Welcome to the World      

      Search | Sitemap | Advertise |Text Version

Full country name: Republic of Chile
Area: 756,950 sq km (292,500 sq mi)
Population: 15 million (growth rate 1.2%)
Capital city: Santiago (pop 5,000,000)
People: 90% mestizo, 5% Indians, 5% European descent
Language: Spanish and a handful of native languages, including Aymara, Mapuche and Rapa Nui
Religion: 89% Roman Catholic, 10% Protestant, less than 1% Jewish
Government: Republic
President: Ricardo Lagos

GDP: US$184 billion
GDP per head: US$12,500
Annual growth: 3.5%
Inflation: 4.5%
Major industries: Copper, fishmeal, wine
Major trading partners: USA, Japan, Germany, UK

Events

The Easter and Christmas 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.

Traveling Guidelines

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.
Health risks: Cholera
Time: GMT/UTC minus 4 hours
Electricity: 220V, 50 Hz
Weights & measures: Metric

Ideal time to visit

Chile's geographical variety can make a visit rewarding in any season. Santiago and Middle Chile are best in the verdant spring (September through November) or during the fall harvest (late February into April), while popular natural attractions like Parque Nacional del Paine in Magallanes and the lakes region are best in summer (December through March).

Conversely, Chilean ski resorts draw many foreigners during the northern summer (June through August). Easter Island is cooler, slightly cheaper and much less crowded outside the summer months. The same is true of the Juan Fernandez archipelago, which can be inaccessible if winter rains erode the dirt airstrip; March is an ideal time for a visit.