Chile Essay

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Pages: 7

Introduction
Chile is a republic located in southwestern South America. On the north side of Chile lies Peru, to the east is Bolivia and Argentina, and on the south Peru is bounded by the Pacific Ocean. The Archipelagoes Islands extend along the southern coast of Chile from Chiloé Island to Cape Horn. Among these islands are the Chonos Archipelago, Wellington Island, and the western portion of Tierra del Fuego. Some other islands that belong to Chile include the Juan Fernández Islands, Easter Island, and Sala y Gómez. All of these islands lie in the South Pacific. Chile also happens to claim a section of Antarctica. The capital and largest city of Chile is Santiago.

Land and Resources
The most dominant physical feature in Chile are
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While the share of land devoted to export crop such as fruit and vegetables is increasing, about half of all the farms still raise wheat. Grapes and apples, vegetables root crops such as sugar beets and potatoes, and maize are the leading crops in Chile. This country is the largest exporter of fruits in the Southern Hemisphere, sending much of its crops to North America. Chile also has a very significant wine making industry. Sheep are raised in large numbers in the Tierra del Fuego and the Magellan's regions of Chilean Patagonia. As a whole, the country had around 4 million head of sheep in 1999. Other livestock include over 4 million head of cattle, 2 million pigs, and close to 600,000 horses.

FORESTRY AND FISHING
Forests cover about 10.5 percent of Chile's land area. Some 23.5 million cubic meters of timber was cut in 1998. Output consists of both hardwoods (such as laurel) and softwoods (such as pine). Lumber, pulp, and paper are made from the annual timber cut. In the early 1990s, the forestry industry accounted for more than 6 percent of annual exports.

Chile has on of the largest fishing industries in South America. A catch of 7.6 million metric tons was taken in the country's rich fishing waters in 1998. Principal species include mackerel, anchovy, sardine, and herring. Processing plants pack much of the fish catch for distribution.

Forestry and fishing are also primary activities because they harvest