Land and Climate:
Size: The country Chile is about two times the size of California. It is 4,270 km (2,653 mi), but only averages 177 km (110 mi) east to west. It is located running down the coast of South America. Some neighboring countries are Argentina, Bolivia, and Peru. The large body of water closest to Chile is the South Pacific Ocean.
Landscape and Regions: Chile has a more of a rocky landscape. Chile is divided into 15 administrative regions, or 5 natural regions. The 5 natural regions are the: Zona Central (Central Chile), Norte Grande (Far North), Norte Chico (Small North), Zona Sur (Southern Zone), and the Zona Austral (Astral Zone).
Climate: Chile has many different climate zones and all are cooled by the Humboldt current, which originates in the sub-Antarctic waters off the Pacific coast.
Size: The country Chile is about two times the size of California. It is 4,270 km (2,653 mi), but only averages 177 km (110 mi) east to west. It is located running down the coast of South America. Some neighboring countries are Argentina, Bolivia, and Peru. The large body of water closest to Chile is the South Pacific Ocean.
Landscape and Regions: Chile has a more of a rocky landscape. Chile is divided into 15 administrative regions, or 5 natural regions. The 5 natural regions are the: Zona Central (Central Chile), Norte Grande (Far North), Norte Chico (Small North), Zona Sur (Southern Zone), and the Zona Austral (Astral Zone).
Climate: Chile has many different climate zones and all are cooled by the Humboldt current, which originates in the sub-Antarctic waters off the Pacific coast.
Physical Features:
Atacama Desert: The Atacama Desert lies west to the Andes Mountains. It is the driest desert in the world. It once had a dry spell of 40 years without rain. It is approximately 625 miles long and 100 miles wide. It receives little to none precipitation. Some places hasn't had enough rain to measure for over 400 years. Surprisingly, it is only reaches the mid to high 60s in the summer time.
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The Andes Mountains: The Andes Mountains spread almost all the way north-south length of Chile. They are the largest mountain range in all o the world, extending from the southern tip of South America all the way to Panama. The highest peak in Chile rises to 22,614 feet above sea level. Many of the mountains consist of volcanoes, some active and some extinct.
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Flora and Fauna:
This beautiful and extremely rare flower is called Mitraria Coccinea. It has a velvety, smooth texture and is a vibrant red color. It is almost never sold in the United States.
This exquisite flower is known as the Chilean Bellflower, but the scientific name for it is the Lapageria Rosea. They can come in different colors such as pink and white. An interesting fact about this flower would be that it can stand weather as low as -5 degrees Celsius (23 degrees Fahrenheit) .
The "Windcliff Flurry" is a flower that grows in Chile. It's scientific name is the Fuchsia Magellanica. This type of flower can grow to be at least 4 feet tall and the most is 10 feet tall. Hummingbirds absolutely love the pollen from this flower. These flowers can come in the colors red and purple.
About once every four years, it rains in Chile. When it does, these beautiful purple lowers bloom. They are called the "desert bloom". They come out once it rains because the seeds become able to sprout due to the rain.
This flower is called the Caiophora Andina. The spikes on it can sting if you touch it. It can be found on the high plains of Chile.
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The Liolaemus Tennis lizard, also known as the Jewel Lizard, the Slender Lizard, and the Thin Lizard, s a species of lizard from the Iguanidae family. It's a fairly small reptile, only 5.5 cm from snout-to-vent. They mostly eat insects and are sometimes known to be pets.
This stylish bird is known as the Inca Tern, but it's scientific name is the Larosterna inca. The are seabirds because they only live off the coasts of Peru and Chile. Both male and females look alike, which is not common in animals. They can be identified by their white mustaches that they get when they're adults.
The Mountain Viscacha is an animal closely related to the chinchilla, but looks more like a rabbit. Most of the time, they are hunted illegally or their fur coats and meat. Between the years of 1972-1979, about one million viscacha pelts were sold in Argentina.
A Guanaco is basically a llama's cousin. They are one o the most known animals from Chile. They are able to run about 35 miles per hour. Normally, they spread up into two groups, herds, one of only male and one of only female.
This above is a "Pink Fairy Armadillo". There are many kinds of armadillos in Chile. They can vary in size and in color. The biggest armadillo recorded there was more or less 130 pounds. Those are called "Giant Armadillos".
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