Environment

Making up the left-hand side of South America's tapering tail, Chile's lean strip has been described by author Benjamín Subercaseaux as an extravaganza of "crazy geography". It extends some 4300km from the desert north to the glacial south, is bordered by the Pacific Ocean on the west and shuttered by the Andes on the east. Chile shares most of its extensive eastern border with Argentina, and borders Peru and Bolivia in the north. Rarely extending beyond 200km in width, Chile makes up for longitudinal mincing by rising rapidly from sea level to 6000m while the country's latitudinal extremes give it a formidable array of landscapes. Snow-capped volcanoes plunge to river canyons; the Great North, where some weather stations have never recorded rainfall, is counterpoint to storm and snow prone Patagonia; and Chile's rezoned and sculpted coastline has endowed it with beaches and bays perfect for fishing and swimming. Chile also lays claim to the offshore territories of Easter Island (3700km west), Juan Fernández (700km west) and half of the southern island of Tierra del Fuego (which it shares with Argentina).

Culture and Folklore

Chile has supported great literary and cultural figures, and is unique among Latin American countries, in that two Nobel Prizes for Literature have been awarded to Chileans: Gabriel Mistral (1945) and Pablo Neruda (1971), both poets. Other important figures include Vicente Huidobro, founder of 'Creationism'; Nicador Parra, creator of 'Antipoetry'; Roberto Matta and Claudio Bravo among painters; Claudio Arrau and Roberto Bravo in music, all occupying an important place in the contemporary history of Chilean arts. Galleries and national museums can be found in Santiago, the Museo de Bellas Artes being the most important, and includes the Museo de Arte Contemporáneo. Other galleries include three exposition rooms in the beautiful Plaza Mulato Gil de Castro, Enrico Bucci and one exposition in the Galería Azul de la Bibloteca Nacional. In the Bellavista area you will find the El Cerro, la Fachada and Los Arcos galleries, among others. National folklore is based in music, dance, costumes and food, and is the inheritance of a Spanish, Chilean and indigenous mix. The primary musical instruments are wind and percussion instruments used by the indigenous people. Without a doubt, the guitar, was the most popular instrument among the Spanish.

The oldest forms of Chilean dance are ceremonial, which are collective and ritualistic, in which some animal is imitated to absorb the qualities or to facilitate its hunt. The dances from the northern parts of the country are designed to thank and celebrate the Virgin. Among the important festivals of the Great North is that of the town of La Tirana. Between 12-18 July each year, around 100 000 people descend upon the town to pay homage to the Virgin del Carmen, Chile's patron saint, with dances and songs which are performed by skillful dancers in colorful costumes and with masks which originated in the anti-plains.
The typical national dance is the cueca, which is eminently rural, but is danced in all parts of the country, although with choreographic variations. The cueca represents the chase of the rooster for the hen, the courting of couple or a huasco's (Chilean cowboy) intent to capture a fair maiden. Men and women dance waving their scarves to the song and instruments such as the guitar, the harp and the accordion are used. Artesian work which is made in Chile are of ceramic with indigenous and Spanish influences; weavings, wicker works, basket work, straw and horse main plaiting; works in volcanic stone, pink stone, wood or bone and leather from the farms. Pomaire, Doñihue, Quinchamalí, Rari, La Ligua, are some towns which live exclusively from artesian creations. Typically Chilean food features goods offered by the endowments of the land and the sea. One of the most typical plates is pastel de choclo (corn), served in individual terracotta bowls. Casseroles of meat or chicken and choice beans; and the Chilean roast on a spit, are other popular dishes. Chile's long coast offers a great variety of sea products can be used to produce a tantalizing menu: from albacore or corvine in butter, to fried congrito or shellfish etc. With respect to pastries, first place is occupied by empanadas- oven baked or fried- which can be filled with meat or spicy onions, cheese or seafood.

Economic Profile
GDP: US$42 billion
World GDP ranking: 46th
GDP per head: US$3,074
Annual growth: 6.5%
Inflation: 8%
Major industries: copper, fishmeal, wine
Major trading partner: USA, Japan, Germany, UK

Economy

Today, Chile is the most solid economy in South America and is characterized as being stable, with clear norms and consistency, which favor trade and investment.
Due to its open economy, Chile contributes an interesting position in the international new order. It has rapidly adapted and is prepared to face challenges of the next century.
In recent years, the country has had uninterrupted growth, with an average rate of 7%. The gross domestic product per capita has experienced significant growth from US $1 438 in 1986, to US $4 700 in 1995. On the other hand, inflation has decreased from 27.3% in 1990 to 8.2% in 1995. All of this has allowed it to occupy a special position in global trade and capture large foreign investment flows in Latin America. Chilean foreign investment has risen to an accumulated amount of US $6 300 million which has materialized in diverse areas, among them, energy, industry, trade and services in particular.
Foreign trade is the motor and principal dynamic factor in the Chilean economy. Imports are charged a uniform tax of 11.5% and the type of exchange is unified, forming part of a strategic development which seeks to expand economic frontiers.
Chile is the number one copper producing nation, the largest exporter of grapes and second largest producer of salmon, fruits and fishing industry resources, as well as wine and forestry products. It is also an exporter of manufactured goods, services and its business experience gives the nation its letter of introduction.
Through politics which have promoted exports, national products have been able to arrive to all continents, being each time more competitive and with a large aggregate value.
Chile possesses great resource diversity such as: copper and other minerals in the north and central zones; petroleum in the south; forests in the south and central areas; arable lands in the central zone apt for both agriculture and livestock raising; and a rich variety of sea-life which extends the length of the coast. These are the numerous and attractive opportunities which Chile offers to investors from around the world.
Thanks to a network of Commercial Agreements, Complementary Economic Pacts and Associations with Mexico, Venezuela, Colombia, Argentina, Bolivia and Japan, the internationalization of Chile has been made possible, accessing the nation to the rest of the world.

Events

The Easter and Christmas religious holidays are the most important national celebrations, but there's a conglomeration of secular holidays in September, including Fiestas Patrias (mid-September), National Independence Day on the 18th (a day of spirited partying and rodeos); and Armed Forces Day on the 19th. Of the innumerable local cultural festivals, the mid-north town of Andacollo's Fiesta de la Virgin del Rosario is perhaps the weirdest. Drawing pilgrims every December from as far afield as Bolivia, Asian-inspired team dancing fringes a procession of the Virgin's image to a huge shrine. Horse racing and cock fighting provide ancillary entertainment for the crowds camped on surrounding hillsides.

Facts for the Travelers

Visas: Citizens of the USA, Canada, Australia and most Western European countries do not require a visa although US citizens do pay a US$20 levy; New Zealanders do need one. A 90-day entry permit, renewable for another 90 days, is received on entering the country.
Currency: peso (Ch$)
Exchange rate: US$1 = Ch$415
Relative costs:
Cheap meal: US$5
Restaurant meal: US$15
Cheap room: US$10
Hotel room: $US25
Time: UTC minus four hours
Electricity: 220V, 50 Hz
Weights & Measures: Metric, Kilo
Tourism: Estimated 1,000,000 visitors per year