| Geography of Chile | |
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| Continent | South America |
| Region | Southern Cone Southern Cone |
| Coordinates | 30°00'S 70°00' W |
| Area | Ranked 38th 756,096 km² (291,930. South America is a Continent of the Americas, situated entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a This is a list of the countries of the world sorted by total area. 3 sq mi) |
| Borders | Total land borders: 6,171 km Argentina: 5,308 km Bolivia: 861 km Peru: 160 km |
| Highest point | Ojos del Salado in Andes of Atacama Region 6,893 m (22,615 ft) |
| Lowest point | Pacific Ocean, 0 m |
| Longest river | Loa River, 440 km |
| Largest lake | General Carrera Lake |
Exclusive economic zone continental platform Presencial sea
The geography of Chile is extremely diverse as the country extends from a latitude of 17° South to Cape Horn at 56° (if Chilean claims on Antarctica are included Chile would extend to the South Pole) and from the ocean on the west to Andes on the east. Chile, officially the Republic of Chile ( Spanish:) is a country in South America occupying a long and narrow Coastal strip wedged between the The South Pole, also known as the Geographic South Pole or Terrestrial South Pole, is the southernmost point on the surface of the Earth. The Andes form the world's longest exposed Mountain range. They lie as a continuous chain of highland along the western coast of South America. Chile is situated in southern South America, bordering the South Pacific Ocean and a small part of the South Atlantic Ocean, between Argentina and Peru. South America is a Continent of the Americas, situated entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth 's Oceanic divisions For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Argentina topics. Peru (Perú Piruw Piruw officially the Republic of Peru ( reˈpuβlika del peˈɾu is a country in western South America. Chile's territorial shape is among the world's most unusual. From north to south, Chile extends 4,270 kilometers, and yet it only averages 177 kilometers east to west. On a map, it looks like a long ribbon reaching from the middle of South America's west coast straight down to the southern tip of the continent, where it curves slightly eastward. Cape Horn, the southernmost point in the Americas, where the Pacific and Atlantic oceans turbulently meet, is Chilean territory. Cabo de Hornos redirects here for the Chilean commune see Cabo de Hornos Chile. Chile's northern neighbors are Peru and Bolivia, and its border with Argentina to the east, at 5,150 kilometers, is the world's third longest. The Republic of Bolivia (República de Bolivia) named after Simón Bolívar, is a Landlocked country in central South America.
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A long, narrow nation
The northern two-thirds of Chile lie on top of the telluric Nazca Plate, which, moving eastward about ten centimeters a year, is forcing its way under the continental plate of South America. A geographic coordinate system enables every location on the Earth to be specified in three coordinates using mainly a spherical coordinate system. The Nazca Plate, named after the Nazca region of southern Peru, is an oceanic Tectonic plate in the eastern Pacific Ocean basin off the west This movement has resulted in the formation of the Peru-Chile Trench, which lies beyond a narrow band of coastal waters off the northern two-thirds of the country. The Peru-Chile Trench, also known as the Atacama Trench, is an Oceanic trench in the eastern Pacific Ocean, about 160 kilometers (100 mi off the coast The trench is about 150 kilometers wide and averages about 5,000 meters in depth. At its deepest point, just north of the port of Antofagasta, it plunges to 8,066 meters. For the copper-mining company named after the region see Antofagasta plc. Although the ocean's surface obscures this fact, most of Chile lies at the edge of a profound precipice.
The same telluric displacements that created the Peru-Chile Trench make the country highly prone to earthquakes. During the twentieth century, Chile has been struck by twenty-eight major earthquakes, all with a force greater than 6. 9 on the Richter scale. The strongest of these occurred in 1906 (registering an estimated 8. 4 on the Richter scale) and in Valdivia 1960 (reaching 9. 5). This latter earthquake occurred on May 22, the day after another major quake measuring 7. The 1960 Valdivia earthquake or Great Chilean Earthquake (Gran terremoto de Valdivia of 22 May, 1960 is the most powerful Earthquake ever 25 on the Richter scale, and covered an extensive section of south-central Chile. It caused a tsunami that decimated several fishing villages in the south and raised or lowered sections of the coast as much as two meters. A tsunami ((tsuːˈnɑːmi is a series of waves created when The clash between the earth's surface plates has also generated the Andes, a geologically young mountain range that, in Chilean territory alone, includes about 620 volcanoes, many of them active. Almost sixty of these had erupted in the twentieth century by the early 1990s. More than half of Chile's land surface is volcanic in origin.
About 80 percent of the land in Chile is made up of mountains of some form or other. Most Chileans live near or on these mountains. The majestically snowcapped Andes and their precordillera elevations provide an ever-present backdrop to much of the scenery, but there are other, albeit less formidable, mountains as well. Although they seemingly can appear anywhere, the non-Andean mountains usually form part of transverse and coastal ranges. The former, located most characteristically in the near north and the far north natural regions, extend with various shapes from the Andes to the ocean, creating valleys with an east-west direction. The latter are evident mainly in the center of the country and create what is commonly called the Central Valley (Valle Central) between them and the Andes. The Central Valley (Valle Central de Chile) is the zone between the Chilean Coast Range and the Andes Mountains In the far south, the Central Valley runs into the ocean's waters. At this location, the higher elevations of the coastal range facing the Andes become a multiplicity of islands, forming an intricate labyrinth of channels and fjords that have been an enduring challenge to maritime navigators.
Much of Chile's coastline is rugged, with surf that seems to explode against the rocks lying at the feet of high bluffs. This collision of land and sea gives way every so often to lovely beaches of various lengths, some of them encased by the bluffs. The Humboldt Current, which originates northwest of the Antarctic Peninsula (which juts into the Bellingshausen Sea) and runs the full length of the Chilean coast, makes the water frigid. The Humboldt Current is a cold low- Salinity Ocean current that flows north-westward along the west coast of South America from the southern tip of Chile The Antarctic Peninsula is the northernmost part of the mainland of Antarctica, and almost the only part of that continent that extends outside the Antarctic Circle The Bellingshausen Sea is an area along the west side of the Antarctic Peninsula, between Alexander Island and Thurston Island. Swimming at Chile's popular beaches in the central part of the country, where the water gets no warmer than 15 °C in the summer, requires more than a bit of fortitude.
Chilean territory extends as far west as Polynesia. Polynesia (from Greek: πολύς many, νῆσος island) is a Subregion of Oceania, comprising a large grouping of over The best known of Chile's Pacific Islands is Easter Island (Isla de Pascua, also known by its Polynesian name of Rapa Nui), with a population of 2,800 people. Located 3,600 kilometers west of Chile's mainland port of Caldera, just below the Tropic of Capricorn, Easter Island provides Chile a gateway to the Pacific. Caldera is a seaport in Copiapó Province in the region of Atacama. For the novel by Henry Miller, see Tropic of Capricorn (novel. It is noted for its 867 monoliths (Moais), which are huge (up to twenty meters high) and mysterious, expressionless faces sculpted of volcanic stone. Moai (or mo‘ai) (ˈmoʊаɪ are Monolithic human figures carved from rock on the Polynesian island of Rapa Nui (Easter Island The Juan Fernández Islands, located 587 kilometers west of Valparaíso, are the locale of a small fishing settlement. The Juan Fernández Islands is a sparsely inhabited island group reliant on tourism and fishing in the South Pacific Ocean, situated about 667 km off the coast of Chile They are famous for their lobster and the fact that one of the islands, Robinson Crusoe Island, is where Alexander Selkirk, the inspiration for Daniel Defoe's novel, was marooned for about four years. Robinson Crusoe Island (Isla Robinsón Crusoe formerly known as Más a Tierra (Closer to land is the largest island of the Alexander Selkirk, born Alexander Selcraig (1676 &ndash 13 December 1721 was a Scottish sailor who spent four years as a Castaway on an uninhabited Daniel Defoe (1659/1661 — April 24, 1731 was an English Writer, Journalist, and Pamphleteer, who gained enduring fame for
Natural regions
Because Chile extends from a point about 625 kilometers north of the Tropic of Capricorn to a point hardly more than 1,400 kilometers north of the Antarctic Circle, within its territory can be found a broad selection of the earth's climates. Because Chile extends from a point about 625 kilometers north of the Tropic of Capricorn to a point hardly more than 1400 kilometers north of the Antarctic Circle The Antarctic Circle is one of the five major circles (or parallels of latitude that mark maps of the Earth. For this reason, geographically it is possible to speak of several Chiles. The country usually is divided by geographers into five regions: the far north, the near north, central Chile, the south, and the far south. Each has its own characteristic vegetation, fauna, climate, and, despite the omnipresence of both the Andes and the Pacific, its own distinct topography.
The Far North
- Main article: Norte Grande, Chile
The far north (Norte Grande), which extends from the Peruvian border to about 27° south latitude, a line roughly paralleled by the Copiapó River, is extremely arid. The Norte Grande ( Big North, Far North) is one of the five Natural regions on which CORFO divided continental Chile in 1950 Copiapó River is a river of Chile located in the Atacama Region. In general terms the Climate of a local or region is said to be arid when it is characterized by a severe lack of available Water, to the extent of hindering It contains the Atacama Desert, one of the driest areas in the world; in certain sections, this desert does not register any rainfall at all. Atacama redirects here for the political-administrative region of Chile, see Atacama Region. Average monthly temperatures range at sea level between about 20. 5 °C during the summer and about 14 °C during the winter. Most of the population lives in the coastal area, where the temperatures are more moderate and the humidity higher. Contrary to the image of monochrome barrenness that most people associate with deserts, the landscape is spectacular, with its crisscrossing hills and mountains of all shapes and sizes, each with a unique hue depending on its mineral composition, its distance from the observer, and the time of day.
In the far north, the land generally rises vertically from the ocean, sometimes to elevations well over 1,000 meters. The Cordillera Domeyko in the north runs along the coast parallel to the Andes. The Cordillera Domeyko is a Mountain range of the Andes located in northern Chile, west of Salar de Atacama. This topography generates coastal microclimates because the fog that frequently forms over the cold ocean waters, as well as any low clouds, is trapped by the high bluffs. This airborne moisture condenses in the spines and leaves of the vegetation, droplets that fall to the ground and irrigate the plants' roots. Beyond the coastal bluffs, there is an area of rolling hills that encompasses the driest desert land; this area ends to the east with the Andes towering over it. The edges of the desert in some sections have subterranean aquifers that have permitted the development of forests made up mainly of tamarugos, spiny trees native to the area that grow to a height of about twenty-five meters. UserPolbot. --> Tamarugo ( Prosopis tamarugo) is a species of Legume in the Fabaceae family Most of those forests were cut down to fuel the fires of the many foundries established since colonial times to exploit the abundant deposits of copper, silver, and nitrate found in the area. The result was the creation of even drier surface conditions.
The far north is the only part of the country in which there is a large section of the Andean (plateau). During summer the area receives considerable rainfall in what is commonly known as the "Bolivian winter,"[1] forming shallow lakes of mostly saline waters that are home to a number of bird species, including the Chilean Flamingo. The Chilean Flamingo ( Phoenicopterus chilensis) is a large species (110-130 cm closely related to Caribbean Flamingo and Greater Flamingo, with which it Some of the water from the plateau trickles down the Andes in the form of narrow rivers, many of which form oases before being lost to evaporation or absorption into the desert sands, salt beds, and aquifers. However, some rivers do manage to reach the Pacific, including the Loa River, whose U-shaped course across the desert makes it Chile's longest river. The Loa River is a U-shaped river in Chile 's northern Antofagasta Region. The water rights for one of the rivers, the Lauca River, remain a source of dispute between Bolivia and Chile. The Lauca River is a binational river It originates from Chilean Altiplano of the Tarapacá Region, crosses the Andes and empties into Coipasa These narrow rivers have carved fertile valleys in which exuberant vegetation creates a stark contrast to the bone-dry hills. In such areas, roads usually are built halfway up the arid elevations in order to maximize the intensive agricultural use of the irrigated land. They offer spectacular panoramic vistas, along with the harrowing experience of driving along the edges of cliffs.
In the far north, the kinds of fruits that grow well in the arid tropics thrive, and all kinds of vegetables can be grown year-round. However, the region's main economic foundation is its great mineral wealth. For instance, Chuquicamata, the world's largest open-pit copper mine, is located in the far north. Chuquicamata, or "Chuqui" as it is more familiarly known is a big open pit Copper mine in the north of Chile, 215 km northeast Since the early 1970s, the fishing industry has also developed enormously in the main ports of the area, most notably Iquique and Antofagasta. Iquique (iˈkike is a city in northern Chile, capital of Tarapacá Region, on the Pacific coast, west of the Atacama Desert and the
The Near North
- Main article: Norte Chico, Chile
The near north (Norte Chico) extends from the Copiapó River to about 32° south latitude, or just north of Santiago. The Norte Chile ( Small North, Near North) is one of the five Natural regions on which CORFO divided continental Chile in 1950 It is a semiarid region whose central area receives an average of about twenty-five millimeters of rain during each of the four winter months, with trace amounts the rest of the year. The near north is also subject to droughts. The temperatures are moderate, with an average of 18. 5 °C during the summer and about 12 °C during the winter at sea level. The winter rains and the melting of the snow that accumulates on the Andes produce rivers whose flow varies with the seasons, but which carry water year round. Their deep transverse valleys provide broad areas for cattle raising and, most important, fruit growing, an activity that has developed greatly since the mid-1970s. Nearly all Chilean pisco is produced in the near north. Pisco (from Quechua: pisqu, little bird is a Liquor distilled from Grapes developed by the Spanish in the 16th century
As in the far north, the coastal areas of the near north have a distinct microclimate. In those sections where the airborne moisture of the sea is trapped by high bluffs overlooking the ocean, temperate rain forests develop as the vegetation precipitates the vapor in the form of a misty rain. Because the river valleys provide breaks in the coastal elevations, maritime moisture can penetrate inland and further decrease the generally arid climate in those valleys. The higher elevations in the interior sections are covered with shrubs and cacti of various kinds.
Central Chile
Central Chile (Chile Central), home to a majority of the population, includes the three largest metropolitan areas-- Santiago, Valparaíso, and Concepción. Zona central ( Central Zone, Central Chile) is one of the five Natural regions on which CORFO divided continental Chile in It extends from about 32° south latitude to about 37° south latitude. The climate is of the temperate Mediterranean type, with the amount of rainfall increasing considerably and progressively from north to south. A Mediterranean climate is one that resembles the Climate of the lands in the Mediterranean Basin, which includes over half of the area with this climate type world-wide In the Santiago area, the average monthly temperatures are about 19. 5 °C in the summer months of January and February and 7. 5 °C in the winter months of June and July. The average monthly precipitation is no more than a trace in January and February and 69. 7 millimeters in June and July. By contrast, in Concepción the average monthly temperatures are somewhat lower in the summer at 17. 6 °C but higher in the winter at 9. 3 °C, and the amount of rain is much greater. In the summer, Concepción receives an average of twenty millimeters of rain per month; in June and July, the city is pounded by an average of 253 millimeters per month. History Concepción was founded by Pedro de Valdivia in 1550 north of the Bío-Bío River, at the site which is today known as Penco. The numerous rivers greatly increase their flow as a result of the winter rains and the spring melting of the Andean snows, and they contract considerably in the summer. The combination of abundant snow in the Andes and relatively moderate winter temperatures creates excellent conditions for Alpine skiing.
The topography of central Chile includes a coastal range of mountains running parallel to the Andes. The Chilean Coast Range (Cordillera de la Costa is a mountain range that runs southward parallel with the Andean Mountains, from the Morro de Arica to the Taitao Lying between the two mountain ranges is the so-called Central Valley, which contains some of the richest agricultural land in the country, especially in its northern portion. The area just north and south of Santiago is a large producer of fruits, including the grapes from which the best Chilean wines are made. Chilean wine is Wine made in the South American country of Chile. Exports of fresh fruit began to rise dramatically in the mid-1970s because Chilean growers had the advantage of being able to reach markets in the Northern Hemisphere during that part of the world's winter. Most of these exports, such as grapes, apples, and peaches, go by refrigerator ships, but some, such as berries, go by air freight.
The southern portion of central Chile contains a mixture of some excellent agricultural lands, many of which were covered originally with old-growth forests. They were cleared for agriculture but were soon exhausted of their organic matter and left to erode. Large tracts of this worn-out land, many of them on hilly terrain, have been reforested for the lumber, especially for the cellulose and paper industries. New investments during the 1980s in these industries transformed the rural economy of the region. The pre-Andean highlands and some of the taller and more massive mountains in the coastal range (principally the Cordillera de Nahuelbuta) still contain large tracts of old-growth forests of remarkable beauty, some of which have been set aside as national parks. The Nahuelbuta Range is a mountain range in Bio-Bio and Araucania Region, southern Chile. Between the coastal mountains and the ocean, many areas of central Chile contain stretches of land that are lower than the Central Valley and are generally quite flat. The longest beaches can be found in such sections.
The South
Although many lovely lakes can be found in the Andean and coastal regions of central Chile, the south (Sur de Chile) is definitely the country's most lacustrine area. The Zona Sur ( Southern Zone) is one of the five Natural regions on which CORFO divided continental Chile in Southern Chile stretches from below the Bío-Bío River at about 37° south latitude to below Isla de Chiloé at about 43. The Biobío River (Also known as Bío Bío or Bio-Bio) is the second largest River in Chile. 4° south latitude. In this lake district of Chile, the valley between the Andes and the coastal range is closer to sea level, and the hundreds of rivers that descend from the Andes form lakes, some quite large, as they reach the lower elevations. They drain into the ocean through other rivers, some of which (principally the Calle-Calle River, which flows by the city of Valdivia) are the only ones in the whole country that are navigable for any stretch. Calle-Calle River ( Mapudungun for lot of Iridaceaes ' also called Gudalafquén in Mapudungun is a river in Valdivia Province, southern Chile Valdivia is a city and commune in southern Chile administered by the Municipality of Valdivia The Central Valley's southernmost portion is submerged in the ocean and forms the Gulf of Ancud. Gulf of Ancud (Golfo de Ancud is a large body of water separating the Chiloé Island from the mainland of Chile. Isla de Chiloé, with its rolling hills, is the last important elevation of the coastal range of mountains. Chiloé Island ( Spanish: "Isla de Chiloé" also known as' Isla Grande de Chiloé "Greater Island of Chiloé", is the largest island
The south is one of the rainiest areas in the world. One of the wettest spots in the region is Valdivia, with an annual rainfall of 2,535. 4 millimeters. The summer months of January and February are the driest, with a monthly average precipitation of sixty-seven millimeters. The winter months of June and July each produce on average a deluge of 410. 6 millimeters. Temperatures in the area are moderate. In Valdivia, the two summer months average 16. 7 °C, whereas the winter months average 7. 9 °C.
The lakes in this region are remarkably beautiful. The snow-covered Andes form a constant backdrop to vistas of clear blue or even turquoise waters, as at Todos los Santos Lake. Todos los Santos Lake is located in the 10th region of Chile ( Region of the Lakes) 96 km northeast of the regional capital Puerto Montt and 76 km east of The rivers that descend from the Andes rush over volcanic rocks, forming numerous white-water sections and waterfalls. The vegetation, including many ferns in the shady areas, is a lush green. Some sections still consist of old-growth forests, and in all seasons, but especially in the spring and summer, there are plenty of wildflowers and flowering trees. The pastures in the northernmost section, around Osorno, are well suited for raising cattle; milk, cheese, and butter are important products of that area. Osorno is a city of nearly 150000 inhabitants as of the 2002 census located in the south of Chile. All kinds of berries grow in the area, some of which are exported, and freshwater farming of various species of trout and salmon has developed, with cultivators taking advantage of the abundant supply of clear running water. The lumber industry is also important. A number of tourists, mainly Chileans and Argentines, visit the area during the summer.
Many of Chile's distinctive animal species have been decimated as they have been pushed farther and farther into the remaining wilderness areas by human occupation of the land. This is the case with the huemul, a large deer, and the Chilean condor, the largest bird of its kind; both animals are on the national coat of arms. Condor is the name for two Species of New World vultures each in a Monotypic Genus. The remaining Chilean cougars, which are bigger than their California cousins, have been driven to isolated national parks in the south by farmers who continue to hunt them because they occasionally kill sheep and goats. The cougar ( Puma concolor) also puma, mountain lion, or panther, depending on region is a Mammal of the Felidae family
The Far South
In the far south (Chile Austral), which extends from between 43° south latitude and 44° south latitude to Cape Horn, the Andes and the South Pacific meet. The Zona Austral (English Austral Zone) is one of the five Natural regions into which CORFO divided continental Chile in 1950. The continental coastline features numerous inlets and fjords, from which the mountains seem to rise straight up to great elevations; this is, for example, the case with the Cerro Macá (2,300 meters) near Puerto Aisén. A fjord or fiord (fjɔːd|fiːɔːd or fiːɔːd is a long narrow Inlet with steep sides created in a valley carved by glacial activity. Cerro Macá is a Stratovolcano located to the north of the Aisén Fjord and to the east of the Moraleda Channel, in the Aisén Region of The rest of the land consists of literally thousands of islands forming numerous archipelagos interwoven with sometimes-narrow channels, which provide the main routes of navigation.
In the northern part of the far south, there is still plenty of rainfall. For instance, Puerto Aisén, at 45°24' south latitude, receives 2,973. Puerto Aisén is a city of Chile located in the Aisén Region, above the head of Aisén Fjord in the country's extreme south 3 millimeters of rain per year. However, unlike in Valdivia, the rain falls more or less evenly throughout the year in Puerto Aisén. The summer months average 206. 1 millimeters, whereas the winter months average 300 millimeters. The temperatures at sea level in Puerto Aisén average 13. 6 °C in the summer months and 4. 7 °C in the winter months. Although the area generally is chilly and wet, the combination of channels, fjords, snowcapped mountains, and islands of all shapes and sizes within such a narrow space makes for breathtaking views. The area is still heavily forested, although some of the native species of trees that grow in the central and southern parts of the country have given way to others better adapted to a generally colder climate.
The southern part of the far south includes the city of Punta Arenas, which, with about 125,000 inhabitants, is the southernmost city of any appreciable size in the world. Punta Arenas (literally in Spanish: "Sandy Point" is the most prominent settlement on the Strait of Magellan and the capital of the Magallanes y la It receives much less precipitation; its annual total is only 438. 5 millimeters, or a little more than what Valdivia receives in the month of June alone. This precipitation is distributed more or less evenly throughout the year, with the two main summer months receiving a monthly average of thirty-one millimeters and the winter months 38. 9 millimeters, some of it in the form of snow. Temperatures are colder than in the rest of the country. The summer months average 11. 1 °C, and the winter months average 2. 5 °C. The virtually constant wind from the South Pacific Ocean makes the air feel much colder.
The far south contains large expanses of pastures that are best suited for raising sheep. The area's other main economic activity is oil and natural gas extraction from the areas around the Strait of Magellan. This strait is one of the world's important sea-lanes because it unites the Atlantic and Pacific oceans through a channel that avoids the rough open waters off Cape Horn. The channel is perilous, however, and Chilean pilots guide all vessels through it.
Area and boundaries
Area:
total: 756,950 km² (292,260 mi²)
land: 748,800 km² (289,110 mi²)
water: 8,150 km² (3,150 mi²)
note: includes Easter Island (Isla de Pascua) and Isla Sala y Gómez This does not include the Chilean claims to Antarctica, which overlaps with the Argentinian and British claims. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located All Antarctic claims are frozen under the Antarctic treaty. The Antarctic Treaty and related agreements collectively called the Antarctic Treaty System or ATS, regulate International relations with respect to
Area - comparative: slightly smaller than twice the size of Montana
Land boundaries:
total: 6,171 km (3,834 mi)
border countries: Argentina 5,150 km (3,200 mi), Bolivia 861 km (535 mi), Peru 160 km (99 mi)
Coastline: 6,435 km (4,000 mi)
Maritime claims:
contiguous zone: 24 nautical miles (44 km)
continental shelf: 200/350 nautical miles (370/648 km)
exclusive economic zone: 200 nautical miles (370 km)
territorial sea: 12 nautical miles (22 km)
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m (0 ft)
highest point: Ojos del Salado 6,893 m (22,615 ft)
Resources and land use
Natural resources: copper, timber, iron ore, nitrates, precious metals, molybdenum, hydropower, thermal power, nutrient-rich ocean currents
Land use:
arable land: 5%
permanent crops: 0%
permanent pastures: 18%
forests and woodland: 22%
other: 55% (1993 est. Montana ( is a state in the Western United States. One-third of the state in the western part contains numerous mountain ranges (approximately 77 named of the northern The Republic of Bolivia (República de Bolivia) named after Simón Bolívar, is a Landlocked country in central South America. A nautical mile or sea mile is a unit of Length. It corresponds approximately to one minute of Latitude along any meridian. Ojos del Salado is a massive Stratovolcano in the Andes on the Argentina - Chile border and the highest Volcano in the world at. Copper (ˈkɒpɚ is a Chemical element with the symbol Cu (cuprum and Atomic number 29 Lumber or timber is Wood in any of its stages from felling through readiness for use as structural Material for Construction, or Iron ores are rocks and Minerals from which Metallic Iron can be economically extracted In Inorganic chemistry, a nitrate is a salt of Nitric acid with an Ion composed of one Nitrogen and three Oxygen atoms Precious Metal is the eighteenth episode in the of the popular American Crime drama, which is set in Las Vegas, Nevada. Molybdenum (məˈlɪbdənəm from the Greek word for the metal " Lead " is a Group 6 Chemical element with the symbol Mo Hydroelectricity is electricity generated by Hydropower, ie the production of power through use of the gravitational force of falling water A thermal power station is a Power plant in which the prime mover is Steam driven The Humboldt Current is a cold low- Salinity Ocean current that flows north-westward along the west coast of South America from the southern tip of Chile A forest is an area with a high density of Trees There are many definitions of a forest based on various criteria Ecologically a woodland is an area covered in trees differentiated from a Forest. )
Irrigated land: 12,650 km² (4,880 mi²) (1993 est. Irrigation is an artificial application of water to the soil usually for assisting in growing crops )
Environmental concerns
Natural hazards: severe earthquakes; active volcanism; tsunamis
Environment - current issues: air pollution from industrial and vehicle emissions; water pollution from raw sewage; excessive cutting of native forest. An earthquake is the result of a sudden release of energy in the Earth 's crust that creates Seismic waves Earthquakes are recorded with a Seismometer Plate tectonics and hotspots Divergent plate boundaries At the A tsunami ((tsuːˈnɑːmi is a series of waves created when Air pollution is the human introduction into the atmosphere of Chemicals Particulate matter, or Biological materials that cause harm or discomfort Water pollution is the contamination of Water bodies such as Lakes Rivers Oceans and Groundwater caused by human activities Sewage is the mainly liquid Waste containing some solids produced by humans which typically consists of washing water Feces, Urine, laundry waste and other
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Antarctic Treaty, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution (MARPOL 73/78), Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol
Geography - note: strategic location relative to sea lanes between Atlantic and Pacific Oceans (Strait of Magellan, Beagle Channel, Drake Passage); Atacama desert is one of world's driest regions
See also
- Climate of Chile
- Geology of Chile
- List of lakes in Chile
- List of rivers in Chile
- List of volcanoes in Chile
- List of extreme points of Chile
References
- This article contains material from the Library of Congress Country Studies, which are United States government publications in the public domain. The Antarctic Treaty and related agreements collectively called the Antarctic Treaty System or ATS, regulate International relations with respect to The Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty, also known as the Antarctic-Environmental Protocol is part of the Antarctic Treaty System. Biodiversity is the variation of Life forms within a given Ecosystem, Biome or for the entire Earth. Annex I and Annex II Countries and Developing Countries Signatories to the UNFCCC are split into three groups Annex I countries (industrialized countries Desertification is the degradation of land in arid and dry sub-humid areas resulting primarily from human activities and influenced by climatic variations An endangered species is a population of an organism which is at risk of becoming Extinct because it is either few in numbers or threatened by changing environmental or predation The term hazardous waste comprises all toxic chemicals radioactive materials, and biologic or infectious waste. The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea ( UNCLOS) also called the Law of the Sea Convention or the Law of the Sea treaty is the international agreement that resulted The Convention on the Prevention of Marine Pollution by Dumping of Wastes and Other Matter 1972 commonly called the " London Convention " or "LC '72" and also The Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT bans all nuclear explosions in all environments for military or civilian purposes For other similarly-named agreements see Montreal Convention (disambiguation. Marpol 73/78 is the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution From Ships 1973 as modified by the Protocol of 1978. A wetland is an area of Land consisting of Soil that is Saturated with Moisture, such as a Swamp, Marsh, or Bog Whaling is the hunting of Whales and dates back to at least 6000 BC The Kyoto Protocol is a protocol to the international Framework Convention on Climate Change with the objective of reducing Greenhouse gases in an effort The Straits of Magellan (rarely referred to as the Magellanic Straits) comprise a navigable sea route immediately south of mainland Chile and north of Isla Grande The Beagle Channel is a strait separating islands of the Tierra del Fuego Archipelago in extreme southern South America. The Drake Passage or Mar de Hoces -Sea of " Hoces "- is the body of water between the southern tip of South America at Cape Horn, Atacama redirects here for the political-administrative region of Chile, see Atacama Region. The climate of Chile comprises a wide range of weather conditions across a large geographic scale extending across 38 degrees in latitude making generalisations difficult The Geology of Chile is mainly a product of the the Andean Orogeny which in turn is caused by the Subduction zone at at its coast This is a list of lakes in Chile. There are lakes are of varying types and origins but the majority of the lakes (specially in the south are Glacial in origin This list of rivers in Chile includes all the major Rivers of Chile. See also List of volcanoes This is a list of active and extinct Volcanoes in Chile This is a list of the extreme points of Chile, the points that are farther North, South, East or West than any other location The Country Studies are works published by the Federal Research Division of the Library of Congress ( USA) freely available for use by researchers The federal government of the United States is the central United States Governmental body established by the United States Constitution. The public domain is a range of abstract materials &ndash commonly referred to as Intellectual property &ndash which are not owned or controlled by anyone
- This article contains material from the CIA World Factbook which, as a U. The World Factbook ( ISSN; also known as the CIA World Factbook) is an annual publication of the Central Intelligence Agency of the S. government publication, is in the public domain. The public domain is a range of abstract materials &ndash commonly referred to as Intellectual property &ndash which are not owned or controlled by anyone
Notes
- ^ In the Spanish-speaking tropics, invierno or "winter" means "rainy season" (The University of Chicago Spanish-English/English-Spanish Dictionary, Fourth Edition (1992), by Carlos Castillo, Otto F. Bond, and D. Lincoln Canfield. Simon and Schuster, ISBN 0671743481. )
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