Chile Travel Overview
Important facts
Capital: Santiago de Chile (See more on SIMPLYYELLOWPAGES.COM)
Official language: Spanish
Currency: Unidades de fomento
Continent: South-South America
Chile – from the driest desert in the world via Easter Island to the vastness of Patagonia
According to Countryaah, Chile is characterized by its north-south expansion, which is unique in the world, over several thousand kilometers and has a lot to offer in terms of landscape and culture.
Geography in Chile
Chile has a north-south extension of around 4,500 km along the west coast of South America. The east-west expansion is not even a tenth of that. Chile is bordered by the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, and Argentina and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. The topography of Chile is determined by the Andes (high cordillera), which are home to peaks up to 7,000 meters high and also volcanoes. The still active Villarrica volcano is one of the tourist attractions of Chile.
Due to its extreme north-south expansion, you can find almost all vegetation zones, plants and animals in Chile. Starting from the dry Atacama Desert (salt desert) in the north, fertile plateaus, fish-rich coasts and rainforests, but also steppe and glacier landscapes in Patagonia, geysers and moors on Tierra del Fuego.
Sightseeing in Chile
Santiago de Chile is the capital of Chile. 6 million people live here. Santiago is the undisputed center of Chile, even though the parliament meets in Valparaíso. In addition, Santiago de Chile is an important traffic junction and the economic and cultural center of Chile with universities, colleges, museums and monuments.
The port city of Viña del Mar (in English vineyard by the sea) is home to posh villas and lively beaches. Spends his vacation in the former health resort that can afford it in Chile. With shady parks, an open-air stage and Wilhelminian style palaces, Viña del Mar can score with the flair of European health resorts.
The port city of Valdivialies in the delta of the rivers Río Calle Calle and Rio Cruces. The city, which is heavily influenced by German immigrants, is worth a visit.
The Easter Island is famous for its monumental stone sculptures called moai, and since 1995 as Rapa Nui National Park UNESCO World Heritage Site.
In Chuquicamata we find the largest open copper mine in the world. Trucks take half a day to get from the very top to the bottom.
San Pedro de Atacamait houses the tourist center of the Atacama Desert, the driest desert in the world (salt desert). The landscape of the area is breathtaking. From here you can ride through moon-like landscapes in the moon valley, climb sand dunes, visit the geysers of El Tatio or float in the saturated water of salt lagoons.
The Conguillio National Park at the foot of the Llaima volcano is one of the most beautiful national parks in Chile, along with the Torres del Paine National Park. Ancient forests of Araucarien and crystal clear lakes offer time to relax and unwind.
The island of Chiloeis the second largest island in the country after the main island of Tierra del Fuego, is home to a national park and has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2000. In 2007 the American magazine National Geographic Traveler ranked 111 island paradises and placed Chiloé in third place.
Valparaíso (in German Paradiestal) is the cultural capital of Chile. The port is one of the most important in the country. The character of the city is as world famous and content of many literary, musical and artistic interpretations.
Puerto Montt is a port city in the south of Chile and the starting point for many tours in the lake region as well as cruises to Patagonia, Chiloé or the Laguna San Rafael.
Food and drink in Chile
Empanadas are one of the traditional dishes in Chile. Empanadas are filled dumplings. The filling contains stuffed cheese or meat, onions, eggs and olives. Alternatively, empanadas can be filled with seafood. T
he Chilean viticulture is famous far beyond the borders of South America. Unique climatic conditions with warm during the day and temperatures of less than 10 degrees on summer nights offer ideal growing conditions for powerful, complex wines. The world famous Chilean wine is grown in the Elquí Valley. Good red wine can also be found in the Rapel Valley and the Maipo Valley. If you are looking for white wine, you should go to Casablanca near the Pacific coast.
The national drink of Chile is the pisco, a grape brandy. The exclusive right to make a drink called pisco is claimed by both Chile and Peru and has been the subject of legal battles. As a pisco sour, it is a popular mixed drink (3 parts pisco, one part lime juice, sugar syrup and egg white, mixed with ice and strained in the glass, refined with Angostura bitter or cinnamon).
Important facts
Capital: Santiago de Chile
Official language: Spanish
Currency
Currency (sub-unit)
Unidades de fomento
ISO 4217 code
CLF / 990
Currency (sub-unit)
Peso (100 centavos)
ISO 4217 code
CLP / 152
Geography
Continent: South America
Region: south
Geo coordinates: S -35 ° -40 ‘-30.5 ” W -71 ° -32’ -34.7″
Highest mountain: Cerro Aconcagua (6,962 m)
Total area: 756,950 km²
Mainland: 748,800 km²
National border: 6,171 km
Coastline: 5,150 km
Politics
Dependency: Spain until 1810
UN member since: 1945
Other political affiliation: Organization of American States
Form of government: Presidential Republic
Houses of Parliament: bikameral
Party system: Multi-party system; Alliances
State building: centralized
Political culture: Subject culture
Particularities: binomial voting system
Economy
Export goods: Copper, saltpeter, iron ore
BSP: $ 104.997 billion
GDP: $ 113,992,000,000
GDP purchasing power parity: $ 202.4 billion
Economic growth: 5.8%
GDP share of agriculture: 6%
GDP share of industry: 49%
GDP share of services: 45%
Inflation rate: 3.7%
Unemployment: 7.8%
State budget revenue: $ 4294967295
State budget expenditure: $ 4294967295
National debt: 7.2%
Export: $ 46.820 billion
Import: $ 37,220,000,000
Foreign debt: $ 49.27 billion
Gold and currency reserves: $ 17,370,000,000
Electricity consumption: 50,670 million KWh
Gas reserves: 97,980 million m³
Gas production: 1,060 million m³
Gas consumption: 7,460 million m³
Oil reserves: 150 million m³
Oil production: 4,000 million m³
Oil consumption: 266,000 million m³
Cultivation area: 3.04%
Bovine: 3,860,000 pieces
Pigs: 3,340,000 pieces
Sheep: 4,037,000 pieces
Fishing: 3,260,000 t
Demographic data
Residents: 16.134.300
Residents in cities: 13,877,000
Minorities: Indigenous people: Mapuche, Aymara
Average age: 30.4 years
0-14 years: 24.7%
15-64 years: 67.1%
> 65 years: 8.2%
Population growth: 0.94%
Birth rate: 15.44 / 1,000 residents
Death rate: 5.81 / 1,000 residents
Ratio men / women: 0.98
Fertility: 2 children / wife
Infant mortality: 8.58 ‰
Life expectancy men: 73.49 years
Life expectancy women: 80.21 years
Country codes and abbreviations
ISO 3166 Alpha 2: CL
ISO 3166 Alpha 3: CHL
ISO 3166 numeric: 152
Top Level Domain: cl
IOC country code: CHI
UN / LOCODE: CL
Source: Abbreviationfinder
Communication
Telephone connections: 3,760,000
Cell Phones: 7,112,000
Radios: 6,224,000
TV: 4,540,000
Computer: 3,030,000
Internet users: 4,914,000
Transportation
Railway lines: 6,585 km
Paved roads: 17,931 km
of which expressways: 407 km
Cars: 1,434,000
Merchant fleet (ships over 1,000 GRT): 46
Pipelines: 5,072
Health
Number of doctors: 18,500
Daily food intake: 2.910 kcal / resident
HIV- infected people: 29,000
Education
Illiteracy: 3%
History
Foundation: 1810
Last sovereign since: 1810
Religion
Main religious group: Christians
Distribution of religions: 72% Catholics
Crime
Prison inmates: 34,400
Military
Armed forces (troop strength): 70,000
Main battle tank: 230
Battleships: 5
Submarines: 2
Warplanes: 80
Helicopter: 90
Defense Spending: $ 4,340,000,000