Iquique is a vibrant city that offers a mild weather absent of rain, excellent beaches, good schools, and attractive cultural activities that provide a good standard of living thus attracting a large number of businessmen to settle permanently in the city.

Iquique's business activity is mainly based on foreign trade through the Duty Free Zone of Iquique, copper mining, tourism, and fishing industry.

When the Duty Free Zone began operations (1975) the city had a population of 73,000 inhabitants. Currently it has a population of 200,000, i.e., in a period of 34 years it has more than doubled its population.

Iquique offers passenger and hauling services for inland transportation. The Pan-American Freeway links the city directly with Peru and the rest of Chile. Other roads arrive to Bolivia and Argentina and, through projects like the bi-oceanic corridors, Iquique will have excellent access to the rest of the countries of mezzo America.

Its international airport includes landing strips that take large aircrafts and it is second in passenger arrival and departure in Chile.

The city of Iquique includes several shipping companies that offer ocean services to any destination in the world.

The region has three ports available in Arica, Patillos, and Iquique. The latter has an average movement of 50 vessels hauling the following tonnage during 2008:

• Patillos: 5.2 mill. Ton.
• Iquique: 3.0 mill. Ton.
• Arica: 1.8 mill. Ton.

Electricity is supplied by thermoelectric plants belonging to the interconnected system of Northern Chile. Home electricity is supplied in 220-380 volts and 50 hertz.

Potable water is extracted from groundwater located 77 kilometers east of Iquique.

The city of Iquique offers a wide range of health institutions, schools, sports facilities, and recreational areas.

Other contributing economic activities include international trade through ZOFRI and mining of ore resources such as copper, gold, sodium chloride, iodine, boron, among others. The north of Chile is currently the scenario of some of the main mining projects being developed in the world. Examples of this are Dona Ines de Collahuasi S.A., Cerro Colorado, Quebrada Blanca, and others.

Tourism has grown considerably which is reflected in the construction of a sizable amount of hotels and recreational areas.