Are there mountains in chile

This movement has resulted in the formation of the Peru-Chile Trench, which lies beyond a narrow band of coastal waters off the northern two-thirds of the country. The trench is about kilometers wide and averages about 5, meters in depth.

At its deepest point, just north of the port of Antofagasta, it plunges to 8, meters. Although the ocean's surface obscures this fact, most of Chile lies at the edge of a profound precipice. The same telluric displacements that created the Peru-Chile Trench make the country highly prone to earthquakes.

During the twentieth century, Chile has been struck by twenty-eight major earthquakes, all with a force greater than 6. The strongest of these occurred in registering an estimated 8. This latter earthquake occurred on May 22, the day after another major quake measuring 7. It caused a tidal wave that decimated several fishing villages in the south and raised or lowered sections of the coast as much as two meters.

Chile's distinctive culture has survived the violence and repression of its recent history and is thriving once again thanks to a people noted for their warmth and resilience. Despite having the most European community in South America, indigenous traditions persist in the Andean foothills and in the southern plains, while some of South America's finest national parks draw trekkers and guanaco spotters alike.

Full country name: Republic of Chile Area: , sq km , sq mi Population: 15 million growth rate 1. A day entry permit, renewable for another 90 days, is received on entering the country. When to Go Chile's geographical variety can make a visit rewarding in any season. Santiago and Middle Chile are best in the verdant spring September through November or during the fall harvest late February into April , while popular natural attractions like Parque Nacional del Paine in Magallanes and the lakes region are best in summer December through March.

Conversely, Chilean ski resorts draw many foreigners during the northern summer June through August. Easter Island is cooler, slightly cheaper and much less crowded outside the summer months. The same is true of the Juan Fernandez archipelago, which can be inaccessible if winter rains erode the dirt airstrip; March is an ideal time for a visit. Neighbours: Chile shares a border with Peru on the far north, Bolivia on the northeast, and Argentina on the east.

The Pacific Ocean lies to the south and west. Physical Features Chile has an extreme north-south length of approximately 4, kilometres about 2, miles , but its average width is less than kilometres less than miles , and nowhere is it more than kilometres miles wide. The Andes dominate the Chilean landscape. The mountain system extends the entire length of the narrow country, from the Altiplano plateau in the north to Tierra del Fuego in the south. The Andes are perhaps the most famous of its wonders, a subduction-formed Mesozoic-era orogenic mountain belt with a number of Pleistocene-era stratovolcanoes from its location on the Pacific Ring of Fire.

Sclerophyllous plants are a hard-leafed plant adapted to retain moisture, and these altitudes provide enough precipitation for them to thrive. The Central Valley of Chile which hosts the maximum population of the country, the biggest Chilean cities, industries and agricultural lands, lie in between the Andes to the east and the coastal mountains to the west.

The Ojos del Salado 22, ft , part of the Andean mountains, is the tallest mountain in Chile as well as the highest active volcano in the world.

The proximity of the tallest mountain in Chile to the Atacama Desert influences the precipitation patterns in the mountain habitat. The conditions are extremely dry with snow cover visible only during the winter. However, the region is also subjected to fluctuating weather conditions and a snowstorm in summers is not too surprising.

The Ojos del Salado also hosts a permanent crater lake at 20, feet that span an area of feet. The tallest mountain in Chile is relatively easy to climb than many other mountains of similar heights. The first ascent to the summit of this mountain was made by members of a Polish expedition in The mountain range is km wide in most parts of its range and the average elevation of is mountains is about 13, feet.

Argentina and Chile house the Central Andes. The Andes mountains are geologically relatively young and include about volcanoes in the Chilean territory alone.