2021 Travel the World - Week 15

I started a 50-week series in 2019 that I called Travel the World. Each week of the series I visited a randomly-selected country, sharing bits of information about that country. I then chose one tidbit of information about that week's country as inspiration for a card. As I explored those 50 countries in 2019, I knew I would continue on until I've visited every one of the 195 countries in the world, so I continued the series in 2020 and here I am in 2021, the third year of traveling the world. 

This week's country is...

Chile

Chile is a South American country that is located between the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Andes tot he east. 

It share borders with Argentina, Bolivia and Peru.

The Chilean coastline is one of the world’s longest. And it is also one of the worlds narrowest – with a width of just over 125 miles.

At 2,653 miles long, Chile is the second longest country in the world, only Brazil is longer.

The world's largest swimming pool is in Chile. It is 1,000 yards long with an area of 20 acres and has a maximum depth of 115 feet. It holds over 66 million gallons of crystal clear seawater. It opened in December 2006 and cost nearly one billion dollars to build. The annual maintenance of the pool costs about two million dollars.

Chile's Atacama Desert is the driest place on earth. This place has not seen even a single drop of rain since record-keeping began.

Scientists have used the harsh conditions of the Atacama to test Mars rovers, as the desert terrain and volatile conditions are believed to mimic those found on Mars.

The oldest mummies in the world were found in Chile.

The biggest earthquake ever recorded on earth, measuring 9.5 on the Richter scale, hit Chile in 1900. The catastrophe killed more than 1500 people and left 2000 homeless.

Chile is home to the tallest building in South America, the Costanera Gran Torre. Located in Santiago, the country's capital city, the Torre has 64 floors and has two observation decks on the top two floors that offer jaw-dropping views of the city and the surrounding Andes Cordillera.

A popular event on the Chilean island of Chiloé is the minga, which brings the entire community together to move a house. The Chiloéns mount the house on tree trunks, and then the house is pulled by oxen to the new site.

Chile holds the largest library in South America and features 1.8 million books.

Chile’s Easter Island is known for its 867 Moais. These sculptures of volcanic rock, believed to represent deceased chiefs or gods, stand as tall as 20 feet.

It is believed that 90% of the world’s potatoes originate from the islands of Chiloe off the coast of the Lakes District! Even today, the islands are home to 286 unique varieties of Chilote potatoes.

The alerce tree of southern Chile can live to be up to 4,000 years old!

More than half of the country’s plants and animals are found nowhere on earth.

The Chilean flamingo is a tall, large bodied bird with a long neck and small head. All flamingos feed with their bills upside-down. Their beautiful pink plumage comes from the carotenoid pigments they consume as a part of their diet. Their upper bill is shorter than their lower bill.

The Pudu, which is the world’s smallest deer, is found in Chile.

The national bird is called the Andean Condor and is the largest flying bird in the world.

Husbands and wives in Chile do not share a same, common last name. Wives use their maiden names.

One of the world’s lowest divorce rates is in Chile. Divorce was only legalized in 2005.

Chile is the only country in the world where abortion is illegal and completely banned.

When greeting or leaving, cheek kisses are exchanged between men and women and between women. Both the individuals gently touch cheek to cheek and send kiss in the air. Men exchange handshakes.

Chileans often reserve strong opinion out of politeness. Quickly asserting an opinion is frowned upon.

Penguins can be found in several areas of southern Chile where they usually lounge on the beach and commute to nearby nests.

After Norway, Chile is the world’s second largest producer of salmon.

Chile is one of the world's largest producers of copper.

In 2003, an extraordinary discovery of a hidden whale nursery in Chile was made by scientists. There was a particular place where whales go in large numbers to rear their young and to feed.

In 2008, Chile declared permanent ban on whaling in its waters.

My inspiration for this week's card is based on this fact about Chile... A variety of endangered candelabra cactus which can reach heights up to 16 feet is found in Chile. The country is home to more than 20 different types of cacti and succulents. Interestingly, these plants survive on moisture absorbed from the ocean fog.

Thanks for stopping by my blog today!

Stamp/Die Set: Hampton Arts Jillibean Soup Stick with Me Cactus stamped with Memento Tuxedo Black Ink and colored with Copic Markers

Paper: Cougar 110# White and SU Creamy Caramel CS and DP from my scrap file

Dies: MFT Stitched Rectangle and MFT Stitched Rounded Rectangle

Embellishments: Paper Studio Brads