| Geography | Chile |
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Location:
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Southern South America, bordering the South Pacific Ocean, between Argentina and Peru |
Geographic coordinates:
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30 00 S, 71 00 W |
Map references:
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South America |
Area:
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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:
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slightly smaller than twice the size of Montana |
Land boundaries:
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total: 6,339 km
border countries: Argentina 5,308 km, Bolivia 860 km, Peru 171 km |
Coastline:
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6,435 km |
Maritime claims:
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territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
continental shelf: 200/350 nm |
Climate:
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temperate; desert in north; Mediterranean in central region; cool and damp in south |
Terrain:
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low coastal mountains; fertile central valley; rugged Andes in east |
Elevation extremes:
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lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Nevado Ojos del Salado 6,880 m |
Natural resources:
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copper, timber, iron ore, nitrates, precious metals, molybdenum, hydropower |
Land use:
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arable land: 2.62%
permanent crops: 0.43%
other: 96.95% (2005) |
Irrigated land:
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19,000 sq km (2003) |
Total renewable water resources:
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922 cu km (2000) |
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
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Total: 12.55 cu km/yr (11%/25%/64%)
Per capita: 770 cu m/yr (2000) |
Natural hazards:
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severe earthquakes; active volcanism; tsunamis |
Environment - current issues:
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widespread deforestation and mining threaten natural resources; air pollution from industrial and vehicle emissions; water pollution from raw sewage |
Environment - international agreements:
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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 |
Geography - note:
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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 |
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