Fun Facts Chile - General
Chile is a land of extremes, famous for the world's driest desert, part of the world's southernmost city, and for being one of the world's longest countries.
Geographic Extremes
- The World's Driest Desert The Atacama Desert in northern Chile is the driest non-polar desert on Earth; some areas have not received rainfall since record-keeping began.
- Extreme Length Chile is the longest country in the world from north to south, stretching over 4,300 km (2,670 miles), but with an average width of only about 175 km (109 miles). This shape results in a highly varied climate, from desert in the north to glaciers and fjords in the south.
- Southernmost City The city of Puerto Williams in the far south of Chile is considered the world's southernmost city.
- Antarctic Claims Chile claims a portion of Antarctica as part of its national territory and maintains one of the only two permanent civilian bases there, Villa Las Estrellas.
History & Culture
- Ancient Mummies The world's oldest known mummies, the Chinchorro mummies, were discovered in Chile's Camarones Valley and date back to around 5050 BC, predating the Egyptian mummies by thousands of years.
- A Land of Poets Chile has a strong literary tradition and is often referred to as "the land of poets". Notable figures include the Nobel Prize winners Pablo Neruda and Gabriela Mistral.
- Unique Traditions A popular tradition on the island of Chiloé is the minga, where the entire community works together to literally move a house from one location to another by placing it on tree trunks and pulling it with oxen.
Economy & Science
- Global Producer Chile is the world's largest producer of copper. It is also one of the top ten wine-producing and exporting countries in the world.
- UFO Research Chile has a government-supported UFO research organization, which studies numerous reported sightings in the country's central region.
- Largest Swimming Pool The San Alfonso del Mar resort in Algarrobo is home to the world's largest man-made swimming pool, holding 66 million gallons of seawater.