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Arica is a commune and a port city with a population of 192,300 in the Arica and Parinacota Region in northern Chile, located only 18 km (11 miles) south of the border with Peru. The Port of Arica is on the Pacific coast of northern Chile only 18 kilometers south of the country’s border with Peru. Lying at the base of the cliffs of El Morro, the sand dunes of the Atacama Desert fringe the south part of the city. Arica receives produce from the nearby irrigated farms of the Azapa and Rio Lluta valleys, and it exports the citrus fruit and olives they raise. The Port of Arica is an important transportation hub for the region. Located on the Pan-American Highway, it has an international airport and rail connections to La Paz, Bolivia, and Tacna, Peru. In 2002, over 175 thousand people called Arica home. The port of Arica is an "artificial" port. Construction began in 1960 and was completed in 1966. The port is a major link in Chile's commercial chain.