Chile Overview, Profile and Information

Chile

Chile: Beautiful Andean Country with Rich History

Chile with its Capital at Santiago is home to many famous cities such as Arica, Concepcion, Puerto Montt, and important Chilean port city of Valparaiso, which is also an important cultural centre. Chile has a rich past that dates back to the Incan civilization in the north and also Spanish conquest that was finally ended in 1818 war. Chile also has large reserves of Copper that is exported worldwide from the famous Chilean city of Chuquicamata.

Chile also has faced less number of military dictatorships the most brutal being that of Augusto Pinochet, which began in 1973 and lasted until 1988. In 2006 Michelle Bachelet became the first woman president of this coastal country through which most part of the Andes Mountains runs through.

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Geoghraphy and Climate of Chile:
Chile is sandwiched between the Andes Mountains on its west and the Pacific Ocean to its east. The country stretches only 430 Kms laterally at its widest point but over 4,630 kms vertically. The highpoint of the Andes is the more than fifty active volcanoes it contains. Chilean landscape presents many contrasting views like the extremely dry Atacama desert to the north while the south Chile region terminates in the Chilean Patagonia after negotiating the archipelagic maze.

Climatically the northern Atacama region is dry and hot, the south showcases Alpine scenery while the rest of Chile has a cool temperate climate. The climatic diversity of Chile is further visible from the fact that there are at least seven sub-climatic types in Chile.

Culture and Economy of Chile:
Chilean culture reflects Andean, Mapuche and Spanish cultural traits. Northern Chile was largely dominated by Andean culture, particularly of the Inca’s, while middle and southern Chile reflects Mapuche cultures. Later in the 16th Century Spanish conquerors colonised Chile and Spanish cultural elements are reflected in every aspect in the lives of Chileans, the most prominent being their language, which is Spanish. Remants of German tradition can be found out in the southern Chilean cities of Valdivia and Puerto Montt.

Chileans are a music loving people and popular folk music includes the Mapuche while popular dances are the Cueca and the Tonda. Football or Soccer is the most popular Chilean sport and Chile even hosted the 1962 Football World Cup and has reached four finals of the Copa America Football tournament. However, Chile has achieved the highest success in tennis and famous Chilean tennis names include Marcelo Rios, Fernando Gonzalez among others.

Chile has a robust economy on account of which it enjoys a high per capita income of $ 12,700. The country has also signed number of Free Trade Agreements (FTA’s) with several countries like India and China that has boosted its exports that principally comprise of Copper among others. The main export markets for Chile are the Americas, Asia and Europe.

Travel to Chile:
Chile is a popular tourist destination for an estimated 2 million tourists who visit Chile annually from not only the adjoining countries but, the world over. Chile offers many contrasting and exciting attractions like the San Pedro de Atacama in the north, which is admired for its ancient Incaic architectire. Then there is the scenic Chungara Lake in Putre apart from the Parinacota and Pomerape volcanoes that tower above 6,000 m each. The Laguna San Rafael National park, the Chiloe Archipelago and Patagonia are the major southern tourist attractions.

The Top Tourist Attractions in Chile include:

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