Los Lagos Region

Los Lagos Region (Spanish: X Region de Los Lagos, literally Region of the Lakes) is one of Chiles 15 regions, which are first order administrative divisions, and comprises four provinces: Chiloe, Llanquihue, Osorno and Palena. The region contains the countrys second largest island, Chiloe, and the second largest lake, Llanquihue.

Map of Los Lagos Region

Its capital is Puerto Montt; other important cities include Osorno, Castro, Ancud, and Puerto Varas. The mainland portion of Los Lagos Region south of Reloncavi Sound (Palena Province) is considered part of Patagonia.

Los Lagos Region economy is dominated by the service sector but based in fishing, salmon aquaculture, forestry and cattle farming. Tourism is economically important in Andes where ski resorts, hot springs and recreational fishing are popular offers.

The region hosts Monte Verde, one of the oldest archaeological sites of the Americas. The largest indigenous group of the region are the Huilliche who lived in the area before the arrival of the Spanish. The Spanish crown settled Chiloe Archipelago in 1567 while the rest of the region begun to be slowly colonized by non-indigenous people only in late 18th century. In the 1850s Germans arrived to colonize the shores of Llanquihue Lake under a Chilean state-sponsored program.