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This long narrow strip of land conquered the hearts of thousands of travelers from around the world. There is so much to see, from the driest desert in the north to the lush tropical valleys of the south and terrain of Antarctica, and from the long beaches and lively resorts of the Pacific Ocean to the high snow covered peaks, skiing resorts and great scenery of the Andes mountains. |
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| GEOGRAPHY |
Chile is situated in South America, bounded to the north by Peru, to the east by Bolivia and Argentina, to the west by the Pacific, and to the south by the Antarctic. The country exercises sovereignty over a number of islands off the coast, including the Juan Fernandez Islands and Easter Island. Chile is one of the most remarkably shaped countries in the world; a ribbon of land, 4200km (2610 miles) long and nowhere more than 180km (115 miles) wide.
The Andes and a coastal highland range take up one-third or half of the width in parts, and run parallel with each other from north to south.The coastal range forms high, sloped cliffs into the sea from the northern to the central area. Between the ranges runs a fertile valley, except in the north where transverse ranges join the two major ones, and in the far south where the sea has broken through the coastal range to form an assortment of archipelagos and channels.
The country contains wide variations of soil and vast differences of climate. This is reflected in the distribution of the population, and in the wide range of occupations from area to area. The northern part of the country consists mainly of the Atacama Desert, the driest in the world. It is also the main mining area. The central zone is predominantly agricultural. The south is forested and contains some agriculture; further south, the forests on the Atlantic side give way to rolling grassland on which sheep and cattle are raised. |
| MONEY EXCHANGE |
Currency: Chilean Peso (peso) = 100 centavos. Notes are in denominations of peso10,000, 5000, 1000 and 500. Coins are in denominations of peso100, 50, 10, 5 and 1.
Currency exchange: Foreign exchange transactions can be conducted through commercial banks, cambios, authorised shops, restaurants, hotels and clubs. Visitors should not be tempted by the premiums of 10-15% over the official rate offered by black marketeers. Cambios are open 0900-1900 daily.
Credit cards: Diners Club, Visa, American Express and MasterCard are accepted. Check with your credit card company for details of merchant acceptability and other services available.
Travellers cheques: Must be changed before noon except in cambios (which in any case tend to offer better rates than banks). There may be some difficulty exchanging travellers cheques outside major towns. To avoid additional exchange rate charges, travellers are advised to take travellers cheques in US Dollars.
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| PEOPLE |
Population: 14,300,000
Ethnic Composition: 95 percent European and European-Native American; 3 percent Native American; 2 percent other.
Religious Composition: 80 percent Roman Catholic; 19 percent Protestant; 1 percent Jewish.
Official Language: Spanish.
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| SHOPPING |
Special purchases include textiles such as colorful handwoven ponchos, vicuna rugs and copper work. Chilean stones such as lapis lazuli, jade, amethyst, agate and onyx are all good buys.
Business Hours Banks are open 9 AM9 PM MondayFriday.
Shops are open 10:00 AM 20:00 PM Monday and Friday and Saturday 10:00 AM14:00 PM.
Large shopping malls are open 1000-2100 Monday to Sunday.
Offices are open 8:30 AM12:30 PM and 26 PM MondayFriday.
Government offices are open 8:30 AM12:30 PM and 26 PM MondayFriday.
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| TAX |
Departure tax: US$18 for distances over 500km.
Tipping Taxi drivers expect a small tip (rounding off the fare is sufficient). Porters should be tipped 100200 pesos. The standard tip for hotel and restaurant staff is 10 percent of the bill.
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| HOLIDAYS & FESTIVITIES |
| Jan |
1 |
New
Year's Day |
| Apr |
Varies |
Good Friday |
| Varies |
Easter Monday |
| May |
1 |
Labour Day |
| 21 |
Navy Day. |
| Jun |
3 |
Corpus Christi |
| 29 |
St Peter and St Paul |
| Aug |
15 |
Assumption. |
| Sep |
18 |
Independence Day |
| 19 |
Army Day |
| Oct |
12 |
Columbus Day |
| Nov |
1 |
All Saint's Day |
| Dec |
8 |
Immaculate Conception |
| 25 |
Christmas |
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| COUNTRY ORIENTATION |
No tourist visa required for U.S. citizens. Enter the country with only a valid passport for a period up to 90 days.
The most obvious factor in Chile's remarkable slenderness is the massive, virtually impassable wall of the Andes, a mountain range that is still rising and that contains more than fifty active volcanic peaks. The western border is of course the Pacific Ocean, but it is a misconception to picture Chile as nothing more than the steep western slope of the Andean peaks. All along its length, Chile is marked by a narrow depression between the mountains and the sea. To the north, the land rises and becomes more arid, until it reaches the forbidding Atacama Desert, one of the most inhospitable regions on earth. To the south, just the opposite transformation takes place: the land falls away, and the region between mountains and ocean fades into the baffling archipelagic maze that terminates in Chilean Patagonia. Chile's southern extremity is marked by Cape Horn, a treacherous headland surrounded by almost continuously storm-tossed seas and passable only through the foggy stillness of the Strait of Magellan.
The center of the country, however, is a long and expansive river valley, a five hundred mile corridor occupied in the north by vineyards and great farms, and in the south by primeval forests and enchanting lakes. Santiago, the capital, anchors the northern and more prosperous section of the central valley. The lush Lake District to the south, however, is the homeland of Chile's indigenous peoples, the Araucanians.
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.
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| WEATHER |
The climate in Chile is varied because of the country's vast latitudinal range.
Northern Chile is almost entirely desert and extremely dry.
Rainfall increases to the south, and the climate is Mediterranean in the central region and around the capital, Santiago, where temperatures reach about 28C (82 F) in winter, occasionally falling below 0C, and about 10; C (50 F) in summer. Rain falls mainly in the winter months (May to July), and ranges from an annual total of 36 centimeters (14 inches) at Santiago to 127 centimeters (50 inches) at Concepcion.
Southern Chile is cooler, with rainfall year-round, reaching a maximum of about 508 centimeters (200 inches). The average annual temperature of Punta Arenas, in the far south, is about 6C (43 F). Cyclones and strong winds are common in the south. |
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