Geography of Chile

Location:\nSouthern South America, bordering the South Atlantic Ocean and South Pacific Ocean, between Argentina and Peru

Geographic coordinates:\n30 00 S, 71 00 W\n

Map references:\nSouth America\n

Area:\n
total:\n756,950 km²\n
land:\n748,800 km²\n
water:\n8,150 km²\n
note:\nincludes 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. All Antarctic claims are frozen under the Antarctic treaty.\n

Area - comparative:\nslightly smaller than twice the size of Montana\n

Land boundaries:\n
total:\n6,171 km\n
border countries:\nArgentina 5,150 km, Bolivia 861 km, Peru 160 km\n

Coastline:\n6,435 km\n

Maritime claims:\n
contiguous zone:\n24 nautical miles\n
continental shelf:\n200/350 nautical miles\n
exclusive economic zone:\n200 nautical miles\n
territorial sea:\n12 nautical miles\n

Climate:\ntemperate; desert in North; Mediterranean in central region; cool and damp in South\n

Terrain:\nlow coastal mountains; fertile central valley; rugged Andes in east\n

Elevation extremes:\n
lowest point:\nPacific Ocean 0 m\n
highest point:\nCerro Aconcagua 6,962 m\n

Natural resources:\ncopper, timber, iron ore, nitrates, precious metals, molybdenum, hydropower\n

Land use:\n
arable land:\n5%\n
permanent crops:\n0%\n
permanent pastures:\n18%\n
forests and woodland:\n22%\n
other:\n55% (1993 est.)\n

Irrigated land:\n12,650 km² (1993 est.)\n

Natural hazards:\nsevere earthquakes; active volcanism; tsunamis\n

Environment - current issues:\nair pollution from industrial and vehicle emissions; water pollution from raw sewage; excesive cutting of native forest.\n

Environment - international agreements:\n
party to:\nAntarctic 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, Wetlands, Whaling \n
signed, but not ratified:\nClimate Change-Kyoto Protocol\n

Geography - note:\nstrategic 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 : Chile

Category:Geography of Chile