Chile is a country in South America that shares borders with Argentina, Bolivia and Peru. The capital of Chile is Santiago and their official language is Spanish.
It is a long and narrow coastal country that sits between the Andes Mountains on the East and the Pacific Ocean to the West. It is one of only two countries in South America that do not share a border with Brazil, along with Bolivia.
Chile is once of the most thriving Latin American nations and boasts a growing population and economy. With an estimate population of around 16 million in 2009, a median age of 31 years and a literacy rate of over 95%, Chile is perfectly positioned for further economic growth into the future.
Historically, Chile was under the rule of the Incas until the 16th Century when the Spanish conquistadores invaded and claimed the country as their own. Chile declared its independence from Spain in 1810, although fighting continued in the country until 1818 when the country truly became an independent republic.
More recently Chile has been under the rule of General Pinochet, who took control of the country after a military coup in 1973. A number of human rights violations stood out during the first years of Pinochet’s governance and he finally lost power in 1988.
The currency of Chile is the Chilean peso which has an exchange of approximately 540 Chilean pesos to 1 US dollar. Chile currently has a range of bank notes featuring famous historical figures and landmarks of the country.
Chile’s climate is a diverse one due to the combination of coastal regions and mountainous regions up and down the country. In general the climate is temperate, and being a country in the Southern Hemisphere, Chile experiences summer between December and February.
Easter Island lies just over 2000 miles off the coast of Chile and is under their governance. Easter Island is famous for its stone statues of heads.