About the country
Chile is a long and narrow country located in the Southwest extreme of South America. It has a population of 15,116,435 (men: 7,447,695; women: 7,668,740). Two thirds of the population is concentrated in the central zone. Santiago is the Chilean capital.

Chile's boundaries are geographically well defined: to the west is the Pacific Ocean; to the east the Andes mountains; to the north is the Atacama desert, the driest in the World; and to the south are the ice fields and glaciers of Chilean Patagonia. There are wide variations of soil and climate between these features. Overall the climate is temperate with a desert climate in the north, a Mediterranean climate in the central region and cool and damp in the south. Chile shares frontiers with Argentina, Peru and Bolivia. Its 4,500km coastline includes an amazing assortment of archipelagos and channels south of Puerto Montt. Although Chile is 4,329km long, at no point is it wider than 180km. Chile's sovereign territory includes some Pacific islands, among them Easter Island, and it has a claim to a sector of Antarctica.

Chile has a republican system of government consisting of 3 separate and independent branches: the Executive Branch, which is headed by the President, who in turn is advised by a Cabinet of (un-elected) Ministers; the Legislative Branch, which consists of a bicameral National Congress located in Valparaíso and comprising the Senate and Chamber of Deputies; and the Judicial Branch, headed by the Supreme Court. These institutions are defined in the 1980 Constitution (amended 2005). The President is directly elected for a 4-year term (reduced from 6 years by the new government on 11 March 2006).

The country is widely seen as one of the most stable emerging market economies and has a record of high growth. Spurred on by an early commitment to market-oriented reform and international openness, Chile was the first Latin American country to privatise state enterprises, reduce tariffs, liberalise investment and open its doors to foreign capital.

Chile has an open economy which thrives on foreign trade – bilateral free trade agreements cover over 80% of Chile's import/exports. Import tariffs are low. In 2006 exports (principally copper-led) totalled US$59bn and imports US$36bn. However, non-copper exports also continue to enjoy strong growth. The trade surplus in 2006 reached US$23bn (up from US$10bn in 2005). The Central Bank's overnight reference interest rate remains at 5.25%, up from 2.50% at the beginning of 2005. Inflation in the year to June 2007 stood at 3.2%.

There are good health facilities in Santiago and the major cities, but private clinics and hospitals are expensive. Air pollution in Santiago during winter (June-September) is a major problem. You may therefore suffer from eye irritation and respiratory problems.

British citizens in Chile
There is not exact information on how many British citizens live in Chile. However, around 2,000 British nationals have registered with the Consulate in Santiago. In 2008, the FCO set up a new improved online registration service called LOCATE for British nationals travelling or living abroad to register themselves with the FCO. So, if you are a British national who resides in Chile, or if you are visiting the country, it is advisable that you register your presence. You will find all the information in the Consular registration section of this website. This will allow us to keep in touch with you and provide consular assistance in the event of an emergency. The data you file is confidential and will only be used for the purposes stated above.

Besides the Consular Section in Santiago, the British Embassy has Honorary Consulates that look after British interests in general and carry out a number of consular services in the district where they are based. There are three Honorary Consulates in Chile located in the cities of Valparaíso, Puerto Montt and Punta Arenas.

There is also network of organisations with British connections that operate in the country. They hold many events throughout the year and some of them have a close connection with the Embassy and the Honorary Consulates in the regions.  You may visit the Anglo-Chilean Community page to find out more information about these organisations.

Around 50,000 British tourists visit Chile every year. Most visits are trouble-free. The main type of incident for which British nationals required consular assistance in Chile in 2007 was for replacing lost and stolen passports (over 65 cases). Pickpocketing, other thefts and muggings are also common and have been on the increase since 2007. If you are travelling to Chile, we recommend that you read the Travel Advice prepared by the FCO.

Last updated: August 2008