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Location:
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Southern South America, bordering the South Pacific Ocean, between Argentina and Peru
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Geographic coordinates:
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30 00 S, 71 00 W
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Map references:
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South America
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Area:
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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
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Area - comparative:
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slightly smaller than twice the size of Montana
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Land boundaries:
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total: 6,171 km
border countries: Argentina 5,150 km, Bolivia 861 km, Peru 160 km
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Coastline:
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6,435 km
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Maritime claims:
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contiguous zone: 24 NM
territorial sea: 12 NM
continental shelf: 200/350 NM
exclusive economic zone: 200 NM
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Climate:
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temperate; desert in north; Mediterranean in central region; cool and damp in south
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Terrain:
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low coastal mountains; fertile central valley; rugged Andes in east
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Elevation extremes:
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lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Nevado Ojos del Salado 6,880 m
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Natural resources:
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copper, timber, iron ore, nitrates, precious metals, molybdenum, hydropower
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Land use:
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arable land: 2.65%
permanent crops: 0.42%
other: 96.93% (1998 est.)
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Irrigated land:
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18,000 sq km (1998 est.)
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Natural hazards:
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severe earthquakes; active volcanism; tsunamis
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Environment - current issues:
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widespread deforestation and mining threaten natural resources; air pollution from industrial and vehicle emissions; water pollution from raw sewage
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Environment - international agreements:
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party to: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Nuclear Test Ban
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Geography - note:
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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
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