3/ The sheer size of Chile 🇨🇱 from top to bottom...

3/ The sheer size of Chile 🇨🇱 from top to bottom means it spans much of the continent of South America and, so has several types of habitats and types of nature.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geography_of_Chile

The country contains:

- the highest volcano on Earth https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ojos_del_Salado

- the Atacama desert, one of the driest in the world https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atacama_Desert

- and the world-famous Patagonia region.

This map shows this diversity and plots the different types of vegetation found in Chile.

#geoweirdness

Like 16 August at 11:57 | Open on en.osm.town

11 comments

OpenCage 👉🌍

4/ 🇨🇱 Chile’s territory also includes several Pacific islands, the most famous of which is Easter Island.

Known as Rapa Nui by its indigenous Polynesian population, it’s internationally famous for the large monumental statues (moai) dotted around the island 🗿🗿🗿

Annexed in 1888, this UNESCO World Heritage Site is one of the world’s remotest inhabited islands and has a population of nearly 8,000.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Easter_Island

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moai

#geoweirdness

16 August at 11:57 | Open on en.osm.town

OpenCage 👉🌍

5/ Next, we have 🇨🇱 Chile's Juan Fernández Archipelago.

Located around 670km off the mainland, this island group consists of Robinson Crusoe Island, Alejandro Selkirk Island (Isla Más Afuera) and Santa Clara.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juan_Fern%C3%A1ndez_Islands

Robinson Crusoe island was home to a marooned Scottish sailor from 1704 to 1709 which partially inspired Defoe's famous novel. The island, previously named "Más a Tierra" was renamed in 1966 to help attract more tourists.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robinson_Crusoe_Island

#geoweirdness

5/ Next, we have 🇨🇱 Chile's Juan Fernández Archipelago.

Located around 670km off the mainland, this island group consists of Robinson Crusoe Island, Alejandro Selkirk Island (Isla Más Afuera) and Santa Clara.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juan_Fern%C3%A1ndez_Islands

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16 August at 12:01 | Open on en.osm.town

OpenCage 👉🌍

6/ It’s not just offshore islands and diverse natural geography that make Chile 🇨🇱 geoweird, it also stands out regionally for its history full of territorial disputes and conflicts.

Before working through some key cases, we can share the following map, which provides an overview of Chilean territorial losses and disputes that have shaped its geography and borders.

#geoweirdness

16 August at 12:02 | Open on en.osm.town

OpenCage 👉🌍

7/ Let's start with the War of the Pacific (1879–1884), a conflict between Chile 🇨🇱, Bolivia 🇧🇴, and Peru 🇵🇪 over control of nitrate-rich coastal territories.

Chile emerged victorious, gaining Bolivia's entire coastline and leaving it landlocked. Despite losing its access to the sea, Bolivia still maintains a navy as a symbol of its unresolved maritime aspirations and the conflict's lasting impact on its national identity.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bolivian_Navy

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/War_of_the_Pacific

#geoweirdness

7/ Let's start with the War of the Pacific (1879–1884), a conflict between Chile 🇨🇱, Bolivia 🇧🇴, and Peru 🇵🇪 over control of nitrate-rich coastal territories.

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16 August at 12:04 | Open on en.osm.town

OpenCage 👉🌍

8/ This war led to several key border and territorial changes, including in/on the Puna de Atacama, a mineral-rich plateau in the Andes.

Following the War of the Pacific, Chile 🇨🇱 and Argentina 🇦🇷 eventually divided the disputed area in 1899.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Puna_de_Atacama_dispute

#geoweirdness

16 August at 12:06 | Open on en.osm.town

OpenCage 👉🌍

9/ Moving towards their northern neighbour Peru 🇵🇪, Chile 🇨🇱 has had several border and territorial disputes.

Some followed their respective Wars of Independence and the transformative period of the 1890-1900s, which reshaped the region overall, as discussed previously, but others lasted well into the 1970s, with flashpoints such as Pinochet’s Charaña Accords.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chara%C3%B1a_Accords

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chilean%E2%80%93Peruvian_territorial_dispute#

#geoweirdness

9/ Moving towards their northern neighbour Peru 🇵🇪, Chile 🇨🇱 has had several border and territorial disputes.

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16 August at 12:07 | Open on en.osm.town

OpenCage 👉🌍

10/ In addition to these land disputes, Chile 🇨🇱 and Peru 🇵🇪 have had maritime territorial disputes over a sea area spanning roughly 37,000 square km.

This turned into an international law case presented at the Hague 🇳🇱 in 2008 and saw Chile lose control over some of its formerly claimed territory.

Below are maps of the disputed area and the agreed upon boundary following the ruling.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chilean%E2%80%93Peruvian_maritime_dispute

#geoweirdness

16 August at 12:09 | Open on en.osm.town

OpenCage 👉🌍

11/ Leaving the Pacific and turning to the Atlantic, we have the Beagle Conflict, a tense border dispute between Chile 🇨🇱 and Argentina 🇦🇷 that nearly led to war in 1978.

The conflict centered on the Picton, Lennox, and Nueva Islands in the Beagle Channel, a key waterway with access between the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans alongside the Magellan Strait and Drake Passage.

In 1984, Argentina officially recognised these islands as Chilean territory.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beagle_conflict

#geoweirdness

11/ Leaving the Pacific and turning to the Atlantic, we have the Beagle Conflict, a tense border dispute between Chile 🇨🇱 and Argentina 🇦🇷 that nearly led to war in 1978.

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16 August at 12:11 | Open on en.osm.town

OpenCage 👉🌍 replied to OpenCage

12/ Finally, before we wrap up this thread, Chile 🇨🇱 is one of seven sovereign states with territorial claims in Antarctica 🇦🇷 🇦🇺 🇳🇿 🇫🇷 🇳🇴 🇬🇧 🇨🇱

Chile claims a part of West Antarctica and nearby islands and cover areas such as the South Shetland Islands.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chilean_Antarctic_Territory

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Territorial_claims_in_Antarctica#South_American_involvement

Below are maps of the different territorial claims and the highlighted area claimed by Chile.

Learn more in our Antarctica thread:
https://en.osm.town/@opencage/110130119187074162

#geoweirdness

12/ Finally, before we wrap up this thread, Chile 🇨🇱 is one of seven sovereign states with territorial claims in Antarctica 🇦🇷 🇦🇺 🇳🇿 🇫🇷 🇳🇴 🇬🇧 🇨🇱

Chile claims a part of West Antarctica and nearby islands and cover areas such as the South Shetland Islands.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chilean_Antarctic_Territory

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16 August at 12:15 | Open on en.osm.town

OpenCage 👉🌍 replied to OpenCage

13/ We hope you enjoyed our look at 🇨🇱 Chilean #geoweirdness

Thanks for reading and sharing 🙏. What did we miss?

We have many more threads about specific countries and regions, border disputes, geocoding, etc over on our blog: https://blog.opencagedata.com/geothreads

If you’re curious about this region, we’ll leave you with our threads about nearby

🇦🇷 Argentina:
https://en.osm.town/@opencage/110599187621622687

and

🇧🇷 Brazil:
https://en.osm.town/@opencage/109851103892999726

Until next time!

13/ We hope you enjoyed our look at 🇨🇱 Chilean #geoweirdness

Thanks for reading and sharing 🙏. What did we miss?

We have many more threads about specific countries and regions, border disputes, geocoding, etc over on our blog: https://blog.opencagedata.com/geothreads

If you’re curious about this region, we’ll leave you with our threads about nearby

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16 August at 12:21 | Open on en.osm.town

Mark Burton

@opencage
Bolivian propaganda mural near the Peruvian border: "That which once was ours, one day will be again".

16 August at 12:14 | Open on mstdn.social