Chilean President Sebastian Pinera on Saturday insisted he had no problem with Argentina despite its claim to extensive Patagonian glaciers along the joint but unmarked border.

The disputed glaciers lie in a mountainous area that has been waiting to be definitively marked since 1998. It is one of the last of many often-thorny border disputes between the two neighbors still awaiting final resolution.

When Argentine scientists included the glaciers in an inventory of Argentine-controlled ice, Chile's Foreign Ministry sent a note to its Argentine counterpart seeking clarification.

But Pinera, on a visit to the Patagonian city of Coyhaique, said the dispute stemmed from a difference in the measuring systems used by the two sides. "Argentina has one scale, and Chile has another," he said.

Pinera denied that "Chile has ceded any glaciers whatsoever."

He added that "we have a very good relationship with Argentina" and that the border incident "does not affect or alter Chilean sovereignty at all."

The Patagonian glaciers provide some of the area's most spectacular scenery.

The Chilean-Argentine border stretches nearly 5,000 kilometers (3,000 miles) -- roughly equal to the distance across the continental United States.

The armies of each country guard the border, but it is not uncommon for patrols to cross the frontier -- which is allowed by "tacit agreement" between Santiago and Buenos Aires, Pinera said.

Chile, though far smaller than Argentina, contains four-fifths of all South American glaciers.

Related Links
Water News - Science, Technology and Politics

Tweet

Thanks for being here; We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain. With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords. Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year. If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceDaily Contributor $5 Billed Once credit card or paypal		SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter $5 Billed Monthly paypal only

Larger cities have smaller water footprint than less populated counterparts
University Park PA (SPX) Oct 09, 2018
Global sustainability is important now more than ever due to increasing urban populations and the resulting stress it can have on natural resources. But increased populations in cities may lead to greater efficiency, as a team of Penn State researchers discovered when they analyzed the water footprint of 65 mid- to large-sized U.S. cities. "Human life on the planet has never been more complex," said Caitlin Grady, assistant professor of civil engineering. "We're so intertwined with so many aspects ... read more