Republic Of Chile

The Republic of Chile is a country of contrasts and extreme beauty, with attractions ranging from the towering volcanic peaks of the Andes to the ancient forests of the Lake District. There are a multitude of very good parks, and plenty of opportunities for fine adventure travel. Chile is justly famous as the location of Torres del Paine, considered by many to be the finest nature travel destinations in all of South America.

Chile ist located in South America and makes up half of the west coast of South America, extending from the southern tip of Peru to the southern tip of Argentina. Its length is over 4, 300 kilometers, making it the longest country in the world. At the same time, its width never exceeds 240 km, making the country more than eighteen times longer than its widest point. It has an area of 756, 950 square kilometer and it has a population of about 15 million people. This people are a mixture of Spanish, Irish, English, German and Scottish immigrants and native Indians. The capital is Santiago, with a population of about five million people. To the south, Chile reaches into the cold and inhospitable Antarctic zone. To the west, the shores are pounded by hundreds of miles of the great Pacific Ocean. In the north, Chile is home to the Atacama Desert, one of the most arid lands in the world. Finally, to the east, the huge Andes mountain range runs nearly the entire length of the country. Because of such isolation and challenging land forms, Chile has become of a country of people who are strong, proud, and extremely innovative. Also part of Chile are two notable Pacific possessions, the Juan Fernandez Islands and the famous Easter Island, both of which are administered as national parks. The Juan Fernandez islands are located about 670 km off the Chilean coast, while Easter Island is situated 3700 km distant.

Chile has many different climates because of its vast continental territory. They range from hot and dry regions in the north to cool and damp regions in the south. The Central Valley has a very temperate climate, with fertile lands.

Politically, Chile is divided in 12 regions, including the Antarctic territory, and the metropolitan region. The majority of Chiles population is mestizo, a result of frequent intermarriage between early Spanish settlers and indigenous inhabitants. Many Chileans are also of German, Italian, Irish, British, or Yugoslav ancestry. Three small indigenous groups are still distinguishable, the Araucanians of central Chile, the Changos of north Chile, and the Fuegians of Tierra del Fuego. Chile is predominantly urban, with more than a third of the total population concentrated in and around Santiago and Vina Del Mar. Nearly 90% of the people are at least nominally Roman Catholic. Spanish is the countrys official language.

Chiles economy is based on the export of minerals, which account for about half of the total value of exports. Copper is the nations most valuable resource, and ...