Chile – a long ribbon of land tucked between the high peaks of the Andes and the Pacific Ocean on the southwest coast of South America – constitutes a geographical oddity and a vacationer’s delight. It is hard to imagine that such a narrow country can boast so many marvels, including peaks (some over 20,000 feet high), snow-capped volcanoes, valleys, deserts, fjords, lakes, glaciers, and even South Pacific islands!

Facts about Chile: Chile is the longest country in the world, 2,640 miles from north to south, but averages only 110 miles wide

Facts about Chile: the Atacama Desert in northern Chile is the driest region on earth

Chile is the most developed country in South America, enjoying a per capita income of nearly $12,000 per year and a well-established economic structure that depends heavily on exports. Its population is largely of European descent, and the country has enjoyed a stabile democracy since the early 1990s.

Facts about Chile: Michelle Bachelet, Chile’s first woman president, was sworn into office on March 11, 2006

Facts about Chile: The world's largest open pit mine is found at Chuquicamata in northern Chile

Chile’s incomparable natural beauty beckons the traveler. The northern region features the enchanting Atacama Desert and innumerable geological wonders such as geysers, hot springs and snow-capped volcanoes. The Lake District in the south, a region that is often compared with Switzerland, is a vast zone of pristine lakeside resorts and rivers that make for a paradise for the fly fisherman. Further to the south lies the rugged Tierra del Fuego and Cape Horn at the tip of South America and then, of course, the wilds of Antarctica.

Facts about Chile: Chilean territory incorporates nearly 16,000 islands and innumerable lakes and fjords

Facts about Chile: About 150,000 square kilometers, or 20 % of Chilean territory, is dedicated to national parks

Central Chile boasts the capital city and nearby wine country, as well as lovely Andean ski resorts to the east and Pacific beach resorts to the west. Further west are Chile’s mysterious Easter Island, 2,300 miles from Chile’s Pacific coast, and the Juan Fernández archipelago isles, the lovely and famed castaway home of Robinson Caruso.

Facts about Chile: One-third of Chile’s population of 16 million lives in the capital city of Santiago

Chile counts on a well-developed tourism industry. Air and ground transportation are first-rate, and a wide variety of hotel accommodations are available at all but the most remote of destinations. While dining in Chile, the visitor should be sure to savor the wide variety of fresh fruits and vegetables, fine local wines and, of course, the wide selection of fresh sea foods.

Facts about Chile: Torres del Paine National Park in Chilean Patagonia is commonly considered to be the finest nature destination on South America