Chile tourist information

Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in South America occupying a long coastal strip between the Andes mountains and the Pacific Ocean. It borders Argentina to the east, Bolivia to the northeast and Peru to the north.

Places to go in Chile ...

Antofagasta Arica Calama Castro Concepcion Concon Coyhaique Hanga Roa Iquique La Serena Los Angeles Puerto Chacabuco Puerto Montt Puerto Natales Puerto Varas Punta Arenas Rancagua Santa Cruz Santiago Talca Temuco Valdivia Valparaiso Villarrica

A long and narrow coastal Southern Cone country on the west side of the Andes Mountains, Chile stretches over 4,630 kilometres (2,880 mi) north to south, but only 430 kilometres (265 mi) at its widest point east to west.

The northern Atacama desert contains great mineral wealth, primarily copper and nitrates. The relatively small Central Valley, which includes Santiago, dominates the country in terms of population and agricultural resources. This area also is the historical center from which Chile expanded in the late 19th century, when it integrated the northern and southern regions. 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 on the eastern border. Chile is the longest (N-S) country in the world (over 4,200 km / 2,600 mi), and also claims 1,250,000 square kilometers (482,628 sq. mi) of Antarctica as part of its territory.

Chile controls Easter and Sala-y-Gómez Islands, the easternmost islands of Polynesia, which it incorporated to its territory in 1888, and Robinson Crusoe Island, more than 600 kilometers (375 mi) from the mainland, in the Juan Fernández archipelago. Also controlled but uninhabited are the small islands of Sala y Gomez, 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.

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Cuisine ^*

Chilean cuisine stems from the combination of traditional indigenous cuisines prepared by the populations living in the region of Chile and the arrival of the Spanish in the 16th century . Further European immigration also brought with them various styles and traditions in cooking heavily influencing the cuisine of Chile such as the Italians and Germans. In the 20th century French cuisine marked an important turning point influencing culinary methods and creating a type of Criollo style that has been implemented in Chilean gastronomy. Many Chilean recipes are enhanced and accompanied by wine and Pisco.

Due to Chile's geographical makeup, recipes vary in different regions of the country. There are three distinct zones dealing with Chilean gastronomy.

Cuisine of the North
Cuisine of the central coast
Cuisine of the South

All of the varying cuisines have received contribution from the indigenous people living throughout the country. Each one implementing their own customs and host of condiments such as fish, seafood, meats and poultry. Foreign influence have played a strong prominent role in main dishes why also providing an ample range of desserts and drinks. Cultivation of Agricultural Products

Throughout Chile and South America you may find fruits and vegetables that have been cultivated for ages. These agricultural products are appreciated and heavily implemented onto several cooking recipes. They have also been exported around the world as important agricultural commodities. Among the most known are the following:

Olives: Although originating in Europe Azapa olives from Arica are considered a variety originating in the northern region and are widely recognized in Chile.
Chirimoya: Native to the subtropical regions of the Andes mountains, it is widely consumed and produced.
Maize: Recognized in Chile as choclo, and in English speaking countries as corn. Maize was a staple diet that prospered in three empires Mayas, Aztecs, and in closest proximity to Chile the Incas. It was also cultivated in varying systematic methods by the Atacameno. Through trade and travel, Maize brought and eventually embraced by the Mapuche and using it towards their culinary arts.
Lucuma: A subtropical fruit of Andean origin, native to Peru it has grown well for centuries in southern Ecuador and Chile's northern coast. The fruit is very nutritious, having high levels of carotene and vitamin B3. The lucuma is exported all around the world. It is an important flavor for gelatin desserts such as ice cream.
Ugni molinae: is an endemic shrub native to southern Chile. The Mapuche Native American name is Uni, and Spanish names include Murta and Murtilla ("little myrtle"); it is also sometimes known as "Chilean guava". It was used among the Mapuche before the arrival of the Spaniards. It is an ingredient used for marmalades and liquor.
Potato: Featured heavily in dishes such as cazuela, the potato native to the Americas, was widely grown in Chiloe Island. The potato is a fundamental product in a wide array of dishes.
Quinoa: grown as a crop primarily for its edible seeds and originated in the Andean region of South America, where it has been an important food for 6,000 years. Certain varietal of Quinoa are harvested in Concepcion, Chile known as the Catentoa, and the Regalona is abundant in Temuco, Chile

Seafood
An elemental characteristic of Chilean culinary dishes is the variety and quality of fish and seafood, Due to the geographic location of the country and extensive coastline. Among other products they are the squid, soleidae (sole), Albacora, codfish, bacalao cochayuyo, hake, corvina (salmon), batoidea, tuna, among others. Congridae or in Chile known as congrio can be deep fried in batter, or seasoned and placed in a cooking furnace. It may also be made into a stew as a popular dish called Caldillo de congrio that was praised through an ode by Chilean poet Pablo Neruda.

The Humboldt current causes a supply of seafood that is gathered throughout the Pacific coast that is positioned perpendicular to Chilean waters. Seafood such as abalone, prawns, ostiones, clams, giant crabs, spider crabs, shrimp, oysters, lobsters, percebes, picorocos, and eels are fished in vast amounts.

Culture ^*

Northern Chile was an important center of culture in the medieval and early modern Inca empire. Afterwards, their culture was dominated by the Spanish during the Colonial and early Republican period. Other European influences, primarily English and French, began in the 19th century and have continued until today, as in other Western societies.

The national dance is the cueca. Another form of traditional Chilean song, though not a dance, is the tonada. Arising from music imported by the Spanish colonists, it is distinguished from the cueca by an intermediate melodic section and a more prominent melody. In the mid-1960s native musical forms were revitalized by the Parra family with the Nueva Canción Chilena, which was associated with political activists and reformers.

Chileans call their country país de poetas 'land of poets'. Gabriela Mistral was the first Chilean to win a Nobel Prize for Literature (1945). Chile's most famous poet, however, is Pablo Neruda, who also won the Nobel Prize (1971) and is world-renowned for his extensive library of works on romance, nature, and politics. His three highly individualistic homes, located in Isla Negra, Santiago and Valparaiso are popular tourist destinations.

Transportation

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History A three-year-old Marxist government was overthrown in 1973 by a dictatorial military regime led by Augusto PINOCHET, who ruled until a freely elected president was installed in 1990. Sound economic policies, maintained consistently since the 1980s, have contributed to steady growth and have helped secure the country's commitment to democratic and representative government. Chile has increasingly assumed regional and international leadership roles befitting its status as a stable, democratic nation.

Terrain Low coastal mountains; fertile central valley; rugged Andes in east.

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Languages Spanish

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