Chile is the longest and one of the narrowest nations on the planet. It is bordered to the north by Peru, to the east by Bolivia and Argentina, to the south by the pole and to the west by the Pacific Ocean. Pacific OceanThe country has a coastline of more than 4,000 kilometers. Its relief is rugged and mountainous: no more than 20% of the country's surface is flat.
Our country is usually considered as tricontinental because, in addition to its territory in the American continent, it is also present between the meridians 53° W and 90° W of Antarctica, and Easter Island. Easter Islandone of the country's main tourist destinations, is located on the continent of Oceania. The sum total of all its territories gives us a total area of 2,006,354 square kilometers.
It seems that in Chile you can find all kinds of manifestations of nature. Millenary glaciers, salt flats that shine like snow, the driest desert on the planet, forests, lakes, jungles and volcanoes that constantly spew fumaroles into the sky, are just some of the country's geographical wonders. The continental territory of the country is staged by the Andes Mountainsto the east, formed by intermediate valleys, another mountain range known as the Coastal Range and coastal plains bathed by the Pacific Ocean.
The extensive coastline is home to many cities from north to south, such as Arica, Iquique, Antofagasta, La Serena, Valparaíso, Viña del Mar, Concepción, Puerto Montt and Punta Arenas, among many others. Due to the effect of the Humboldt Current, coming from Antarctica, marine waters tend to be colder in the south and center of the country, while in the north they increase their temperature due to tropical flows.
In the middle of the sea and with a volcanic origin that goes back to the antiquity of the planet, is the Polynesian Easter Island. The gigantic moais greet the visitor from a mysterious original culture. The Juan Fernández Archipelago archipelago also keeps its own secrets and is the setting for the story of the Scotsman Alexander Selkirkwhose shipwreck on one of the islands of this archipelago inspired the famous novel Robinson Crusoe.
The Chilean Cordillera de la Costa begins in the extreme north, near Arica, and extends up to the Peninsula of Taitaoin Patagonia. It is only interrupted by the rivers that flow into the sea and has as its maximum height the Sierra Vicuña Mackennawith 3114 meters above sea level.
Between the two mountain ranges, there is the Intermediate Depressionwhich is characterized by its plains and transversal valleys, as well as a multiplicity of landscapes and climates. While the north is characterized by its desert areas, the south is made up of forests, rivers and lakes. It is also home to important regional capitals, such as Santiago and Temuco.
The imposing Andes Mountain Range is a kind of backbone of our country. It is the continuation of a mountain range that emerges in Colombia and reaches an average height of 5,000 meters. South of Santiago, it begins to descend until it disappears at the southern end of the continent, but reappears in Antarctica under the name of Antartandes.
The most outstanding peaks of the Andes Mountains are the highest volcano in the world, the Nevados Ojos del Salado, the Nevados Ojos del Salado (6,891 meters), the Nevado Tres Cruces (6,749 meters), the Llullaillaco Volcano (6,739 meters), and the Tupungato Volcano (6,570 meters). In the extreme south, the Patagonian Patagonian Andeswhere the recognized Torres del Paine and Mount Fitz Roy (3406 meters).
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