Famously long and narrow, Chile is sandwiched for most of its 4000 kilometre (2500 mile) length between the impressive ranges of the Andes to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. The country's inhabitants are mainly Spanish speakers of European descent, though indigenous Aymara Indians still farm the foothills of the Andes. Extending from north of the Tropic of Capricorn, almost to the Antarctic, Chile presents a tremendous variety of climates and landscapes. At the northern tip is the Atacama Desert, one of the driest places on earth, with a harsh and beautiful landscape characterised by salt lakes, lagoons, dunes, weird geological formations and lofty peaks. Further south, the Chilean Lake District is another outstanding area for trekking and climbing amongst snow-capped volcanoes, high mountain lakes and forests of monkey puzzle trees. Even further south lies Patagonia with the last, dramatic Andean peaks rising as bare rock towers in the Torres del Paine National Park.
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