Chile

Chile, with its capital Santiago, encompasses a total area of 756,950 sq km. It is slightly smaller than twice the size of Montana. The climate is temperate with desert in north, Mediterranean in the central region, and cool and damp in south. The terrain is low coastal mountains and has a fertile central valley with rugged Andes mountains in the east. Natural resources include: copper, timber, iron ore, nitrates, precious metals, molybdenum, hydropower. Air pollution from industrial and vehicle emissions and water pollution from raw sewage are the current environmental issues.

The population of this Spanish speaking country was estimated to be 15,328,467 as of July 2001. The main industries include: copper, other minerals, foodstuffs, fish processing, iron and steel, wood and wood products, transport equipment, cement, and textiles. Agricultural products are an important source of income and consist of: wheat, corn, grapes, beans, sugar beets, potatoes, fruit; beef, poultry, wool, fish, and timber.

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