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Chile
is a small, narrow, and long country located in the southern cone
of South America. It is a strip of land surrounded by the Pacific
Ocean, the Andes Mountain Chain, and the Atacama Desert, insurmountable
natural barriers. A country of extremes where the diverse landscapes,
the climate and habitats will surprise and enchant you. For the
most part, to think of Chile is to think about mountains, deserts,
lakes, volcanoes, glaciers, islands, high plateaus, plains, rainforests,
salt deposits, fjords, ice country, and an extensive coastline.
The administrative, economic, and political activity of the country
is concentrated within the central region.
With
a surface area of 756,096 square kilometers (472,569 sq. mi), Chile
has 14.7 million inhabitants, 4.3 million of them concentrated in
the capital of the country, Santiago. 80% of the population is urban-based.
Chilean people are friendly and hospitable to foreigners. The economy
is strong, and the police are trustworthy. This, together with the
incredible beauty of its geography, and the well-developed transportation
system, make this country a very attractive destination.
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Santiago,
the capital of Chile, is located in the central region. Due to
its geographic location, Santiago is one of the few capital cities
in the world that has easy access both to ski slopes -just 50
kms. away-, and beaches, 100 kms. away. This zone constitutes
an important commercial, industrial, cultural and communication
center for the country. Located towards the Cordillera de Los
Andes are the El Morado Natural Monument and the Yerba Loca Nature
Sanctuary.
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Study Spanish
in Chile
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This
zone has a mediterranean climate with four well-defined seasons.
Santiago is Chile's capital and largest city mixed with modern
skyscrapers and 19th-century European architectures. The Plaza
de Armas, the Museo Historico Nacional, the Casa Colorada, the
Museo Precolombino, the Plaza de la Constitucion, and the Cerro
Santa Lucia, are touring highlights of beautiful Santiago.
Santiago
is divided into 32 districts or "comunas". Downtown
Santiago contains the central offices of the banks and the Government
buildings. Commercial businesses are starting to move towards
the east of the city, to the comuna of Providencia, where our
school is located. Most hotels, commercial, banking and entertainment
areas are located in this borough.
Temperatures
Santiago, due to its position in the central region, has a Mediterranean
climate with well-defined seasons. Spring, between September and
November is mild, which contributes to the flourishing green color
of the plants and trees. Summer, between December and February,
is dry and hot with temperatures that can reach over 30°C
(87º F). At night it cools down slightly, and on the coast
this temperature drop can be much more extreme.
Autumn
is between March and May, and temperatures decrease gradually.
In winter, mornings are cold, some as low as -2º C (28º
F) and although the temperature rises at midday it rarely exceeds
15°C (60ºF).
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