SOUTH AMERICA CHILE

 Area: 7, 56,950 sq. km

 Latitude: 17˚ 30’ to 56˚ S

 Population: 158 million

 Longitude: 60˚ to 75˚ 40’ W

 Capital: Santiago

·         Extent: north south (length) 5,000 km, east-west (width) – 200 -300 km.

·         Situation: long narrow strip of land lies on the western seaboard of South America and surrounded by Peru (north). This long narrow land is overshadowed by the Andes which run north-south along its entire length and occupy half the area.

SANTIAGO

·         Capital city, situated in the central part of Chile, and is known for its best developed Mediterranean climate.

VALPARAISO

·         Known for its oil refineries, petrochemical industries and wine.

·         Biggest wine manufacturing center of the southern hemisphere and the westernmost rail head of transcontinental railway.

AFRICA

·         Brie st place in the world situated in the northernmost part of Chile.

·         Once a nitrate mining center, now exhausted and uninhabited, hence turned into a ghost town.

·         Went for 16 years without rainfall and received only 3 cms of rainfall in 31 years.

IQUIQUE

·         Situated to the south of Africa.

·         Known for its copper deposits.

·         Main exports are copper, nitrate, etc.

CHUQUICAMATA

·         One of world’s largest copper towns, situated near the Bolivian border.

·         Large mining camps for the mining of caliches from which sodium nitrate, an important fertilizer is extracted.

PUNTA ARENAS

·         Situated in the southernmost part of Chile.

·         Southernmost inhabited city in the world.

·         Known for its oil resources.