general-map.html

Chile in General

Scroll down to learn more about Chile's six regions!

Chile is a shoestring of a country. Stretching over 2700 miles long, Chile is the longest country in the world. If one were to drive from the northern border to the southern tip, the trip would be equivalent to driving from New York to Los Angeles. Yet at no time is the country wider than 110 miles, making it look like a string bean. The Andes run the length of the country, forming the Argentinean border. To the north, Chile is bordered by Bolivia and Peru. Chile also holds possession of a large portion of Antarctica and several offshore island groups, including Easter Island. The population of Chile is approximately 15 million people. Over 80% of Chileans live in the Central Valley.

The northern reaches of Chile are a dry and desolate area. Called Norte Grande, the Atacama desert stretches over northern Chile and into Peru. There are spots where no rain has ever been recorded. However, the North is rich in minerals including nitrates, copper, gold and silver. The majority of Chile’s raw material exports are mined in this region. This makes the north a vital part of the Chilean economy.

The Norte Chico region lies just below Norte Grande. This region receives year round sun, but not very much rain. Luckily, rivers fed by Andean runoff flow year round through the region . With modern irrigation techniques, this semi-arid region has bloomed. The area now produces large amounts of fresh produce including papayas and custard apples.

Santiago lies in the fertile Central Valley. Blessed with a Mediterranean climate of mild temperatures and predictable rainfall, the central region grows vast amounts of fresh produce in an agricultural region similar in size to that of California. Over 80% of Chile’s population lives in the central region in the cities of Santiago, Valparaiso, and Vina Del Mar. This population concentration makes Chile one of the most thoroughly urbanized countries on earth.

Santiago lies along the banks of the Mapocho River, in the Central Valley. Located about halfway between the Argentinean border and the Pacific Ocean, Santiago is the capitol city of Chile. The city is nestled into two rings of hills. On the outside is a chain of Andean foot hills and inside is a ring of smaller hills. While historically providing a natural defense, the hills now exacerbate Santiago’s smog problem. Low winds are not powerful enough to blow smog out of the punch bowl in which Santiago lies, causing pollution to build until the air is heavy and unhealthy. The situation is similar to that of Los Angeles, where low winds and surrounding hills cause many smoggy days.

A view of Santiago from the hills -note the thick layer of smog . Laurenz Bobke 1998

Laurenz Bobke 1998

The Lake District is just south of the Central Valley. Dozens of lakes and 55 active volcanoes dot the region. Although rainfall is more than plentiful, agriculture is limited because of the rough terrain. The shoestring character of the country begins to break up here, as one encounters the archipelago region. The largest of these islands, Isla Chiloe, is a popular tourist destination.

The furthest tip of Chile is dominated by glaciers and other inhospitable land forms. The Strait of Magellan, the “shortcut” between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans cuts through this region of Chile. The Antarctic lies further to the South.