Chilean Geography

Isabel Allende describes the four different regions throughout Chile, the Norte Grande, Norte Chico, Valle Central, and Zona Sur. While all four are located in the same country, they contain very different geographical aspects due to the elongated and narrow shape of the country. The Norte Grande consumes 1/4 of Chile, containing the Atacama Desert. This desert is the driest in the world. Here, it only rains a few times a year, but when it does, flowery meadows cover the land. Allende spoke about visits she took to this region and had vivid memories of how dehydrated she was and how chapped her lips were due to the dryness in the air. The second region, Norte Chico, or little North is what divides the dry north where the Atacama is located with the more fertile zones more south. Allende states that this zone is very spiritual and magical. Another aspect of this region is that it is home to La Silla, which is where the skies are so clear that not a single star can escape the eye. In the video, "Chile Land of Geographical Extremes", the narrator refers to this as the "window to the universe". The third region is Valle Central. This region is where Santiago is located, which is home to one third of the Chilean population. This area is also perfect for growing fruits such as grapes and apples, which leads to the creation of Chilean wine. The fourth and final region is Zona Sur, or the southern zone. This zone consists of many forests, lakes, rivers, and volcanoes. The forests here are amazing and over thousands of years old.

Here are some other interesting facts about Chile:

• It is the longest country at 2700 miles long
• It is the most narrow country at 110 miles wide
• It is located in the "Ring of Fire"
• Broken up into 15 regions 
• Top copper producer in the world