If you superimposed Chile on the Northern Hemisphere, it would extend from Mexico
City to Juneau, Alaska. It is a narrow ribbon of land, 110 miles wide and 2,610 miles
long, in the southwest corner of South America. Its total square mileage is slightly
larger than the state of Texas. The population is 14 million, with 40% of the
people living near the capital city, Santiago.
Chile's climate varies from one of the driest deserts in the world (the Atacama in
the north) to glaciers calving directly into the sea in the south.
The Andes are incredible! Picture a range of mountains taller than the Rockies (up
to 22,000 feet) and more than twice as long. Then place these towering peaks about
a
hundred miles away from the Pacific coastline in the north, and right at the coastline in
the south. In the middle of this range is a mystical district of lakes surrounded by
volcanic peaks. In the south is Patagonia, glaciers, and native old-growth forests.
Although no-one says no to a casual meander along its grand urban boulevards,
travelers are drawn to this string bean of a country because of its spectacular Pacific
coastline and Andean highlands, and because of the opportunities it offers for adventure
sports. Chile's distinctive culture has survived the violence and repression of its recent
history and is thriving once again thanks to a people noted for their warmth and
resilience. Despite having the most European community in South America, indigenous
traditions persist in the Andean foothills and in the southern plains, while some of South
America's finest national parks draw treks and guanaco spotters alike.
The base of this achievement is global economic integration, through a
political force promoting exports and the opening up of a free economy. In recent decades,
the vision and efforts of many Chileans have multiplied business opportunities as much
within the country, as well as outside the country.
The country has also undertaken important investments in infrastructure and up to the
minute technology. Today, Chile has highly specialized manual labor and developed food,
textile and manufacturing industries which include furniture, printing, medical teams and
supplies, and capital goods, among others.
