Famous landmarks in Chile

Chile is a long, narrow country on the western edge of South America, squeezed between the Andes Mountains and the Pacific Ocean. It runs more than 4,000 kilometres from north to south but is on average less than 200 kilometres wide. Its capital is Santiago, and about 19 million people live there. Chile is known for the Atacama Desert, Patagonian glaciers, volcanoes, copper mines and the mysterious stone statues of Easter Island.

On My Earth Toy you can visit the Moai of Easter Island, the colourful hills and funiculars of Valparaíso, the granite towers of Torres del Paine, the Flower Clock in Viña del Mar and La Moneda Palace. Look for the llama and the chinchilla as well.

Geography and nature

Because Chile is so long, it has many climates. The Atacama Desert in the north is one of the driest places on Earth, with clear skies perfect for giant telescopes. The middle has a mild climate with vineyards and farms. The south is rainy, with forests, lakes, fjords and glaciers in Patagonia. Chile sits on the Pacific Ring of Fire, so it has many volcanoes and frequent earthquakes.

People, languages and culture

Spanish is the official language. Most Chileans have mixed Spanish and Indigenous ancestry, and the Mapuche are the largest Indigenous group. On Easter Island, the Rapa Nui people keep their own language and traditions. Chile has produced two Nobel Prize-winning poets, Gabriela Mistral and Pablo Neruda. Empanadas, filled pastries, are a favourite food, and the cueca is the national dance, performed with waving handkerchiefs.

History in a nutshell

Before Spanish colonisation, the north was part of the Inca Empire, while the Mapuche in the south resisted outside rule for centuries. Spain founded Santiago in 1541. Chile declared independence in 1818. In the War of the Pacific (1879–1884) it gained northern lands rich in minerals. In 1973 a military government took power, and democracy returned in 1990. Today Chile is one of the most stable and prosperous countries in South America.