Named for the beautiful South American country in which the European Southern Observatory is located. Noted for its great wines, Chile is chiefly mountainous, with the Andes dominating the landscape. The extension of Chile across some 38 degrees of latitude embraces nearly all climates. The fascinating Chilean people are racially a mixture of Europeans (the conquistadores from Spain, Basque families) and indigenous tribes (Atacamenos, Diaguitas, Picunches, Araucanians, Huilliches, Pehuenches and Cuncos). Today the proud Araucanian Indians form the only significant ethnic minority. (M 19697) _ _.