Chile Geography:
Location:
Southern South America, bordering the South Pacific Ocean, between Argentina and Peru
Geographic coordinates:
30 00 S, 71 00 W
Map references:
Area:
total:
756,950 sq km
land:
748,800 sq km
water:
8,150 sq km
note: Includes Easter Island (Isla de Pascua) and Isla Sala y Gomez
Area - comparative:
Slightly smaller than twice the size of Montana
Land boundaries:
total: 6,171 km
border countries: Argentina 5150 km, Bolivia 861 km, Peru 160 km
Coastline:
6,435 km
Maritime claims:
contiguous zone: 24 NM
continental shelf: 200/350 NM
territorial sea: 12 NM
exclusive economic zone: 200 NM
Climate:
Temperate; desert in north; Mediterranean in central region; cool and damp in south
Terrain:
Low coastal mountains; fertile central valley; rugged Andes in east
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Nevado Ojos del Salado 6,880 m
Natural resources:
Copper, timber, iron ore, nitrates, precious metals, molybdenum, hydropower
Land use:
arable land: 2.65%
permanent crops: 0.42%
other: 96.93%
(2001)
Irrigated land:
18,000 sq km (1998 est.)
Natural hazards:
Severe earthquakes; active volcanism; tsunamis
Environment - current issues:
Widespread deforestation and mining threaten natural resources; air pollution from industrial and vehicle emissions; water pollution from raw sewage
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements (not ratified)
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 |
