SafekipediaNatural regions of Chile
Adapted from Wikipedia · Discoverer experience
Chile is a long and narrow country in South America that stretches from near the Tropic of Capricorn to just north of the Antarctic Circle. Because of this great distance from north to south, Chile has many different climates and landscapes.
In 1950, an organization called CORFO divided continental Chile into six natural regions based on geography and economics. These regions are Norte Grande, Norte Chico, Núcleo Central, Concepción y La Frontera, Los Lagos, and Los Canales.
Even though these regions are not used for official government purposes today, people still use them to describe the different areas of Chile and their unique features.
Overview
Chile has five natural regions, each with its own plants, animals, weather, and land shape. These regions stretch from north to south and have special features even though the Andes mountains and the Pacific Ocean are always nearby.
| Natural Regions | Regions of Chile | Characteristics |
|---|---|---|
| Norte Grande (Far North) | Arica & Parinacota Region | Desert climate with areas of extreme aridity. Coastal cliffs, high coast range, intermediate depression and Andes. Plateaus in the Andes. Salt flats, copper and saltpeter deposits in the interior. Puna grassland with summer precipitation in the eastern fringes. |
| Tarapacá Region | ||
| Antofagasta Region | ||
| North Atacama Region | ||
| Copiapó River (27° S) | ||
| Norte Chico (Near North) | South Atacama Region | Semi-arid climate. Coast range and Andes merge, transversal east-west valleys instead of intermediate depression. Agriculture limited to narrow valley bottoms. Periodic flowering in parts of the desert. No volcanism. Important gold, copper and iron deposits. |
| Coquimbo Region | ||
| North Valparaíso Region | ||
| Aconcagua River (33° S) | ||
| Zona Central (Central Chile) | South Valparaíso Region | Mediterranean climate and Matorral vegetation. The Andes is massive and high. Coast range and Andes lose height as they separate from each other to the south, fertile intermediate depression. Summer runoff of large rivers is heavily dependent on glacier and snowmelt. |
| Santiago Metropolitan Region | ||
| O'Higgins Region | ||
| Maule Region | ||
| Ñuble Region | ||
| North Bío-Bío Region | ||
| Bío-Bío River (37° S) | ||
| Zona Sur (Southern Zone) | South Bío-Bío Region | Temperate oceanic climate and Valdivian vegetation. Coast range and Andes are low, intermediate depression near sea level. Lakes of glacial origin, intensive volcanic and geothermal activity. |
| Araucanía Region | ||
| Los Ríos Region | ||
| North Los Lagos Region | ||
| Chacao Channel (42° S) | ||
| Zona Austral (Austral Zone) | South Los Lagos Region | Subpolar oceanic climate in the west and steppe climate in the east. Magellanic forest and Magellanic moorland vegetation in the west, grasslands in the east. Glacial landscape; Coast range consists of islands, intermediate depression absent or under sea level. Fjords and ice fields in the Andes. |
| Aisén Region | ||
| Magallanes Region | ||
Norte Grande
Main article: Norte Grande
Most of Norte Grande is covered by the Atacama Desert, which has a very dry climate. The coast range rises over 2,000 meters and ends in cliffs along the coast. There are large salt flats in the area between the mountains and the desert, as well as in the Andes. This region includes Chile's highest mountains, such as Ojos del Salado, and also features high plateaus called the Altiplano and puna.
Norte Chico
Main article: Norte Chico, Chile
Norte Chico has a semi-arid climate. It is where the Atacama Desert meets the Mediterranean Matorral vegetation. Here, the coast range and the Andes mountains come together, leaving no space for the usual valley between them. Instead, there are several valleys that run from east to west. This special landscape is thought to be caused by the flat-slab subduction of the Juan Fernández Ridge.
Zona Central
Main article: Zona Central, Chile
The Zona Central has a Mediterranean climate and is home to the Chilean Matorral vegetation. The Intermediate Depression runs from Santiago down south, forming a fertile area that is known as the agricultural heartland of Chile. After a series of events called the Destruction of Seven Cities from 1598 to 1604, most major settlements in the colonial Captaincy General of Chile were located in this central area, except for La Serena and the Chiloé Archipelago.
Zona Sur
Main article: Zona Sur
See also: Chilean Lake District
The Zona Sur has a temperate oceanic climate and is home to the Valdivian temperate rain forests. The coast range here is lower than in areas further north, with no peaks taller than 1,500 meters. This area shows evidence from the Last Glacial Maximum, such as moraines and glacial lakes. The Andes mountains in this region have many volcanoes and hot springs.
Zona Austral
Main article: Zona Austral
The Zona Austral covers all of Chilean Patagonia and the Chiloé Archipelago. It has a cool, wet climate and is home to special forests called Magellanic subpolar forests in the west and wide open areas known as Patagonian grasslands in the east. Over time, huge glaciers shaped the landscape, leaving behind many islands along the coast and creating deep, narrow sea inlets called fjords that cut through the mountains. There are also large glaciers and beautiful glacial lakes in this area.
Related articles
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