This region constitutes the main economical and financial centre, being also the region that contributes more to the national PIB, with more than the 42%. The most important economical activities opf the Metropolitana Region, according to its contribution to the regional PIB, belong to the secondaty sector ( or of transformation) and terciary ( services). The firsts carry out the transformation of raw materials to products called final, thus, among these activities are the industris. The seconds are related with intangible assets that only measure the grade of satisfaction producing its consumtion by people, such as the financial, personal and/or commercial services.
According to its importance in the regional PIB (2006), the main activities of this region are: the financial and entrepreneural services (includes financial, insurance, real estate rental, etc..), with 28,4%; the manufacturin industry with 17%: the commerce, reaturants and hotels with 15,6%; the personal services (including education, health, public and private, etc.) with 13,2%, transport and communications with 12,1% and construction with a 6,7%.
– Industry: this region presents the country´s greatest industrial concentration andm, thus, a meaningful contribution to the chilean economy. This is explained because in the MR are given conditions and possibilities for the development of this sector ( greater concentration of population, qualified labor work, good access causeways for the entry of raw materials and the outgoing of the production, better access to raw materials, etc). The most outstanding entries are food products, beverages and tobacco; textile and leather products; wood and paper products; chemical products and oil derivated; metallic products, machinery and equipment.- Commerce: in this sector outstands the inversions related to the large malls and commercial centres, the retail chains among others.
– Construction: this is related to the investments done by other terciary activities, such as the commerce and the real estate ones.
– Transport and Communications: in tne MR, have been carried out historically large investments in these areas, which has extended to other regions. Likewise, the implementation, maintenance, functioning and services delivery related with these activities generate millionaire profits and uses an important group of workers
We must outstand that in the MR function important traffic axis (Rute 5, Rute 78, etc.) and modern urban highways (North Express Vespucio, South Vespucio, Costanera and central Highway). There is, also, the Subway with five operative lines and with amplification plans.
The Subway and Santiago´s bus parking are part of the public-urban transportation system called Transantiago (launched in February 2007), whose objective was to decongest the city, reduce the traveling time and help to reduce the contamination.
Nevertheless, in its first years it produced different problems and disruptions to the Santiago inhabitants and important expenses to the State. Lately, is has been possible to improve and give a solution to some of the initial errors.
– Agriculture: in this region is cultivated the third part of the national vegetable production and a 26,3% of the national surface is used in this kind of vegetables. This allows the supplying of the regional market and the exportation to other regions and abroad. The largest laid surfaces in the MR are dedicated to cereals (wheat and corn) legumes and tubers (beans and potatoes) and industrial cultivations (marigold, raps and others)
Besides, in this region is produced more than the fourth part of Chilean fruits, concentrating an important planted surface, which is only exceeded by the O´Higgins and Maule regions. Table grapes, prunes and avocados are the main products.
It’s worth outstanding that, lately, the wining industry has become important. This is concentrated in the traditional Maipo Valley and its main vines are Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Merlot and Sauvignon Blanc.
– Mining: not been very important, the region’s mining wealth is represented by some deposits such as Los Bronces and Lo Aguirre. Also there are some minor mines in the Tiltil, Curacavi and Melipilla zones.
Besides, there is non metallic mineral production such as the Polapico limestone, that supply the Cerro Blanco cement factory.
Other non metallic minerals extracted are plaster, kaolin and pozzuolana.
Sorpresa de Yerbas Buenas