Geography & environment — Chile
Location, land area, terrain, climate, and natural resources.
Profile updated 2026-06-02
⚡ Geography & environment at a glance
Location, land area, terrain, climate, and natural resources. Key figure for Chile: South America
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Location & size
- Geographic Location
South America
- Geographic Coordinates
30 00 S, 71 00 W
- Total Area
291,931 Square Miles 756,102 Square Kilometers
- Land Area
287,186 Square Miles 743,812 Square Kilometers
- Water Area
4,745 Square Miles 12,290 Square Kilometers
- Land Boundaries
3,939 Miles 6,339 Kilometers
- Border Countries
Argentina 5,308 km, Bolivia 860 km, Peru 171 km
- Coastline
3,999 Miles 6,435 Kilometers
Physical geography
- Terrain
- Low coastal mountains
- a fertile central valley
- the rugged Andes in the east
- Highest Point
6,880 Meters
- Highest Point Location
Nevado Ojos del Salado 6,880 m
- Lowest Point Location
Pacific Ocean 0 m
- Natural Resources
Copper, timber, iron ore, nitrates, precious metals, molybdenum, hydropower
- Irrigated Land
4,629 Square Miles 11,990 Square Kilometers
Climate & time
- Time Zone
UTC-3 (2 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
- Daylight saving time
- Chile has three time zones: the continental portion at UTC-3; the southern Magallanes region, which does not use daylight savings time and remains at UTC-3 for the summer months; and Easter Island at UTC-5
Climate
- Climate
Chile's climate is as varied as its geography. Despite lying in the tropics, northern Chile is characterized by warm summers and mild winters, due to the moderating influence of the cool Humboldt Current. In the central region, where Santiago is located, summers (December to March) are dry, with warm days reaching into the high 80s or low 90s, but cooler nights. Winter (June to September) is generally cold, foggy, and rainy (rainfall averages 14 inches a year); temperatures climb into the 50s and 60s during the day and usually drop to the 40s at night, with occasional frost. The southern Lake District has cooler average temperatures and is wetter than the central region, with annual rainfall reaching 100 inches. In the far south, the climate is colder still, with gale force winds much of the year. Rainfall in this region also averages 100 inches annually, except in the Patagonian steppes, where it drops to an average of 20 inches a year.
- Terrain
- Low coastal mountains
- a fertile central valley
- the rugged Andes in the east
- Location
Southern South America, bordering the South Pacific Ocean, between Argentina and Peru
- Total Area
291,931 Square Miles 756,102 Square Kilometers
- Border Countries
Argentina 5,308 km, Bolivia 860 km, Peru 171 km
Environment
- Environment - Current Issues
Widespread deforestation and mining threaten natural resources
air pollution from industrial and vehicle emissions
water pollution from raw sewage
- Environment - International Agreements
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
