Chile A General Overview Chile Table of Contents Page 3. Introduction Page 4-5. Fast Facts Page 6. Suggested Reading Page 7. Geography Page 8. Climate Page 9. Early History Page 10 . Only in Chile Page 11-14 . Primary Attractions Chile Introduction Chile is truly one of the most remarkable places on Earth.. A land of extremes and superlatives, this sliver of a country on the western edge of South America – 4,300 kilometers (2666 mi) long, but only 177 kilometers (110 mi) wide – is home to both the world’s driest desert and rainiest place. From snow-capped volcanoes and icy fjords to sunny beaches, fertile vineyards and underwater caves, almost every type of scenery is available here. Choosing just a few of Chile’s attractions can be difficult, but once travelers pinpoint their top options, they are seldom disappointed. In each of Chile’s main geographic zones – the North’s Desert & Altiplano, the Central Valley & Santiago, the South’s Rivers, Lakes & Volcanoes, Patagonia & Antarctica, and Chile’s Islands – its friendly people, top notch accommodations and dining, and wealth of recreational opportunities, make Chile a must-see destination. Chile appeals to a truly diverse range of travelers. Adventure seekers come to Chile to explore its high mountain peaks, desolate northern landscapes and glacier-filled bays. Esoteric tours featuring fascinating history, archaeological ruins and superior astronomical viewing sites attract geo-tourists from far and wide. The country’s reputation for fine wines and delicious cuisine, welcoming atmosphere and splendid array of natural and cultural attractions means there’s something for virtually everyone to enjoy. Chile’s seasons are opposite to those of North America. A couple of months after the ski season ends in North America, Chile’s world class ski areas are open for business. During the Northern Hemisphere’s cold and dark winter months, Chile’s beaches are warm and inviting. Chile Fast Facts • Official Name : Republic of Chile • Capital : Santiago • Population : 16,284,741 (July 2007 estimate). About one third of Chile’s residents live in greater Santiago. This means vast tracts of scarcely touched wilderness and plenty of solitude for those seeking a true escapist experience. • Area : 756,945 sq. km. (302,778 sq. mi.) • Ethnic Make-up : Predominantly mestizos and Europeans, with a notable Amerindian minority. The main groups are the Mapuche of the south (numbering around 300,000) and the Aymara in the north (around 40,000). • Language : Spanish. In the Lake District, many Mapuches speak Mapudungun, and in the north, Aymara is spoken by some indigenous groups. • Religion : Predominantly Christian (Roman Catholic, Protestant); Mapuches celebrate their own shamanic spirituality and perform sacred fertility rites within the community. • Agricultural Products : Wheat, corn, grapes, beans, sugar beets, potatoes, fruit, beef, poultry, wool, fish, timber. • Primary Industries : Copper, other minerals, foodstuffs, fish processing, iron and steel, wood and wood products, transport equipment, cement, textiles. • Voltage Requirements : 220 volts. Electrical sockets have two openings for tubular pins, not flat prongs, so you’ll need a plug adapter. • Time Difference : From the end of October to late March, Chile observes Daylight Savings Time and is three hours behind GMT (Greenwich Mean Time). The country is four hours behind GMT the rest of the year. • Business Hours : Banks are open Monday through Friday from 9am to 2pm, and are closed on Saturday and Sunday. • Currency : Chilean Peso; bank notes are for 500; 1,000; 2,000; 5,000; 10,000 and 20,000 • pesos. It is often difficult to change the latter two, especially in small villages. • Money Exchange : Available at any established “Casa de Cambio” at market driven exchange rates. Avoid black market exchange rates. The current U.S. dollar exchange rate (Fall 2007) is 514 pesos to one USD. Chile Fast Facts • Tipping : Customary in Chilean restaurants at a rate of 10%. Hotel tipping is discretionary, and tipping cab drivers is uncommon. • Credit Cards : All major credit cards are widely accepted. Travelers’ checks are least widely accepted and fetch the lowest exchange rates. The simplest and most efficient way to carry and change money is with a debit or ATM card. ATM machines normally give better rates than banks or money changers, and charge no commission. Only ATMs in larger cities will be compatible with international debit systems like Plus or Cirrus. • Vaccinations : International Certificate of Vaccination for Yellow Fever is required if arriving from an infected area within 5 days. No other vaccination is required to enter Chile. Emergencies : For a police emergency call 133, or to request an ambulance, dial 131. Police officers wear olive green uniforms. • Internet : No matter where you are in Chile, chances are there is an Internet station, either in a cafe or at local telephone centers, Telefonica or Entel. Most hotels have their own Internet service. • Drinking Age : Legal drinking age is 18. Alcohol is sold daily except during elections. • Safety : Santiago is probably the safest major city in South America. Serious violent crime is not unheard of, but is uncommon. A visitor’s principal safety concern will be pickpockets. • Entry Requirements U.S. or Canadian Passport must be valid for 3 months beyond intended stay. Must have tickets and documents for return or onward travel. No visa required for stay of up to three months (90-day extension possible). Passengers arriving by plane are charged a reciprocity fee of US$100 for Americans – or US$132 for Canadians – upon landing, payable in U.S. currency or by credit card. This one-time charge is good for the duration of your passport. When entering Chile (via cruise, vehicle or plane) and crossing customs, visitors need to fill out a tourist card that allows them to stay for 90 days. This tourist card must be shown to customs when leaving the country as well,so be sure not to lose it. Hotels waive Chile’s 18% sales tax (applicable to room charges) when the guest shows this card and pays with U.S. dollars. On flights leaving Chile, there is an airport tax of US$18 or its equivalent in Chilean Pesos. On domestic flights, the airport tax is included in the airline ticket. Suggested Books & Guides • Chilean Scrapbook , Stephen Clissold • My Native Land , Augustin Edwards • Chile: A Geographic Extravanganza , Benjamin Subercaseaux • Chile, Including Easter Island , Wayne Bernhardson – Moon Handbooks • Chile & Easter Island , Carolyn Hubbard, Brigitte Barta & Jeff Davis – Lonely Planet Publications • Chile Handbook , Tobey Green – Footprint Handbooks • Chile Experience Travel Guide , Josh Howell – Turiscom publishing • Travels in a Thin Country , Sara Weller – Abacus/ Modern Library • In Patagonia , Bruce Chatwin • Chile and Argentina: The Bradt Trekking Guide , Tim Burford – Bradt Travel Guides • Desert Memories , Ariel Dorfman – National Geographic • Chasing Che , Patrick Symmes – Robinson/ Vintage Books • The Motorcycle Diaries , Che Guevara – • Fourth Estate/Verso Books • Voyage of the Beagle , Charles Darwin – Penguin/ Wordsworth Editions Ltd • A History of Chile, 1801-1994 , Simon Collier and William Sater – Cambridge UP • News from the End of the Earth: A Portrait of Chile, John Hickman – Hurst & Co./St Martin’s Press • My Invented Country – A Nostalgic Journey Through Chile , Isabel Allende – Harper Collins • Twenty Love Poems and a Song of Dispair , Pablo Neruda – Jonathan Cape/Penguin • Memoirs , Pablo Neruda – Penguin • Curfew , Jose Donoso – Picador/Grove Atlantic • The Name of a Bullfighter , Luis Sepúlveda – Allison & Busby Ltd • The Selected Poetry of Vicente Huidobro , Vicente Huidobro – W.W. Norton & Co./New Directions • Selected Poems , Gabriela Mistral – Johns Hopkins UP Geography • Chile offers a kaleidoscope of panoramas and settings. Surprises in this overawing, varied and pure geography, range from the Atacama Desert – the world’s driest – in the north to the fertile farmland of the central valley , and the lakes, forests and volcanoes of the south to the glaciers of Patagonia and Antarctica . Towering above all this and running the entire length of Chile is the long, serrated spine of the Andes , dotted with colossal peaks and smoldering volcanoes. • Chile is a long, narrow country stretching 4,265 km (2666 mi) north to south, but averaging only 177 km (110 mi) wide. The country occupies more than half of the western coast of South America and borders Peru on the north, and Argentina and Bolivia to the east. The Andes Mountains run the entire length of Chile. At 756,950 square kilometers (292,240 square miles), • Chile is the world’s 38th-largest country. It is comparable in size to Turkey, and is about twice the size of Norway. Climate Chile’s climate varies widely from subtropical in the north, through the most arid desert in the world, the Atacama Desert, then a fertile valley in the center, to a cold and damp south, originally covered by forest. Because Chile lies south of the equator, the seasons are opposite to those in North America. January and February are the hottest months, July and August the coldest. For North Americans, this means visitors can ski in summer and go to the beach in winter. Chile can be visited year round, but certain destinations are best visited while their temperatures are mildest. When thinking of Chile’s seasons, imagine the Pacific Coast of North America in reverse. Arid northern Chile resembles Baja California, central Chile has a Mediterranean climate like the state of California, and southern Chile is like the Pacific Northwest of Oregon, Washington and southern British Columbia and the Alaskan Panhandle. • Santiago has a Mediterranean climate with distinctive seasons. Santiago and central Chile are best in Chile’s spring (September – November) when conditions contribute to the blossoming green color of the local vegetation. Other prime times to visit are in summer (December and January) or during the fall harvest (February into April).