Chile is one of the most stable and economically advanced countries in South America. Prior to 1990, the country was ruled by General Augusto Pinochet.  The General came to power by overthrowing Salvador Allende's democratically elected, socialist government in 1973. Chile has recovered well from its recent history of living under a dictatorship. It currently nurtures a thriving democracy and a successful free-market economic model. 
 
The country shares borders with Peru, Bolivia and Argentina. The Pacific Ocean marks its western border bestowing it with a 4000 mile long coastline. Beyond continental South America, Chile encompasses the Juan Fernández Islands, the Salas y Gómez islands, the Desventuradas Islands and Easter Island. It also claims 480,000 square miles of land in Antarctica.  

Chile's long North-South shape has translated into climatic conditions that range from a dry and desolate to alpine and snowy.  The country measures 2,880 miles north to south and 265 miles east to west, at the widest part of the country.  Traveling down Chile's length means going from some of the hottest temperatures to the coldest in the world.   

The imposing Andes runs along the eastern edge of the country. Most of the its mineral deposits, including copper, are found in the North.  A majority of Chileans live in the central parts where the rich agricultural resources are located.  The South is littered with volcanoes, lakes, and virgin forests.  The coast at the lowest tip of the country is very close to Antarctica and is dotted with magnificently pristine fjords, canals, islands, and peninsulas.  

Santiago, the capital, is located near the center of the country and is home to a little over a third of Chile's 15.1 million citizens.  Santiago has enjoyed consistent economic growth for the last couple of decades.  This has turned it into one of the most modern South American cities.  Rumor has it that visitors to Santiago can treat themselves to skiing and surfing on the same day.  The city is close enough to both the Pacific Ocean and the Andes to apparently make such antics possible. 

Chile is the world's number one producer of copper. The country also exports timber, a variety of fruits, seafood, and wine. Since the 1990's, Chile's GDP has averaged 8 percent growth per year, according to the 2009 Index of Economic Freedom published by the Heritage Foundation and the Wall Street Journal. 

The Index also ranks Chile as the 11th freest economy in the world. Some of the many investment positive aspects of the country include: a fairly transparent financial system and strong private property protection. Chile's economy has been growing at a stable rate and is expected to continue on the same trajectory in the long term. In addition to a free trade agreement with the U.S., Chile is part of the Asia–Pacific Economic Cooperation forum. It is also negotiating agreements with other potential trade partners.

Chile has a good business climate under which foreign and domestic investments are treated the same.  It doesn't have too many controls on capital transfer and transactions.  The country also boasts a well run financial and regulatory systems.  Banks are reliable and citizens and non-citizens alike can open foreign exchange accounts. Contracts are well respected and the judicial system is largely fair. Unlike many countries in the region, and indeed in the world, Chile doesn't suffer from corruption much. In fact, out of 179 countries, the country ranked 23rd in the 2008 Transparency International Corruption Perceptions Index, coming in just four places after the U.S. "Chile is a country of very low corruption," said Dublé.

This article was Republished with permission from Nuwireinvestor.com
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