Chile extends from about north of the Tropic of Capricorn to around north of the
Antarctic Circle. Due to its length of Chile, the country can be geographically divided into multiple sections based on distinct climatic zones. It is usually divided into five regions: the far north, the near north, central Chile, the south, and the far south. Each region has its own characteristic vegetation, fauna, climate, and distinct topography.
Far North The far north (Norte Grande), which extends from the Peruvian border to about 27° south latitude, a line roughly parallel to the
Copiapó River, is extremely
arid. It mainly contains the
Atacama Desert, one of the driest areas in the world. In certain areas, this desert does not register any rainfall at all. Geographically, the aridity can be explained by the following conditions: • The desert is located on the leeward side of the
Chilean Coast Range, so little moisture from the Pacific Ocean can reach the desert. • The
Andes are so high that they block convective clouds, which prevent precipitation formed above the Amazon Basin from entering the desert to the east. • An inversion layer is created by the cold
Humboldt Current and the
South Pacific High. Average monthly temperatures range at sea level between about during the summer and about 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 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 . 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, forming 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. During summer the area receives considerable rainfall in what is commonly known as the "Bolivian winter," forming shallow lakes of mostly saline waters (
Salar de Llamara,
Salar de Miraje,
Salar de Atacama) 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 the Pacific, including the
Loa River, whose U-shaped course across the desert makes it Chile's longest river. The water rights for one of the rivers, the
Lauca River, remain a source of dispute between Bolivia and Chile. These narrow rivers have carved fertile valleys in which exuberant vegetation creates a stark contrast to the bone-dry hills. In such areas, roads usually are usually built halfway 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 significantly in the main ports of the area, most notably
Iquique and Antofagasta.
Near North The near north (Norte Chico) extends from the Copiapó River to about 32° south latitude, or just north of Santiago. It is a semi-arid region whose central area receives an average of about 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 during the summer and about 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 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. Nearly all Chilean
pisco is produced in the near north. As in the far 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 moderate 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, Valparaíso, and Concepción. It extends from about 32° south latitude to about 37° 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 in the summer months of January and February and in the winter months of June and July; the average monthly precipitation is no more than a trace in January and February and in June and July. In Concepción, by contrast, the average monthly temperatures are somewhat lower in the summer at but higher in the winter at , and the amount of rain is much greater: in the summer,
Concepción receives an average of 0.8 inches (20 mm) of rain per month; in June and July, the city is pounded by an average of 10 inches (253 mm.) 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 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 winter in that part of the world. Most of these exports, such as grapes, apples, and peaches, go by refrigerator ships, while some, such as berries, go by air freight. The southern portion of central Chile contains a mixture of some high-quality agricultural lands, many of which were originally covered 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.
South . The
Osorno Volcano is in the backgroundAlthough many 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
Bío-Bío River at about 37° south latitude to Chacao Channel at about 42° 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
Calle-Calle River, which flows by the city of
Valdivia) are the only ones in the country that are navigable for any stretch. The Central Valley's southernmost portion is submerged in the ocean and forms the
Gulf of Ancud.
Isla de Chiloé, 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 . The summer months of January and February are the driest, with a monthly average precipitation of . The winter months of June and July each produce, on average, a deluge of . Temperatures in the area are moderate. In Valdivia, the two summer months average , whereas the winter months average . The snow-covered Andes form a constant backdrop to vistas of clear blue or even turquoise waters, as at
Todos los Santos Lake. 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 considerable amounts 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 region, 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. and twisting peninsulas 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
cougars, which are larger than the ones in California, have been driven to isolated national parks in the south by farmers who continue to hunt them because they kill sheep and goats.
Far South In the far south (
Chile Austral), which extends from approximately 42° south latitude to Cape Horn, lie the Andes and the South Pacific. In the northern part of the far south, there is still plenty of rainfall. The summer months average , whereas the winter months average . The temperatures at sea level in Puerto Aisén average in the summer months and in the winter months. The area generally is chilly and wet and houses a combination of channels, fjords, snow-capped mountains, and islands of all shapes and sizes within a narrow space. The southern part of the far south includes the city of
Punta Arenas, which, with about 125,000 inhabitants, is the southernmost city in Chile. Punta Arenas receives much less precipitation than other parts of
Zone Austral; its annual total is only , or slightly 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 and the winter months , some of it in the form of snow. Temperatures are colder than in the rest of the country. The summer months average , and the winter months average . The virtually constant wind from the South Pacific Ocean makes the air feel significantly colder. The far south contains large expanses of pastures that are often used for raising sheep, even though
overgrazing is an issue in some areas. 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. ==Area and boundaries==