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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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territorial sea: 12 nm
continental shelf: 200/350 nm
contiguous zone: 24 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% (2001)
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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, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
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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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