Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a South American country that occupies a long and narrow coastal strip wedged between the Andes and the Pacific Ocean. It borders the north with Peru, the northeast with Bolivia, the east with Argentina and the Drake Passage, the most southern tip of the country. It is one of only two countries in South America that does not have a common border with Brazil, besides Ecuador. The Pacific forms the entire western border of the country, with a coastline stretching 6 435 kilometers. Chilean territory includes some overseas territories, such as the Juan Fernández Archipelago, the Desventuradas Islands, the Sala y Gómez island and the Easter Island, the last two located in Polynesia. Chile has a claim of 1 250 000 square kilometers of Antarctic territory. Chile has an unusual territory, 4 300 kilometers long and an average of 175 kilometers wide, which gives the country a very varied climate, going from the driest desert in the world - the Atacama - in the north of the country, to A Mediterranean climate in the center, to an alpine climate prone to snow to the south, with glaciers, fjords and lakes. The northern Chilean desert contains a great mineral wealth, mainly copper. A relatively small area in the Chilean center dominates the country in terms of population and agricultural resources. This area is also the cultural, political and financial center from which Chile expanded in the late nineteenth century when it integrated the northern and southern regions into one nation. The south of the country is rich in forests and grasslands and boasts a chain of mountains, volcanoes and lakes. The south coast is a gigantic labyrinth of peninsulas composed of fjords, coves, canals and islands. The Andes mountain range is located throughout the eastern Chilean border.