10 Facts on Chile
While many people associated the word Chile with food, we are talking about a country in this case. Here are 10 facts on Chile for you to chew on.
10 Facts on Chile
1. Chile’s length is equal to approximately one tenth of the Earth’s perimeter. Total longitude is 8000 km. Average width is 180 km. The three neighboring countries are Argentina, Bolivia and Peru. The border with Argentina has an extension of more than 5000 km and is one of the longest in the world.
2. The largest island is Alejandro I (56,000 km2) in the Antarctica. It is followed by Tierra del Fuego (Chilean part) with 27,000 km2, and Chiloé (8,500 km2). There are nearly 16,000 islands in total claimed by Chile.
3. The country's largest river, River Baker, empties Chile's greatest Lake General Carrera which is 1,900 km2 in size. The River Loa is Chile's longest at 440 km.
4. The country’s climate is determined principally by the Andes on the eastern border and the cold Humboldt Stream in the Pacific. The temperatures are relatively low although it is partially enclosed in the tropics. The northern desert is described as the driest in the world.
5. Chile has approximately 80,000 km of roads. Yet, only 15 percent of them are paved. There are 60 ports moving more than 45 million tons of freight a year. The larger ones are Antofagasta, San Antonio and Valparaíso.
6. Hydroelectric power plants produce two-thirds of the country's electricity each year.
7. The country doesn’t have nuclear power plants.
8. In 1843, there were about one million people living in Chile. At the beginning of the 20th century, the number had increased to about 3 million people. In 1950, the number doubled to about 6 million. The last census in 1997 revealed a population explosion to over 14 million people.
9. 40 percent of people in Chile are younger than 15 years of age and 65 percent have not reached the age of 35. Almost 90 percent of the population lives between La Serena and Puerto Montt. 85 percent of the Chileans live in urban areas. About 5 percent of the population are illiterate.
10. More than three million students attend state and community schools. They take eight years of primary education and four years of secondary education.
As an added fact that is of interest, Chile is the location where most speed records are set for skiing.
