Location: Southern South America, bordering the South Atlantic Ocean and South Pacific Ocean, between Argentina and Peru
Geographic coordinates: 30 00 S, 71 00 W
Map references: South America
Area:
total:
756,950 km²
land:
748,800 km²
water:
8,150 km²
note:
includes 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.
Area - comparative: slightly smaller than twice the size of Montana
Land boundaries:
total:
6,171 km
border countries:
Argentina 5,150 km, Bolivia 861 km, Peru 160 km
Coastline: 6,435 km
Maritime claims:
contiguous zone:
24 nautical miles
continental shelf:
200/350 nautical miles
exclusive economic zone:
200 nautical miles
territorial sea:
12 nautical miles
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:
Cerro Aconcagua 6,962 m
Natural resources: copper, timber, iron ore, nitrates, precious metals, molybdenum, hydropower
Land use:
arable land:
5%
permanent crops:
0%
permanent pastures:
18%
forests and woodland:
22%
other:
55% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: 12,650 km² (1993 est.)
Natural hazards: severe earthquakes; active volcanism; tsunamis
Environment - current issues: air pollution from industrial and vehicle emissions; water pollution from raw sewage; excesive cutting of native forest.
Environment - international agreements:
party to:
Antarctic 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
signed, but not ratified:
Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol
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