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About Chile and the capital, Santiago

The national flag of Chile	Borderline map of Chile
Flag description: two equal horizontal bands of white (top) and red; a blue square the same height as the white band at the hoist-side end of the white band; the square bears a white five-pointed star in the center representing a guide to progress and honor; blue symbolizes the sky, white is for the snow-covered Andes, and red represents the blood spilled to achieve independence. Note: design was influenced by the US flag.	Border length: total: 7,801 km. Border countries (total: 3): Argentina 6,691 km, Bolivia 942 km, Peru 168 km.

About Santiago

Santiago, one of South America’s most sophisticated cities, is a thriving metropolis that’s home to five million people, or nearly a third of Chile’s entire population. Though it ranks third behind Miami and Sao Paulo for Latin American business travel, it is one of Chile’s least popular tourist destinations, given the number of travelers who use Santiago only as a jumping-off point to locations such as Patagonia or the Lake District. You won’t find the rich, vibrant culture that defines such cities as Rio de Janeiro or Buenos Aires or a wealth of things to do and see either. But that said, as the city booms economically and memories of the stifling Pinochet dictatorship fade, Santiago is reinventing itself. The arts, nightlife, and restaurant scenes have improved considerably as of late. As well, no other Latin American city has the proximity that Santiago has to such a diverse array of day attractions, including wineries, ski resorts, and beaches.

Santiago also boasts a one-of-a-kind location sprawled below some of the highest peaks of the Andes range, providing a breathtaking city backdrop when the air is clear, and the mountains dusted with snow. Unfortunately, smog and dust particles in the air often shroud the view, especially during the winter months. From December to late February, when Santiaguinos abandon the city for summer vacation and the city is blessed with breezier days, the smog abates substantially. These are the most pleasant months to tour Santiago.

Architecturally, Santiago’s city planners have shown indifference to the continuity of design during the last century. Rather than look within for a style of their own, Chileans have instead copied the architecture of other continents: first Europe and now the U.S. Earthquakes and neglect eradicated most of Santiago’s colonial-era buildings decades ago, and what 19-century architecture remains is in danger of demolition to make way for yet another glitzy skyscraper or one of the ubiquitous and monotonous apartment buildings so popular with residents here.

Did you know about Chile?

• Chile freed from Spanish rule in 1818, largely through the efforts of José de San Martín, leader of the Army of the Andes.
• Chile’s Atacama Desert is the driest place on Earth.
• Oddly shaped Chile is 2,610 miles (4,200km) long and only 112 miles (180km) wide. This elongated country has a hot desert in the north, glaciers in the south, and a Mediterranean-style climate in the center.

Chile is a long, narrow ribbon of a country on the western side of South America. It extends from Peru in the north right down to Cape Horn on the southern tip of Tierra del Fuego. The dominant topographical feature is the Andes mountain chain in the east, which runs the whole length of the country. The highest peaks are in the northern half of the country, and many are active volcanoes. A second, lower range of coastal mountains extends from north to south along the coast.

The two ranges are linked in the north by mountains running transversely from west to east to form a region of peaks and plateaux. This extremely arid land is occupied by the Atacama Desert. One of the world’s driest places, the Atacama Desert is also rich in mineral resources.

South of the Atacama Desert lies a fertile, central valley, where grapes, tomatoes, apples, maize, sugar beet, wheat, potatoes, and other vegetables grown. There is a significant winemaking industry in this region. Farther south, a region of forests gives way to steppe-like grasslands.

Facts of Chile (CI)

Name conventional long form: Republic of Chile, conventional short form: Chile, local long form: Republica de Chile, local short form: Chile, etymology: derivation of the name is unclear, but it may come from the Mapuche word “chilli” meaning “limit of the earth” or from the Quechua “chiri” meaning “cold”
Codes: ISO; CI, Internet; .cl
Capital city: Santiago
Language(s): Spanish 99.5% (official language), English 10.2%, indigenous 1% (includes Mapudungun, Aymara, Quechua, Rapa Nui), other 2.3%, unspecified 0.2%. Note: shares sum to more than 100% because some respondents gave more than one answer on the census (2012 estimate)
National holiday(s): Independence Day, 18 September (1810)
Motto: Por la razón o la fuerza (By right or might)
Currency: Chilean peso (CLP), since 1975
GPS: 30 00 S, 71 00 W, Santiago; 33 27 S 70 40 W
Location: Southern South America, bordering the South Pacific Ocean, between Argentina and Peru
Geography note: the longest north-south trending country in the world, extending across 39 degrees of latitude; strategic location relative to sea lanes between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans (Strait of Magellan, Beagle Channel, Drake Passage); Atacama Desert – the driest desert in the world – spreads across the northern part of the country; the crater lake of Ojos del Salado is the world’s highest lake (at 6,390 m)
Land boundaries: Argentina 6,691 km, Bolivia 942 km, Peru 168 km, total: 7,801 km
Maritime boundaries: N/A
Coastline: 6,435 km
Area: total: 756,102 sq km; land: 743,812 sq km, water: 12,290 sq km (total 291 932,49 mi2), slightly smaller than twice the size of Montana.
Roadways: total: 77,764 km, paved: 18,119 km (includes 2,387 km of expressways), unpaved: 59,645 km (2010)
Waterways: N/A
Local time (capital): UTC-3, 2 hours ahead of Washington DC during Standard Time
Note to the local time: N/A
Population in Chile: 18 197 209
Population in Santiago: 5 333 100 (including the metropolitan areas)
Urbanization: urban population: 89.5% of total population (2015)
Major urban areas population: SANTIAGO (capital) 6.507 million; Valparaiso 907,000; Concepcion 816,000 (2015)
Population growth rate: 0.8% (2016 estimate)
Birth rate: 13.7 births / 1,000 population (2016 estimate)
Death rate: 6.1 deaths / 1,000 population (2016 estimate)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 20.27% (male 1,825,115 / female 1,751,977) 15-24 years: 15.45% (male 1,391,522 / female 1,335,933) 25-54 years: 43.17% (male 3,804,037 / female 3,816,114) 55-64 years: 10.6% (male 880,014 / female 990,969) 65 years and over: 10.51% (male 776,340 / female 1,078,093) (2016 estimate)
Median age: total: 34 years; male: 32.9 years, female: 35.2 years (2016 estimate)
Ethnic groups: white and non-indigenous 88.9%, Mapuche 9.1%, Aymara 0.7%, other indigenous groups 1% (includes Rapa Nui, Likan Antai, Quechua, Colla, Diaguita, Kawesqar, Yagan or Yamana), unspecified 0.3% (2012 estimate)
Religions: Roman Catholic 66.7%, Evangelical or Protestant 16.4%, Jehovah’s Witnesses 1%, other 3.4%, none 11.5%, unspecified 1.1% (2012 estimate)
Government type: Unitary presidential constitutional republic
Legal system: civil law system influenced by several West European civil legal systems; judicial review of legislative acts by the Constitutional Tribunal
National anthem: Himno nacional de Chile
Known national hazards: severe earthquakes; active volcanism; tsunamisvolcanism: significant volcanic activity due to more than three-dozen active volcanoes along the Andes Mountains; Lascar (elev. 5,592 m), which last erupted in 2007, is the most active volcano in the northern Chilean Andes; Llaima (elev. 3,125 m) in central Chile, which last erupted in 2009, is another of the country’s most active; Chaiten’s 2008 eruption forced major evacuations; other notable historically active volcanoes include Cerro Hudson, Calbuco, Copahue, Guallatiri, Llullaillaco, Nevados de Chillan, Puyehue, San Pedro, and Villarrica
Major infectious diseases: N/A
Land use: agricultural land: 21.1%; arable land 1.7%; permanent crops 0.6%; permanent pasture 18.8%; forest: 21.9%; other: 57% (2011 estimate)
Agricultural products: grapes, apples, pears, onions, wheat, corn, oats, peaches, garlic, asparagus, beans; beef, poultry, wool; fish; timber
Industries: copper, lithium, other minerals, foodstuffs, fish processing, iron and steel, wood and wood products, transport equipment, cement, textiles
Export commodities: copper, fruit, fish products, paper and pulp, chemicals, wine
Main export partners: China 26.3%, US 13.2%, Japan 8.5%, South Korea 6.5%, Brazil 4.9% (2015)
Import commodities: petroleum and petroleum products, chemicals, electrical and telecommunications equipment, industrial machinery, vehicles, natural gas
Main import partners: China 23.4%, US 18.8%, Brazil 7.8%, Argentina 4% (2015)

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