Urbanizing the uninhabited: settlement and population patterns in the Atacama Desert. Taltal, 1870-1950

Abstract

This article analyzes the settlement networks and the urbanization process in the pampa, focusing on the discussion of the concept of "office", which has become generic to represent all saltpeter exploitation, a condition that has become almost synonymous with "saltpeter city". For this purpose, the morphology, settlement patterns, housing types and permanence of the settlements established in the interior of Taltal between 1870 and 1950 are studied. The study is based on manuscript, printed and visual sources from national and foreign repositories.