Chile is a long, narrow country sandwiched between the Andes Mountains in the east and the Pacific Ocean in the west. Its 3,600 miles of coastline stretches from Peru in the north to the Antarctic in the south. Chile is a land of frequent earthquakes and active volcanoes, and is the location of the driest desert in the world (the Atacama).

Chile boasts the strongest economy of the continent (the "jaguar" of South America), but inflation and a low dollar are presently a problem for some. In general Chile is a well-developed country with an excellent infrastructure (technology, communications, transportation, etc.). Their principal exports are copper, fruit, and fish and seafood.

Since the end of the military regime in 1989, Chile has had a fairly stable representative democracy with (mainly) moderate socialist governments. About seventy percent of the people are Roman Catholics, with every other religion from Islam to the cults included in the remaining 30%. Most of these would be Pentecostals. There is substantial religious freedom, although the Roman Catholic influence very evidently permeates government circles.

Missionaries to Chile

Coyhaique Rev. & Mrs. Daryl Thompson dkthompson@gmsa.org Copiapo Rev. George Black gmsausa@gmsa.org La Serena/Coquimbo Rev. & Mrs. Juan Prado jhprado@gmsa.org

Santiago Rev. & Mrs. Curtis Steward csteward@gmsa.org Rev. & Mrs. Jonathan Rea gmsausa@gmsa.org Miss Sharon Bisbee sbisbee@gmsa.org Mr. & Mrs. Dan Kunnari dkunnari@gmsa.org

Temuco Rev. & Mrs. Hartmut Beyer gmsausa@gmsa.org Villarrica Mr. & Mrs. Dan Thompson dethompson@gmsa.org