Editing Chile (section)

=== Topography ===
[[File:Chile topo en.jpg|thumbnail|upright|Topographic map of Chile]]

Chile is located along a highly [[seismic]] and [[volcanic]] zone, part of the Pacific Ring of Fire, due to the subduction of the [[Nazca Plate|Nazca]] and Antarctic plates in the [[South American Plate]]. In the late [[Paleozoic]], 251 million years ago, Chile belonged to the continental block called [[Gondwana]]. It was just a depression that accumulated marine sediments began to rise at the end of the Mesozoic, 66 million years ago, due to the collision between the Nazca Plate and South American Plate, resulting in the Andes. The territory would be shaped over millions of years by the folding of the rocks, forming the current relief.

The Chilean relief consists of the central depression, which crosses the country longitudinally, flanked by two mountain ranges that make up about 80% of the territory: the Andes mountains to the east-natural border with [[Bolivia]] and [[Argentina]] in the [[Atacama Region|region of Atacama]] and the [[Chilean Coast Range|Coastal Range]] west-minor height from the Andes. Chile's highest peak is the [[Nevado Ojos del Salado]], at 6891.3 m, which is also the highest volcano in the world. The highest point of the Coastal Range is Vicuña Mackenna, at 3114 meters, located in the Sierra Vicuña Mackenna, the south of [[Antofagasta Region|Antofagasta]]. Among the coastal mountains and the Pacific is a series of coastal plains, of variable length, which allow the settlement of coastal towns and big ports. Some areas of the plains territories encompass territory east of the Andes, and the Patagonian steppes and Magellan, or are high plateaus surrounded by high mountain ranges, such as the Altiplano or Puna de Atacama.

The [[Far North, Chile|Far North]] is the area between the northern boundary of the country and the [[Parallel (geometry)|parallel]] 26° S, covering the first three regions. It is characterized by the presence of the [[Atacama desert]], the most arid in the world. The desert is fragmented by streams that originate in the area known as the [[Pampa del Tamarugal|pampas Tamarugal]]. The Andes, split in two and whose eastern arm runs through [[Bolivia]], has a high altitude and volcanic activity, which has allowed the formation of the Andean altiplano and salt structures as the [[Salar de Atacama]], due to the gradual accumulation of sediments over time.

To the south is the [[Norte Chico, Chile|Norte Chico]], extending to the [[Aconcagua River|Aconcagua river]]. Los Andes begin to decrease its altitude to the south and closer to the coast, reaching 90&nbsp;km away at the height of [[Illapel]], the narrowest part of the Chilean territory. The two mountain ranges intersect, virtually eliminating the intermediate depression. The existence of rivers flowing through the territory allows the formation of [[Transverse Valleys|transverse valleys]], where agriculture has developed strongly in recent times, while the [[coastal plains]] begin to expand.
[[File:Amalia_Glacier_(47461801572).jpg|thumbnail|left|[[Amalia Glacier]], located in [[Bernardo O'Higgins National Park]]]]

The [[Zona Central, Chile|Central]] area is the most populated region of the country. The coastal plains are wide and allow the establishment of cities and ports along the Pacific. The Andes maintain altitudes above 6000m but descend slowly in height to 4000 meters on average. The intermediate depression reappears becoming a fertile valley that allows agricultural development and human settlement, due to sediment accumulation. To the south, the Cordillera de la Costa reappears in the [[Cordillera de Nahuelbuta]] while glacial sediments create a series of lakes in the area of [[La Frontera, Chile|La Frontera]].

Patagonia extends from within Reloncavi, at the height of parallel 41°S, to the south. During the [[Llanquihue glaciation|last glaciation]], this area was covered by ice that strongly eroded Chilean relief structures. As a result, the intermediate depression sinks in the sea, while the coastal mountains rise to a series of archipelagos, such as [[Chiloé Island|Chiloé]] and the [[Chonos Archipelago|Chonos]], disappearing in Taitao peninsula, in the parallel 47°S. The Andes mountain range loses height and erosion caused by the action of glaciers has caused [[fjords]]. East of the Andes, on the continent, or north of it, on the [[Tierra del Fuego (main island)|island of Tierra del Fuego]] are located relatively flat plains, which in the Strait of Magellan cover large areas. The Andes, as he had done previously Cordillera de la Costa, begins to break in the ocean causing a myriad of islands and islets and disappear into it, sinking and reappearing in the Southern Antilles arc and then the Antarctic Peninsula, where it is called Antartandes, in the Chilean Antarctic Territory, lying between the meridians 53°W and 90°W.

In the middle of the Pacific, the country has sovereignty over several islands of volcanic origin, collectively known as Insular Chile. The archipelago of Juan Fernandez and Easter Island is located in the fracture zone between the Nazca plate and the Pacific plate known as East Pacific Rise.