Interesting Chile Facts
Chile is a country located in Western South America and has a long coastline on the Pacific Ocean. It is the longest country on the continent of South America where it occupies approximately 756,102 km sq of land and it is home to numerous islands including the famous Easter Island. In relation to north-south trending countries, Chile is the longest in the world. The country's approximate population is in excess of 18,191,000 people.
Find out interesting Chile facts and information about this Western South American country with our fact file for kids. Discover important facts about the overall size, location, islands, official language, religion, culture, geography, famous landmarks, people, history, size and population of Chile.
Explore South America with our interesting country facts for kids based on questions such as: What continent is Chile in? How big is Chile ? What is the culture of Chile like? What are the bordering countries of Chile? What is the geography of Chile like? What are the traditional foods of Chile? Which country does Easter Island belong to?
Chile Fact File: Continent: South America *** Country Name(s): Republic of Chile *** Location: West South America *** Bordering Countries: Peru, Bolivia and Argentina *** Capital City: Santiago *** Size: 756,102 km sq *** Estimated Population: over 18,191,000 *** Currency: Chilean Peso *** Language(s): Spanish *** Country Code for Chile: +56 *** Largest Cities / Towns: Santiago, Velparaiso, and Concepcion *** Geography of Chile: Atacama Desert, Andes Mountains, Valley of the Moon, Chungara Lake, Parinacota Volcano, Pomerape Volcano, National Parks including Conguillio, Nahuelbuta, Laguna San Rafael, and Torres del Paine, San Rafael Glacier, vast coastal and desert regions, mountains, volcanoes, lagoons, geysers, salt flats, moon-like scenery, forests, lakes, fjords and inlets *** Famous Landmarks of Chile: Moia human carving on Easter Island, unique churches of the Chiloe archipelago, Los Pinguinos (Penguins) Natural Monument, Cultural centre, Museum of Memory and Human Rights, National Museum of Fine Arts, Museum of pre-Colombian Art, and the Humberstone and Santa Laura Saltpeter Works
Interesting Chile Facts for Kids
Interesting Facts for Kids 1: Where is Chile located?
Chile forms part of the continent of South America. It is positioned in Western South America, where it has a long coastline on the Pacific Ocean. The names of its border countries are Peru, Bolivia and Argentina.
Interesting Facts for Kids 2: Chile population and size
Chile is the longest country in South America and the longest in the world in relation to north-south trending countries. The estimated total area size of this South American country is 756,102 km sq. It is predicted that the country has a population of over 18,191,000 with Chile’s most populated area being the capital city of Santiago. Chile is home to numerous islands including Easter Island, and Isla Sala y Gomez.
Interesting Facts for Kids 3: The capital of Chile
The capital city of Chile is Santiago and it is situated in the centre of the country. Santiago is the city with the largest population in Chile and has an estimated population of 6,507,000 inhabitants. It is known for being a city of importance with numerous notable landmarks including a Cultural Centre, Museum of Memory and Human Rights, National Museum of Fine Arts, and Museum of pre-colombian Art. Santiago is situated in the central valley of Chile between the Andes Mountains and the Chilean Coast. The city is very important because it is centre to Chile's economy and financial services, with many large corporations taking up position here.
Interesting Facts for Kids 4: Chile major cities
There are a number of major cities in Chile, the names of the largest and most important cities and towns include the country’s capital Santiago, and Velparaiso, and Concepcion. Valparaiso is considered a major city of Chile. It is located on the coast of the Pacific Ocean, and is dubbed the Jewel of the Pacific as it is home to numerous important landmarks and points of architectural interest.
Interesting Facts for Kids 5: Chile flag facts
The national flag of Chile, which is formed of three colors, was first used on October 18,1817, and is characterized by two horizontal bars featuring a blue canton. The Chilean flag can be identified by a five pointed white star that lies central to the blue canton representing guidance and honor. The National Flag of Chile uses the colors of red, blue and white which symbolize this country's strength, history, geography and independence. Red is used in honor of bloodshed, and in particular, those who bravely defended Chile in its battle for independence, white portrays the snow capped mountains of the Andes, blue symbolizes the sky and the Pacific Ocean on which the country has a very long coastal border.
Interesting Facts for Kids 6: Language of Chile
The majority of people living in Chile speak Spanish which is the country's official language, however, various other languages are spoken in this part of South America including English and indigenous languages such as Quechua, Aymara, Mapudungan and Rapa Nui.
Interesting Facts for Kids 7: Chile climate facts
The climate of Chile differs between landscapes. The weather conditions in the north, which comprises majorly of desert land, can be described as temperate. The climate in central parts of Chile tends to have a more Mediterranean feel, where as areas in the south are often cool and damp.
Interesting Facts for Kids 8: Chile geography facts
The geography of Chile is very interesting as it incorporates vast coastal and desert regions, mountains, volcanoes, lagoons, geysers, salt flats, moon-like scenery, forests, fertile central valleys, lakes, fjords and inlets. Its worth noting that many islands belong to Chile including the remote isla de Pascua, otherwise known as Easter Island, and Isla Sala y Gomez. The Atacama Desert is located in northern Chile and stretches for approximately 600 miles. This is one of the largest deserts in the world and also, the world's driest; some areas of the Atacama Desert have not received a drop of rain since records began.
Interesting Facts for Kids 9: Chile famous landmarks
There are a range of interesting landmarks, monuments and buildings in Chile including the Moia human carvings on Easter Island, unique churches of the Chiloe archipelago, Los Pinguinos (Penguins) Natural Monument, Cultural centre, Museum of Memory and Human Rights, National Museum of Fine Arts, Museum of pre-colombian Art, and the Humberstone and Santa Laura Saltpeter Works.
Interesting Facts for Kids 10: What is Chile famous for?
Chile is famous for being home to the world's driest non-polar desert; the Atacama Desert which occupies a total area of 128,000 km sq inclusive of the Andes. Chile is also home to the volcanic Easter Island located in the southeastern Pacific Ocean. Easter Island is renown for its historical sites of interest such as the human figures carved by the Moai. Another notable fact about Chile is that it is the world's longest north-south trending country.
Interesting Facts for Kids 11: Chile culture facts
The culture of Chile is strongly influenced by European traditions, particularly Spanish. The people of Chile enjoy music and dance which often accompany celebrations in this country, as does Chilean cuisine which usually centres around various meats, seafood, vegetable and fruit. Literature is important to many people here and Chile boasts numerous famous writers and poets.
Interesting Facts for Kids 12: The Atacama Desert in Chile Facts
The Atacama Desert is located in South America along the coast of Chile. It is one of the driest place on Earth as it receives just 15 millimeters of rainfall in a year, with some parts of the Atacama desert having not received any rainfall for over 400 years. The Atacama Desert is present in four countries of South American and takes on its largest presence in Chile. The desert also occupies parts of Peru, Bolivia and Argentina. The Atacama Desert spans a total area of approximately 128,000 square kms (49,000 square miles) including areas of the Andes.
Interesting Facts for Kids 12: Climate and Geography of the Atacama Desert in Chile
The climate of the Atacama Desert in Chile can be described as cold with average annual temperatures ranging between 0-25 degrees Celsius. Chile has a long coastal border with the Pacific Ocean which offers an important supply of water to parts of the Atacama Desert. Other important water sources in the Atacama Desert in Chile can be found throughout lakes in the Andes Mountains which formed many years ago. Trees and plant life can be found growing close to water sources in this area and around the coast. The formation of the Atacama Desert consists mainly of an elongated desert strip which is located on the coast of Chile by the north-western side. The desert has a barren and extremely arid landscape. Apart from the barren areas of the desert, most other parts have only flower and herbs. The Atacama Desert also has some old masses of Crystalline rocks and incorporates the Chilean Coast Range and the Andes Mountains on both sides.
Interesting Facts for Kids 13:/span> What animals live in Chile?
CChile is home to many animal species, the Atacama Desert alone provides shelter to an arrange of insects, arachnids, reptiles, amphibians, mammals and birds. The insects and arachnids found living in this part of Chile include red scorpions, desert wasps, butterflies, beetles and sand-colored insects. The reptiles and amphibians include salt flat lizards, lava lizards, iguanas and the vallenar toads. There are many species of mammals living in Chile, and the coast of the Pacific Ocean on which the country is located, including sea lions, fur seals, vicunas, guanacos, viscacha, gray fox and Darwin's leaf eared mouse. Some of the birds found living in Chile among the Atacama Desert include hummingbirds, sparrows, Chilean woodstar, lomas, chimango caracaras, burrowing owls, slender billed finch, Andean flamingos and Humboldt penguins.
Interesting Facts for Kids 14:/span> What plants grow in Chile?
MMany species of plant life can be found growing in Chile. The Atacama Desert is home to lots of species of trees, shrubs, cacti, herbs and grasses. Some of the most popular species being the leafy aigarrobo, pimiento tree, chinar, saltgrass, llareta and thyme amongst others, all of which are robust and adapted to surviving cold weather conditions and lack of precipitation. A type of evergreen perennial known as the Llareta, or Yareta, grows in mountainous areas of Chile in the Atacama Desert. The Llareta can be described as an unusual looking flowering plant which grows to 13.1 feet thick. As the climate conditions in this part of Chile can be extremely cold, the Llareta plant has learnt to retain as much heat as possible during the day to help it survive the cold temperatures of the night.