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 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.

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

•    Continental and Insular Territory: 756,626 km² (292.134 mi²).

•    Antarctic Territory: 1,250,000 km² (482.628 mi²).

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.

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. 

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.

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.

The north of the country features a Desert climate characterized by high temperatures and low rainfall which create striking scenery such as the flowering desert in Atacama.

In the cities closer to the coast higher humidity leads to usual cloudiness, while the Andean regions are dry, with sharp temperature changes between day and night.

The central part of the country is mostly characterized by a Mediterranean climate, where rainfall is scarce and intense in wintertime, in contrast with dry and very hot summers.

On the other hand, the areas closer to the Andean Cordillera feature a Tundra and Glacier climate with low temperatures, no trees and heavy snowdrift.

The south of Chile is characterized by its Oceanic climate, with a clear predominance of low temperatures and heavy rainfall during most of the year.

It is also the most humid area of the country, particularly in places most distant from Santiago. 

This Polynesian island has a Tropical climate with relative constant temperatures during day and night throughout all seasons of the year as a result of the influence of the Pacific Ocean.

It is also one of the rainiest places in Chile, as its location and atmospheric conditions provide a perfect scenario for rainfall every month.

Very low (below 0°C) temperatures, with dry air and glaciers covering nearly all the territory are some of the characteristics of the Polar climate in the Antarctic.

Precipitation is quite low, mainly in the form of snowfall, and overall conditions are very hostile for human life.

Given its bizarre geographical characteristics, which give rise to extreme geographical, climate and cultural differences within a single country, Chile is well known for its combination of deserts, mountains, Mediterranean landscapes, subtropical islands, pampas, ice fields, fjords, lakes, cold forests and everlasting ice.

Thus, visitors have different options for sightseeing or engaging in various activities and sports. You only need to choose carefully what area of the country you would like to visit.

For more information or details, visit our official tourism websites: Chile Travel Chile es Tuyo

With a protected area of nearly 15 million hectares (57.915 mi²) or about 19% of its national territory, Chile has shown a constant concern for its 101 parks, including national parks, ecological reserves and natural monuments spreading over all the regions of the country, from north to south.

This provides for great diversity of flora and fauna, resulting in highly different landscapes which afford unique experiences on each visit.

The most renowned places include the national parks Lauca (Region of Arica and Parinacota), Pan de Azucar (Atacama), Radal Siete Tazas (Maule) and Vicente Perez Rosales (Los Lagos), although by far the best known worldwide is Torres del Paine, located in the Region of Magallanes.

For more information, visit Conaf

With 4,000-plus kilometers (2.485-plus miles) of coastline, Chilean beaches and seaside resorts have different features that cater for all tastes, whether on account of their climate, sea water temperature, type of sand or the quality of the waves.

On this last point, it is worth mentioning that Chile is well known among surfers as many coastal sectors in the north and central parts of the country are areas with ideal conditions for surfing, standing out above other beaches such as Arica (Region of Arica and Parinacota) in the northernmost part of the country and Pichilemu (Region of Bernardo O’Higgins).

Find more info at Chile Travel

Chile is one of the leading wine exporters worldwide. The morphology of the central region, characterized by wide valleys located between the Andean and the Coastal mountain ranges and crossed by rivers and channels that flow into the sea, delivers a unique topography and climate for the production and development of a wide variety of top quality wines.

The main vine stocks cultivated in Chile include Cabernet Souvignon, Carmenere, Syrah, Pinot Noir, Souvignon Blanc and Chardonnay, all of which are well known and consumed in many countries.

This is the reason why numerous tours are currently organized to visit different wineries so that you may learn about their history, wine-production process, traditions, wine properties, and even wine-tasting tours guided  by the enologists working at each winery.

Large geographic faults and high geothermal activity in the country have led to the formation of numerous thermal water springs, ranging from small outflows of warm water to boiling water geysers which may be visited anywhere in Chile, from north to south and from the Andes to the sea.

This large number of spring waters and their individual characteristics has resulted in a variety of physical shapes: some appear as natural open-air ponds, particularly towards the northern part of the country, while others are surrounded by luxury hotel complexes.

The best known options include the Termas de Puritama (Region of Atacama), Termas de Jahuel (Metropolitan Region), Termas de Cauquenes (Region of Bernardo O’Higgins), Termas de Chillan (Region of Biobio) and Termas de Puyehue (Lake Region). 

Although the best conditions for fishing are found in the south of Chile, fishing spots can be found throughout the country's territory.

At any rate, the most outstanding lodges are located in the southern tip of the country, from the Lake Region to the Patagonia, an area that has become a world-renowned tourist hub for those who practice this sport.

As the Cordillera de Los Andes rises in all its splendor within its territory, the central region of Chile is well known among ski lovers for some of the best ski resorts in South America.

One of these is Portillo, a leading resort in the hemisphere and the oldest in the continent, located in the Region of Valparaiso. Also worth mentioning are those in the Metropolitan Region, such as Farellones, Colorado and Valle Nevado, which can be quickly accessed from Santiago.