are below in all months to maintain permanent ice fields.
The easternmost parts of the region have a cold steppe climate. Precipitation is significantly lower than the other parts of the region with mean monthly precipitation below. Precipitation is concentrated from May to August where these months are responsible for 55% to 65% of the total annual precipitation. Snowfall can occur during these months owing to colder temperatures. Mean annual precipitation ranges from in Chile Chico to in Balmaceda. Mean temperatures are lower than areas to the east, averaging between. Mean summer temperatures can exceed in Chile Chico, which permits agriculture, similar to the one in the central parts of the country. This is due to the moderating influence of General Carrera Lake which prevents temperatures from dropping too low. The vegetation is mostly shrubs owing to the low temperatures and precipitation. Relative humidity is lower, with mean annual values varying between 62% and 71%.
Economy
The primary sector dominates in the regional economy, which focuses on the exploitation and processing of marine, mining, forestry, and animal resources. Aquaculture is also an important activity and the region contributes 80% of Chile's salmon output.The archipelago and fjord region in the west is primarily oriented towards the exploitation and cultivation of marine resources. Since the 1980s, the extraction of sea urchins and locos have featured prominently in the economy of Guaitecas Archipelago. In 1985 the discovery of merluza fishing grounds in Moraleda Channel sparkled a fishing boom. In the 1990s, salmon aquaculture became an important economic activity and has remained so.
An industrial park, devoted mainly to producing frozen and, to a lesser extent, canned, products has developed around Puerto Chacabuco, Puerto Aisén, and Puerto Cisnes.
Although mining in the region, based on polymetallic deposits of zinc, gold, and silver, makes a small contribution to Chile's total mining GDP, it is significant in regional exports. A 1996 study found that the mining potential of the continental part of the region rely on small skarn deposits and epithermal gold while noticing that the metamorphic basement had some potential for mineral exploration given that it was poorly known.
Exploitation of forests and the production of yard timber, plywood, and panels for furniture is mostly geared to export markets. Animal husbandry focuses on beef cattle, sheep, and sheep's wool, part of which is exported.
The region contains about 15,240 ha of Sphagnum bogs, and since an exploitation boom in the 2010s extraction of Sphagnum in Chile is regulated by law since 2018. Due to shortcomings of the 2018 law a 2024 law establish that harvesting of Sphagnum can only be done with land-management plans approved by Servicio Agrícola y Ganadero.
The commune that concentrates most of the region's Sphagnum bogs —28.5%— is O'Higgins. Given Sphagnum’s property to absorb excess water and release it during dry months overexploitation of Sphagnum may threaten the water supply in the archipelagoes of Aysén Region.