LOA RIVER

Spanish Ro Loa, river, the longest in Chile, in Antofagasta and Tarapac regions. It rises in the Andes at the base of Mio Volcano, near the Bolivian border, and flows southwest through the mountains, emerging at the oasis of Calama; it then veers westward and northward across the Atacama Desert. About 45 miles (70 km) north of Tocopilla it turns westward again, crosses the coastal mountain range, and empties into the Pacific Ocean after a course of 275 miles (about 440 km). Although it is not navigable, its waters irrigate Calama and other oases, provide Antofagasta region with drinking water, and are used to generate hydroelectric power for nearby copper and nitrate mines.