Geography of Chile
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The geography of Chile is extremely diverse as the country extends from a latitude of 17° South to
Cape Horn Cape Horn ( es, Cabo de Hornos, ) is the southernmost headland of the Tierra del Fuego archipelago of southern Chile, and is located on the small Hornos Island. Although not the most southerly point of South America (which are the Diego Ramírez ...
at 56° and from the ocean on the west to
Andes The Andes, Andes Mountains or Andean Mountains (; ) are the longest continental mountain range in the world, forming a continuous highland along the western edge of South America. The range is long, wide (widest between 18°S – 20°S ...
on the east. Chile is situated in southern
South America South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere at the northern tip of the continent. It can also be described as the southe ...
, bordering the South
Pacific Ocean The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean (or, depending on definition, to Antarctica) in the south, and is bounded by the continen ...
and a small part of the South
Atlantic Ocean The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the " Old World" of Africa, Europe ...
. Chile's territorial shape is among the world's most unusual. From north to south, Chile extends , and yet it only averages east to west. Chile reaches from the middle of South America's west coast straight down to the southern tip of the continent, where it curves slightly eastward.
Diego Ramírez Islands The Diego Ramírez Islands ( es, Islas Diego Ramírez) are a small group of subantarctic islands located in the southernmost extreme of Chile. History The islands were first sighted on 12 February 1619 by the Spanish Garcia de Nodal expedition, ...
and
Cape Horn Cape Horn ( es, Cabo de Hornos, ) is the southernmost headland of the Tierra del Fuego archipelago of southern Chile, and is located on the small Hornos Island. Although not the most southerly point of South America (which are the Diego Ramírez ...
, the southernmost points in the Americas, where the Pacific and Atlantic oceans meet, are Chilean territory. Chile's northern neighbors are Peru and
Bolivia , image_flag = Bandera de Bolivia (Estado).svg , flag_alt = Horizontal tricolor (red, yellow, and green from top to bottom) with the coat of arms of Bolivia in the center , flag_alt2 = 7 × 7 square p ...
, and its border with Argentina to the east, at , is the world's third-longest. The total land size is . The very long coastline of gives it the 11th largest exclusive economic zone of .


Physical geography

The northern two-thirds of Chile lie on top of the telluric
Nazca Plate The Nazca Plate or Nasca Plate, named after the Nazca region of southern Peru, is an oceanic tectonic plate in the eastern Pacific Ocean basin off the west coast of South America. The ongoing subduction, along the Peru–Chile Trench, of the Na ...
, which, moving eastward about ten centimeters a year, is forcing its way under the continental plate of South America. This movement has resulted in the formation of the
Peru–Chile Trench The Peru–Chile Trench, also known as the Atacama Trench, is an oceanic trench in the eastern Pacific Ocean, about off the coast of Peru and Chile. It reaches a maximum depth of below sea level in Richards Deep () and is approximately long; ...
, which lies beyond a narrow band of coastal waters off the northern two-thirds of the country. The trench is about wide and averages about in depth. At its deepest point, just north of the port of
Antofagasta Antofagasta () is a port city in northern Chile, about north of Santiago. It is the capital of Antofagasta Province and Antofagasta Region. According to the 2015 census, the city has a population of 402,669. After the Spanish American wars ...
, it plunges to . 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 Richter scale —also called the Richter magnitude scale, Richter's magnitude scale, and the Gutenberg–Richter scale—is a measure of the strength of earthquakes, developed by Charles Francis Richter and presented in his landmark 1935 ...
. The strongest of these occurred in 2010 (registering an estimated 8.8 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 7.25 on the Richter scale, and covered an extensive section of south-central Chile. It caused a
tsunami A tsunami ( ; from ja, 津波, lit=harbour wave, ) is a series of waves in a water body caused by the displacement of a large volume of water, generally in an ocean or a large lake. Earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and other underwater explo ...
that decimated several fishing villages in the south and raised or lowered sections of the coast as much as two meters. 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 pre-cordillera 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. 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 The Humboldt Current, also called the Peru Current, is a cold, low- salinity ocean current that flows north along the western coast of South America.Montecino, Vivian, and Carina B. Lange. "The Humboldt Current System: Ecosystem components and pr ...
, which originates northwest of the
Antarctic Peninsula The Antarctic Peninsula, known as O'Higgins Land in Chile and Tierra de San Martín in Argentina, and originally as Graham Land in the United Kingdom and the Palmer Peninsula in the United States, is the northernmost part of mainland Antarctic ...
(which juts into the
Bellingshausen Sea The Bellingshausen Sea is an area along the west side of the Antarctic Peninsula between 57°18'W and 102°20'W, west of Alexander Island, east of Cape Flying Fish on Thurston Island, and south of Peter I Island (there the southern ''Vostokkyste ...
) and runs the full length of the Chilean coast, makes the water frigid. Swimming at Chile's popular beaches in the central part of the country, where the water gets no warmer than in the summer. A recent global remote sensing analysis suggested that there were 564km² of tidal flats in Chile, making it the 44th ranked country in the world in terms of tidal flat area. Chilean territory extends as far west as
Polynesia Polynesia () "many" and νῆσος () "island"), to, Polinisia; mi, Porinihia; haw, Polenekia; fj, Polinisia; sm, Polenisia; rar, Porinetia; ty, Pōrīnetia; tvl, Polenisia; tkl, Polenihia (, ) is a subregion of Oceania, made up of ...
. The best known of Chile's Pacific Islands is
Easter Island Easter Island ( rap, Rapa Nui; es, Isla de Pascua) is an island and special territory of Chile in the southeastern Pacific Ocean, at the southeasternmost point of the Polynesian Triangle in Oceania. The island is most famous for its nearl ...
(Isla de Pascua, also known by its Polynesian name of Rapa Nui), with a population of 2,800 people. Located west of Chile's mainland port of
Caldera A caldera ( ) is a large cauldron-like hollow that forms shortly after the emptying of a magma chamber in a volcano eruption. When large volumes of magma are erupted over a short time, structural support for the rock above the magma chamber is ...
, just below the
Tropic of Capricorn The Tropic of Capricorn (or the Southern Tropic) is the circle of latitude that contains the subsolar point at the December (or southern) solstice. It is thus the southernmost latitude where the Sun can be seen directly overhead. It also reac ...
, Easter Island provides Chile a gateway to the Pacific. It is noted for its 867 monoliths (
moai Moai or moʻai ( ; es, moái; rap, moʻai, , statue) are monolithic human figures carved by the Rapa Nui people on Easter Island, Rapa Nui in eastern Polynesia between the years 1250 and 1500. Nearly half are still at Rano Raraku, the main mo ...
s), which are huge (up to twenty meters high) and mysterious, expressionless faces sculpted of volcanic stone. The
Juan Fernández Islands The Juan Fernández Islands ( es, Archipiélago Juan Fernández) are a sparsely inhabited series of islands in the South Pacific Ocean reliant on tourism and fishing. Situated off the coast of Chile, they are composed of three main volcanic i ...
, located west of
Valparaíso Valparaíso (; ) is a major city, seaport, naval base, and educational centre in the commune of Valparaíso, Chile. "Greater Valparaíso" is the second largest metropolitan area in the country. Valparaíso is located about northwest of Santiago ...
, are the locale of a small fishing settlement. They are famous for their lobster and the fact that one of the islands,
Robinson Crusoe Island Robinson Crusoe Island ( es, Isla Róbinson Crusoe, ), formerly known as Más a Tierra (), is the second largest of the Juan Fernández Islands, situated 670 km (362 nmi; 416 mi) west of San Antonio, Chile, in the South Pacific Oc ...
, is where
Alexander Selkirk Alexander Selkirk (167613 December 1721) was a Scottish privateer and Royal Navy officer who spent four years and four months as a castaway (1704–1709) after being marooned by his captain, initially at his request, on an uninhabited island i ...
, the inspiration for
Daniel Defoe Daniel Defoe (; born Daniel Foe; – 24 April 1731) was an English writer, trader, journalist, pamphleteer and spy. He is most famous for his novel ''Robinson Crusoe'', published in 1719, which is claimed to be second only to the Bible in its ...
's novel, was marooned for about four years.


Natural regions

Since Chile extends from a point about north of the Tropic of Capricorn to a point hardly more than north of the
Antarctic Circle The Antarctic Circle is the most southerly of the five major circles of latitude that mark maps of Earth. The region south of this circle is known as the Antarctic, and the zone immediately to the north is called the Southern Temperate Zone. S ...
, a broad selection of the Earth's climates can be found in this country. Therefore, geographically, the country can be divided into many different parts. It is usually 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

The far north (Norte Grande), which extends from the Peruvian border to about 27° south latitude, a line roughly paralleled to the
Copiapó River Copiapó River is a river of Chile located in the Atacama Region. Starting at the confluence of the ''Jorquera'' and ''Pulido'' rivers, the Copiapó flows for only 2.5 km before receiving the waters of the '' Manflas River''. It flows throu ...
, is extremely
arid A region is arid when it severely lacks available water, to the extent of hindering or preventing the growth and development of plant and animal life. Regions with arid climates tend to lack vegetation and are called xeric or desertic. Most ar ...
. It mainly contains the
Atacama Desert The Atacama Desert ( es, Desierto de Atacama) is a desert plateau in South America covering a 1,600 km (990 mi) strip of land on the Pacific coast, west of the Andes Mountains. The Atacama Desert is the driest nonpolar desert in the ...
, one of the driest areas in the world. In certain areas, this desert does not register any rainfall at all. Geographically, the aridity can be explained by the following conditions: * The desert is located on the leeward side of the
Chilean Coast Range The Chilean Coastal Range ( es, Cordillera de la Costa) is a mountain range that runs from north to south along the Pacific coast of South America parallel to the Andean Mountains, extending from Morro de Arica in the north to Taitao Peninsula, ...
, so little moisture from the Pacific Ocean can reach the desert. * The
Andes The Andes, Andes Mountains or Andean Mountains (; ) are the longest continental mountain range in the world, forming a continuous highland along the western edge of South America. The range is long, wide (widest between 18°S – 20°S ...
is so high that it blocks convective clouds, which may bring precipitation, formed above the Amazon Basin from entering the desert from the east. * An inversion layer is created by the cold
Humboldt current The Humboldt Current, also called the Peru Current, is a cold, low- salinity ocean current that flows north along the western coast of South America.Montecino, Vivian, and Carina B. Lange. "The Humboldt Current System: Ecosystem components and pr ...
and the
South Pacific High The South Pacific High is a semi-permanent subtropical anticyclone located in the southeast Pacific Ocean. The area of high atmospheric pressure and the presence of the Humboldt Current in the underlying ocean make the west coast of Peru and no ...
. Average monthly temperatures range at sea level between about during the summer and about 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 . The
Cordillera Domeyko The Cordillera Domeyko is a mountain range of the Andes located in northern Chile, west of Salar de Atacama. It runs north-south for approximately 600 km, parallel to the main chain. The mountain range marks the eastern border of the flat pa ...
in the north runs along the coast parallel to the Andes. 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
tamarugo ''Prosopis tamarugo'', commonly known as the tamarugo, is a species of flowering tree in the pea family, Fabaceae, subfamilia Mimosoideae. It is only found in northern Chile, particularly in the Pampa del Tamarugal, some east of the city of Iq ...
s, spiny trees native to the area that grow to a height of about twenty-five meters. 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," forming shallow lakes of mostly saline waters ( Salar de Llamara, Salar des Miraje,
Salar de Atacama Salar de Atacama is the largest salt flat in Chile. It is located south of San Pedro de Atacama, is surrounded by mountains, and has no drainage outlets. In the east it is enclosed by the main chain of the Andes, while to the west lies a secondar ...
) that are home to a number of bird species, including the
Chilean flamingo The Chilean flamingo (''Phoenicopterus chilensis'') is a species of large flamingo at closely related to the American flamingo and the greater flamingo, with which it was sometimes considered conspecific. The species is listed as near threatened ...
. 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 The Loa River (Spanish: Río Loa) is a U-shaped river in Chile's northern Antofagasta Region. At long, it is the country's longest river and the main watercourse in the Atacama Desert. Course The Loa's sources are located on Andean mountain sl ...
, whose U-shaped course across the desert makes it Chile's longest river. The water rights for one of the rivers, the Lauca River, remain a source of dispute between Bolivia and Chile. 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 Chuquicamata ( ; referred to as Chuqui for short) is the largest open pit copper mine in terms of excavated volume in the world. It is located in the north of Chile, just outside Calama, at above sea level. It is northeast of Antofagasta and n ...
, the world's largest open-pit copper mine, is located in the far north. Since the early 1970s, the fishing industry has also developed lots in the main ports of the area, most notably
Iquique Iquique () is a port city and commune in northern Chile, capital of both the Iquique Province and Tarapacá Region. It lies on the Pacific coast, west of the Pampa del Tamarugal, which is part of the Atacama Desert. It has a population of 191,468 ...
and Antofagasta.


The Near North

The near north (Norte Chico) extends from the Copiapó River to about 32° south latitude, or just north of Santiago. It is a semiarid region whose central area receives an average of about 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 during the summer and about 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 The Transverse Valleys (Spanish: ''Valles transversales'') are a group of transverse valleys in the semi-arid northern Chile. They run from east to west (traversing Chile), being among the most prominent geographical features in the regions they cr ...
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 Pisco is a colorless or yellowish-to-amber colored brandy produced in winemaking regions of Peru and Chile. Made by distilling fermented grape juice into a high-proof spirit, it was developed by 16th-century Spanish settlers as an alternative ...
is produced in the near north. 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. It extends from about 32° south latitude to about 37° south latitude. The climate is of the temperate
Mediterranean The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean Basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Western and Southern Europe and Anatolia, on the south by North Africa, and on the e ...
type, with the amount of rainfall increasing considerably and progressively from north to south. In the Santiago area, the average monthly temperatures are about in the summer months of January and February and in the winter months of June and July; the average monthly precipitation is no more than a trace in January and February and in June and July. In Concepción, by contrast, the average monthly temperatures are somewhat lower in the summer at but higher in the winter at , and the amount of rain is much greater: in the summer, Concepción receives an average of 0.8 inch (20 millimeters) of rain per month; in June and July, the city is pounded by an average of 10 inches (253 mm.) per month. 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. 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 wine Chilean wine has a long history for a New World wine region, as it was the 16th century when the Spanish conquistadors brought ''Vitis vinifera'' vines with them as they colonized the region. In the mid-19th century, French wine varieties su ...
s are made. 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 winter in that part of the world. 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 forest An old-growth forestalso termed primary forest, virgin forest, late seral forest, primeval forest, or first-growth forestis a forest that has attained great age without significant disturbance, and thereby exhibits unique ecological featur ...
s. 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 The Nahuelbuta Range or Cordillera de Nahuelbuta () is a mountain range in Bio-Bio and Araucania Region, southern Chile. It is located along the Pacific coast and forms part of the larger Chilean Coast Range. The name of the range derives from th ...
) still contain large tracts of old-growth forests of remarkable beauty, some of which have been set aside as national parks. 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 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. Southern Chile stretches from below the Bío-Bío River at about 37° south latitude to Chacao channel at about 42° 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 Calle-Calle River, also called Gudalafquén in Mapuche language, is a river in Valdivia Province, southern Chile. It drains waters from the San Pedro River to the Valdivia River, which in turn flows into Corral Bay on the Pacific Ocean. The Ri ...
, which flows by the city of
Valdivia Valdivia (; Mapuche: Ainil) is a city and commune in southern Chile, administered by the Municipality of Valdivia. The city is named after its founder Pedro de Valdivia and is located at the confluence of the Calle-Calle, Valdivia, and Cau-Cau R ...
) are the only ones in the whole country that are navigable for any stretch. The Central Valley's southernmost portion is submerged in the ocean and forms the
Gulf of Ancud 250px, Map of the Sea of Chiloé and nearby roads. The Gulf of Ancud is seen in the centre of the upper half. Gulf of Ancud ( es, Golfo de Ancud) is a large body of water separating the Chiloé Island from the mainland of Chile. It is located nort ...
. Isla de Chiloé, with its rolling hills, is the last important elevation of the coastal range of mountains. 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 . The summer months of January and February are the driest, with a monthly average precipitation of . The winter months of June and July each produce on average a deluge of . Temperatures in the area are moderate. In Valdivia, the two summer months average , whereas the winter months average . The snow-covered Andes form a constant backdrop to vistas of clear blue or even turquoise waters, as at
Todos los Santos Lake Lake Todos los Santos (Spanish for "All Saints Lake") is a lake located in the Los Lagos Region of southern Chile, 96 km northeast of the regional capital Puerto Montt and 76 km east of Puerto Varas, within the boundaries of the Vicen ...
. 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. 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 Condor is the common name for two species of New World vultures, each in a monotypic genus. The name derives from the Quechua ''kuntur''. They are the largest flying land birds in the Western Hemisphere. They are: * The Andean condor (''Vult ...
, the largest bird of its kind; both animals are on the national coat of arms. The remaining Chilean
cougar The cougar (''Puma concolor'') is a large Felidae, cat native to the Americas. Its Species distribution, range spans from the Canadian Yukon to the southern Andes in South America and is the most widespread of any large wild terrestrial mamm ...
s, 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 Far South

In the far south (''Chile Austral''), which extends from between 42° south latitude to Cape Horn, the Andes and the South Pacific. In the northern part of the far south, there is still plenty of rainfall. The summer months average , whereas the winter months average . The temperatures at sea level in Puerto Aisén average in the summer months and in the winter months. The area generally is chilly and wet and houses a combination of channels, fjords, snow-capped mountains, and islands of all shapes and sizes within a narrow space. The southern part of the far south includes the city of
Punta Arenas Punta Arenas (; historically Sandy Point in English) is the capital city of Chile's southernmost region, Magallanes and Antarctica Chilena. The city was officially renamed as Magallanes in 1927, but in 1938 it was changed back to "Punta Aren ...
, which, with about 125,000 inhabitants, is the most southern city in Chile. It receives much less precipitation; its annual total is only , 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 , some of it in the form of snow. Temperatures are colder than in the rest of the country. The summer months average , and the winter months average . 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 often used for raising sheep, even though
overgrazing Overgrazing occurs when plants are exposed to intensive grazing for extended periods of time, or without sufficient recovery periods. It can be caused by either livestock in poorly managed agricultural applications, game reserves, or nature res ...
is an issue in some areas. 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:''
''Land:''
''Water:''
''Note:'' includes
Easter Island Easter Island ( rap, Rapa Nui; es, Isla de Pascua) is an island and special territory of Chile in the southeastern Pacific Ocean, at the southeasternmost point of the Polynesian Triangle in Oceania. The island is most famous for its nearl ...
(''Isla de Pascua'') and
Isla Sala y Gómez Isla or ISLA may refer to: Organizations * International Securities Lending Association, a trade association * International School of Los Angeles * International Bilingual School, later named International School of Los Angeles People * Isla (g ...
This does not include the Chilean claims to
Antarctica Antarctica () is Earth's southernmost and least-populated continent. Situated almost entirely south of the Antarctic Circle and surrounded by the Southern Ocean, it contains the geographic South Pole. Antarctica is the fifth-largest contine ...
, which overlap with Argentinian and
British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...
claims. All Antarctic claims are frozen under the
Antarctic treaty russian: link=no, Договор об Антарктике es, link=no, Tratado Antártico , name = Antarctic Treaty System , image = Flag of the Antarctic Treaty.svgborder , image_width = 180px , caption ...
. Area - comparative:
Canada: roughly half the size of
Quebec Quebec ( ; )According to the Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is one of the thirtee ...

US: slightly smaller than twice the size of
Montana Montana () is a state in the Mountain West division of the Western United States. It is bordered by Idaho to the west, North Dakota and South Dakota to the east, Wyoming to the south, and the Canadian provinces of Alberta, British Columbi ...
Land boundaries:
''total:''
''border countries:'' Argentina , Bolivia , Peru
Chile Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in the western part of South America. It is the southernmost country in the world, and the closest to Antarctica, occupying a long and narrow strip of land between the Andes to the east a ...
's largest and second largest international borders are the:
Argentina–Chile border The Argentina–Chile border is the longest international border of South America and the third longest in the world after the Canada–United States border and the Kazakhstan–Russia border. With a length of , it separates Argentina from Chile ...
and
Bolivia–Chile border The Bolivia–Chile border is an international border of South America. It separates Bolivia from Chile along Cordillera Occidental on the western edge of the Altiplano Plateau. There is an ongoing dispute about the nature of Silala River and Ch ...
, respectively. Coastline: Maritime claims:
''Territorial sea:''
''Contiguous zone:''
'' Exclusive economic zone:''
''Continental shelf:''


Extremes


Latitude and longitude

* North: tripartite border with Bolivia and Peru * Southernmost point can be either: ** Mainland: Águila Islet,
Diego Ramírez Islands The Diego Ramírez Islands ( es, Islas Diego Ramírez) are a small group of subantarctic islands located in the southernmost extreme of Chile. History The islands were first sighted on 12 February 1619 by the Spanish Garcia de Nodal expedition, ...
** Including Antártica: The
South Pole The South Pole, also known as the Geographic South Pole, Terrestrial South Pole or 90th Parallel South, is one of the two points where Earth's axis of rotation intersects its surface. It is the southernmost point on Earth and lies antipod ...
* Westernmost point:
Motu Nui Motu Nui (''large island'' in the Rapa Nui language) is the largest of three islets just south of Easter Island and is the most westerly place in Chile and all of South America. All three islets have seabirds, but Motu Nui was also an essenti ...
, off
Easter Island Easter Island ( rap, Rapa Nui; es, Isla de Pascua) is an island and special territory of Chile in the southeastern Pacific Ocean, at the southeasternmost point of the Polynesian Triangle in Oceania. The island is most famous for its nearl ...
* Easternmost point can be either: ** Mainland: Nueva Island ** Including Antártica: the
53rd meridian west The meridian 53° west of Greenwich is a line of longitude that extends from the North Pole across the Arctic Ocean, Greenland, Newfoundland, the Atlantic Ocean, South America, the Southern Ocean, and Antarctica to the South Pole. In Antarctica ...
over
Antarctica Antarctica () is Earth's southernmost and least-populated continent. Situated almost entirely south of the Antarctic Circle and surrounded by the Southern Ocean, it contains the geographic South Pole. Antarctica is the fifth-largest contine ...


Elevation

*''highest point:''
Ojos del Salado Nevado Ojos del Salado is a dormant complex volcano in the Andes on the Argentina–Chile border. It is the highest volcano on Earth and the highest peak in Chile. The upper reaches of Ojos del Salado consist of several overlapping lava domes, ...
*''lowest point:'' Pacific Ocean


Resources and land use

Natural resources:
copper Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu (from la, cuprum) and atomic number 29. It is a soft, malleable, and ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. A freshly exposed surface of pure copper has a pinkis ...
,
timber Lumber is wood that has been processed into dimensional lumber, including beams and planks or boards, a stage in the process of wood production. Lumber is mainly used for construction framing, as well as finishing (floors, wall panels, wi ...
,
iron ore Iron ores are rocks and minerals from which metallic iron can be economically extracted. The ores are usually rich in iron oxides and vary in color from dark grey, bright yellow, or deep purple to rusty red. The iron is usually found in the fo ...
,
nitrate Nitrate is a polyatomic ion A polyatomic ion, also known as a molecular ion, is a covalent bonded set of two or more atoms, or of a metal complex, that can be considered to behave as a single unit and that has a net charge that is not zer ...
s,
precious metal Precious metals are rare, naturally occurring metallic chemical elements of high economic value. Chemically, the precious metals tend to be less reactive than most elements (see noble metal). They are usually ductile and have a high lustre. ...
s,
molybdenum Molybdenum is a chemical element with the symbol Mo and atomic number 42 which is located in period 5 and group 6. The name is from Neo-Latin ''molybdaenum'', which is based on Ancient Greek ', meaning lead, since its ores were confused with lea ...
,
hydropower Hydropower (from el, ὕδωρ, "water"), also known as water power, is the use of falling or fast-running water to Electricity generation, produce electricity or to power machines. This is achieved by energy transformation, converting the Pot ...
,
thermal power A thermal power station is a type of power station in which heat energy In thermodynamics, heat is defined as the form of energy crossing the boundary of a thermodynamic system by virtue of a temperature difference across the boundary ...
, nutrient-rich ocean currents Land use:
''arable land:'' 1.80%
''permanent crops:'' 0.61%
''other:'' 97.59% (2012) Irrigated land: (2003) Total renewable water resources: 922 km3 (2011) Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
''total:'' 26.67 km3/yr (4%/10%/86%)
''per capital:'' 1,603 m3/yr (2007)


Environmental concerns

Natural hazards: severe
earthquake An earthquake (also known as a quake, tremor or temblor) is the shaking of the surface of the Earth resulting from a sudden release of energy in the Earth's lithosphere that creates seismic waves. Earthquakes can range in intensity, from ...
s; active
volcanism Volcanism, vulcanism or volcanicity is the phenomenon of eruption of molten rock (magma) onto the surface of the Earth or a solid-surface planet or moon, where lava, pyroclastics, and volcanic gases erupt through a break in the surface called ...
;
tsunami A tsunami ( ; from ja, 津波, lit=harbour wave, ) is a series of waves in a water body caused by the displacement of a large volume of water, generally in an ocean or a large lake. Earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and other underwater explo ...
s Environment - current issues: widespread
deforestation Deforestation or forest clearance is the removal of a forest or stand of trees from land that is then converted to non-forest use. Deforestation can involve conversion of forest land to farms, ranches, or urban use. The most concentrated d ...
,
mining Mining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the Earth, usually from an ore body, lode, vein, seam, reef, or placer deposit. The exploitation of these deposits for raw material is based on the economic via ...
;
air pollution Air pollution is the contamination of air due to the presence of substances in the atmosphere that are harmful to the health of humans and other living beings, or cause damage to the climate or to materials. There are many different types ...
from industrial and vehicle emissions;
water pollution Water pollution (or aquatic pollution) is the contamination of water bodies, usually as a result of human activities, so that it negatively affects its uses. Water bodies include lakes, rivers, oceans, aquifers, reservoirs and groundwater. Water ...
from raw
sewage Sewage (or domestic sewage, domestic wastewater, municipal wastewater) is a type of wastewater that is produced by a community of people. It is typically transported through a sewer system. Sewage consists of wastewater discharged from residenc ...
. Environment - international agreements:
''party to:''
Antarctic Treaty russian: link=no, Договор об Антарктике es, link=no, Tratado Antártico , name = Antarctic Treaty System , image = Flag of the Antarctic Treaty.svgborder , image_width = 180px , caption ...
, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol,
Biodiversity Biodiversity or biological diversity is the variety and variability of life on Earth. Biodiversity is a measure of variation at the genetic (''genetic variability''), species (''species diversity''), and ecosystem (''ecosystem diversity'') l ...
,
Climate Change In common usage, climate change describes global warming—the ongoing increase in global average temperature—and its effects on Earth's climate system. Climate change in a broader sense also includes previous long-term changes to E ...
,
Desertification Desertification is a type of land degradation in drylands in which biological productivity is lost due to natural processes or induced by human activities whereby fertile areas become increasingly arid. It is the spread of arid areas caused by ...
,
Endangered Species An endangered species is a species that is very likely to become extinct in the near future, either worldwide or in a particular political jurisdiction. Endangered species may be at risk due to factors such as habitat loss, poaching and inv ...
,
Environmental Modification The Environmental Modification Convention (ENMOD), formally the Convention on the Prohibition of Military or Any Other Hostile Use of Environmental Modification Techniques is an international treaty prohibiting the military or other hostile use ...
,
Hazardous Wastes Hazardous waste is waste that has substantial or potential threats to public health or the environment. Hazardous waste is a type of dangerous goods. They usually have one or more of the following hazardous traits: ignitability, reactivity, cor ...
, Law of the Sea,
Marine Dumping 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 abbreviated as Marine Dumping, is an agreement to control pollution of the sea by dum ...
,
Nuclear Test Ban The Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) is a multilateral treaty to ban nuclear weapons test explosions and any other nuclear explosions, for both civilian and military purposes, in all environments. It was adopted by the United Nations ...
,
Ozone Layer Protection The Montreal Protocol is an international treaty designed to protect the ozone layer by phasing out the production of numerous substances that are responsible for ozone depletion. It was agreed on 16 September 1987, and entered into force o ...
, Ship Pollution (
MARPOL 73/78 The International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships, 1973 as modified by the Protocol of 1978, or "MARPOL 73/78" is one of the most important international marine environmental conventions. MARPOL 73/78, MARPOL is an amalg ...
),
Wetlands A wetland is a distinct ecosystem that is flooded or saturated by water, either permanently (for years or decades) or seasonally (for weeks or months). Flooding results in oxygen-free (anoxic) processes prevailing, especially in the soils. The ...
,
Whaling Whaling is the process of hunting of whales for their usable products such as meat and blubber, which can be turned into a type of oil that became increasingly important in the Industrial Revolution. It was practiced as an organized industry ...

''signed, but not ratified:'' Climate Change-
Kyoto Protocol The Kyoto Protocol was an international treaty which extended the 1992 United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) that commits state parties to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, based on the scientific consensus that (part ...
Geography - note: strategic location relative to sea lanes between Atlantic and Pacific Oceans (
Strait of Magellan The Strait of Magellan (), also called the Straits of Magellan, is a navigable sea route in southern Chile separating mainland South America to the north and Tierra del Fuego to the south. The strait is considered the most important natural pass ...
,
Beagle Channel Beagle Channel (; Yahgan: ''Onašaga'') is a strait in the Tierra del Fuego Archipelago, on the extreme southern tip of South America between Chile and Argentina. The channel separates the larger main island of Isla Grande de Tierra del Fuego fr ...
,
Drake Passage The Drake Passage (referred to as Mar de Hoces Hoces Sea"in Spanish-speaking countries) is the body of water between South America's Cape Horn, Chile and the South Shetland Islands of Antarctica. It connects the southwestern part of the Atla ...
);
Atacama desert The Atacama Desert ( es, Desierto de Atacama) is a desert plateau in South America covering a 1,600 km (990 mi) strip of land on the Pacific coast, west of the Andes Mountains. The Atacama Desert is the driest nonpolar desert in the ...
is one of world's driest regions


Population geography


Demographics


Urban population

The distribution of population is very condensed around the capital, Santiago, where approximately 90% of the people live. The cities of Valparaiso and Concepcion are the next highly populated cities, in that order. The population is 87.6% urbanized. In 2009, 12,037,290 living in urban parts of Chile actually had functioning facilities in their home, while 403,276 people did not have proper facilities in their dwelling. 100% of the urban population has some form of access to sanitation facilities, while 90.9% of rural people have these facilities available. This is much higher than the rural average for the world that is at 50.5% access to sanitation facilities. The United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs note the average annual rate of population change from 2015 to 2017 is 1.022. The UN data also shows live births per woman (2015-2017) averaging 1.765 and combined infant mortality rate for both sexes at 6.258 per 1,000 live births.


Natural hazards

Push factors for Chilean emigrants include natural disasters. Earthquakes are common in Chile due to the country's location on the Nazca Plate and South American Plate. Chile notoriously had some of the most powerful earthquakes in history with the Valdivia Earthquake in 1960 at 9.5 on the Richter scale and the Maule Earthquake at 8.8 in 2010. The top three countries that Chilean emigrants are moving to are Argentina, Peru, and the United States. Chile's natural hazards include earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and tsunamis. The natural hazards are attributed to Chile's location along the Ring of Fire. Severe earthquakes can trigger tsunamis for this country with 6,435 km of coastline. There are also more than three-dozen active volcanoes in Chile with the most active being the Llaima in the north Chilean Andes.


Urban geography

The three most populated cities in Chile are
Santiago Santiago (, ; ), also known as Santiago de Chile, is the capital and largest city of Chile as well as one of the largest cities in the Americas. It is the center of Chile's most densely populated region, the Santiago Metropolitan Region, whose ...
,
Valparaíso Valparaíso (; ) is a major city, seaport, naval base, and educational centre in the commune of Valparaíso, Chile. "Greater Valparaíso" is the second largest metropolitan area in the country. Valparaíso is located about northwest of Santiago ...
, and Concepción. The populations of these cities are: Santiago at 6,680,000, Valparaíso at 967,000 and Concepción at 857,000. Santiago is located in central Chile with the Mapocho River running through the city. Valparaíso is located on the coast about 116 km northwest of Santiago. Concepción is also a coastal city that lies near the mouth of the Biobío River.


Origins

Industrial cities, such as Concepción and Talcahuano, began as colonial centers in the 1600s. Most of the large cities in Chile began as settlement locations for Spanish colonists living in homes constructed from adobe. They have grown to be the densely populated urban conurbations they are known for today.


Gentrification

Gentrification is occurring in the municipal district of Santiago, which is impacting low income residents. Housing availability has reduced by 50% for residents and rent for new apartments has increased, changing the average income of that location. Floor Area Ratio instigated by the state has resulted in highly dense and smaller living spaces.


Cultural geography


Racialized landscapes in Chile

Due to Chile's high population density in urban cities like Santiago, housing developments started developing upwards. These high rises see an abundance of foreign migrants as occupants.


Religious landscapes and sacred places

In Chile, there are a number of pilgrimage and devotional sites dedicated to Catholic or cult's saints. These include the Church of Our Lady of Andacollo, the Church of Our Lady at Mount Carmel at Tirana, and the Church of the Immaculate Conception of Lo Vásquez.


La Virgen de Andacollo

While there are several different tales of her origin and variations on her name, the Virgin Andacollo is flaunted on the first Sunday of every month in the plaza of Andacollo, Chile. The Virgin Andacollo is the Patron Saint of miners who heals the sick and rescues those lost in the mines. On the first Sunday of October, the town of Andacollo celebrates their saint with La Fiesta Chico. Thousands of pilgrims come to the northern Chilean town each December for La Fiesta Grande. This event lasts from December 23 to 27. This celebration attracts as many as 500,000 people a year.


''Animitas''

It is not uncommon to come across roadside shrines in Chile. These shrines are called ''Animitas'' and they are particularly common along rural highways or in lower-income towns. The shrines can be devoted to saints or those who died tragically. These ''animitas'' identify the spot where a body and soul were separated and where a soul might linger.


Churches of Chiloé

The Chiloé archipelago is located in southern Chile and is home to the Churches of Chiloé. These churches date back to the early 17th century. Their history began when the first Jesuits arrived in Chile. There are more than 60 churches, but 16 of them are recognized as world heritage sites by UNESCO as well as national monuments in Chile. The Achao church is the oldest church that still stands and was built entirely without using nails.


Political geography


Border disputes with Bolivia

Chile has long been in conflict with
Bolivia , image_flag = Bandera de Bolivia (Estado).svg , flag_alt = Horizontal tricolor (red, yellow, and green from top to bottom) with the coat of arms of Bolivia in the center , flag_alt2 = 7 × 7 square p ...
over coastal and land sovereignty. The
War of the Pacific The War of the Pacific ( es, link=no, Guerra del Pacífico), also known as the Saltpeter War ( es, link=no, Guerra del salitre) and by multiple other names, was a war between Chile and a Bolivian–Peruvian alliance from 1879 to 1884. Fought ...
was fought between Chile, Bolivia, and Peru in the late 1800s. The latter two had rich nitrate deposits. However, Peru established a monopoly over their deposits and Bolivia applied export tariffs to Chile. After the war, Chile had won 120,000 km2 of land that included
Antofagasta Antofagasta () is a port city in northern Chile, about north of Santiago. It is the capital of Antofagasta Province and Antofagasta Region. According to the 2015 census, the city has a population of 402,669. After the Spanish American wars ...
on the coastline of
Bolivia , image_flag = Bandera de Bolivia (Estado).svg , flag_alt = Horizontal tricolor (red, yellow, and green from top to bottom) with the coat of arms of Bolivia in the center , flag_alt2 = 7 × 7 square p ...
. This has left Bolivia landlocked since 1904. Bolivians still fights for coastal and territorial sovereignty.
Evo Morales Juan Evo Morales Ayma (; born 26 October 1959) is a Bolivian politician, trade union organizer, and former cocalero activist who served as the 65th president of Bolivia from 2006 to 2019. Widely regarded as the country's first president to co ...
, the former president of Bolivia, has argued that Bolivia's landlocked status has made the country endure great "historical injustice". Morales also has argued that were Chileans to give back Antofagasta, it would have no significant effect on their country. The land Bolivia lost to Chile more than a century ago is now home to some of the biggest copper mines in the world. Chile has no intention of giving up any land to Bolivia, but is very open to coastal access negotiations. In October 2018, the
International Court of Justice The International Court of Justice (ICJ; french: Cour internationale de justice, links=no; ), sometimes known as the World Court, is one of the six principal organs of the United Nations (UN). It settles disputes between states in accordanc ...
ruled against Bolivia in its dispute with Chile. The court ruled that Chile did not have to discuss granting Bolivia sea access.


Border disputes with Peru

There have been long arguments between Chileans and Peruvians since the 1800s. This is because they both claim boundary coastal lines. Peruvians claim the Northern part of Chile, which is now South West of Peru. The "triangulation" was made to fix the boundary problem between Chile and Peru. The decisions were accomplished on January 27, 1839, by the International Court of Justice The War of the Pacific was in the years 1879-1883. This was caused because of the minerals resources Chile had. This led for Chile to control Sea Shipping to Peru and send out an army to invade Peru on October 8, 1879. The attempt was also made to The United States but failed badly on October 1880. There was a resistance between Peruvians and Chileans for a few years. The United States offered help with a treaty for both Peru and Chile, better known as the Treaty of Ancón. This was signed by both of them on October 20, 1883, to keep the peace between them. In 2008, Peru took Chile to court over their maritime disputes. In 2014, the International Court of Justice's ruling resulted in Chile losing 80 miles from Chile's northwestern ocean zone. This ruling severely impacted fishers in the country.


Border disputes with Argentina

Chile despite being a small country has had borders disputes with other countries as well. One of those countries is Argentina. The border disputes between Chile and Argentina deal with the Patagonia region. One of the many disputes deals with the Southern ice-fields. The disagreements began when Argentina maps started to include part of the southern ice-fields. The dispute between these two countries deals with water, as this contested land contains one of the biggest (Second largest) reserves of potable water in the world. Despite these differing ideas about what land belongs to which country, the President of Chile claims that these issues will get resolved.


Agricultural geography

Agriculture comprises 4.4% of GDP (industry 31.4%, services 64.3%). A 2017 estimate has 8.881 million people working within the Chilean labor force, and 9.2% working within agriculture by occupation. Chile's labor force places fifty-ninth in the country comparison list according to the CIA World Factbook. Chile currently utilizes 14,015 Hectares of agricultural land. Chilean agriculture includes the cultivation and trade of grapes, apples, pears, onions, wheat, corn, oats, peaches, garlic, asparagus, and beans. Grapes are the largest fruit export product with an export value of $1.76 billion. Non-animal foods, fruit, and vegetable exports total about $11.7 billion. Beef and poultry industries, fish, wool and timber are also included. Animal products have an export value of $5.89 billion. Water heavy industries are causing groundwater, lake, and river depletion in Chile. Illegal water extractions are now becoming common in Chile. Exploiting the country's water has been detrimental to the citizens and animals that rely on these sources of water.


Climate and weather

Located on the west coast of South America, Chile has a total area of 756,102 km2. There are four climates that separate Chile. One of these climates is the dry climate. This is located the north above Santiago, the Atacama Desert has temperatures of up to 90 °F. The central part of Chile has a warmer climate that reaches up to 82.4 °F. The inner region of Chile has a snow climate. South of Chile there is a wet climate because of the Mediterranean coastline this leading the wet season to range from May to August. Summer in Chile lasts from December through February. Winter lasts from June through August with low temperatures up to -2 °C.


Land use

As of 2011, Chile allocates 21.1% of its land to agriculture. Chile's allocation percentage is smaller than its neighboring countries Argentina (53.9%) and Bolivia (34.3%), but larger than Peru's (18.8%). Of the land Chile devotes to agriculture, only 1.7% is arable land. Chile's diverse climate and small area is responsible for such a low percentage. Some desert countries like Egypt have a higher arable land percentage than Chile.


Economic geography

Chile maintains a market-oriented economy with high levels of foreign trade compounded by strong financial institutions. These factors have given Chile the highest sovereign bond rating in South America. Chile is committed to a trade liberalization and has 26 trade agreements covering 60 different countries. In May 2010 Chile became the first South American member of
OECD The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD; french: Organisation de coopération et de développement économiques, ''OCDE'') is an intergovernmental organisation with 38 member countries, founded in 1961 to stimulate e ...
(Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development). Chile's top 3 importing partners are China, the United States, and Brazil. In November 2005, Chile and China signed the China-Chile Free Trade Agreement. More than 90% of Chile's imports enter China duty-free. The United States-Chile Free Trade Agreement began in 2004. Since 2015, 100% of U.S. imports have been entering Chile duty-free. Consumer and Industrial export products enter Chile duty-free as well. Since 2017, Chile and Brazil have been negotiating a trade deal that's on track to be signed by the end of 2018. Chile's top three exporting partners are China, the United States, and Japan. Chile and Japan were previously in Economic Partnership Agreements. In 2018, Chile and Japan were among the eleven nations that signed the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for the Trans-Pacific Partnership. This trade pact aims to reduce tariffs, enforce environmental standards, and remove barrier regulations.


See also

*
Climate of Chile The climate of Chile comprises a wide range of weather conditions across a large geographic scale, extending across 38 degrees in latitude, making generalizations difficult. According to the Köppen system, Chile within its borders hosts at le ...
*
Fjords and channels of Chile The southern coast of Chile presents a large number of fjords and fjord-like channels from the latitudes of Cape Horn (55° S) to Reloncaví Estuary (42° S). Some fjords and channels are important navigable channels providing access to ports like P ...
*
Geology of Chile The geology of Chile is a characterized by processes linked to subduction such as volcanism, earthquakes and orogeny. The terrane, buildings blocks of Chile's geology accretion (geology), assembled during the Paleozoic, Paleozoic Era. Chile was by ...
*
List of islands of Chile This is a list of islands of Chile, as listed by the National Geospatial-Intelligence AgencyCountry Files (GNS)The data was retrieved on 19 January 2013 and thwere "ISL" and "ISLS" The country has 43,471 islands, according to the Chilean Ministr ...
*
List of lakes of Chile The following is a list of lakes in Chile. It consists of lakes of varying types and origins but the majority of the lakes (especially those in southern Chile) are glacial in origin. The Drainage basin, watershed or catchment area is the geograph ...
*
List of rivers of Chile This list of rivers of Chile includes all the major rivers of Chile. See each article for their tributaries, drainage areas, etc. Usually significant tributaries appear in this list, under the river into which they drain. Rivers by name Following ...
*
List of volcanoes in Chile The Smithsonian Institution's Global Volcanism Program lists 105 volcanoes in Chile that have been active during the Holocene.United States Hydrographic Office The United States Hydrographic Office prepared and published maps, charts, and nautical books required in navigation. The office was established by an act of 21 June 1866 as part of the Bureau of Navigation, Department of the Navy. It was transf ...

South America Pilot
(1916)
Geographic Chart of the Kingdom of Chile
by
Alonso de Ovalle Fr. Alonso de Ovalle (Santiago; July 27, 1603 – Lima; May 1651) was a Chilean Jesuit priest and chronicler of Chilean history, author of the ''Historica relacion del Reyno de Chile y de las missiones y ministerios que exercita en él la Comp ...
{{DEFAULTSORT:Geography Of Chile