Geography of Chile

Geography

Chile is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It located at the south of Peru and southeast of Bolivia. The Pacific coastline of Chile is 6,435 kilometres. Chilean territory includes the Pacific islands of Juan Fernández, Salas y Gómez, Desventuradas, and Easter Island.

The shape of Chile is a distinctive, multi-colored ribbon of land 4,300 kilometres (2,700 mi) long and on average 175 kilometres (109 mi) wide.

Climate

Chile's climate varies, from the world's driest desert-the Atacama-in the north, through a Mediterranean climate in the center, to a rainy temperate climate in the south. The northern desert contains great mineral wealth. The small central area dominates in terms of population and agricultural resources, and it is the cultural and political center that was expanded in the late 19th century. Southern Chile is rich in forests and grazing lands and it features a string of volcanoes and lakes. The southern coast is a labyrinth of fjords, inlets, canals, twisting peninsulas, and islands.

Population

The population of Chile was estimated at 15,153,797 in July of 2000 with an annual growth rate of 1.7 percent. According to the Population Reference Bureau, with a projected annual population growth rate of 1.29 percent, the population is expected to reach 19.55 million by the year 2025 and 22.21 million by 2050.

Ethnicity groups

The Chilean population is estimated at nearly 95% White and Mestizo (mixed white and Amerindian); 3% Amerindian (indigenous people of pre-Columian era); and 2% other. Mixtures between the conquering Spaniards, largely Andalusians and Basques, and the Mapuches produced the principal Chilean racial type. An indigenous population of perhaps as many as 600,000 pure Mapuches live mainly in Temuco and in the forest region south of the Bío-Bío River. Remnants of other small tribal groups are found in isolated oases within the northern desert or live a nomadic existence on the archipelagos and islands of the extreme southern coast. A small minority of Germans and their descendants live in the Valdivia-Puerto Montt area.