Mollendo vs Pozo Almonte

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Mollendo is a town bordering the Pacific Ocean in southern Peru. It is located in the Arequipa Region and is the capital of both the Islay Province and the Mollendo District. Mollendo was the main port in the Peruvian southern coast until Matarani was developed about 50 years ago; the port of Mollendo only serves fishermen for the local economy currently and all the commercial shipping is done through Matarani 12 kilometers north; the old port is in ruins. From about 1830 to 1880 it was important in the Guano trade. The railroad used to run a passenger train daily, but a good highway connects Mollendo to the Panamerican Highway now and the train now only runs the summer express that goes down from Arequipa on Saturday and returns on Sunday; the beach is the main attraction, even though it is visited by the Humboldt Current that brings cold water from Antarctica.

In the summer months, which run from January to March, the population more than doubles as people from the largest city in the region Arequipa use Mollendo and its beaches as a vacation spot, especially on weekends. Mollendo exports wool and has industries producing cement, textiles, canned fish, and cheese. It is also a popular beach resort. The Auxiliary Ship BAP Mollendo (ATC-131) of the Peruvian Navy is named after the town.

Source: Wikipedia

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Pozo Almonte (Spanish pronunciation: [ˈposo alˈmonte]) is a city and commune of Chile located in the interior of Atacama Desert. It is the capital of Tamarugal Province since this province was established in 2007. The city is located at 52 km (32 mi) from Tacapacá Region's capital, Iquique.

It has over 15,000 inhabitants. The commune has an area of 13,766 km (8,554 mi) and borders the following communes: Iquique, Alto Hospicio, Huara, Pica, María Elena and Tocopilla (the last two being in Tocopilla Province).

Source: Wikipedia