Where is Chile?

Chile: Overview

• Population: 19,068,597 (March 2020) [1] 
• Capital: Santiago 
• Language: Spanish  
• Bordering Countries: Peru, Bolivia, Argentina     
• Land Area: 292,183 square miles (756,950 square km) [2]
• Coastline: 6,435km (3,998 miles)  
• Highest Point: Nevado Ojos del Salado at 6,880m   
• Latitude & Longitude: 35.6751 Degrees South, 71.5430 Degrees West  

Important Sites

  Chile has 6 UNESCO World Heritage Sites, all of which are cultural. It also has 17 sites that have been considered for nomination. The following are the current UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Chile  

• Churches of Chiloe (2000)
• Historic Quarter of the Seaport City of Valparaiso (2003)
• Humberstone and Santa Laura Saltpeter Works (2005)
• Qhapaq Nan, Andean Road System (2014)
• Rapa Nui National Park (1995)
• Sewell Mining Town (2006)

Sites listed for consideration include La Moneda Palace, San Pedro de Atacama, and Torres del Paine National Park. You can see the full details of Chile UNESCO information here. 

Transport Systems

  The main transport method in Chile is the roads. Chile used to have an extensive rail network, but this has largely been abandoned. Due to its irregular shape and immense distance between major cities (as seen on the above map of Chile), air travel is also highly important.  

Roads – Chilean roads are mainly highways and freeways. There are 79km of highways that connect major cities. It is important to note that central Chile is not connected by road to the southern part of the country – you can see this on the above Chile Map. Freeways are smaller roads that connect regional and local areas.

Chile has hundreds of airports that are used to make travel possible between the northern, central, and southern regions of the country. The main international airport is located in Santiago and accommodates over 2.4 million passengers per year. Other notable airports include Punta Arenas, Puerto Montt, and Antofagasta.

Famous Tourist Attractions

 Chile is quickly becoming a popular tourist destination. It draws explorers and adventurers from around the world who want to delve into its breathtaking landscapes and rich cultural heritage. Cities like Santiago and Valparaiso are fantastic places to visit, whilst Chile also has a host of gorgeous national parks. The following are famous tourist attractions in Chile [5]:   

• Atacama Desert
• Easter Island
• City of Santiago
• Valparaiso
• Torres Del Paine National Park
• Lauca National Park
• Valle Nevado
• Mylodon Cave Natural Monument
• Cochamo Valley

 The Torres Del Paine National Park and Patagonia draw thousands of tourists and those who love hiking and the outdoors. Locations like Santiago and Chiloe Island also cater to those who love culture and history.

Currency

 The official currency of Chile is the Chilean peso. The main unit of currency is 1 Peso, and the subunit is 100 centavos. Issued banknotes include 1000, 2000, 5000, 10000, and 20000 pesos. Coins are issued too, but these are not often used – coins include 1, 5, 10, 50, 100, and 500 pesos – there are no centavos coins or notes.   The Peso was first introduced in the 1800s and has remained the national currency of Chile since (except between 1960-1975 where the Escudo was used). The Banco Central de Chile is responsible for inflation, interest rates, and the issue of the Chilean Peso.      

Political System & Economy

 Chile is classed as a representative democratic republic – the president of Chile is both the Head of State and the Head of Government. The government is formed via a multi-party system and general elections. Government powers are split into three main sections:  

• Executive Power: President & Cabinet
• Legislative Power: Cabinet & National Congress
• Judicial Power – Independent Judiciary

The current constitution was formed in 1981 by dictator Augusto Pinochet and has since been revised to reflect modern society.

The administration of Chile is primarily split into 16 regions. The regions of Chile are divided into 56 provinces, which are then further divided into 346 individual communes. Regional governments are led by an intendant who is chosen by the President.    In terms of economy, Chile is highly developed – it has a stable economy, and is considered to be high-income. It has a relatively low unemployment rate for South America of less than 7%. Moreover, it has a high HDI of 0.847. The main industries and services of Chile include:  

• Agriculture
• Forestry
• Wine
• Mining
• Services
• Tourism

Copper mining is extremely important, as is salmon fishing, and the Chilean forestry industry which exports Radiata Pine, and Eucalyptus.

Geography

 Due to its extreme length, and long, narrow borders, the geography of Chile is diverse. In the southern regions, you can find snow-capped mountains and the rugged terrain of Patagonia, leading to Antarctica.

Alternatively, Chile also has expanses of desert – such as the Atacama region and Norte Grande.

Chile also has land located on three separate continents. Easter Island, in the Pacific Ocean, is located in Oceana. The main part of the country is located in South America, but Chile also has territory in Antarctica. Its diverse landscape includes the epic Andes mountains, stunning glaciers, active volcanoes and more.  

Sources

1. https://www.worldometers.info/world-population/chile-population/
2. https://www.worldatlas.com/webimage/countrys/samerica/chile/cllandst.htm
3. https://whc.unesco.org/en/statesparties/cl
4. https://news.southamerica.travel/what-is-chile-famous-for
5. https://www.planetware.com/tourist-attractions/chile-chi.htm

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