GEOGRAPHY
The northern Chilean desert
contains great mineral wealth, primarily copper and nitrates.
The relatively small central area dominates the country in terms
of population and agricultural resources. This area also is the
historical center from which Chile expanded until the late 19th
century, when it incorporated its northern and southern regions.
Southern Chile is rich in forests and grazing lands and features
a string of volcanoes and lakes. The southern coast is a labyrinth
of fjords, inlets, canals, twisting peninsulas, and islands. The
Andes Mountains are located on the eastern border.
Official Name: Republic
of Chile
Area: 756,945 sq. km. (302,778 sq. mi.); nearly twice the
size of California.
Cities: Capital--Santiago (metropolitan area est. 6 million).
Other cities--Concepcion-Talcahuano (840,000), Vina del Mar-Valparaiso
(800,000), Antofagasta (245,000), Temuco (230,000).
Terrain: Desert in north; fertile central valley; volcanoes
and lakes toward the south, giving way to rugged and complex coastline;
Andes Mountains on the eastern border.
Climate: Arid in north, Mediterranean in the central portion,
cool and damp in south.
