Imagine a long, thin slice of California with a patch of the Sahara desert glued onto the north. Carve some of New Zealand's fjords and British Columbia's forests and lakes into the south. Press all of this against a spine of tall, rugged mountains. This would be Chile, which has some of the world's most varied and dramatic landscapes.

Chile spans over 2,700 miles (4,300 kilometers) along the southwestern corner of South America, yet is only 150 miles (240 kilometers) wide at its widest point.  The north is consumed by miles and miles of desert, which ultimately terminates at the Atacama, considered by many to be the driest and most inhospitable in the world.  The opposite can be seen in the South - miles and miles of forests, lakes, volcanoes, islands, glaciers, and, of course, mountains that stretch up to the Chilean patagonia. 

Parts of the country -- Tierra del Fuego, for example -- feel like the ends of the earth. Yet Chile is one of the most modern and convenient travel destinations in South America. In many places, it has a European feel, though prices are much lower than their equivalents would be across the sea.

Spanish, Irish, English, German and Scottish immigrants, as well as Amerindians and mestizos make up the majority of Chile's diverse population. Among their neighbors are the indigenous Mapuche, a tribe that survived colonization with its traditions intact. The complex history of Chile's settlement has made it possible to find cultural anomalies throughout the country, such as German immigrants who speak Spanish and revere a national hero named O'Higgins.

Santiago is the capital and biggest city of Chile with over 5,000,000 people. You can find almost everything you need in this city. It has restaurants of every ethnic background, discos, clubs, a museum, universities, international and national airports, high rise office buildings, theater, malls, fun parks, a modern subway system which makes finding your way around Santiago a lot easier, and a whole lot more.

Job opportunities for English teachers are almost limitless. The Chilean Ministry of Education has an ambitious long-term goal of making all 15 million of its inhabitants fluent in English over the course of the next ten years. Through its SENSE program, the Chilean Ministry of Labor offers tax incentives for businesses whose enployees study English. In other words, there's plenty of work to be found. Many times academies have to turn down new contracts because there aren't enough teachers to take the classes.

As a new teacher you'll have opportunities to teach in many different scenarios, although the most common ones are for businesses and young learners. Most teachers teach at private institutes, and many take private students, as, despite the frequent cancellations the pay is generally better.

Teachers can expect to earn between 4,000 and 7,500 pesos an hour teaching at an academy. For private students, teachers can make between 8,000 and 12,000 pesos an hour, the latter more likely for businesses. In some cases jobs can be found through the Internet, although teachers are most likely to get hired by means of a face-to-face interview.