Stretched out along the Pacific coast just south of Peru lies Chile, a country almost twice the size of Montana.
Its long coastline of 6,435 km offers a variation in climate from hot and dry to cool and wet.
Its scenery ranges from desert in the North to glaciers in the South.
And in between are lovely beaches, inland lakes, ski areas, forests, and sophisticated metropolitan areas.
Cruises in the Antarctic, hikes in the jagged peaks of Torres del Paine National Park, fly fishing in the emerald green waters of the Lake Region's rivers, skiing in the Andes, admiring flamingos in the Atacama desert, or studying archeological ruins, volcanoes, and the Aimara of the Altiplano…all these are reasons why more and more people are visiting Chile.
Populating this beautiful country are 16,970,265 of the friendliest people anywhere on earth who are eager and proud to have foreigners visit their country, both as tourists and as residents.
They are also proud of their reputation as a law-abiding country, making it one of Latin America's safest countries.
Santiago, Chile's capital is a city of approximately 5.5 million inhabitants that rivals any other city of its size in the world when it comes to modern architecture, fashionable shopping areas, beautiful parks, cultural events, and a convenient transportation system.
In fact, Santiago has one of the world's cleanest and most efficient subway systems.
Still, Santiago has not abandoned its past.
Rather, the city's central historic district has been preserved and modernized, its museums well-maintained.
Chile is a country in progress.
Literacy is at 96.4%.
The country's poverty level has been reduced by 50% in the past two years.
Pollution in the cities has improved steadily each year.
In 2005, Chile signed a free trade agreement with China and has trade agreements with several other nations including the USA since 2004.
Record high copper prices helped to strengthen the value of the peso and will boost GDP in 2011.
During the past years under the leadership of President RicardoLagos a monumental highway construction project has changed the life of most people living in Santiago.
Besides improving circulation within the city, it also speeds up travel time to the coast where many city dwellers spend weekends and holidays.
Additionally, because Chile's sound and growing economy has enabled Chileans to travel to all parts of the world, the new highway reduces travel time to Santiago's modern international airport by half.
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Golf has recently become very fashionable in Chile, resulting in the construction of more and more golf courses, both in the metropolitan area and in vacation communities.
Boating, too, is popular, as evidenced by the many marinas found along the coast.
In the Central Zone surrounding Santiago there is no end to points of interest for sight-seers.
Chile's fruit belt is in this area.
Avocados, olives, peaches, berry, citrus, and more all is for sale at roadside stands.
Also here are the vineyards that produce those wonderful Chilean wines so appreciated around the world.
Along the coast are numerous small fishing villages with all sorts of seafood restaurants, from rustic to fancy.
Pablo Neruda's five houses are all in the Central Zone and each is open to visitors.
Numerous small towns, all boasting their own uniqueness, fill up on weekends with visitors who come to eat, to shop, to browse, to relax in quaint surroundings.
Arts and crafts are found just about everywhere tourists are.
Especially popular is jewelry made of silver, lapis lazuli, and malachite.
Alpaca sweaters, leather goods, ceramics, enameled copper, and wooden items are also in demand.