Chile

 Chile is long and narrow, like a snake. Its arid landscapes of the northern Atacama desert contrast with those of the green central valleys and the southern Patagonia region, but all are equally breathtaking.

The Andes run along the east, like a giant wall that brings cool air to the fertile valleys near Santiago, Chile’s capital. To the west, at a short distance from the mountains, is the Pacific Ocean with its cold Humboldt current, which originates in Antarctic waters and provides food for thousands of species along the coast of South America, making it one of the richest marine ecosystems in the world. 

About 2,000 volcanoes exist in Chile, 60 of which are potentially active. One of the most famous is Ojos del Salado, the highest in the world and the second-highest summit in the Andes. People who live at the foot of Chilean volcanoes face the risk of potential eruptions but also benefit from the fertility that volcanic minerals –carried by rivers from the Andes through the valleys –  bring to the land. This country is one of the largest exporters of cherries, grapes, blueberries, apples, walnuts, and avocados.

Thousands of miles away, surrounded by the Pacific Ocean, is Easter Island, a Chilean territory located in Polynesia. Its native name is Rapa Nui, after the people who inhabit the island and whose ancestors carved the island’s famous and mystical giant sculptures called moai. Some moai are perfectly aligned in the direction of the southern equinoxes of spring and autumn, demonstrating their creators’ astronomical knowledge.