- North Zone
- Arica and Parinacota Region
- Tarapacá Region
- Downtown area
- Coastal Plains
- Coastal Range
- Intermediate depression
- Andes mountains
- South Zone
- Intermediate depression
- Coastal Range
- Nahuelbuta mountain range
- Coastal Plains
- References
The relief of Chile is basically made up of four types: the coastal plains, the coastal mountain range, the intermediate depression and the Andes mountain range. Chile is located in the extreme south of the American continent, that is why it is called austral.
The country's territory is divided into continental Chile and insular Chile. The insular territory is subdivided into continental insular, oceanic insular and Chilean Antarctic Territory, an area in claim with Argentina and Great Britain.
Source: search.creativecommons.org
Chile stretches along more than 4200 km of the southeastern coast of the Pacific Ocean through a narrow strip that borders and delimits the Andes mountain range. The territory measures 440 km in the widest area and 90 km in the narrowest.
It is located in the middle of a highly seismic volcanic zone and is part of the Pacific ring of fire. At the edge of the Nazca plates that opens to the Antarctic plate in the extreme south and the South American. The collision of both plates in the Mesozoic period gave rise to the Chilean territory.
North Zone
In the Norte Grande zone of Chile, the five basic forms of relief can be seen, such as: the coastal plain, the intermediate depression, the Costa mountain range, the Andes mountain range and the high plateau. Each of the regions that make up this area has very particular geographic features.
Arica and Parinacota Region
Apart from the five types of relief in this area, in the coastal part and in the intermediate depression two other types of relief or geographical features can be distinguished. These are the Tarapacá plateau and the coastal cliff.
The coastal cliff is a cliff, a very steep drop towards the sea, which is divided into several sections by the Vítor ravine (south of Arica). The Tarapacá plateau, on the other hand, is divided by several streams that form small plains or pampas, for example, Camarones and Chaca.
In this region, the coastal plain is scarce and can only be seen in the city of Arica, but the Costa mountain range that originates from Cerro Camaraca stands out. As for the intermediate depression, it comprises an extensive plain that measures approximately 40 km wide and its heights range between 500 and 2,000 meters above sea level.
On the other hand, there is the altiplano, an extensive plateau that rises up to 4,000 meters above sea level. In this region the Andes mountain range is higher, imposing and massive with more volcanic activity. Its peaks reach a little more than 6,000 meters above sea level.
Tarapacá Region
In this region you can see the five basic forms of relief that characterize the area, but also the coastal cliff. In the coastal plain it is possible to see a very narrow area located between the sea and the Costa mountain range, which was formed as a result of erosion.
The coastal cliff is a massive cord that springs up from the coast and rises up to 800 meters above sea level. Here the Cordillera de la Costa can hardly be distinguished between Punta Camarones and the Loa River. In this region, the intermediate depression originated as a result of the erosive activity of the wind and water.
The Tamarugal pampa is also located here, a plain whose altitude ranges from 600 to 1,500 meters above sea level. On the other side is the altiplano located between the eastern and western ranges of the Andes mountain range.
The Andes mountain range in this region reaches heights of about 6,000 meters, with some mountain ranges at the eastern end that are crossed by varied and deep ravines.
Downtown area
It is the main area of the country for being the most populated. It includes part of the Valparaíso region and the Juan Fernández Archipelago, the Metropolitan region, Maule, O'Higgins. Likewise, the extreme north of the Biobío. The central zone is located between the Aconcagua and Biobío rivers.
It presents a general relief more or less similar to the North zone. The main reliefs are: the coastal plains, the intermediate depression, the Cordillera de la Costa and the Cordillera de los Andes.
Coastal Plains
In this area of the country, the plains are narrowing in the vicinity of Concepción, because one of the cords of the Cordillera de la Costa extends towards the sea, without completely losing the littoral space.
Coastal Range
It is located right in front of Valparaíso and Santiago, where this mountain range stands higher and more massive. At this point it is divided into two chains: the eastern, which is the highest and the western, whose heights are lower.
Its peaks rise above 2,000 meters above sea level (in the case of the Vizcacha, Roble, Campana hills) and are aligned with the intermediate depression.
Intermediate depression
This depression is called the Central or Longitudinal Valley and runs from the Chacabuco cordon to the Reloncaví Sound. Then there are the Valle del Cachapoal and Santiago basins, an important economic region that accounts for a third of the country's population.
It extends with very few interruptions, except for the various water courses that cross it, from the narrow of Pelequén to the city of Puerto Montt.
Andes mountains
In this part you can see the Tupungatito volcano, which is right in front of the Chilean capital of Santiago. However, the average height of the peaks is lower and goes from 6,600 meters above sea level in the north to 3,200 meters above sea level.
The mountain range in this area is not as arid as in the northern area. Due to increased rainfall that allows more grass and grasses to grow.
South Zone
In this area is the Norte Chico, whose extension reaches up to the Aconcagua River. The Andean peaks become less high as the mountain range approaches the coast. Also the territory is narrowing until reaching 90 km wide in Illapel.
Intermediate depression
It has an undulating topography. The Andes mountain range and the Costa mountain range nearly crossed, causing the Intermediate Depression to almost disappear.
Coastal Range
To the north there is a mountain range with high peaks and to the south a series of smaller hills.
Nahuelbuta mountain range
This section of the Costa mountain range begins in the south of Concepción. It is a cord formed by high peaks with elevations of up to 1000 meters of altitude. The altitude allows this mountain system to have a greater abundance of vegetation.
In the regions of Los Lagos and Araucanía, the levels of the mountains decrease to less than 7000 meters.
Coastal Plains
This area has the most extensive and widest plains in Chile, over 40 km wide, where large coastal terraces can be observed. These coastal plains make up extensive transversal valleys of fertile territory that cross several rivers.
References
- Reliefs of Chile. Retrieved on July 6, 2018 from uchile.cl
- South Zone. Consulted of geografiadechile.cl
- Downtown area. Consulted of geografiadechile.cl
- Geography of Chile. Consulted of es.wikipedia.org
- Relief. Chile Our Country. Consulted of bcn.cl
- Relief and biogeography of the Great North of Chile. Consulted of icarito.cl