CHILE

GEOGRAPHY (BORDERING COUNTRIES)

• Argentina
• Bolivia
• Peru

CLIMATE

• The temperatures in Santiago range from about 38°F to 57.2°F in July and 53.6°F to 84.2°f in January.

TYPICAL DISHES

• Empanada de Queso - typical turnover filled with cheese
• Ensalada a la Chilena - sliced tomatoes and onions with an oil dressing.
• Humitas - boiled corn leaf rolls filled with seasoned ground corn
• Empanada de Pino - typical turnover (pastry) filled with diced meat, onions, olive, raisins and a piece of hard-boiled egg, baked in earthen or plain oven.

HOLIDAYS CELEBRATED

• June 29: Saint Peter and Saint Paul Catholic feast celebrating these saints
• July 16: Fiesta de la Virgin del Carmen: Feast celebrated by Catholics
• November 1: All Saints Day Catholic holiday celebrating all saints and martyrs

FUN FACTS

• Over 1/3 of the world’s copper production is produced in Chile
• Valparaiso is one of the most prosperous cities in all of Chile and is known as “The Garden City”
• Chile has one of the longest recorded dry spells in the Atacama Desert it did not rain for 40 years.

HISTORICAL PLACES

• Aldea de Tulor-Tulor is an archaeological site located in the Norte Grande natural region of the Antofagasta Region, Chile near San Pedro de Atacama. The site is a former village complex with an area of 5,200 m² and 22 outlying edifices.
• Pucará del cerro de La Compañia- is an archaeological site containing the remains of a promaucae fortress, later used by the Incas, located on the large hill overlooking the village of La Compañia, a village in the commune of Graneros, Chile. It is noteworthy as being the southernmost building which remains of the Inca Empire.[1] As such it is an important landmark on what's known as "The Chilean Inca Trail", and has been declared a National Monument by the Chilean

PLACES TO VISIT

• Easter Island A tiny island isolated in amidst the ocean, Easter Island may not seem like one of the historic sites in Chile, but its special territory status does make it one of them and with its iconic moai stone heads
• Lauca National Park is located in Chile’s far north, in the Andean range and is one of the top tourist attractions in Chile. The most spectacular feature in Lauca is the beautiful Lago Chungará, one of the world’s highest lakes. Looming over it is the impossibly perfect cone of Volcán Parinacota, a dormant volcano with a twin brother, Volcán Pomerape, just across the border with Bolivia.
• Torres del Paine is a national park in the Extreme South region of Patagonian Chile and features mountains, lakes and glaciers. The centerpiece of the park are the three Towers of Paine, three spectacular granite peaks shaped by the forces of glacial ice. The highest peak is about 2,500 meters (8200 feet).
• The largest penguin colonies in southern Chile, Los Pingüinos Natural Monument is home to more than 120,000 Magellanic penguins. Located on the small Magdalena Island, just one square kilometer and topped by a pretty red lighthouse, it lies 35km (22 miles) northeast of Punta Arenas. In September or October each year, the birds migrate back here and find their mate. By the end of March the penguins have returned to sea again.
• Located within the Laguna San Rafael National Park, the San Rafael Glacier is a giant glacier that calves into the Laguna San Rafael. The glacier is accessible only by boat or plane. The journey by boat is a spectacle in itself, passing through the narrow channels of the isolated Aisén region. What you can see from the boat is in fact just the end of the glacier’s, which extends some 15km (9 miles) from its source.

WEBSITES

• http://www.latinamericacollection.com/chile/about/chile_weather_and_climate...
• http://www.southamerica.cl/Chile/Food.htm
• http://www.joeskitchen.com/chile/facts/holidays.htm
• http://truenomads.com/26-interesting-facts-about-chile/
• http://www.touropia.com/tourist-attractions-in-chile/