Map
Summary Data
| summary data |
|
| Total Area (km2) |
756,950 |
| Land (km2) |
748,800 |
| Water (km2) |
8,150 |
| Population |
16,454,143 |
| Population Density (/km2) |
22 |
| Capital |
Santiago |
| Religion (%) |
Roman Catholic 70%
Evangelical 15.1%
Jehovah's Witness 1.1%
Other Christian 1%
Other 4.6%
None 8.3% |
| Time |
GMT -4 |
| Climate |
Temperate: desert in the north,
Mediterranean in the central regions,
and cool and damp in the south. |
Source: CIA World Factbook
Geography
Located in the south western part of South America, Chile is a
long, thin strip of land that borders the Pacific Ocean to the
west, Argentina to the east and Peru and Bolivia to the north and
north east. Added to the main landmass in the Latin American
continent Chile also owns Easter Island, a Polynesian island in the
Pacific Ocean, and 1.25 million square kilometres of territory in
Antarctica. The Atacama desert occupies the north of Chile whilst
the middle consists of the relatively small Central valley with a
Mediterranean climate which is the reason for the high percentage
of population in the area and thriving agriculture. Southern Chile
is more luscious with forests, lakes and some volcanoes, broken up
by canals, inlets and islands.
Government
The government of Chile is a democratic republic, having
successfully conducted four fair and non-corrupt presidential
elections following the fall of the dictator, Pinochet. Michelle
Bachelet Jeria is the president and head of government, elected in
March 2006 for a single four-year term as is the tradition.
Language
Spanish is the official language, with Mapudung, German and
English also spoken.
Electricity
220V 50Hz. Plugs are of the round, two pin variety.
Passports/Visa
Visas
Visas are not required for nationals of the UK, Australia, the
USA and the EU, except for Greece and Romania. American, Canadian
and Australian nationals entering Chile for tourist purposes will
be charged a processing fee. Return or ongoing tickets are required
by all.
Passport/Visa Information
12 Devonshire Street
London
W1G 7DS
Tel: 020 7580 6392
Fax: 020 7436 5204
Airports and Airlines
Comodoro Arturo Merino Benitez
International Airport (Santiago) (SCL)
- Location: Santiago
- Time: GMT -4
- Contacts: Help Desk: (56 – 2) 690 17 52
- Transfer to the city: There are bus, minibus
and taxi services running from the airport
- Car rental: Rental companies are based at the
airport.
- Facilities: Holiday Inn hotel, food courts,
duty free shopping, cafes and restaurants, ATMs.
- Parking: Parking is available.
- Website:
www.aeropuertosantiago.cl/english/index.php
Standard of Living
Chile offers a high standard of living: infrastructure is
first-class in the capital, Santiago, with good roads and extensive
public transport systems and a top level health care system. Over a
third of the country's population reside in the city. It is not
unusual for good properties in larger urban areas to have a
swimming pool and maid's quarters. Modern daily life is similar to
that in other developed countries, with modern conveniences just as
available. Chile ranked eleventh in terms of the country's degree
of economic freedom according to the 2007 Index of Economic Freedom
published by the Heritage Foundation and the Wall Street
Journal.
Principal commercial centres and towns
Santiago is the capital and the largest conurbation in the
country.
| population by city/town 2007 |
|
| Santiago |
5,428,590 |
| Concepcion |
889,725 |
| Vina Del Mar |
286,931 |
| Valparaiso |
263,499 |
Souce: Wikipedia
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