Bío Bío Region in the context of Los Ángeles, Chile

Southern Chile is an informal geographic term for any place south of the capital city, Santiago, or south of Biobío River, the mouth of which is Concepción, about 300 kilometres (200 mi) south of Santiago. Generally cities like Temuco are considered to be located in the south despite being relatively close to the geographical center of Chile. This is mainly because mainland Chile ended in La Frontera until the occupation of Araucanía (1861–1883). Similarly, the Southern Chile wine region is close to the geographic center of the country, encompassing wine-growing areas in the Bío Bío Region and Araucanía Region.

Southern Chile may also refer to the Zona Sur region between Biobío and Chacao Channel, which is often also called the Chilean Lake District. It may also refer to the Zona Austral, also called the Extreme South.

Laja River (Spanish: Río Laja) is a river in Chile, along which can be found the Laja Falls. It is located in the Bío Bío Region. The source of the river is Laguna del Laja in the Andes, then flows westward through the Chilean Central Valley and terminates into the Bío Bío River, being an important tributary of it.

Concepción Province (Spanish: Provincia de Concepción) is one of four provinces of the Chilean region of Bío Bío (VIII). Its capital, Concepción, is part of the Greater Concepción conurbation, the nation's second largest metropolitan area after Santiago.

The Bay of Concepción is a natural bay on the coast of the Province of Concepción in the Bío Bío Region of Chile. Within the bay are many of the most important ports of the region and the country, among them Penco, Talcahuano, and Lirquén.

Quiriquina Island, located to the north in the mouth of the bay provides a windbreak. The island creates two entrances to the bay: Boca Chica and Boca Grande. Boca Chica, between Quriquina Island and the Peninsula of Tumbes, measures 2 km wide and in its narrower part 1,500 metres, with shoals to the sides and although water depth is 15 metres, the passage of large ships is reduced to 400 metres. Boca Grande, is 5 km wide, with depths of 35 metres, which makes it commodious for large vessels.

Penco (Mapudungun: See (Pen), Water (Ko)), is a Chilean city and commune in Concepción Province, Bío Bío Region on the Bay of Concepción. Founded as the city of Concepción del Nuevo Extremo ('beginning of the new extreme') on February 12, 1550 by Pedro de Valdivia, it is the third oldest city in Chile, after capital Santiago founded first in 1541 and La Serena second in 1544.

As there may be confusion between the demonyms of the inhabitants of Concepción and Penco. Due to the previous location of Concepción, inhabitants of that city are called penquistas while inhabitants of Penco are known as pencones.

The Southern Chilean Wine Region or The South is one of the five principal wine regions of Chile. It encompasses all wine-growing areas in of Bío Bío Region and Araucanía Region. The South wine region is composed of three minor wine districts; Itata Valley, Bío Bío Valley and Malleco Valley.