Travelling in Santiago or even a holiday in Buenos Aires will always involve covering large distances. It has affectionately been tagged ‘the thin country’, the longest and narrowest on the continent, with a length of 3,230 miles and an average width of only 120 miles. It is land of extremes, both in terms of geography and climate. It has a long tradition of democratic government, a strong economy and a solid infrastructure; it is one of the most stable in Latin America.