Long before the arrival of the Spanish conquistadors, this region of 16,387 km2 was inhabited by the Pikunche aboriginal peoples, who were annexed by the Inca Empire around 1470. Later the Spanish rulers founded the city of Rancagua, now the capital of this region with 780,627 inhabitants. The regional economy centres around mining, forestry, livestock, agriculture, commerce, and manufacturing, with a combined 76.3 percent contribution to regional GDP. Agriculture alone accounts for 30.1 percent of regional GDP, while forestry has seen rapidly expanding managed forests in recent years. O’higgins is the country’s largest producer of clingstone fruit and the secondlargest producer of wine. Leading exports include copper and copper products, fresh fruit, meat and meat products, wine, and dried fruit. O’higgins is a thriving tourist destination noted for its hot springs, ski resorts, whitewater rafting sites, and seashore teeming with great surfing and windsurfing spots. The Colchagua Valley, acclaimed around the world for its premium red wines, offers unforgettable tours to wine enthusiasts and connoisseurs from around the world.