Introduction to Chile

The third country I visited was Chile. Chile is a country known for its long skinny shape. The present-day capital of Chile is Santiago. Chile was originally a Spanish colony in the 1500s to the early 1800s. The climate depends on the region you are in, yet overall the country is not terribly warm. The country is composed of three main regions: the Northern Desert, the Central Valley, and the Southern Archipelago. The Northern Desert contains Chile’s main exports of copper and sodium nitrate. The Central Valley contains rivers that runoff from the Andes and produce the most fertile soil. Lastly, the Southern Archipelago is composed of rocky islands and is scarcely populated with sheep farmers.  The government of Chile is a republic, and the national language is Spanish. The currency is the Chilean peso, and the country’s main export is copper. Chile’s population is 17.5 million, and the main religion is Roman Catholic.

Chilean Flag