Chile Table of Contents
Chile may have a "crazy" geography, but it is also a land
of unparalleled beauty, with an incredible variety that has fascinated
visitors since the Spanish conquest. Because Chile extends from a point
about 625 kilometers north of the Tropic of Capricorn to a point hardly
more than 1,400 kilometers north of the Antarctic Circle, within its
territory can be found a broad selection of the earth's climates. For
this reason, geographically it is possible to speak of several Chiles.
The country usually is divided by geographers into five regions: the far
north, the near north, central Chile, the south, and the far south. Each
has its own characteristic vegetation, fauna, climate, and, despite the
omnipresence of both the Andes and the Pacific, its own distinct
topography.
The Far North
The far north (Norte Grande), which extends from the Peruvian border
to about 27? south latitude, a line roughly paralleled by the R?o
Copiap?, is extremely arid. It contains the Atacama Desert, one of the
driest areas in the world; in certain sections, this desert does not
register any rainfall at all. Average monthly temperatures range at sea
level between about 20.5? C during the summer and about 14? C during
the winter. Most of the population lives in the coastal area, where the
temperatures are more moderate and the humidity higher. Contrary to the
image of monochrome barrenness that most people associate with deserts,
the landscape is spectacular, with its crisscrossing hills and mountains
of all shapes and sizes, each with a unique color and hue depending on
its mineral composition, its distance from the observer, and the time of
day.
In the far north, the land generally rises vertically from the ocean,
sometimes to elevations well over 1,000 meters. 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, 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). The area receives considerable
rainfall during the summer months 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 into the Pacific,
including the R?o Loa, whose U-shaped course across the desert makes it
Chile's longest river. The water rights for one of the rivers, the R?o
Lauca, remain a source of dispute between Bolivia and Chile. These
narrow rivers have carved fertile valleys in which an exuberant
vegetation creates a stark contrast to the bone-dry hills. In such
areas, roads usually are built half way 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 enormously in the main ports of the area,
most notably Iquique and Antofagasta.
The Near North
The near north (Norte Chico) extends from the R?o Copiap? to about
32? south latitude, or just north of
Santiago
. It is a semiarid region
whose central area receives an average of about twenty-five millimeters
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 18.5? C during the summer
and about 12? C 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 which 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.
As in the for 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 decrease
the generally arid climate in those valleys. The higher elevations in
the interior sections are covered with shrubs and cacti of various
kinds.
Central Chile
Central Chile (Chile Central), home to a majority of the population,
includes the three largest metropolitan areas-- Santiago, Valpara?so,
and Concepci?n. It extends from about 32? south latitude to about 38?
south latitude. The climate is of the temperate Mediterranean type, with
the amount of rainfall increasing considerably and progressively from
north to south. In the Santiago area, the average monthly temperatures
are about 19.5? C in the summer months of January and February and 7.5?
C in the winter months of June and July. The average monthly
precipitation is no more than a trace in January and February and 69.7
millimeters in June and July. By contrast, in Concepci?n the average
monthly temperatures are somewhat lower in the summer at 17.6? C but
higher in the winter at 9.3? C, and the amount of rain is much greater.
In the summer, Concepci?n receives an average of twenty millimeters of
rain per month; in June and July, the city is pounded by an average of
253 millimeters per month. The numerous rivers greatly increase their
flow as a result of the winter rains and the spring melting of the
Andean snows, and they contract considerably in the summer. The
combination of abundant snow in the Andes and relatively moderate winter
temperatures creates excellent conditions for Alpine skiing.
The topography of central Chile includes a coastal range of mountains
running parallel to the Andes. Lying between the two mountain ranges is
the so-called Central Valley, which contains some of the richest
agricultural land in the country, especially in its northern portion.
The area just north and south of Santiago is a large producer of fruits,
including the grapes from which the best Chilean wines are made. Exports
of fresh fruit began to rise dramatically in the mid-1970s because
Chilean growers had the advantage of being able to reach markets in the
Northern Hemisphere during that part of the world's winter. Most of
these exports, such as grapes, apples, and peaches, go by refrigerator
ships, but some, such as berries, go by air freight.
The southern portion of central Chile contains a mixture of some
excellent agricultural lands, many of which were covered originally with
old-growth forests. They were cleared for agriculture but were soon
exhausted of their organic matter and left to erode. Large tracts of
this worn-out land, many of them on hilly terrain, have been reforested
for the lumber, especially for the cellulose and paper industries. New
investments during the 1980s in these industries transformed the rural
economy of the region. The pre-Andean highlands and some of the taller
and more massive mountains in the coastal range (principally the
Cordillera de Nahuelbuta) still contain large tracts of old-growth
forests of remarkable beauty, some of which have been set aside as
national parks. Between the coastal mountains and the ocean, many areas
of central Chile contain stretches of land that are lower than the
Central Valley and are generally quite flat. The longest beaches can be
found in such sections.
The South
Although many lovely lakes can be found in the Andean and coastal
regions of central Chile, the south (Sur de Chile) is definitely the
country's most lacustrine area. Southern Chile stretches from below the
R?o B?o-B?o at about 38? south latitude to below Isla de Chilo? at
about 43.4? south latitude. In this lake district of Chile, the valley
between the Andes and the coastal range is closer to sea level, and the
hundreds of rivers that descend from the Andes form lakes, some quite
large, as they reach the lower elevations. They drain into the ocean
through other rivers, some of which (principally the R?o Calle Calle,
which flows by the city of Valdivia) are the only ones in the whole
country that are navigable for any stretch. The Central Valley's
southernmost portion is submerged in the ocean and forms the Golfo de
Ancud. Isla de Chilo?, with its rolling hills, is the last important
elevation of the coastal range of mountains.
The south is one of the rainiest areas in the world. One of the
wettest spots in the region is Valdivia, with an annual rainfall of
2,535.4 millimeters. The summer months of January and February are the
driest, with a monthly average precipitation of sixty-seven millimeters.
The winter months of June and July each produce on average a deluge of
410.6 millimeters. Temperatures in the area are moderate. In Valdivia,
the two summer months average 16.7? C, whereas the winter months
average 7.9? C.
The lakes in this region are remarkably beautiful. The snowcovered
Andes form a constant backdrop to vistas of clear blue or even turquoise
waters, as at Lago Todos los Santos. The rivers that descend from the
Andes rush over volcanic rocks, forming numerous white-water sections
and waterfalls. The vegetation, including many ferns in the shady areas,
is a lush green. Some sections still consist of old-growth forests, and
in all seasons, but especially in the spring and summer, there are
plenty of wildflowers and flowering trees. The pastures in the
northernmost section, around Osorno, are well suited for raising cattle;
milk, cheese, and butter are important products of that area. All kinds
of berries grow in the area, some of which are exported, and freshwater
farming of various species of trout and salmon has developed, with
cultivators taking advantage of the abundant supply of clear running
water. The lumber industry is also important. A number of tourists,
mainly Chileans and Argentines, visit the area during the summer.
Many of Chile's distinctive animal species have been decimated as
they have been pushed farther and farther into the remaining wilderness
areas by human occupation of the land. This is the case with the
huemul
,
a large deer, and the Chilean condor, the largest bird of its kind; both
animals are on the national coat of arms. The remaining Chilean pumas,
which are bigger than their California cousins, have been driven to
isolated national parks in the south by farmers who continue to hunt
them because they occasionally kill sheep and goats.
The Far South
In the far south (Chile Austral), which extends from between 43?
south latitude and 44? south latitude to Cape Horn, the Andes and the
South Pacific meet. The continental coastline features numerous inlets
and fjords, from which the mountains seem to rise straight up to great
elevations; this is, for example, the case with the Cerro Mac? (2,960
meters) near Puerto Ais?n. The rest of the land consists of literally
thousands of islands forming numerous archipelagos interwoven with
sometimes-narrow channels, which provide the main routes of navigation.
In the northern part of the far south, there is still plenty of
rainfall. For instance, Puerto Ais?n, at 45?24' south latitude,
receives 2,973.3 millimeters of rain per year. However, unlike in
Valdivia, the rain falls more or less evenly throughout the year in
Puerto Ais?n. The summer months average 206.1 millimeters, whereas the
winter months average 300 millimeters. The temperatures at sea level in
Puerto Ais?n average 13.6? C in the summer months and 4.7? C in the
winter months. Although the area generally is chilly and wet, the
combination of channels, fjords, snowcapped mountains, and islands of
all shapes and sizes within such a narrow space makes for breathtaking
views. The area is still heavily forested, although some of the native
species of trees that grow in the central and southern parts of the
country have given way to others better adapted to a generally colder
climate.
The southern part of the far south includes the city of Punta Arenas,
which, with about 125,000 inhabitants, is the southernmost city of any
appreciable size in the world. It receives much less precipitation; its
annual total is only 438.5 millimeters, or a little more than what
Valdivia receives in the month of June alone. This precipitation is
distributed more or less evenly throughout the year, with the two main
summer months receiving a monthly average of thirty-one millimeters and
the winter months 38.9 millimeters, some of it in the form of snow.
Temperatures are colder than in the rest of the country. The summer
months average 11.1? C, and the winter months average 2.5? C. The
virtually constant wind from the South Pacific Ocean makes the air feel
much colder.
The far south contains large expanses of pastures that are best
suited for raising sheep. The area's other main economic activity is oil
and natural gas extraction from the areas around the Strait of Magellan.
This strait is one of the world's important sea-lanes because it unites
the Atlantic and Pacific oceans through a channel that avoids the rough
open waters off Cape Horn. The channel is perilous, however, and Chilean
pilots guide all vessels through it.
More about the
Geography
of Chile
.
Source:
U.S. Library of Congress
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