CHILE, A DIVERSE COUNTRY

Chile is long and narrow country, with natural landscapes of notable and untamed beauty. Hundred of thousands tourists come every year to enjoy the diversity climate and landscapes that our country offers; the driest deserts of the world, the imposing snow-capped Andean mountain chain, the warm and fertile central valley, the south lakes and volcanoes, and the southern area with its magic geography of channels and thousand-year-old glaciers. It is the doorway to Chilean Antarctic territory, an area of everlasting ice that forms a white and pristine landscape. In Chile you may ski on huge mountains in the morning and sail the ocean in the afternoon.

Chile is a democratic republic that in the last few years has shown the best rates of macroeconomic growth in Latin America. In fact, important international consultancy firms stand out Chile as one of the safest countries in the world, the first in Latin America and the one with better business opportunities, among the 10 favorite countries for investments. It is also outstanding its technological modernity, especially in communications and transport.

Chile and its strikings natural beauties make tourism one of its more developed activity for export. Eastern Island, 3,700 kms. far from the continent; Torres del Paine, in the heart of Chilean Patagonia; the thousand-year-old glaciers, channels and fiords; the torrential rivers for extreme sports, lakes and volcanoes, rivers and pools for sport fishermen at Tierra del Fuego; the Antarctic territory, of easy airway access from Chilean Patagonia.

Chile is also internationally recognized by the excellent quality of its wines, by its abundant and varied offer of sea produce, such as fresh salmon, king crab, sea bass, conger and large oysters, and, for dessert, a great assorted exotic fruits, such as papaya, mango and kiwi.

THE PEOPLE OF CHILEAN PATAGONIA

By nature, Patagonia Chileans are warm, hospitable, quiet and introverted; we enjoy family life. Nevertheless, at nights there is a varied offer for fun in nightclubs, pubs and discos that work all the week. The attitude to foreigners is kind and natural, always ready to help. Patagonia Chileans are fond of laughing and chatting, never raising the voice.

CURRENCY

National currency is the Chilean peso. There are money exchange houses and banks in every city to change dollars or euros. There also is an automatic teller machines (ATM) network all over the country and credit cards are welcome in the majority of local premises and tourist services.

LANGUAGE

Chilean official language is Castilian (Spanish). However, in the majority of travel agencies and hotels there are English speaking personnel.

GEOGRAPHIC LOCATION OF CHILE

The territory of the Republic of Chile is located in South America west and southwest. Borders on Peru to the north, on Bolivia and Argentina to the east, on the Pacific Ocean to the west and on the Pole to the south. From north to south is approximately 4,300 kms. long on the territorial sector, with an average width of 177 kms.

At the southern coast of Chile there is a series of archipelagoes, from Chiloe to Diego Ramirez islands, the southerner point of South America continent; among them are Chonos archipelago, Guaitecas archipelago and the west side of Tierra del Fuego. Other Chilean islands are Juan Fernandez, Eastern Island, Sala y Gomez and San Felix y San Ambrosio, all of them at the south Pacific.

The total surface of Chile is 1,992,000 square kilometers, of which 756,626 square kms, belong to the territorial sector and about 1,200,000 sq. km. to the Antarctic sector. Chilean Antarctic sovereignty extends between 53° and 90° of west longitude.

Further information

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