The Country of Chile extends approximately 2,500 miles from the bottom of South America to the Tropic of Capricorn. This vast area gives Chile multiple climates due to its expanse from the tropics to Antarctica. The Pacific Ocean with the Humboldt Current and the Andes Mountains also influence Chile's climate. The climate can be divided into three main categories: subtropical deserts, temperate rainforest, and tundra. The main catastrophic natural disasters are sometimes earthquakes or tsunamis. Generally, the climate gets colder as one moves south through the country. The Pacific Ocean keeps temperatures in a moderate range, so there are no dramatic temperature changes between seasons. Chile's subtropical deserts are found mainly in the northern part of the country. The land is known for its aridity. This region is home to the Atacama Desert, which receives little or no rain most years and is known as the driest desert in the world. In the desert, temperatures vary greatly from day to night. The daytime generally varies between 30 and 50 degrees Celsius and at night up to -15 degrees Celsius. A beach called “Petit Nord” is a transition zone between the northern desserts and the temperate rainforest zone. It is a semi-arid region with erratic rainfall, but most of the moisture comes from fogs caused by the Humboldt Current. The average temperature of this region is 14.7 degrees Celsius. The central region is home to a Mediterranean and temperate rainforest climate. This area has the most moderate climatic conditions and more precipitation, especially rain, compared to other regions. This area has the most defined seasons. The cold season extends from May to September, and the hot season extends from Oc...... middle of paper ......the, 2003. p111-115. COPYRIGHT 2003 Gale, COPYRIGHT 2006 Gale, Cengage Learning “Humboldt Current.” WWF. WWF, nd Web. November 4, 2013. “The Official Travel Guide to Chile.” Our climate and our geography. Np, and Web. November 4, 2013. “Peruvian Current (ocean current). » Encyclopedia Britannica online. Encyclopedia Britannica, nd Web. November 4, 2013. “Research Areas.” Nsf.gov. Np, and Web. November 4, 2013. “Strong earthquake hits off Chilean coast, no damage reported.” » Manila Bulletin November 1, 2013. Global reference on environment, energy and natural resources. Internet. November 3, 2013. “Welcome to Chile.” Welcome to Chile. Np, and Web. November 4. 2013. .