Chile: Photo taken by Ginny Hebert near Santiago Chile. This Chateu, built by Alejandro Jadres during the late 1700s, was modeled after European architecture.

Chile, being a very narrow country, has an average width of 250 miles. It is slightly larger than Texas. Chile has a vast array of climate and landscapes. There are deserts, swamps, the Andes Mountains, forests, beaches, volcanoes, beautiful lakes and a wide variety of animals and plants. It has been called the Switzerland of South America for its natural beauty. The Atalanda Desert stretches 600 miles from Peru's southern border into northern Chile. It is known as the driest place on Earth. There are areas where rain has never been recorded.

Spanish is the official language of Chile. Other languages include some German, English and Mapunde, a language of the indigenous group known as the Mapuche.

Unlike most South American cultures, if invited to dinner, be sure to show up on time. It is considered rude and disrespectful if you are later than 10 minutes. It is a nice gesture to bring sweets when invited to dinner. You can also bring yellow roses or purple flowers. When dining, women sit before men. It is recommended that you avoid speaking with utensils in your hands. It is also considered polite to finish everything on your plate. The Chileans are very polite and gracious people.

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