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WEEKLY NEWSLETTER
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Chile
Index
Volcán Osorno, Chile's most perfectly shaped volcano,
overlookig nearby Lago Llanquihue, and a Lutheran church,
representative of the strong German influence in the region
Courtesy Ramón Miró
A lake near Coihaique in southern Chile
Courtesy Inter-American Development Bank
Although many lovely lakes can be found in the Andean
and
coastal regions of central Chile, the south (Sur de Chile)
is
definitely the country's most lacustrine area. Southern
Chile
stretches from below the Río Bío-Bío at about 38° south
latitude to
below Isla de Chiloé at about 43.4° south latitude. In
this lake
district of Chile, the valley between the Andes and the
coastal
range is closer to sea level, and the hundreds of rivers
that
descend from the Andes form lakes, some quite large, as
they reach
the lower elevations. They drain into the ocean through
other
rivers, some of which (principally the Río Calle Calle,
which flows
by the city of Valdivia) are the only ones in the whole
country
that are navigable for any stretch. The Central Valley's
southernmost portion is submerged in the ocean and forms
the Golfo
de Ancud. Isla de Chiloé, with its rolling hills, is the
last
important elevation of the coastal range of mountains.
The south is one of the rainiest areas in the world.
One of the
wettest spots in the region is Valdivia, with an annual
rainfall of
2,535.4 millimeters. The summer months of January and
February are
the driest, with a monthly average precipitation of
sixty-seven
millimeters. The winter months of June and July each
produce on
average a deluge of 410.6 millimeters. Temperatures in the
area are
moderate. In Valdivia, the two summer months average 16.7°
C,
whereas the winter months average 7.9° C.
The lakes in this region are remarkably beautiful. The
snowcovered Andes form a constant backdrop to vistas of clear
blue or
even turquoise waters, as at Lago Todos los Santos. The
rivers that
descend from the Andes rush over volcanic rocks, forming
numerous
white-water sections and waterfalls. The vegetation,
including many
ferns in the shady areas, is a lush green. Some sections
still
consist of old-growth forests, and in all seasons, but
especially
in the spring and summer, there are plenty of wildflowers
and
flowering trees. The pastures in the northernmost section,
around
Osorno, are well suited for raising cattle; milk, cheese,
and
butter are important products of that area. All kinds of
berries
grow in the area, some of which are exported, and
freshwater
farming of various species of trout and salmon has
developed, with
cultivators taking advantage of the abundant supply of
clear
running water. The lumber industry is also important. A
number of
tourists, mainly Chileans and Argentines, visit the area
during the
summer.
Many of Chile's distinctive animal species have been
decimated
as they have been pushed farther and farther into the
remaining
wilderness areas by human occupation of the land. This is
the case
with the huemul, a large deer, and the Chilean
condor, the
largest bird of its kind; both animals are on the national
coat of
arms. The remaining Chilean pumas, which are bigger than
their
California cousins, have been driven to isolated national
parks in
the south by farmers who continue to hunt them because
they
occasionally kill sheep and goats.
Data as of March 1994
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