Population: 17,094,270
GDP Per Capita: $12,805
Capital (with population): Santiago (5,278,044)

Did You Know?

1. Chile's coastline stretches 2,700 miles long, running from the Atacama, the world's most arid desert in the north, through forests, valleys, mountains, lakes, glacier fields, the Tierra del Fuego and the Antarctic Circle in the south. Chile is never more than 110 miles wide east to west.
2. Chile has a broad spectrum of growing climates. These climactic variations favor diversified production of fruits and prolonged harvest seasons. In the past 16 years, fresh fruit exports from Chile to North America have increased over 700 percent. Chile is the primary wintertime source (over 95 percent) of fresh grapes for the US and Canada.
3. Chile is one of only two countries in all of South America that does not border Brazil
4. Chile received it independence from Spanish colonial rule in 1913
5. The City of Valparaiso, Chile has the largest annual fireworks show in all of South America
6. Along the mountainous region of Chile there are over 1500 volcanoes and a number of them can still be active.

Cuisine

• Due to the immense variety of products available in Chile's geographical makeup, recipes vary in different regions of the country. There are three distinct zones dealing with Chilean gastronomy, which is cuisine of the north, central, and south.
  
  • A characteristic of Chilean cuisine is the variety and quality of fish and seafood, due to the geographic location and extensive coastline.
  • Throughout Chile 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 Olives, Chirimoya, (a fruit native to the subtropical regions of the Andes mountains), Potato, and Maize
  • There are very very many dishes of Chilean varietywhich are unique to each reigon
  
  Famous Chileans
  
  • Sebastián Edwards – UCLA professor, former World Bank officer (1993–1996), prolific author and media personality
  • Caupolicán – leader of the Mapuche who fiercely resisted the Spanish conquest of Chile
  • Tom Araya – singer/bassist for thrash metal band Slayer.
  • Pablo de Rokha- Chilean National Prize for Literature in 1965.
  • Saint Teresa de los Andes – first Chilean saint
  • José Santos – jockey, winner of US Triple Crown
  •  Arturo Valenzuela – former White House adviser to President Clinton