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Visiting Chile

Overview

Main features every traveler should know about Chile, including data on the country's territory, population, and the different cultures that coexist within its borders

  • Territory

    Chile is located at the southwestern tip of South America, between 17°30’ and 90° south latitude, including the Chilean Antarctic.

    The national territory is divided into the Continental area, which is the most heavily populated and extends for 4,200 kilometers (2.610 miles); the Insular area, which comprises Easter Island (Rapa Nui), the Juan Fernandez archipelago and the San Felix, San Ambrosio and Salas y Gomez islands; and the Chilean Antarctic, which comprises the area between meridians 53° and 90° of the Antarctic Continent.

  • Chile’s Borders

    Chile's Continental Territory borders with three countries and with the Pacific Ocean.

    On the north it shares a border with Peru, while on the northeast it borders with Bolivia.

    Running southward along the rest of the Andes mountain range, Chile’s neighbor is Argentina. By contrast, its long coastline on the west is bathed by the Pacific Ocean.

    On the south of the territory lies the South Pole.

  • Area

    Chile extends over a total area of 2,006,626 km2 (774.762 mi2), broken down into:

    •    Continental and Insular Territory: 756,626 km(292.134 mi2).

    •    Antarctic Territory: 1,250,000 km(482.628 mi2).

  • Population

    According to the latest official Census taken in Chile in 2002, the country's population is estimated at 15,116,435 inhabitants, although this figure has already risen by more than two million people since the time of that survey.

    Based on the figure stated above, population density within the national territory stands at 19 people per Km2.

  • Language

    The official language in Chile is Spanish, which is spoken by the majority of the population.

    In any case, indigenous peoples have their own languages, such as Quechua (North), Mapudungun (South) and Rapa Nui (Easter Island), which continue to be used in the country. 

  • System of Government

    The Chilean State uses a Republican system of government where the President is the Chief of State, and is limited by the three branches of the state: the Executive, the Legislature and the Judiciary.

    Since 2018, the President of Chile has been Sebastián Piñera Echeñique, who will be in office until 2022 after being elected for a second time with the support of Chile Vamos, a coalition of center-wright political parties.

  • Currency

    The official currency is the Chilean Peso, which is the only valid monetary unit in the country's territory. The value of the Peso relative to the American Dollar, Euro and other foreign currencies changes daily; therefore, you are advised to check the exchange rate on the date you plan to travel to Chile.

    As there are no foreign exchange restrictions, money may be exchanged freely at official banks and currency exchanges, with no special documentation requirements.

    Metal coins come in denominations of $1, $5, $10, $50, $100 and $500, while bank notes, made of cotton paper or polymer substrate, come in denominations of $1,000, $2,000, $5,000, $10,000 y $20,000.