Geography of Chile
The geography of Chile is extremely diverse, as the country extends from a latitude of 17°South to Cape Horn at 56°, and from the Pacific Ocean in the west to the Andes in the east. Chile is situated in southern South America, bordering the South Pacific Ocean and a small part of the South Atlantic Ocean. Chile's territorial shape is considered among the world's most unusual; from north to south, the country extends, and yet it only averages in width. 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. The Diego Ramírez Islands and Cape Horn, the southernmost points in the Americas where the Pacific and Atlantic oceans meet, are Chilean territory. Chile's northern neighbors are Peru and Bolivia, and its border with Argentina to the east, at, is the world's first longest. The total land area is. The very long coastline of gives Chile the 11th-largest exclusive economic zone of.
Physical geography
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. This movement has resulted in the formation of the Peru–Chile Trench. At its deepest point, the trench descends to over.The same telluric displacements that created the Peru-Chile Trench make the country prone to earthquakes. During the twentieth century, Chile was struck by twenty-eight major earthquakes, all with a force greater than 6.9 on the Richter scale. The strongest of these occurred in 2010 and in Valdivia in 1960. This latter earthquake occurred on May 22, the day after another major quake measuring 7.25 on the Richter scale, and affected an extensive section of south-central Chile. It caused a tsunami that destroyed several fishing villages in the south and raised or lowered sections of the coast as much as two meters. The convergence 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 which are active.
Approximately 80 percent of Chile's terrain consists of mountainous formations. The majority of the Chilean population resides in close proximity to these mountain ranges. Additionally, there are other, less imposing mountain ranges present. These non-Andean mountains, though they can manifest in various locations, typically constitute parts of transverse and coastal ranges. The transverse ranges, notably found in the near north and far north natural regions, extend in diverse configurations from the Andes to the ocean, shaping valleys oriented in an east–west direction. On the other hand, the coastal ranges are predominantly visible in the central region of the country, contributing to the formation of the Central Valley between these ranges and the Andes. In the southernmost reaches, the Central Valley merges with the waters of the ocean. Here, the elevated sections of the coastal range facing the Andes transform into a multitude of islands, creating a complex network of channels and fjords that have posed navigational challenges to seafarers.
Much of Chile's coastline is rugged. The Humboldt Current, which originates northwest of the Antarctic Peninsula and runs the full length of the Chilean coast, makes the water cold. During the summer months, the temperature of the water off Chile's beaches in the central part of the country stays below. A recent global remote sensing analysis suggested that there were 564 km2 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. The best known of Chile's Pacific islands is Easter Island, with a population of 2,800 people. Located west of Chile's mainland port of Caldera, just below the Tropic of Capricorn, Easter Island provides Chile a gateway to the Pacific. It is noted for its 867 monoliths, which are huge and mysterious, expressionless faces sculpted from volcanic stone. The Juan Fernández Islands, located west of Valparaíso, are the locale of a small fishing settlement. They are famous for their lobster. One of the islands, Robinson Crusoe Island, is where Alexander Selkirk, the inspiration for Daniel Defoe's novel, was marooned for about four years.
Natural regions
Chile extends from about north of the Tropic of Capricorn to around north of the Antarctic Circle. Due to its length of Chile, the country can be geographically divided into multiple sections based on distinct climatic zones. It is usually divided into five regions: the far north, the near north, central Chile, the south, and the far south. Each region has its own characteristic vegetation, fauna, climate, and distinct topography.Far North
The far north, which extends from the Peruvian border to about 27° south latitude, a line roughly parallel to the Copiapó River, is extremely arid. It mainly contains the Atacama Desert, 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, so little moisture from the Pacific Ocean can reach the desert.
- The Andes are so high that they block convective clouds, which prevent precipitation formed above the Amazon Basin from entering the desert to the east.
- An inversion layer is created by the cold Humboldt Current and the South Pacific High.
In the far north, the land generally rises vertically from the ocean, sometimes to elevations well over. The Cordillera Domeyko 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, forming 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. 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 that are home to a number of bird species, including the Chilean flamingo. 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 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 usually 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. Since the early 1970s, the fishing industry has also developed significantly in the main ports of the area, most notably Iquique and Antofagasta.
Near North
The near north extends from the Copiapó River to about 32° south latitude, or just north of Santiago. It is a semi-arid 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 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.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 moderate the generally arid climate in those valleys. The higher elevations in the interior sections are covered with shrubs and cacti of various kinds.