LANGUAGE
Spanish is the official language. Many Chileans in the tourism industry and in major cities speak basic English, fewer people in the countryside. Learning a dozen basic Spanish phrases before arriving will be helpful.

GEOGRAPHY
Chile is situated on South America´s Pacific Coast, bordered to the north by Peru, to the east by Bolivia and Argentina, and to the south by the Antarctic. The country exercises sovereignty over a number of islands off 4,000 kilometers of coast, including the Juan Fernández Islands and Easter Island. It is home to the Andes mountain range. One of the most remarkably shaped countries in the world, Chile is a thin ribbon of land, 2650 miles long and only 150 miles wide at its broadest point.

Capital: Santiago
Area: 756.950 Kms2
Earth: 748.800 Kms2
Population: 15.116.435 Inhabitants (Official Census 2002)
Language: Spanish, and some native languages such as Mapuche, Quechua and Rapanui
Regions: Chile is divided into 13 regions, and four zones: north, Center, South and Islands

CLIMATE
Because of its unusual geography, Chile has a hugely varied climate ranging from the world’s driest desert in the north, through a Mediterranean climate in the center, to a snow-prone Alpine climate in the south. Chile has opposite seasons from the U.S. and Canada. The city of Santiago has a Mediterranean climate and well defined seasons. Spring runs from September till November and is quite mild. The average annual rainfall in Santiago is 14.9 inches.

GOVERNMENT
Chile is a republic and the president acts as head of state. A new president, Michelle Bachelet, took office in March. She is the country´s first woman president. Politically, Chile is divided in 12 regions, including the Antarctic territory. The capital is Santiago (de Chile), a city of 6,000,000 people.
Chile is a mestizo country, of mixed European and indigenous extraction, and the indigenous tradition is still visible in several rural areas. Chile’s literacy rate is one of Latin America’s highest at 95 per cent. The country is predominantly Christian, with most Chileans being Roman Catholic.

CURRENCY
The currency is the Chilean peso (CH$). The approximate exchange rate is $1 = 585 pesos. Money can be exchanged through commercial banks, currency exchange offices, or authorized shops, restaurants, hotels and clubs. Banks are open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. and are closed on Saturday and Sunday. ATM machines are available in most city areas and are called “Redbancs.” They are in important avenues, commercial centers, pharmacies, terminals, among others, will be able to make use of them, if it appears the logo Cirrus or Plus.
Per day withdrawal limits are usually around $300 U.S. The Chilean currency is the Peso. It is printed in bills of $1,000, $2,000, $5,000, $10,000 and $20,000 and coins of $1, $5, $10, $50, $100 and $500.
Tax: A sales tax of 19% is charged throughout the country and is included in the price of the goods and services. Foreigners paying their hotel bills with foreign currency (US$ American Dollars) get the sales tax automatically discounted.

SHOPS AND SUPERMARKET
In Santiago, shops generally open between 10:00 and 20:00. Some premises close one hour to the lunch. The commercial centers are open from 10:00 until 21:00 and in supermarkets the attention is from 8:00 to 21:00, every day of the year except public holiays.

BANKS
Are open Monday to Friday from 9:00 to 2:00 pm

TAXI
Many taxis are available at any time and can be distinguished by their black bodies and yellow roofs. All of them have their registration number visible and a taximeter. Taxi drivers are mostly kind and honest. Smoking is forbidden inside public vehicles.

METRO
Santiago´s Metro system is a model of cleanliness and good service. It is fast, secure and inexpensive. The metro network has three lines:
Red line (Line 1) West to East, crossing Downtown.
(Follows Ave. B. O’Higgins, Ave. Providencia and Ave. Apoquindo).
Yellow line (Line 2) Downtown to Southwest.
(Follows Gran Avenida).
Green line (Line 5) Downtown to Southeast.
(Follows Ave. Vicuña Mackenna).
It operates from 6:30 AM to 10:30 PM on weekdays and Saturdays and from 8:00 AM to 10:30 PM on Sundays and Holidays.
The metro ticket fare changes according to the time of the day: From 6:30 AM - 7:15 AM; 9:00 AM - 6:00 PM and 7:30 PM - 10:30 PM, a cheaper fare is charged. Peak hours are between 7:15 AM - 9:00 AM and 6:00 PM - 7:30 PM, and fares rise accordingly.