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Official language: Spanish
Capital City: Santiago de Chile
State system: Republic, presidential system
Extension: 756 950km2
Population: 16 763 470 (30.6. 2008)
Population density: 22,1 inhabitants per km2
Currency: Chile Peso
Time zone: UTC - 4
Name „Chile“ may lead us to the preposition that it has been deduced from chilli pepper. Although the country shape resemble this pepper, its name comes from a different resource. The most common opinion is, that Chile comes from native indian Ajmara language and means „The edge of the world“. The second theory claims Chile originated in native language Kechu. In the time of its biggest upswing, Incan empire „touched“ Chile capital city Santiago de Chile and this coled part of Incan empire was called tchili, wich means snow.
Geographical situation
Chile is placed in the south-west part of America. Its domain goes in tight zone (90 - 240 km) along the Pacific ocean in more than 4300 km. For notion of that length, it is the same distance as between Moscow and Madrid.
Chile domain consist also of six island and the piece of Antactida. The most famous islands are Robinson Crusoe island and Easter island. Chile is bounded by Peru on the North, Bolivie on the norh-east and Argentina on east.
Thanks to its lenght, Chile offers huge scale of climatic hanks. His diversity is supply by great altitude diferrence between west (coast) ans east (Andas) part of the country.
If we start our travel on the north, we start in Atacama desert (The dryest desert over the world - some resources claim, in Arica city has not rain for 400!). In Atacama desert we will find highest Chile peaks. Andes wich goes across Chille reaches respectabe altitude about 6500 m. ( Nevado Ojos del Salado 6880m.- highest Chile mountain).
Over savannah connected to Atacama we reach the most crowded part of Chile. Summer in Chile is not as hot as in European Middle-sea countries, since the Cile coast is laped by cold Humolt drift. This area is extremely pinquid and you can find all possible fruits and vegetables, including ones with unknown names and shapes. It goes without saying, tastefull Chile wine grows here.
Going further to the south, we cross bland climat zone wich slowly turns into sub-arctic. This part is called Patagonia and is extremely rainy. Therefore grumous forrests grow here. Very interresting is Bío Bío sregion and with Chile Araukaria (the oldest botanical spieces, propably pastured by dinosaurs). Further east we reach landcape of beautiful inlets and continental glaciers. Melting glaciers drip to the coast and ends its journey in the waves of Pacific ocean with earsplitting rumble of breaking off fault blocks. The most south part of Chile, the edge of the world, is Fire land with well known Magalhanes strait.
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Population
Chile population is highly homogeneous. 95,4% are half-breed Evropeans and native indians. The rest (4,6%) consist of native indians, mainly Marpuche tribe.
Skiing in Chile
Beautiful nature of Chile is rich for precipitation (in Portillo resort falls 6 meters of snow every winter). Great information for ski fans is, that the most ammount of snow is in Chile while in Europe summer culminates. The season starts in half of july and belongs to the end of october. If you are skier, you do not have to give up your hobby even in summer. And you have many choices: Along Andes peaks there are 18 ski resorts. The biggest ones are around Santiago de Chile: La Parva, El Colorado and Valle Nevado. Services and endowement is comparable with similar resort in Alps and belongs to the best in South America. The most famous Chile sky resort is propably Portillo, 164 km from Santiago de Chile.
Other ski resorts are smaller and less endowed. On the other hand offer nice atmosphere and unbeliavable nature. Somewhere you can ski on volcanos and betweel 2000 old Araukaria or on the slope next to Magalhanes strait. And thanks to high quality of snow, you can spent couple day by helisking.
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