Location: | Southern South America, bordering the South Pacific Ocean, between Argentina and Peru |
| Geographic coordinates: | 30 00 S, 71 00 W |
| Map references: | South America |
| Area: | total: 756,950 sq km
land: 748,800 sq km
note: includes Easter Island (Isla de Pascua) and Isla Sala y Gomez
water: 8,150 sq km |
| 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: | territorial sea: 12 nm
continental shelf: 200/350 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm |
| 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: Nevado Ojos del Salado 6,880 m |
| Natural resources: | copper, timber, iron ore, nitrates, precious metals, molybdenum, hydropower |
| Land use: | arable land: 2.65%
permanent crops: 0.42%
other: 96.93% (2001) |
| Irrigated land: | 18,000 sq km (1998 est.) |
| Natural hazards: | severe earthquakes; active volcanism; tsunamis |
| Environment - current issues: | widespread deforestation and mining threaten natural resources; air pollution from industrial and vehicle emissions; water pollution from raw sewage |
| Environment - international agreements: | 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: | 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
Source: CIA World Factbook
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