Chile is a long, thin country bordering the Pacific Ocean on the western slopes of the Andes Mountains in South America. It extends from the hot, barren Atacama Desert in the north to the rocky islands and stormy seas around Cape Horn at the southern tip of the continent, a distance of around 4200 kilometres (2610 miles). The northern part is desert—one of the driest places on Earth. The central region has a warm climate similar to that of the Mediterranean lands of Europe or California in the USA. Here is where the majority of Chile's population and its main farming areas are found. The south of the country is a land of volcanoes, long sea inlets and glaciers. Much of Chile is mountainous and covered with forest. Also belonging to Chile is Easter Island, situated around 3500 kilometres (2000 miles) to the west in the south Pacific Ocean and one of the remotest places on Earth. Having endured political turmoil and military dictatorship in the second half of the 20th century, Chile today is a stable, liberal democracy and one of the most prosperous nations in South America.

People

Most people live in central Chile around the capital Santiago and the main port of Valparaiso. Many Chileans are descended either from European settlers (mostly Spanish) or from a mixture of Europeans and Native American peoples: “mestizos”. The Mapuche Indians, original natives of Chile, have long fought against invaders: first the Incas, then their Spanish conquerors, and finally the Chilean government. Today about 800,000 Mapuche live in reservations in the south of the country.

Economy

Fruit, such as grapes, apples, peaches and citrus fruits, and cereals are grown in Chile’s fertile central valleys. Chilean wine made from grapes grown here is a major export. Mining is another vital industry: much of Chile’s wealth comes from its huge reserves of minerals. Enormous mines in the northern Atacama Desert contain the world's largest deposits of copper. Chile is also well-known for its fishing industry; each year its boats catch around 5 million tons of fish and shellfish. Mackerel is the main catch. Chile is also the world's second largest producer of salmon.

Atacama Desert

Chile’s Atacama Desert is the driest place on Earth. It receives an average of less than one millimetre of rain yearly; in some places it has not rained for centuries. The desert lies on a narrow strip of stony, salty land along the Pacific coast. An area called the Valle de la Luna is so barren that it is said to look like the surface of the moon. Part of is classified by scientists as “absolute desert”. Despite the harsh conditions, more than a million people have made their homes here. Farmers in the north use systems of irrigation to grow olives and cucumbers, while high up on the Andean plateau known as the Altiplano, the Atacama and Aymara peoples herd llamas and alpacas.

In recent years, large amounts of used clothing imported from overseas have begun to accumulate in parts of the Atacama Desert. Most of the garments are made of polyester, a plastic-based fabric that takes 200 years to decompose in the dry conditions. When they are burned, toxic fumes are released, polluting the soil and endangering the health of the local population. Each year, around 60,000 tonnes of used clothing arrives at the northern port of Iquique. Unwanted clothing is transported by truck inland to Alto Hospicio, where it either sold at La Quebradilla, a huge open-air market, or dumped illegally. At least 39,000 tonnes accumulate in the region every year.

Clear skies

The clear skies in the almost rainless Atacama Desert make Chile one of the best areas to view the stars. One of the world's most powerful telescopes, the Very Large Telescope (VLT), is located on Cerro Paranal. Astronomers at this observatory were the first to capture the first images of a planet outside our solar system. In 2014, building started on a new, even bigger telescope in the Atacama Desert: the Extremely Large Telescope (ELT). It is expected to produce images of space 15 times sharper than those sent back by the Hubble Space Telescope.

Facts about Chile

Population 19,629,588 (2023 estimate)

Area 743,812 sq km

Highest point Nevado Ojos del Salado 6880 m (22,572 ft)

Capital Santiago, metro area population 6,950,950

Other major cities Concepción (pop. 971,285), Valparaíso (930,220)

Language Spanish

Religions Christian (Roman Catholic) 67%, Christian (Protestant) 16%, others and none 17%

Ethnicity white / European / mestizo 89%, Mapuche 9%, Aymara less than 1%, others 1%

Currency Chilean peso (CLP)

Chief exports copper, fruit, fish, paper, chemicals, wine