FACTBOX: Some facts about Chile's volcanoes
(Reuters) - A volcano dormant for thousands of years is erupting in the remote South American region of Patagonia, coating nearby towns in ash and forcing emergency evacuations -- the latest in a host of eruptions in Chile over the years.
Following are some facts about Chile's volcanoes.
* There are 2,000 volcanoes in Chile, more than 500 of which experts say are potentially active.
* Around 60 volcanoes in Chile have been recorded to have erupted over the past 450 years, and experts say around 40 could begin to do so in the future.
* Chile has the world's second most active string of volcanoes after Indonesia.
* The country is home to two of Latin America's most active volcanoes: Villarica and Llaima.
* Llaima erupted on New Year's Day, spewing ash and molten lava and forcing dozens of tourists and staff to evacuate a wilderness park.
* Patagonia's volcanoes have traditionally been less active than those further north but the region, which cuts across Chile and Argentina, is home to towering snow-capped peaks and glaciers.
Source: Chile's National Geology and Mining Service.
(Reporting by Antonio de la Jara and Juana Casas in Santiago, Writing by Simon Gardner; Editing by Kieran Murray)
