CHILE

Location

Situated between Argentina and Peru, Chile is located in Southern South America, with the South Atlantic Ocean and South Pacific Ocean at its borders.

The geographical coordinates are 30 00 S, 71 00 W and on a map it may be referenced in South America.

Geography

With an approximate 756,950 sq. km total area, Chile is divided into 748,800 sq. km of land and 8,150 sq. km of water which includes Easter Island (Isla de Pascua) and Isla Sala y Gomez.

Chile is slightly smaller than twice the size of Montana. and has a total coastline of 6,435 km. Chile shares its 6,171 km border with Argentina (5,150 km), Bolivia (861 km), and Peru (160 km).

Chile's strategic location is relative to the sea lanes between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans (Strait of Magellan, Beagle Channel, Drake Passage), its Atacama Desert is one of world's driest regions.

Climate

The climate is temperate, with desert in the north, and, cool and damp in the south.

Terrain

The country's terrain has low coastal mountains, with fertile central valleys, and rugged Andes in the east. Elevation extremes range from the lowest point (Pacific Ocean) which is at sea level, to the highest point (Cerro Aconcagua) 6,962 m above sea level.

Resources

As of 1993, had natural resources that included, copper, timber, iron ore, nitrates, precious metals, molybdenum. The land was broken out in the following percentiles, 5% arable land; 0% permanent crops; 18% permanent pastures; 22% forests and woodland; and 55% other.

Latin Link small group tour which visits Chile :
Patagonia Walkabout
or
Take a tour extension to see more of this great country

Argentina :: Bolivia :: Brazil :: Ecuador :: Peru:: Mexico:: Venezuela