Chile in a nutshell

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República de Chile

Santiago de Chile (4.7 mln inhabitants)

Democratic republic

Spanish

756 626 km² / 292 200 sq mi. This corresponds to about 19 times the area of Switzerland or Denmark.

Chile lies between 67° and 76° western longitude and 17° and 56° southern latitude. The country spans 4300 km (2700 mi) from north to south, and only 400 km (250 mi) from east to west. The shortest east-west span width measures only 16 km (10 mi).

Transferred to Europe, the vast north-south extension of Chile corresponds to the distance from Northern Denmark (55° N) down to the southern border of Lybia (17° N). On the North America continent the country would span from Edmonton, Canada (54° N) down to Acapulco, Mexico (16° N).

Mt. Ojos del Salado, 6893 m (22615 ft)

Río Biobío (256 km, 160 mi)

15.5 mln (2004), of which 6 mln live in greater Santiago. Therefore, about 40% of the population reside close to the capital.

In average 20 inhabitants/km². For comparison: in Switzerland 170 inhabitants share one km², in Denmark 125. However, as noted above, 40% the population pack around Santiago. If you consider the provinces in the northern deserts only, the population density around Iquique drops dramatically down to 7.3 inhabitants/km². Down south in Patagonia close to Punta Arenas, only 1.1 inhabitants live on one km² in average. Such a small population density  is in great contrast to the huge population I experienced e.g. in Korea.

76.3 years

3.8%

70% Catholics, 15% Protestants, 15% others

USD 12800 per capita (2006)

Chile owns one of the most stable and thriving economies in South America. Compared to other Latin American countries farming takes only a small share. In southern Chile logging and fishing play an important role. Mining is by far the most important industrial sector. Chile today supplies over one third (36%) of the worlds need for copper. Most mining areas lie in the hostile deserts in the north of the country.