Chile is a country in South America, occupying a long and narrow coastal strip, wedged between the Andes and the Pacific Ocean. The Pacific forms the country's entire western border, with Peru to the north, Bolivia to the north-east, Argentina to the east and the Drake Passage at the country's southernmost tip. Chile stretches over 4,630km north to south, but only 430km at its widest point east to west. Thus it encompasses a remarkable variety of landscapes.

Chile controls Easter Island and the uninhabited Sala y Gómez Island, as well as the easternmost islands of Polynesia, which it incorporated into its territory in 1888. Robinson Crusoe Island, more than 600km from the mainland, in the Juan Fernández archipelago, belongs to Chile. Also controlled but uninhabited are the small islands of San Ambrosio and San Felix, these islands are notable because they extend Chile's claim to territorial waters out from its coast into the Pacific. Southern Chile is rich in forests and grazing lands and features a string of volcanoes and lakes. The southern coast is a labyrinth of fjords, inlets, canals, twisting peninsulas and islands. The Andes Mountains are located along the eastern border.

Official Tourism Body: Sernatur

EXCHANGE_RATE: 1 Euro = 789 Pesos
1 USD = 512 Pesos

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Chile enjoys a Mediterranean climate, particularly in the capital city, Santiago. The Atacama Desert in the north has very arid conditions. As one goes farther to the south the climate gets much colder. Remember that Chile's seasons are reversed to that of North American cities as Chile lies below the equator. Winter is during the months of June - August while summer is December - March. Summers in Santiago are usually hot and muggy, as influenced by the tepid ocean waters. Average summer temperatures are 7°C to 29°C. Spring and autumn are generally cool and comfortable. With average temperatures of 3°C to 23°C. Winters are generally cold.

Argentina - 4808-8600
Australia - 02-9299-2533
Bolivia - 591-279-7331
Brazil - 55-2552-5349
Canada - 604-681-9162
France - 01-4705-4661
Germany - 030-726-2035
Peru - 511-611-2211
UK - 207-436-5204
USA - 202-785-1746

Being a catholic country Chile celebrates the usual religious holidays such as Christmas and Easter, among others. Januray and February are very festive months with lots of celebrations going on all over the country including Semana Musical, a jazz festival in Frutillar, Carnaval in Putre and Noche de Valdvia.

The country code for Chile is 56, if you're dialling internationally from within Chile the access code is 00 followed by the country code, the region code and the phone number. For directory assistance and information call 103. Chile has an extensive network of communications. Mobile telephones (mostly GSM networks) are ubiquitous in major cities and central and southern Chile. If you are staying for a considerable amount of time, you should consider buying a prepaid cellular phone. Prepaid cards for mobile phones and landlines are sold at most newspaper kiosks. A prepaid SIM card from ENTEL costs 5000 pesos. You don't need to show an ID card. It comes without credit though, which you need to buy as well to be able to call.

The phone system is not ridiculously complicated. Emergency numbers are; Ambulance – 131, Fire Brigade – 132, Police – 133.

Having relatively good standards in medicine throughout the country, it is not difficult to stay healthy. However, one will usually find more refined resources at a private medical facility. No vaccinations are necessary to enter Chile.

Citizens of many countries must pay a "reciprocity fee" of varying amounts. This fee is equivalent to the amount that entry visas for Chilean citizens cost to enter that country. The fee is only for tourists entering by plane and the one-time charge is good for the life of your passport. When entering Chile travellers will need to fill out a tourist card at customs that allows them to stay for up to 90 days. Travellers will have to present the tourist card to customs officials when leaving the country.

Many hotels waive Chile's 19% room tax when the guest shows this card. The most common entry point for overseas visitors is the international airport of the capital, Santiago. There are airports in major towns but Santiago offers the best connections. If you are already in South America a cheaper and still reliable way to get to Chile is to go by bus. Chile has borders with Argentina (there is a daily bus from Mendoza), Peru (there is a bus from Arequipa) and Bolivia. Also from Brazil (buses leave from São Paulo on Mondays and Thursdays). Be aware that crossing to Chile means that high altitude points might be present, also the roads from Peru and Bolivia are a bit poor in quality so be patient.

The bus system is pretty sophisticated, providing a great way to get from town to town. Keep in mind that for the most part going from one city to the next will take longer than expected because they stop at many bus stations along the way.

Larger cities have bus routes to get around for a very affordable price. There are no maps so a little bit of Spanish and the audacity to ask around can get you to places effectively. A combi is a mix between a micro and a taxi. These small cars have routes and get around quicker and more comfortably. A metropolitan railway system operates in Santiago, Valparaiso and Concepción. A reliable way to move around in the city. You must pay the fee only once (when you enter the system) and you can ride in it as much as you want. Domestic flights are the quickest and easiest way to get around in Chile. If you purchase a 'Visit Chile' card before you arrive then you can get discounts on most internal flights.

On flights leaving Chile, there is an airport tax. On domestic flights, airport tax is included in the price of the ticket.

Pre-Hispanic Chile was home to over a dozen different indigenous peoples. Despite such diversity, it is possible to classify them into three major cultural groups: The northern peoples, who developed rich handicrafts and were influenced by pre-Incan cultures; the Mapuche culture, who inhabited the area between the river Choapa and the island of Chiloé, and lived primarily off agriculture; and the Patagonian culture, composed of various nomadic tribes, who supported themselves through fishing and hunting.

As the Inca Empire expanded it was only able to integrate the northern part of Chile. Incan attempts to colonize Central Chile were unsuccessful, having met fierce resistance by Mapuche warriors. The Lircay River subsequently became the boundary between the Incan empire and the Mapuche lands. Diego de Almagro organized an expedition that brought him to central Chile in 1537, but he found little of value to compare with the gold and silver of the Incas in Peru. Left with the impression that the inhabitants of the area were poor, he returned to Peru. After this initial excursion there was little interest from colonial authorities in further exploring modern-day Chile.

However, Pedro de Valdivia, captain of the army, realized the potential for expanding the Spanish empire southward. With a couple of hundred men, he subdued the local inhabitants and founded the city of Santiago de Nueva Extremadura, now Santiago de Chile, in February 12, 1541. Although Valdivia found little gold in Chile he could see the agricultural richness of the land. He continued his explorations of the region west of the Andes and founded over a dozen towns and established the first encomiendas. The greatest resistance to Spanish rule came from the Mapuche culture, who opposed European conquest and colonization until 1880s; this resistance is traditionally labeled as the Arauco War. Chilean independence was formally proclaimed on February 12, 1818, and the last of its territory, Chiloé, was wrested from Spanish rule by 1826.