CHILE

Chile is a long and narrow stretch of land at the southwestern end of América, between Los andes mountain range and the Pacific Ocean. The country is divided into 12 regions plus Greater Santiago, 51 provinces and 335 municipalities. The capital Santiago (of the New Extremadura) was founded on 12 February 1541 by the Spanish Conqueror Pedro de Valdivia. The official language of Chile is Spanish spoken without regional variations. Other languages spoken in very restricted areas are: "Mapudungu" (mapuche language), "Rapa Nui" (spoken in Easter Island) and "Aymara" (spoken in some areas of the mountains in the North).

It also has part of the Antarctica and more than 5.800 islands and isles. Her boundaries are: to the North with Perú, to the South with the South Pole, to the East with Bolivia and Argentina and to the West with the Pacific Ocean. It is perhaps from this far away land that one of the interpretations of the word "CHILLI" comes from. In the language of one of the original peoples, it means "where the land ends".

There are more than 4.000 kilometres between Arica the northern most city and Port Williams, the southern most populated place in Chile and in the world. This distance is similar to Paris-Moscow or San Francisco-New York. Its elongated and thin shape, unique in the map of the land, allows for the existence of varied landscapes, climates, flora and fauna. Its geography is broken and mountainous. Only 20% of the territory is plain.

The spine of the country is the Cordillera de los andes (The andes mountain range) which in the North reaches heights above 6.000 metres and it almost disappears in the extreme South only to reappear in Antarctica. The Cordillera de la Costa (Coastal mountain range) runs parallel to The andes but at lower heights and between these two mountain ranges there is the so called intermediate depression which in the North becomes the pampas and in the South turns into valleys. Towards the extreme South, the Coastal Range breaks and the valleys sink: gulfs, estuaries and islands give shape to a very complex geography.  

In southernmost Chile, contrasts come together in dramatic fashion in the form of the Patgonia region near the Magellan Straits. With a splendid view of Tierra del Fuego across the water, Punta Arenas makes a perfect home base for exploration.  Visit Torres del Paine National Park and don't miss the glaciers cruise aboard the Patagonia Express.  Several other excursions are also available to nearby penguin rookeries - and even to the continent of Antarctica.

Easter Island and Archipiélago of Juan Fernández (including Robinson Crusoe Island) are very different from the rest of the country. Their semi-tropical climate are excellent for swimming, diving and sailing. Both have archeological sites and many native species of plants and animals

Chile's European heritage is pervasive, meaning that Western travelers here are less conspicuous than in neighboring Peru and Bolivia. For centuries, the Paris education of many Chilean intellectuals influenced the country's art, music and architecture. Important art galleries, museums and a thriving theater scene are the result. The country's art, literature and music have been influential internationally. Chile has spawned the Nobel Prize-winning poets Gabriela Mistral and Pablo Neruda.

Over 90% of the population is Roman Catholic, though evangelical Protestantism is becoming increasingly popular. The country's Catholic architecture is impressive and ubiquitous, from grandiose colonial churches to roadside shrines, some of which are extraordinary manifestations of folk art. Spanish is Chile's official language, though a handful of native languages are still spoken. In the north, there are more than 20,000 speakers of Aymara, and in the south there are perhaps half a million speakers of Mapuche. The most intriguing linguistic minority is the 2000-plus speakers of Rapa Nui, the Polynesian language of most of Easter Island's population.

Chile's cuisine reflects the country's topographical variety, and features seafood, beef, fresh fruit and vegetables. Empanadas are large turnover snacks with a variety of fillings; humitas are corn tamales; and there are a variety of potato and flour-based breads. Chile's biggest standard meal is lomo a lo pobre - an enormous slab of beef topped with two fried eggs and buried in chips. The parillada, which will appall vegetarians and heart specialists, is a mixed grill including such delicacies as intestines, udders and blood sausages. Curanto, one of the nation's finest dishes, is an all-encompassing, hearty stew of fish, shellfish, chicken, pork, lamb, beef and potato. Chilean wines are arguably South America's best. A pisco sour is a popular drink which easily gets you piscoed - it's a grape brandy served with lemon juice, egg white and powdered sugar.