|
fiogf49gjkf0d THE ATACAMA DESERT, THE MOST ARID DESERT IN THE WORLD, IS LOCATED
IN THE NORTH OF CHILE. IT IS FLANKED BY THE VAST PACIFIC OCEAN TO
THE WEST, TO THE EAST BY THE ANDES MOUNTAIN RANGE WITH PEAKS
REACHING OVER 6,000 METERS ABOVE SEA LEVEL AND BY THE DRAKE SEA
AND THE ANTARCTIC TO THE SOUTH.
THE COUNTRY'S UNUSUAL AND ISOLATED GEOGRAPHY HAVE GIVEN THE
POPULATION A UNIQUE CHARACTERISTIC THROUGHOUT ITS HISTORY.
CHILE'S GEOGRAPHY PRESENTS THREE WELL-DEFINED ZONES, THE ANDES
MOUNTAIN RANGE, THE COASTAL MOUNTAIN RANGE AND THE VALLEY THAT
IS FORMED BETWEEN BOTH MOUNTAIN CHAINS.
THE NORTH
IN THE UPPER PART IS A VAST MESETA LOCATED 3,500 METERS ABOVE SEA
LEVEL, KNOWN AS THE HIGH PLATEAU. THIS AREA HAS A SERIES OF
VOLCANOES, SOME OF THEM DORMANT AND OTHERS ACTIVE, SOME OF WHICH
ARE OVER 6,000 METERS HIGH.
THE CENTRAL REGION
NEAR SANTIAGO, THE MOUNTAIN RANGE REACHES OVER 5,000 METERS ABOVE
SEA LEVEL AND IS COVERED BY A LARGE AMOUNT OF SNOW DURING WINTER.
THE MAIN SKI RESORTS ARE LOCATED IN THE METROPOLITAN REGION & THE
5TH REGION. IN SUMMER, THE SLOPES OF THE MOUNTAINS ARE POPULAR
WITH MOUNTAIN CLIMBING ENTHUSIASTS. ALL OF THEM ARE EASILY
ACCESSIBLE FROM THE MAIN SPOTS.
THE SOUTH
BETWEEN TEMUCO AND PUERTO MONTT, EXTREME TEMPERATURES CHANGE AND
THE HIGHEST POINTS OF THE ANDES MOUNTAIN RANGE REACH APPROX.
2,600 METERS ABOVE SEA LEVEL.
PATAGONIA
THE EROSION OF SEA, GLACIERS, HUGE ICE FLOES AND THE WIND, HAVE
FORMED THE JAGGED PEAKS OF THE PATAGONIAN ANDES.
|
Attractions