Page:A history of Chile.djvu/444

CHAPTER III NATURAL HISTORY Chile may be divided, physically, and for conven- ience of reference, into the maritime country, or that portion of the country bordering upon the Pacific, and the midland country, or that portion in the interior. Transversely, it may be divided into four great re- gions, viz: the rainless, desert zone of the north, the mineral region, extending from Peru to Copiapc and comprising the provinces of Tacna, Tarapaca, Antofa- gasta and northern Atacama ; the semi-desert zone, comprising the southern part of Atacama and the pro- vinces of Coquimbo and Aconcagua; the agricultural zone, with a considerable amount of rainfall, compris- ing the provinces from Valparaiso to Puerto Montt at the southern end of old Chile ; and the timber and fisheries zone, extending from Puerto Montt southward to Cape Horn. The maritime country is traversed south of the thirty- first parallel by three principal chains of low moun- tains, all running parallel with the Andes. These con- stitute the Cordillera ranges, and between them are numerous fertile valleys watered by mountain streams. The central ranges terminate abruptly in the vicinity of Puerto Montt ; the western range follows the coast line. The midland country is, generally speaking, a 398