how many rivers does chile have

Rivers with a basin area of more than 10,000 km²

Rank	Name	Basin area	Length
1	Loa River	33,570 km²	440 km
2	Baker River [3]	26,726 km²	170 km
3	Bío-Bío River	24,264 km²	380 km
4	Maule River	20,600 km²	240 km

May 3 2022

Full Answer

What are the important rivers in Chile?

Major Rivers and Lakes Some of Chile’s most important rivers, from north to south, include the Loa, Aconcagua, Maipo, Maule, and Biobío, all of which empty into the Pacific. The rivers are vital for the irrigation waters and hydroelectric power they provide. Cascades, however, limit navigation.

What is the most important river in Chile?

This list contains:

• Name of the stream, in Spanish
• Coordinates are the latitude and longitude of the feature in ± decimal degrees, at the mouth of the stream
• Link to a map including the Geonameid (a number which uniquely identifies a Geoname feature)
• Feature Code explained in [1]
• Other names for the same feature, if any
• Basin countries additional to Chile, if any

What is the longest river in Chile?

The Rio Loa River, which is the longest river in Chile, originates in the Andean Mountains from the base of the Mino Volcano in northern Chile. Rising near the Bolivian border, it continues its journey southwest, where it descends at the Oasis of Calama before veering southwards into the Atacama Desert.

What are the major lakes in Chile?

The 10 Largest Lakes In Chile

1. General Carrera Lake. General Carrera (name in Chile) or Lake Buenos Aires (name in Argentina) is an international lake shared between Chile and Argentina.
2. Lake Llanquihue. Located in the Los Lagos Region, Lake Llanquihue is Chile’s second biggest lake. ...
3. O'Higgins Lake. ...
4. Ranco Lake. ...
5. Presidente Ríos Lake. ...

Are there any rivers in Chile?

Major Rivers and Lakes Some of Chile's most important rivers, from north to south, include the Loa, Aconcagua, Maipo, Maule, and Biobío, all of which empty into the Pacific. The rivers are vital for the irrigation waters and hydroelectric power they provide.

What river runs through Chile?

Loa River, Spanish Río Loa, river, northern Chile. The longest river in Chile, it rises in the Andes at the base of Miño Volcano, near the Bolivian border, and flows southwest through the mountains, emerging at the oasis of Calama; it then veers westward and northward across the Atacama Desert.

What are the major bodies of water in Chile?

Chile is situated in southern South America, bordering the South Pacific Ocean and a small part of the South Atlantic Ocean.

What river runs through Santiago Chile?

River MapochoThe River Mapocho (Spanish: Río Mapocho) (Mapudungun: Mapu chuco, "water that penetrates the land") is a river in Chile. It flows from its source in the Andes mountains onto the west and divides Chile's capital Santiago in two.

Where is Chile River?

The Loa River (Spanish: Río Loa) is a U-shaped river in Chile's northern Antofagasta Region. At 440 km (270 mi) long, it is the country's longest river and the main watercourse in the Atacama Desert....Loa River• elevation4,277 m (14,032 ft)Mouth• locationPacific Ocean• coordinates21.43°S 70.0576°W20 more rows

How many mountains are there in Chile?

10761 namedThere are 10761 named mountains in Chile. Nevado Ojos del Salado is the highest point.

Why is Chile so skinny?

Chile is as narrow as it is because of the Andes Mountains, which separate it from Argentina. That's why the country is only 110 miles (177 km) across, on average. The country derives its length from the successful colonial expansion of the Spanish, and independent Chile's own military successes.

What is Chile's biggest lake?

Lake Llanquihue, Spanish Lago Llanquihue, lake in southern Chile. The largest and, with neighbouring Todos los Santos, the best known of Chilean lakes, Llanquihue has an area of about 330 square miles (860 square km) and is 22 miles (35 km) long and 25 miles (40 km) wide with depths of 5,000 feet (1,500 m).

Why is Chile called Chile?

The origin of the name “Chile” may come from the indigenous Aimara word “chili", meaning “where the land ends.” It could also be based on the Mapuche imitation of a bird call which sounds like “cheele cheele."

What is the capital of chili?

SantiagoChile / Capital

Is Santiago part of USA?

SantiagoCountryChileRegionSantiago Metropolitan RegionProvinceSantiago ProvinceFoundation12 February 154123 more rows

What is the capital of Chile in English?

SantiagoSantiago, capital of Chile.

How are rivers ordered?

Note: The rivers are ordered by the latitude of their outflows into the ocean, lakes, other rivers or out of Chile respectively.

What are the names of the features in GeoNames?

Among all the features recorded in the GeoNames database, Wikipedia has arbitrarily selected for these lists features named "Rio", "Rio", "Canal", "Arroyo", "Estero", "Riachuelo" and they must contain one of following Feature Codes (explained in [2] ):

What is the longest river in Chile?

Lao is the longest river in Chile with a length of 440 km. The river flows from the Andean ranges through the Atacama Desert to the Pacific Ocean. The Lao river has several tributaries including the Salado River, San Salvador River, and San Pedro de Inacaliri River. The river is an important water source for the riverine communities ...

Why are rivers important to Chile?

These rivers form water basins that are important to the local communities for irrigation and domestic purposes. While most rivers are not navigable, they are exploited commercially for the production of hydro-electric power which is used in the mines or exported to neighboring countries. These rivers are facing major threat from deforestation and damming for hydro power production leading to reduced volume of the water on lower courses, pollution due to emissions by the power plants. The issue threatens the water availability to riverine communities.

What is the exploitation of rivers in Chile?

The exploitation of rivers of Chile has been a source of conflict between locals and the government and other parties intending to exploit the rivers through damming and establishing of hydroelectric power projects. The development projects are mainly seen as a threat to the continuity of the rivers besides making them vulnerable to threats ...

How long is the Maipo River?

Maipo - 250 km. Maipo river covers a distance of 250 km, making it the third longest river in Chile. The river flows from the Maipo volcano in the Andean range through the Maipo valley before finally draining into the Pacific Ocean. The river is the primary water source for the communities near the river who utilize it for irrigation ...

What is the most visited place in Coquimbo?

The Elqui Valley is one of the most visited places in Coquimbo. Its vineyards, flora and fauna, the production of pisco and starry…

What are some natural attractions in Los Coigües?

in this area you can find beautiful, natural attractions such as the Lircay River or the Los Coigües Gorge , or archaeological sites…

Where is the Class 3-4 River in Chile?

A class 3-4 winter creek run in Chile’s 14th Region de Los Rios. .During the winter months when everything else is too high there is a good chance the Rio Reca will be running. The river flows into the North east … Read More »

Where is the Huichahue river in Chile?

When the winter rains hit Chile there are a ton of rivers to kayak that are dry in the summer months…One of these is the Huichahue Ben May Rio Huichahue Located in the 9th region of the Araucania, the river … Read More »

Where is Calbuco in Chile?

A low volume gem flowing of southwestern flank of volcan Calbuco (Mapuche word meaning blue water¨) Located in Chile´s 10th Region de Los Lagos and within the confines of La Reserva Nacional Llanquihue and just above Lago Chapo. Clay Wright … Read More »

Where is Rio El Tigre?

Rio El Tigre. Located near the Argentinian border in the Patagonian province of Palena in Chile´s 10th Region de los Lagos, The Rio El Tigre serves as a major tributary of the Palena. The run features good road side class 2-3 boating with …. Read More ».

Where is Rio Pichapinga?

Known as the Rio Pichapinga in it´s upper section and Rio Llaima in the lowers stretch this is a winter/spring time creek run in Chile´s 9th Region de la Aruacania. The river flows northwest of the flanks of Nevados de Solipulli … Read More »

Is the Rio Nalcalhue boatable?

This river also called the Rio Nalcalhue (and in its lower sections the Zahuil or Huanehue) is only boatable after extremely heavy rains or during winter high water season. The river is born in the Cordillera de Quinchilca whose largest … Read More »

How many regions are there in Chile?

In 1978 Chile was administratively divided into regions, and in 1979 subdivided into provinces and these into communes. In total the country has 16 regions, 56 provinces and 348 communes.

What is the country of Chile?

Includes Easter Island and Isla Salas y Gómez; does not include 1,250,000 square kilometres (480,000 sq mi) of territory claimed in Antarctica. Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in western South America.

Why is Chile's flora from Antarctica?

Some of Chile's flora has an Antarctic origin due to land bridges which formed during the Cretaceous ice ages, allowing plants to migrate from Antarctica to South America. Chile had a 2018 Forest Landscape Integrity Index mean score of 7.37/10, ranking it 43rd globally out of 172 countries.

How big is Chile?

Chile covers an area of 756,096 square kilometres (291,930 sq mi), with a population of 17.5 million as of 2017.

Why did Peru and Chile argue?

There have been many arguments between Chileans and Peruvians since the 1800s because they both claim boundary coastal lines. Peruvians claim the Northern part of Chile, which is now South West of Peru. This is also known as the "triangulation" which was made to fix the boundary problem between Chile and Peru. The decisions were accomplished on 27 January 1839 by the International Court of Justice This became the War of the Pacific which was in the years 1879–1883. This conflict was caused by the mineral resources Chile had, Peruvians believed they belonged to them as well. Chile had to control sea shipping to Peru and sent out an army to invade Peru on 8 October 1879. The attempt was also made to The United States but failed badly in October 1880. There was a resistance between Peruvians and Chileans for a few years because they could not reach an agreement. The United States offered help with a treaty for both Peru and Chile, better known as the Treaty of Ancón. This was later signed by both of them on 20 October 1883 to keep peace between them. In 2008, Peru took Chile to court over their maritime disputes. Then later in 2014, the International Court of Justice's ruling resulted in Chile losing an area of 8,000 square nautical miles (27,000 km 2; 11,000 sq mi) over 80 nautical miles (150 km; 92 mi) from its coast. This ruling severely impacted fishers in the country making Chile lose a valuable trade in Northwest Chile.

Where did the word "chile" come from?

According to 17th-century Spanish chronicler Diego de Rosales, the Incas called the valley of the Aconcagua Chili by corruption of the name of a Picunche tribal chief ( cacique) called Tili, who ruled the area at the time of the Incan conquest in the 15th century. Another theory points to the similarity of the valley of the Aconcagua with that of the Casma Valley in Peru, where there was a town and valley named Chili.

Which colony was the most centralized and homogeneous in Spanish America?

Cut off to the north by desert, to the south by the Mapuche, to the east by the Andes Mountains, and to the west by the ocean, Chile became one of the most centralized, homogeneous colonies in Spanish America.

How many earthquakes have happened in Chile?

During the twentieth century, Chile has been struck by twenty-eight major earthquakes, all with a force greater than 6.9 on the Richter scale. The strongest of these occurred in 2010 (registering an estimated 8.8 on the Richter scale) and in Valdivia 1960 (reaching 9.5).

What percentage of Chile is made up of mountains?

About 80 percent of the land in Chile is made up of mountains of some form or other. Most Chileans live near or on these mountains. The majestically snowcapped Andes and their pre-cordillera elevations provide an ever-present backdrop to much of the scenery, but there are other, albeit less formidable, mountains as well. Although they seemingly can appear anywhere, the non-Andean mountains usually form part of transverse and coastal ranges. The former, located most characteristically in the near north and the far north natural regions, extend with various shapes from the Andes to the ocean, creating valleys with an east-west direction. The latter are evident mainly in the center of the country and create what is commonly called the Central Valley ( Valle Central) between them and the Andes. In the far south, the Central Valley runs into the ocean's waters. At this location, the higher elevations of the coastal range facing the Andes become a multiplicity of islands, forming an intricate labyrinth of channels and fjords that have been an enduring challenge to maritime navigators.

Why did Peru and Chile argue?

There have been long arguments between Chileans and Peruvians since the 1800s. This is because they both claim boundary coastal lines . Peruvians claim the Northern part of Chile, which is now South West of Peru. The "triangulation" was made to fix the boundary problem between Chile and Peru. The decisions were accomplished on January 27, 1839, by the International Court of Justice The War of the Pacific was in the years 1879-1883. This was caused because of the minerals resources Chile had. This led for Chile to control Sea Shipping to Peru and send out an army to invade Peru on October 8, 1879. The attempt was also made to The United States but failed badly on October 1880. There was a resistance between Peruvians and Chileans for a few years. The United States offered help with a treaty for both Peru and Chile, better known as the Treaty of Ancón. This was signed by both of them on October 20, 1883, to keep the peace between them. In 2008, Peru took Chile to court over their maritime disputes. In 2014, the International Court of Justice's ruling resulted in Chile losing 80 miles from Chile's northwestern ocean zone. This ruling severely impacted fishers in the country.

How deep is the Chile trench?

The trench is about 150 km (93 mi) wide and averages about 5,000 m (16,404 ft) in depth. At its deepest point, just north of the port of Antofagasta, it plunges to 8,066 m (26,463 ft). Although the ocean's surface obscures this fact, most of Chile lies at the edge of a profound precipice.

What plate is Chile on?

The northern two-thirds of Chile lie on top of the telluric Nazca Plate , which, moving eastward about ten centimeters a year, is forcing its way under the continental plate of South America. This movement has resulted in the formation of the Peru–Chile Trench, which lies beyond a narrow band of coastal waters off the northern two-thirds of the country. The trench is about 150 km (93 mi) wide and averages about 5,000 m (16,404 ft) in depth. At its deepest point, just north of the port of Antofagasta, it plunges to 8,066 m (26,463 ft). Although the ocean's surface obscures this fact, most of Chile lies at the edge of a profound precipice.

Why are earthquakes so common in Chile?

Earthquakes are common in Chile due to the country's location on the Nazca Plate and South American Plate. Chile notoriously had some of the most powerful earthquakes in history with the Valdivia Earthquake in 1960 at 9.5 on the Richter scale and the Maule Earthquake at 8.8 in 2010.

What is the longest river in the world?

Pacific Ocean, 0 m. Longest river. Loa River, 440 km (273 mi) Largest lake. General Carrera Lake. The geography of Chile is extremely diverse as the country extends from a latitude of 17° South to Cape Horn at 56° and from the ocean on the west to Andes on the east. Chile is situated in southern South America, bordering ...

How big is Chile?

Covering an area of about 756,096 sq.km (291,930.4 sq mi) and with a toothy coastline of almost 4,000 miles, pencil-thin Chile is wedged between the Pacific Ocean and the rugged Andes, the world's longest mountain range; in southwestern part of South America.

What is the capital of Chile?

Chile covers a total area of about 756,096 sq. km. Located in the heart of the Santiago Basin (valley) and the Santiago Metropolitan Region is, Santiago - the capital and the largest city of Chile. It is also one of the largest cities in the Americas.

What are the mountains in Chile?

As observed on the physical map of Chile above, most of the country's interior is covered by mountains. The snowcapped Andes cover almost all of its eastern border. Generally lower, non-Andean ranges dissect Chile (north to south) with the largest being the Cordillera de la Costa in the far south. Located along the Pacific Ring of Fire, the Andes are geologically a young mountain range that includes over 600 volcanoes (within Chile alone), many of them active, and almost 10% have erupted (at least once) within the last century. Throughout the country deep valleys and high plateaus front these mountains, most winding east to west; the central valley (or Pampas) runs to the Pacific Ocean shoreline. Chile's highest point (as marked on the map, as an upright yellow triangle) is Nevado Ojos del Salado. With an elevation of 22,572ft (6,880m) it is also the 2nd highest mountain in South America. The lowest point is at the Pacific Ocean.

What is the Atacama Desert?

This land of incredible and unusual contrasts is also home to the numerous beaches, fjords, deep sea channels, glaciers and icebergs - and the Atacama Desert - a virtually rainless plateau made up of salt basins and lava flows. As observed on the physical map of Chile above, most of the country's interior is covered by mountains.

What is the highest mountain in Chile?

Chile's highest point (as marked on the map, as an upright yellow triangle) is Nevado Ojos del Salado. With an elevation of 22,572ft (6,880m) it is also the 2nd highest mountain in South America. The lowest point is at the Pacific Ocean.

Which country borders Chile?

Chile Bordering Countries : Argentina, Bolivia, Peru. Regional Maps: Map of South America.

Which continent has the largest ice mass?

Mixed into the stunning landscape are the Northern and Southern Patagonian Ice Fields that form the largest continental mass of ice in the world, outside of Greenland and Antarctica. Hundreds of glaciers branch off the ice fields, many extend all the way to sea level.

Overview

This list of rivers of Chile includes all the major rivers of Chile. See each article for their tributaries, drainage areas, etc. Usually significant tributaries appear in this list, under the river into which they drain.

Rivers by name

Rivers by region

Information in the lists

Rivers by latitude

See also

External links