CHILE (chetd). With the exception of Egypt no other country is so remarkably shaped as this narrow ribbon strip of territory, which stretches along more than half the Pacific sea coast of South America. Place this " shoestring re public" upon the Pacific coast of North America and it would reach from the top of Lower California to the St. Elias region of Alaska. (See map with Brazil.) Every sort of climate is found somewhere in its length, from the dry rainless tropics of the northern part, through the mild temperate central regions, to the bleak rain-drenched archipelago of the extreme south, washed by the waters of the Ant arctic seas. The snow-crowned peaks of the Andes, which near the center of Chile reach the greatest heights in America, are everywhere visible from the coast, rising in imposing array.
Yet despite the variety of its aspects, despite its enormous length, and despite the sparseness of its population, Chile has an intensely united and patriotic people. It is unique among the na tions of South America in that within the mem ory of living man it has had no revolutions, if we except the civil war of 1888-91; and its national spirit is strongly shown by the success which has at tended its wars with other nations. This national unity is largely due to the fact that 73 per cent of its population of 4,000,000 are collected in its temperate central regions.
Chile falls into three sharply contrasted districts.
In the north are brown parched deserts, rich in mineral treasures. The south consists of a narrow strip of low forest mainland, fringed by hundreds of wooded islands, and terminating in the large group of islands known as Tierra del Fuego. Here the rain fall is almost incessant during the greater part of the year and the land, which is rich in forests, fisher ies, and grazing areas, is peopled only by Indians and a few solitary sheep-farmers, with here and there a trading post. Between these two inhospitable tures offers many inducements to the immigran.
The soil is extremely fertile, and produces abundant crops of products that do not need much sun. There are no venomous reptiles and no mosquitoes. The extreme south, much of it still unex plored, is well adapted for sheep-grazing, which has been begun on a small scale.
Chile's Greatest Wealth in Her Deserts Most of the wealth of Chile, however, has come from the arid deserts of the north, where rain falls only once in many years, and where it is not wanted.
Here are the great nitrate beds, which owe their existence to the absence of rain. Sterile itself, this region fertilizes the lands of the two hemispheres, for the nitrate obtained by scraping the sur face for a depth of a few feet is exported as fertilizer to Asia, Europe, and the United States. The beds were probably formed by the action of marine organ isms in a far distant past when this region lay submerged beneath the sea.
The value of the nitrate trade is greater than all the other industries of Chile combined, and the export tax yields 70 per cent of the government's revenues. The end of this vast source of wealth is in sight however, for scientists calculate that the beds will be exhausted in less than another century.
Chile is also rich in metals. Once it was the world's greatest copper producer and it still stands high in the list. Iron, coal, lead, silver, manganese, sulphur, gypsum, and various other minerals are found in profusion, most of them still awaiting exploita tion. The greatest borax "lake" in the world occurs high in the Andes of Chile, and has been a fruitful source of wealth.
regions lies the great central portion of Chile, the heart of the nation. (For the location of fertile and desert regions, see maps with South America.) This beautiful and fertile region consists chiefly of a valley, about 700 miles long and 30 miles wide, between the low Coast Cordillera and the lofty Cordillera of the Andes to the east. It is a region of perpetual spring, with one of the most delightful climates in the world. Rarely does the tempera ture fall below freezing or rise above 77 degrees. In the northern part irrigation is necessary; toward the south the rain fall increases. Here is the granary of Chile, where all cereals, vegetables, and fruits of the temperate zone grow to perfection. Low transverse ridges of hills connect the coast mountains with the main range, dividing the long cen tral valley into smaller valleys, with here and there swift mountain torrents cut ting their way across to the sea. Agri culture proceeds here much as in the western United States. The land is divided into great ranches or haciendas, stretching to the horizon in rolling plains of corn, wheat, and pasture land. Wheat is the principal crop. Other important products are barley, oats, corn, alfalfa, potatoes, tobacco, sugar beets, honey, wine, and hemp.