Useful data for tourists about Chile, cities and resorts of the country. As well as information about the population, currency of Chile, cuisine, peculiarities of visa and customs restrictions in Chile.
- Capital: Santiago
- Territory: 756.9 thousand sq. km
- Country code: +56
- Domain: .cl
- Network: 220V
- Time: Moscow time - 6 hours, -8 hours (in summer).
- A visa is required to enter
Information about Chile
Chile geography
The Republic of Chile is a state in the southwest of South America, occupying a long strip of land between The Pacific Ocean and the Andes. In the west it is washed by the Pacific Ocean, bordered by Argentina, Peru, Bolivia.
The country includes Easter Islands (Rapa Nui, 3,700 km. West of the coast of the country), Juan Fernandez (700 km. West), a vast archipelago and part of the island of Tierra del Fuego in the southern part of the country, as well as many smaller islands ...
Chile is divided into three regions, which differ sharply from each other in climate and relief: the Northern Desert (Atacama Desert Region), Middle Chile (Highlands of the Andes) and Southern Chile (hilly zone of dense forests in the foothills of the Southern Andes and a labyrinth of narrow straits and mountainous islands in extreme south).
The state
State structure
Republic. The head of state and government is the president. The highest legislative body is the bicameral National Congress.
Tongue
State language: Spanish
English, German, Aymara, Araucana, Mapuche and languages \u200b\u200bof other ethnic groups are used.
Religion
Catholics - about 80%, Protestants - 13%, as well as adherents of other faiths.
Currency
International name: CLP
The Chilean peso is equal to 100 centavos. In circulation there are banknotes in denominations of 20,000, 10,000, 5,000, 2,000 and 1,000 pesos, as well as coins of 500, 100, 50, 10, 5 and 1 pesos. You can pay for goods and services in US dollars.
You can exchange money at banks or exchange offices ("casas de cambios"). It is quite possible to exchange with private money changers - their rate is usually 10 percent more profitable, but cases of fraud are often encountered here.
Major stores, restaurants and hotels accept credit cards from the world's leading systems. Traveler's checks can be exchanged at banks (departments that work with travelers checks are usually open here only until noon) or at exchange offices (usually there is a more favorable rate here). To avoid additional exchange costs, it is recommended that you bring travelers checks in US dollars. In the province, the use of non-cash means of payment is problematic.
Chile history
Chile's history begins with the settlement of the region about 13,000 years ago. In the 16th century, the conquest and subjugation of the territories of present-day Chile by the Spanish conquistadors began, in the 19th century. the Chilean people won independence from colonial rule. The further development of Chile up to the Second World War was predetermined initially by the extraction of saltpeter and, somewhat later, copper. The large availability of minerals led to significant economic growth in Chile, but also to a strong dependence on neighboring states and even to wars with them. After a century of leadership of the Christian Democratic forces in the country, in 1970 the socialist president Salvador Allende came to power in Chile. The putsch of General Augusto Pinochet on September 11, 1973, marked the beginning of a 17-year dictatorship in the country and led to radical market reforms in the economy. Since 1988, Chile has embarked on a democratic path of development.
Chile Map
Popular attractions
Chile Tourism
Where to stay
The hotel base in Chile is improving every year. The country's hotel classification is standard European: from one to five stars. In Chile, there is a very large selection of places to stay at the services of vacationers, ranging from hostels, small family hotels and guest houses to luxurious premium hotels.
The best Chilean hotels are concentrated in Santiago, the largest city in the country. Here are the hotels of all the leading international hotel chains, most of which operate under the all-inclusive program. The largest ski hotels in the country are located in such winter resorts as Portillo, Termas de Chillan, Valle Nevada.
A versatile accommodation option for guests of Chile are cabañas - individual apartments or chalets, ranging from the simplest with minimal service and amenities to truly luxurious.
Apart-hotels, which are quite similar to cabañas, are considered a separate type of accommodation in the country. These are multi-apartment houses with separate cozy apartments, in which hotel service is accepted. Vacationers have at their disposal several rooms with a separate kitchen. Another option for accommodation in Chile is the hosteria - a private hotel or guesthouse with a mid-range price and service level.
As for the hostels, in the country they are located mainly in the capital. Many of them are housed in private homes, where there are both common areas and separate guest rooms. Most of the hostels are comfortable enough, and in terms of amenities are not inferior to such inexpensive hotels as residencial, which can be found in every provincial city.
In almost all Chilean hotels, excluding the cheapest ones, breakfast is included in the room rate. The budget hotels offer continental breakfast, while the more expensive hotels offer a buffet or traditional American breakfast.
CHILE
The Republic of Chile, a state located on the southwestern coast of South America between the Andes mountain ranges and the Pacific Ocean. Chile's length from Arica in the north to Cape Horn in the south is 4025 km, area - 756.6 thousand square meters. km, while the width of its territory nowhere exceeds 360 km. The mainland of Chile is bordered in the north by Peru, in the west and south by the Pacific Ocean, in the east behind the Andes ridges are Bolivia and Argentina. Through the Strait of Magellan, Chile has access to Atlantic Ocean... Chile also owns several small islands in the Pacific Ocean: Easter Island, Sala i Gomez, San Felix, San Ambrosio, the Juan Fernandez group of islands, as well as the Diego Ramirez Islands, 100 km southwest of Cape Horn ...
Chile. The capital is Santiago. Population - 14.8 million people (1998). Urban population - 86%, rural - 14%. The population density is 20 people per 1 sq. km. Area - 756.6 thousand sq. km. The highest point is Mount Ojos del Salado (6893 m). The official language is Spanish. The dominant religion is Catholicism. Administrative-territorial division - 13 regions (including the Capital Region). Currency: peso \u003d 1000 escudos. National holiday: Independence Day - September 18-19. National Anthem: "Dear Motherland, take our oath."
Chile is divided into three geographic and climatic regions. The northern desert and the cold south of the country have not yet been fully developed, while the humid (sub-humid) region of Central Chile is the most economically developed territory, in which about 75% of the country's population is concentrated. Chile's population, mostly of mixed origin (mestizo), in 1998 was estimated at 14.8 million. The capital of the country - Santiago - is the center of the country's political, economic, social and cultural life; in 1992 the population of the capital with the suburbs was approx. 5.2 million people.
NATURE
In the relief of Chile, there are three meridional zones: the mountain ranges of the Andes, stretching along the border with Argentina and Bolivia; structural depression of the Central, or Longitudinal, valley, divided by spurs of the Andes into separate depressions; and a series of geologically older plateaus that abruptly drop off to the Pacific coast. By latitude, Chile is divided into three regions that differ sharply from each other in climate: Middle Chile, Northern Desert and Southern Chile.
Middle Chile. Andes. In the central part of the country, for 800 km between the cities of Coquimbo and Concepcion, about a third of the area is occupied by the highlands of the Andes. The Andes form a single chain, albeit a complex one; the volcanoes Tupungato (6570 m) and Maipo (5290 m) rise above it, and further to the north - the volcano Llullaillaco (6739 m) and the second highest peak in the western hemisphere, the peak of Ojos del Salado (6893 m). Mountains above 4500 m in the north (at 20 ° S) and above 3500 m at the latitude of the city of Concepcion (36 ° S) are constantly covered with snow. To the south of the city of Talca to the west of the main ridge of the Andes, there are cones of active volcanoes.
Coastal plateaus. Another third by area is the coastal zone. It includes flat remnants of the ancient denudation surface, or peneplain, with heights from 2,150 m in the north to 600 m in the south and dissected by steeply dipping valleys of small rivers originating on the eastern slope of the Andes. Larger rivers also flowing from the Andes, such as the Bio-Bio and the Maule, form wide valleys with alluvial bottoms and reach the Pacific Ocean. The coast is mostly steep, and only in a few places protected by rocky capes are there convenient harbors.
Central, or Longitudinal, valley. The structurally determined depression separating the Andes from the coastal zone is divided by outlier uplands and mountain spurs into separate depressions, each of which is drained by one or more rivers flowing from the Andes. These rivers carry a large amount of clastic material and, going out into the Central Valley, unload it in the form of fanning cones; the sloping surface of these cones to the west provides excellent arable land. In the area between the cities of Santiago and Concepción, the mountain spurs protruding into the territory of the depression are low, separate depressions between them merge into a common low surface, but further to the north, a mountain range up to 790 m high separates the valley of the Aconcagua River (part of the Central Valley) from Santiago. Further north, the spurs of the Andes reach the zone of the coastal plateaus, and the Central Valley narrows and disappears. The valley bottom has a general slope to the south, dropping from 600 m near Santiago to 120 m near Concepción. Grain crops are grown in vast fields fringed with poplars and weeping willows, which are irrigated by diverting water from rivers flowing from the Andes.
Northern Chile. Along the western coast of the continent from 4 ° S lat. to 27 ° S the desert area extends. Within Chile, it is called Atacama and stretches for almost 1300 km. The entire space between Copiapo in the south and Arica in the north is a dull succession of dry depressions, pebble fans and salt marshes, the uniformity of which is disturbed by rare oases and rivers, the largest of which is the Loa. Equally harsh is the ocean coast, bordered by hills, whose rounded peaks rise up to 750 m. On the narrow raised sea terraces at the base of the mountain slopes, the cities of Caldera, Antofagasta and Iquique are located. Each of these port cities is approached railways - they climb steep slopes and connect cities with mining in the interior of the country. The main natural wealth of the region is the deposits of copper ores in the Andes, as well as table salt, sodium nitrate and iodine salts mined in the foothill depressions. South of Copiapo, the chain of oases in the foothill depressions continues further south to the territory of Central Chile; they are located on the rivers Huasco, Elqui, Limari and Copiapo.
Southern Chile. Central Valley. South of the Bio-Bio River, the open landscapes of Central Chile give way to dense forests, among which there are occasional farms; this area, poorly developed by agriculture, continues south to 41 ° S latitude. (city of Puerto Montt). In southern Chile, the Central Valley has a dissected relief, complicated in the eastern part by hills and ridges of glacial moraines; dammed lakes are often located behind the ridges. Near Puerto Monta, the bottom of the Central Valley sinks below ocean level, and further, for more than 1000 km, mountain peaks rise above the surface of the water, separated by an intricate labyrinth of narrow straits; the system of mountainous islands and narrow winding straits continues further south, along the shores of Tierra del Fuego.
Andes. The height of the Southern Andes between the cities of Concepcion and Puerto Montt averages approx. 3000 m; there are mountain peaks, glacial valleys, lakes and waterfalls, which are among the most beautiful in the world. At the latitude of the city of Valdivia (approx. 40 ° S), the boundary of eternal snows is at an altitude of 1500 m, and further to the south, eternal snows and ice caps fall already to 700 m above sea level, and some glaciers reach the tops of narrow bays - fjords and form icebergs.
Coastal plateaus. Within southern Chile, the coastal plateaus are 1,500 meters high near the city of Valdivia and gradually decrease to the south; on the island of Chiloe, the surface of the plateau drops almost to sea level.
Climate and natural vegetation. Chile's climatic conditions are very diverse, which is explained by the large extent of the country from north to south, the direct influence of the ocean and the cold Peruvian Current (Humboldt Current) passing near the coast, as well as the existence of the Pacific zone of high atmospheric pressure in the region of 25 ° S latitude.
Central part of Chile. This area is characterized by mild winters and dry, warm summers. In Concepción, 760 mm of precipitation falls per year, mainly in the form of winter showers accompanying the invasions of humid masses of Antarctic air. The northern annual rainfall drops to 360 mm in Santiago and 100 mm in Coquimbo, with rains occurring exclusively in winter. In the summer, their occurrence is prevented by an anticyclone that forms in the Pacific center of the barometric maximum. Average winter temperatures are 11 ° C in Valparaiso, 8 ° C in Santiago and 12 ° C in Coquimbo, average summer temperatures are 18, 21 and 18 ° C, respectively. Along the coast, the cold waters of the Peruvian Current narrow the range of their seasonal changes, but in the interior of the country in winter the temperature can drop to -1 ° С, and in summer the heat reaches 31 ° С.On the coast, the dominant type of vegetation is fragmented evergreen broad-leaved open woodlands of xerophytic trees, shrubs and turf grasses. To the south, a large amount of precipitation favors the development of a sparse deciduous forest of southern beech (notofagus), once widespread from the coastal plateaus (900 m above sea level) to an elevation of 2150 m above sea level. on the slopes of the Andes. Currently, this forest is mostly cut down.
Desert Atacama. An almost complete absence of precipitation is noted from the ocean itself to the line of eternal snows, starting at an altitude of approx. 4600 m above sea level In Iquique, over 20 years of observations, the total amount of precipitated atmospheric moisture was only 28 mm. However, persistent thick fogs rising over the cold coastal waters keep port cities at an average relative humidity of 81% and relatively low temperatures in winter and summer (16 and 21 ° C). The interior of the Atacama is drier, with temperatures often approaching the freezing point in winter, which is accompanied by the formation of dense caps of fog lying on the ground in the predawn hours. Much of the Atacama is generally devoid of vegetation. Ephemeral grasses and resinous perennials of the coastal plateaus feed on moisture obtained only from fog and dew. In the interval 2400-3000 m above sea level. the slopes of the Andes are covered by a belt of sparse tola-type vegetation, consisting of feather grass, Lepidophyllum shrub and Azorella cushion-shaped umbrella, which provide the local population with a small amount of food for livestock and fuel
South of Chile. It is dominated by westerly winds, frequent showers, and there is a large (sometimes excessive) amount of precipitation. Winters for these latitudes are unusually mild - the average temperature is 8 ° C in Valdivia and Puerto Monte, dropping to 2 ° C in Punta Arenas. The average summer temperatures of these cities are 17, 16 and 11 ° C. It snows frequently south of Puerto Monta, and the Chilean archipelago is one of the wettest and wettest places on the planet. On open slopes, approx. 5100 mm of precipitation, and only 51 days a year the sun is faintly visible through the leaden clouds. In Valdivia, the annual rainfall is 2,600 mm, in Puerto Montt 2,200 mm, and in the sheltered Punta Arenas it is only 480 mm. The vegetation cover is a dense forest of a temperate type of southern beech (notofagus), conifers and laurels with a well-developed shrub undergrowth. The swampy areas are occupied by the coniferous species Fitzroya patagonica, and higher on the slopes, mainly Araucaria imbricata grows. The farther south, the lower the trees. In the zone of the Strait of Magellan and on the island of Tierra del Fuego, strong winds and low precipitation allow only grass-heather wastelands with sod grasses, forbs: ferns, mosses and dwarf trees to develop.
POPULATION AND SOCIETY
Demography. The population of Chile, which according to the 1970 census was 8,884,768, increased by the time of the 1992 census to 13,348,401, and in 1998 it was estimated at 14.8 million. Population growth, which was 1.7% per year from the late 1970s to 1993 inclusive, was one of the lowest in Latin America. In 1996, there were 18 births and 6 deaths per 1000 inhabitants. The infant mortality rate dropped from 100 deaths per 1,000 births in 1967 to 14 per 1,000 births in 1996.
Ethnic composition of the population and language. It is estimated that two thirds of the inhabitants come from mixed marriages between Indians and European settlers. A significant contribution to the ethnic composition of modern Chileans was made at one time by the Basques - colonists who arrived from Spain. The Araucans are a free-loving and strong Indian people who successfully defended their independence from both the Incas and the Spaniards, they live mainly in the south of the country, between the modern cities of Concepcion and Puerto Montt. A small group of Aymara-speaking Indians live in the far north of Chile; a special group is also the population of Easter Island (Rapanui). According to the 1992 census, almost 10% of the adult population consider themselves indigenous to the country. In the later stages of colonization, there was a significant influx of English, Scots and Irish into the country. The most famous Chilean of Irish descent was Bernardo O "Higgins, who led the struggle for the independence of Chile. British Admiral Thomas Cochran was at the origins of the creation navy Chile. After the defeat in Germany of the bourgeois-democratic revolution of 1848, German immigrants appeared in the country, settling in the rainy and previously undeveloped provinces south of the Bio-Bio river. There they built farms and small factories, and established resort centers in the lake region. In the middle of the 19th century. small groups of immigrants from Italy, Switzerland, Spain and Yugoslavia arrived in the country. Chile's official language is Spanish, which is spoken by most of the inhabitants. Although many of the indigenous people continue to speak Araucano and German, almost all of them are fluent in Spanish. Many Chileans also speak English and other languages \u200b\u200bof international communication.
Accommodation of the population. Almost 9/10 Chileans live in the area between Puerto Mont and Coquimbo, in an area that is less than 1/3 of the total area of \u200b\u200bthe country. Central Chile, which is part of this area north of the Bio-Bio river, is home to approx. 2/3 of the country's population. In most of the Central Valley, located between the cities of Santiago and Concepcion, the density rural population more than 50 people per 1 sq. km. In the metropolitan area of \u200b\u200bSantiago, the population density reaches almost 355 people per 1 sq. km. Central Chile is home to major cities such as Santiago, Valparaiso and Concepcion, home to government offices, universities and financial centers. The main part of the most fertile arable lands of the country is concentrated here. Most of the country's industrial enterprises are located in or around the capital. The overpopulation of the central regions led, in particular, to the fact that new immigrants began to inhabit the forest areas south of the Bio-Bio river, which remained for a long time under the control of the Araucanian Indian tribes. German immigrants were the first to appear here in the middle of the 19th century. The growth of settlements accelerated significantly after the government of the country began to pursue a policy of supporting the colonists who were engaged in agriculture. Part of the Chileans emigrated to Argentina, settling lands along the eastern foot of the Andes. The southern third of Chile is very poorly populated. The existing population is concentrated mainly in the eastern part of the Strait of Magellan in the area of \u200b\u200bPunta Arenas, the southernmost of the major cities in the world. In three regions of Northern Chile - Tarapaca, Antofagasta and Atacama, whose territory covers more than a third of the total area of \u200b\u200bthe country, approx. 7% of the population. In the area occupied by the Atacama Desert, approx. 1 million people live in mining and port towns. The bulk of the population here is made up of contract workers from large farms in Central Chile, where their ancestors were peons until the 20th century. In addition to them, hundreds of specialists with higher education from various countries who work in copper mines also live in various regions of Northern Chile.
Cities. Chile is one of the most urbanized countries in Latin America. In 1995, approx. 86% of the country's inhabitants lived in cities, and over half of the total population lived in the two central regions - Santiago and Valparaiso. The capital of the country, Santiago, had 5.07 million inhabitants, and together with the suburbs (in particular Puente Alto and San Bernardo, with a population of 318,000 and 206,800, respectively), 5.6 million. Valparaiso, the main port of Chile and the seat of the National Congress, in 1995 totaled 282.2 thousand people, and even more lived in the neighboring cities of Viña del Mar (322.2 thousand people) and Quilpue (110.3 thousand people). Among the major cities of Central Chile are also Rancagua (193.8 thousand people), Talca (169.5 thousand people) and Chillan (157.1 thousand people). Concepción, the second largest city in the country, in 1995 had 350.3 thousand inhabitants, and its "twin" port city Talcahuano - 260.9 thousand. Further to the north, within the agricultural region, is the main city of the Coquimbo province - La Serena (118 thousand inhabitants). South of the r. Bio-Bio's main cities are Temuco (239.3 thousand people), Osorno (123.1 thousand people), Puerto Montt 122.4 thousand people) and Valdivia (119.4 thousand people). In the extreme south there is only one city - Punta Arenas (117.2 thousand people), located on the shores of the Strait of Magellan. The largest cities in northern Chile are the ports of Antofagasta (236.7 thousand people), Arica (173.3 thousand people) and Iquique (152.6 thousand people).
Religion and Church Organizations. Although the church in Chile was separated from the state under the 1925 constitution, more than 80% of the population belongs to the Roman Catholic Church. Usually the church rarely intervened in the political life of the country, but since the late 1960s, following the instructions of the papal encyclicals on social issues, as well as under the influence of social trends of European Catholicism, the Chilean church began to play an important role in the implementation of social reforms in the country, and the number socially active clergy has grown significantly. Some clerics have helped to increase the influence of the Christian Democratic Party. In 1970, the Catholic Church of Chile officially declared its rejection of capitalism and renounced all its securities, as well as from its profitable land and property. After 1973, the church condemned torture, murder and kidnapping. In addition to Catholics, there are influential groups of Protestants in Chile (according to the 1992 census, they make up 13% of the population) and adherents of Judaism. The significant influence of the Protestant Church is due to strong support from the UK and the presence in the country of a number of educational institutions and social institutions founded by North American religious organizations.
A family. Family structure is largely determined by income levels. The wages of eight out of ten workers do not allow them to support their families, which leads to the disintegration of families, the emergence of a large number of abandoned children and orphans. Women often support their families themselves, making up for odd jobs until the children grow up and start earning on their own. The middle and upper classes are characterized by large families, a tradition that has survived from the old days.
Industrial and agricultural associations. One of the most influential economic associations in the country is the National Agricultural Society, founded in 1838 by large landowners. The analogue of this association in the mining industry was the National Mining Society. The largest businessmen of the country are united in the National Chamber of Commerce, industrialists in the Society for the Promotion of Industry. Relatively few large exporting companies are closely associated with right-wing political parties. See further
The country is officially called the Republic of Chile. This state was founded by the Spanish colonialists at the beginning of the 16th century. But since no minerals were found in this territory, the lands of special importance for the colonialists in the future did not have. But still Chile is a rather peculiar country with a very original nature.
Geographic characteristics
The Republic of Chile is located in the southwest of the South American continent, and occupies a narrow strip of the continent between the Pacific Ocean and the Andean Ridge. To the east, the country is bordered by the prairies of Argentina. From the north, Chile borders Peru and Bolivia.
The coastal line is 6435 km long. The area of \u200b\u200bthe Pacific Ocean along the state was named the Chilean Sea. The water area of \u200b\u200bthis sea belongs to the country.
After years of military conflicts in the 19th century, diplomatic relations were established between Chile and Peru. The border between states is only 168 km, and it is around the borderland that disputes between states have been going on for many years.
Nature
Stretched along the oceanfront, Chile allows visitors to see the snow-capped mountains in the south, close to the shores of Antarctica. And in the north, the climate is close to tropical. This feature of the country is of interest to tourists, which makes it possible to develop tourism. One of the highest mountains in the Chilean Republic is Ojos del Salado (the highest point is 6893 m) and is located on the border with Argentina, it is the second highest peak in South America after Mount Aconcagua, located in Argentina ...
There are many rivers on the territory, but they are all quite short. The longest is Loa, which has a length of 440 km. Most of the rivers belong to the basins of the Pacific Ocean, but only the Loa reaches the ocean itself, and many rivers are characterized only by temporary flows in the summer rains ...
In the western part of the country, the territory is washed by the Pacific Ocean, and the length of the coast is more than 6 thousand km. Thanks to the Humboldt Current, the waters of the Chilean coast are quite cool, but near the coast, the water is pleasant and warm, which also attracts tourists ...
Chile is characterized by xerophytic vegetation, many varieties of shrubs and coniferous or laurel forests. Some areas are rich in cactus and cereal flora.
The fauna is rather scarce and not very diverse. You can find wolves and chinchillas, and there are also a number of deer and cougars in the forests. There are unique types of felines that are dangerous predators.
Among the most popular birds are the Chilean eagle and flamingos, which are somewhat different from their counterparts in other countries ...
In the northern part, the climate is tropical, while other parts belong to the temperate continental, and the elongated shape of the state allows it to occupy several climatic zones at once in different parts countries. Thus, here you can find rich deciduous forests, and a desert part with a classic nature and a hot climate ...
Resources
The country is rich in copper and mineral deposits, and iron ore also occupies a special place among the minerals. There are quite a lot of industries in the country that relate to the food industry, as well as various sawmills and woodworking enterprises. Great importance has the development of agriculture for the state economy ...
Culture
The population is approximately 16.8 million, including Hispanic Chileans, as well as Europeans and Asians who emigrated in the 20th century. Indigenous are Indian peoples with corresponding cultural traditions, and there are also a fairly large number of Polynesians. The cultural characteristics of the state combine a combination of Spanish and local culture, with Spanish motives prevailing. Thus, the culture combines Polynesian, Indian and Spanish ...
Capital of Chile, like many other large South American cities, was founded by conquerors from Europe - the first stone in the foundation Santiago laid in 1641, led by a handful of conquistadors, Pedro de Valdivia. He named the future city Santiago de Nueva Extremadura after his Spanish homeland, but the name was quickly shortened to simply Santiago. Until the early 19th century, Santiago was the seat of colonial governors, and after an eight-year war of independence in 1818, it became the capital of Chile.
Interestingly, formally a metropolis Santiago de Chile does not exist. Traditionally, this is the name for a conglomerate of several dozen communes - this is how urban areas are called in Chile. The city, whose population has long exceeded 5 million people, has neither the mayor nor the city legislature. Nevertheless, Santiago and its many guests do not suffer from this - the city is developing dynamically and is quite successfully solving emerging problems.
Smog and earthquakes do not frighten the inhabitants of Santiago
The place that Pedro de Valdivia chose for Santiago was really very successful at that time. The intermontane basin, a hundred kilometers from the Pacific coast, was protected from the winds, and its slopes were covered with fertile soils. But every medal has a flip side - the mountains are not only a good shield from the winds, but also the source of earthquakes that repeatedly shook Santiago. And with the development of industry, the plateau on which the capital of Chile is located has become a real reserve of smog, which makes breathing difficult and causes serious health problems. Only after the tightening of environmental legislation was the smog problem, if not solved, then significantly reduced.
As for earthquakes, the Chileans seem to be fatalistic about them. The boom in the construction of skyscrapers that began in the 1990s cannot be explained in any other way.
Gradually, the perimeter of the square was built up with buildings that are now architectural monuments. These are the Cathedral, the National Museum of Chilean History (formerly the Royal Audience Building), the La Moneda Palace (the residence of the President of the country) and the Post Office building.
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The square is decorated with a monument to Pedro de Valdivia and a composition "In Honor of America's Freedom".
Cathedral of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin
The heart of the Chilean Catholic Church has been repeatedly destroyed by fires and earthquakes, but has invariably been reborn on the site where the first Catholic church in the history of the country stood. The complex, which includes not only the Cathedral, but also the magnificent building of the archbishop's residence, has been repeatedly rebuilt and reconstructed. The most recent reconstruction was carried out after the 2010 earthquake.
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Now the building of the Cathedral is a combination of Baroque, Neoclassical, Romanesque and Tuscan styles. The cathedral is decorated with stucco, gilding, numerous frescoes, sculptures and icons. The Cathedral and the tombs of Chilean historical figures housed in it are open to the public during services.
La Moneda Palace
The building of the La Moneda Palace was built at the turn of the 18th - 19th centuries for the Mint of the colonial administration. Quite quickly after Chile gained independence, the spacious building was considered suitable for hosting the presidential administration of the country. Over time, the palace of La Moneda found a place for the Ministry of the Interior and for a number of other government agencies.
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The palace building itself externally represents a fairly common example of classicism. But its history is much richer than architecture. In 1973, participants in a military coup stormed the palace using aircraft and heavy armored vehicles, after which panoramic photos of the dilapidated residence of Chilean President Salvador Allende flew around the world. Allende himself committed suicide, not wanting to surrender to the putschists.
The La Moneda Palace was restored only in the early 1980s. On even days, a solemn change of the military guard takes place near the palace. In 2000, a monument to Allende was unveiled near the palace. In front of the southern facade there is a monument to another ousted Chilean president. Arturo Alessandri was also overthrown by the military, but he was lucky to die a natural death in 1950.
Museum of Pre-Columbian Art
For half a century, the architect Sergio Garcia-Moreno has been collecting cultural monuments of the peoples who inhabited South America before the arrival of the European colonialists. The Chilean authorities provided a building from the early 19th century to house the collection and the accompanying research institute, which previously housed customs and courts. The Pre-Columbian Museum opened in 1981.
The actively growing collection of the museum contains more than 5,000 exhibits. They are monuments to more than 100 peoples who have inhabited South America for 10,000 years.
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The four halls of the museum display items made of precious metals, copper, bronze, clay, wood and dyed fabrics. There are even bas-reliefs brought from Easter Island in the exposition of the Museum of the Pre-Columbian Era.
Santa Lucia Hill - this is where the city of Santiago began
Santa Lucia Hill is an island of greenery in the middle of the very poor green area of \u200b\u200bSantiago. It was from the top of this hill that Pedro de Valdivia appreciated the strategic attractiveness of the area. De Valdivia climbed the hill on the day of Saint Lucia (December 13), and briefly puzzled over the name of the peak.
Initially, the hill was the center of the Spanish defense against endless Indian raids. Accordingly, the architecture of the buildings on Santa Lucia was purely military. Only in the 1870s was the hill turned into a beautiful landscaped park. Numerous rotundas, complexes of fountains, stairs, towers were placed on the slopes, connecting them with paths. Historical relics are also preserved - a Catholic chapel, part of the fort with the emblem of Santiago of the Middle Ages, several bastions and artillery positions. The highlight of Santa Lucia is the restored Hidalgo Castle.
Basilica of the Virgin Mercedes
Like most of Santiago's historical sites, the Basilica of the Virgin of Mercedes has been hit by earthquakes on several occasions. The building was originally built in 1566, but had to be rebuilt in the 17th and 18th centuries. Gradually, a monastery and household buildings were built around the temple, now they are a single complex.
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Built in the style of the Neo-Renaissance, the basilica looks rather unconventional for Catholic churches. A small red and yellow building looks unusually fun compared to the austere beauty of others catholic churches... The Basilica of the Virgin Mercedes looks especially beautiful at sunset, when the sun reflects the colors of the facade.
Santiago modern
Mixing styles and times city \u200b\u200bof Santiago similar to other South American metropolitan areas. Skyscrapers adjoin slums, formal business suits with Indian robes, street vendors display their wares on the sidewalks of the main street of the city of Alameda right in front of the windows of expensive boutiques. South American fast food carts stand next to fashionable restaurants. The standard of living in Santiago is one of the highest in the region and the crime rate is very low. In an hour and a half from the Chilean capital, you can reach both the ocean beaches and the ski slopes. Santiago has good transport connections thanks to the metro, ground transportation and inexpensive taxis. For tourists, there is a hop-on / hop-off circular route, from the buses of which you can get off at any of 12 stops, see the selected sights of Santiago, and then return to the route with the same ticket.