With such an unusual shape, there is no shortage of bizarre and unusual facts about Chile. It’s a country that nobody hears much about, yet you get the impression that it’s still largely misunderstood. It’s a land of wild extremes, not just in terms of geography, but also for climate and weather. To learn more of the unique facts about Chile, it’s time to hit the road and go south. Way down south.
1. Chile Stretches from 17°S to 56°S Latitude, a Distance of 4,270 km (2,653 mi).
That may not sound like a whole lot, but think about it this way. If you were to put the southern tip of Chile over Los Angeles, its northern tip would be out in the Arctic Ocean north of Canada and Alaska.
For a little perspective of just how big Chile is from north to south, let’s look at what cities and landmarks sit at its latitudinal extremes in the Northern Hemisphere.
At 17° North Latitude
- Acapulco, Guerrero, Mexico
- Belmopan, Belize
- Antigua and Barbuda
- The northern Cape Verde Islands
- The Southern Sahara Desert
- Hyderabad, India
- Vientiane, Laos
- The northern Philippines
At 56° North Latitude
- Ketchikan, Alaska, USA
- Fort McMurray, Alberta, Canada
- Aberdeen, Scotland (UK)
- Gothenburg, Sweden
- Riga, Latvia
- Moscow, Russia
- Krasnoyarsk, Russia
- The Northern Tip of Lake Baikal
As the crow flies, if you were to travel from the northern tip of Chile to the southern tip, you will have covered the same distance as if you had traveled from Darwin, Australia to Bangkok, Thailand. Closer to home, if you fly from Juneau, Alaska to Houston, Texas, that’s also the equivalent of flying the length of Chile.
2. At Its Widest Point, Chile is 350 km (217 mi) Wide
From a geographical standpoint, Chile is the skinniest country in the world. At its widest, it’s only 350 km (217 mi) wide. Most U.S. States west of the Mississippi River are wider than that. That’s roughly the distance from
- New York City to Washington, DC
- Toronto to Ottawa
- Los Angeles to Las Vegas
- Dallas to Houston
- Cleveland to Cincinnati
- London to Paris
- Copenhagen to Berlin
Despite Being So Skinny, Chile Actually Has Three Time Zones
For comparison, the continental United States has four time zones. However, Chile’s three time zones are a bit misleading, because one of them belongs to Easter Island, which sits out in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. It’s the equivalent of Hawaii having its own time zone in the US.
Now, it takes an even more bizarre twist. The time zone line in mainland Chile is parallel to lines of latitude, meaning it separates north from south instead of east and west. But when you put it on a map, it does actually make some sense. It’s only the Magallanes Province in the very southern tip Chile that’s in a different time zone from the rest of the country. That’s where Chile actually bends to the east, under Argentina.
| Time Zone | UTC Offset | DST Offset |
|---|---|---|
| Mainland Chile | -04:00 | -03:00 |
| Magallanes and Chilean Antarctica | -03:00 | -03:00 |
| Easter Island | -06:00 | -05:00 |
3. Chile is the 36th Largest Country in the World by Surface Area
Despite its notable lack of width, Chile gets its surface area from its vast north-south reach. Perhaps one the most surprising facts about Chile is that it’s actually smaller than its neighbor, Bolivia. Have a look at the map. I’d bet you wouldn’t guess that at first glance.
Interestingly, Chile is also smaller than Nigeria. If you pan the above map to the northeast slightly, you’ll see Nigeria on the west coast of Africa. You can make the comparison for yourself. It’s also slightly larger than the State of Texas.
| Rank | Country | Surface Area (sq km) | Surface Area (sq mi) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30 | Nigeria | 923,770 | 356,669 |
| 31 | Venezuela | 912,050 | 340,561 |
| 32 | Namibia | 824,290 | 318,261 |
| 33 | Pakistan | 796,100 | 339,697 |
| 34 | Mozambique | 786,380 | 313,661 |
| 35 | Turkey | 785,350 | 300,948 |
| 36 | Chile | 756,700 | 291,930 |
| 37 | Zambia | 752,610 | 290,586 |
| 38 | Myanmar | 676,590 | 261,218 |
| 39 | Afghanistan | 652,860 | 251,773 |
| 40 | Somalia | 637,660 | 246,601 |
4. Excluding Antarctica, Chile is Home to the Southernmost Point in the Southern Hemisphere.
You can find that point at Águila Islet, in the Diego Ramírez Islands. At 56°32’16″S, it’s notably further south than the southernmost points in Africa or Oceania. In fact, the Patagonia and Tierra del Fuego region advertises itself as the Southernmost Point in the world.
| Continent | Southernmost Point | Latitude |
|---|---|---|
| South America | Águila Islet, Chile | 56.537778°S |
| Africa | Cape Agulhas, South Africa | 34.831162°S |
| Oceania | Jauqemart Island, New Zealand | 52.616973°S |
5. The Southern Tip of Chile and Argentina is the Snowiest Region in the Southern Hemisphere
While the Southern Hemisphere doesn’t get anywhere near the amount of snow that the Northern Hemisphere does in the winter, it has its fair share of snowy hotspots. Patagonia and Tierra del Fuego are well-known for being one the premier outdoor winter destinations in the world. The City of Ushuaia, Argentina, which sits on the border with Chile, averages over 118 cm (46 inches) of snow per year.
While Patagonia has recorded snowfall in every month of the year, June is typically the snowiest month in southern Chile and Argentina. Ushuaia averages 16 days of snowfall in June, with 23 cm (9 inches) of snow accumulation.
6. Chile is also Home to the Driest Desert in the World
It comes as a surprise to many people, but for a country that hugs the coast of South America, the majority of Chile is covered in desert. And it’s not just any desert. It’s the driest desert in the world. Beating out Death Valley, the Sahara, and the Arabian desert, the Atacama Desert surrounds the abandoned town of Yungay. The desert as a whole averages only 15 mm (0.6 in) of rain per year. That makes it 50 times drier than Death Valley. And the Atacama Desert’s driest locations? They’re lucky if they get 1 to 3 mm (0.04 to 0.12 inches) of rain per year.
Interestingly, Chile’s deserts are not particularly known for their heat, unlike the deserts in the Northern Hemisphere, or the Australian Outback. And it’s not due to elevation, either. Yungay sits at only 268 m (897 ft) above sea level, which is lower than Phoenix, Arizona. The hottest temperature ever recorded in Chile was 37.7°C (99.9°F) at Santiago on 20 January, 2017. That’s a stark contrast to the Northern Hemisphere deserts that routinely hit 45 to 50°C (115 to 120°F) in the summer!
7. Chile is the Driest Country in the World
If I asked you to name the driest country in the world, what would your first guess be? Probably a country in the Sahara or the Middle East. Saudi Arabia would be a good guess. It’s the only country in the world without rivers. As would some of the colder landlocked desert countries in Central Asia. I’m talking about countries like Mongolia, Uzbekistan, and Afghanistan. Nope, those are all wrong.
Chile is actually the driest country in the world, despite its 6,400 km of coastline and its proximity to the ocean. What’s even more, cloud cover is a fairly frequent sight in Chile. The rain just doesn’t make it to the ground. Why is that?
In Chile, the unique combination of tall mountains and dry deserts work together to both prevent rain and to reinforce each other. As moist air from the Pacific Ocean passes over the mountains, the mountains ring rain out of the air like you ring out a sponge. By the time the air gets to the other side, there’s no more moisture in it. This phenomenon is exactly why the deserts in the western United States exist.
Furthermore, Chile’s deserts are large enough and dry enough that they can actually block rain from reaching the ground. When rain falls through a dry layer, it starts to evaporate. When that dry layer is dry enough and thick enough, the rain simply evaporates before it reaches the ground. The combination of a powerful rain shadow and the mountains blocking moisture from reaching these locations in the first place is why Chile is the driest country in the world. Some parts of Chile haven’t seen rain in over 500 years.
8. Chile is the Coldest Country in the Southern Hemisphere
Interestingly, it’s only the 32nd coldest country in the world. Countries in the Southern Hemisphere are usually warmer then their Northern Hemisphere Counterparts for two reasons. First, the land mass in the northern hemisphere stretches much more poleward. The southernmost point in the Southern Hemisphere is at 56°S. The entire State of Alaska sits above 56°N. Additionally, parts of Canada and Russia reach latitudes of 80°N. Second, the peninsula is surrounded by water, which helps keep temperature extremes at bay.
Chile sees an average temperature of 8.45°C (47.2°F) per year. It saw its coldest temperature ever recorded on 21 June, 2002, when the mercury at Puesto Viejo dropped to -40°C (-40°F).
How Do Other Countries Compare?
For comparison, here are the average temperatures of comparable countries.
| Country | Avg. Temp (°C) | Avg Temp (°F) |
|---|---|---|
| Chile | 8.45 | 47.2 |
| Argentina | 14.8 | 58.6 |
| New Zealand | 10.55 | 50.99 |
| United States | 12.44 | 54.4 |
| Canada | -5.35 | 22.37 |
| Norway | 1.5 | 34.7 |
9. At Its Closest Point, Chile is Less Than 1,000 km (620 mi) from Antarctica
It’s no surprise that if you want to get to Antarctica, you have to go through either Chile or Argentina. The two most popular departure points are Punta Arenas, Chile and Ushuaia, Argentina. During the very short summer season (December to early February), ships routinely depart from both ports, and can reach Antarctica in about 48 hours. You can also fly to Antarctica. However, there are no commercial flights, and weather can be unpredictable, making it one of the most expensive flights around.
The shortest gap between Chile and Antarctica is the Drake Passage. Separating the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, it’s about 985 km (610 mi) from Chile to Antarctica. The Drake Passage has a fierce reputation for being one of the most treacherous voyages for ships to make. However, everyone who has successfully crossed it to Antarctica said it was well worth it and that a trip to Antarctica should be on your bucket list. It’s certainly on mine.
10. The border between Argentina and Chile is one of the Most Stunning Natural Borders in the World
Stretching 5,308 km (3,298 mi) across the spine of the Andes mountains, the Chile-Argentina border is one of the most breathtakingly beautiful natural frontiers in the world. It’s also the third longest international land border in the world. Only the borders between the United States and Canada and between Russia and Kazakhstan are longer. Because the terrain is so rugged, much of the land remains uninhabited, untouched, and pure natural beauty.
Ruta Nacional 40 on the Argentina Side of the Border is one of the Most Scenic Drives in the World.
Looking into Argentina from Chile in Tierra del Fuego
Heading East Towards the Paso de Jama Port of Entry in Northern Chile’s Reserva Nacional Los Flamencos
Conclusion
Chile is one of the most beautiful, unique, and fascinating countries in the world. With so much to offer, it’s no wonder Chile is one of the premier locations in the world for outdoor adventures, nature enthusiasts, and much more. It’s certainly an experience that’s on my bucket list. Is it on yours?
Top Photo: Stunning Snow-Capped Mountains Surrounding Lake Tahoe
Incline Village, Nevada – February, 2020