South America

The Brazilian Highlands act as a wedge that pushes moist sea winds away from the coastal plains. The western coastal plains are also extremely dry. They are trapped between the cold Peru Current to the west and the Andes Mountains to the east. The Peru Current brings cold water to the Pacific coast of Peru and Chile.

The services sector is the largest in Brazil and accounts for nearly 70% of GDP. Agriculture and industry also contribute a substantial amount to Brazil’s economic growth.

Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in western South America.

A long, narrow country, it has an average width of only about 110 miles, with a maximum of 217 miles at the latitude of Antofagasta and a minimum of 9.6 miles near Puerto Natales. It is bounded on the north by Peru and Bolivia, on its long eastern border by Argentina, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean.

Chile remained a colony of Spain for close to 300 years until Napoleon Bonaparte’s conquest of Spain weakened the country’s imperial grip on their South American colonies. Under Spanish colonial rule, northern and central Chile were part of the Viceroyalty of Peru.

Santiago

The topography of central Chile includes a coastal range of mountains running parallel to the Andes. Lying between the two mountain ranges is the so-called Central Valley, which contains some of the richest agricultural land in the country, especially in its northern portion.

According to the Köppen system, Chile within its borders hosts at least seven major climatic subtypes, ranging from low desert in the north, to alpine tundra and glaciers in the east and southeast, tropical rainforest in Easter Island, Oceanic in the south and Mediterranean climate in central Chile.

Chile’s territory combines over 4,000 kilometers of wind-blown, ocean-swept coastline, the immense, mineral-rich northern desert, the majestic peaks of the Andes range, with thousands of active volcanoes strung along its length, and the hushed mystique of the southern evergreen forests.

Chile

Founded in 1541, Santiago is now a thriving metropolis dotted with fine eateries and top-class hotels. It is the only city in the world that offers skiing high up in the majestic Andes, followed a mere 45 minutes later by walks on the beach and surfing in the Pacific Ocean.