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Located in South America, Chile is a long and narrow country bordered by Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, the Pacific Ocean to the west, and Antarctica to the south.Its continental length is approximately 4,200 km (a distance roughly equivalent to that between San Francisco and New York or Edinburgh to Baghdad), and its minimum continental width is only 90 km. Chile also has a variety of landscapes. To the west, the entire country reaches the coast of the Pacific Ocean; to the east the Cordillera de Los Andes. In the center of the country there are many fertile valleys that provide us with high-quality agriculture and viticulture. To the north is the driest desert in the world: the Atacama Desert; while to the South there are forests and lakes. At our southern end lies Patagonia, glaciers, fjords, and canals.Due to the extension of our country, there are differences in the temperatures and precipitations that are registered. Although Chile has 4 very marked seasons, it is possible to establish differences between the north and south of the country, as well as the proximity to the sea or mountain range influence cause an impact on the day to day. Spring runs from September to November. The average temperature in the central zone of the country will be 20°C on the coast and 25°C in the interior. The rains are scarce. Summer starts in December and ends in February. In the center of the country, the temperature can easily reach 30°C while in the coastal zone it is 25°C.Autumn starts in March and ends in May, although the start is sometimes postponed until April. It is at this time when the rains begin. In the central zone of the country the temperature is close to 18°C.Winter in Chile can be cold and/or rainy. Generally, the central zone of the country has an average of 12°C with minimums of 0°C. In the coastal zone the average temperature is 15°C.If you are interested in traveling around Chile, check the weather forecast here.
According to the last census carried out in 2012 by the National Institute of Statistics INE, the country’s population is almost 18 million inhabitants. The Metropolitan Region, where our San Joaquín and Vitacura campuses are located, concentrates 6 million inhabitants. The Valparaíso Region where our Headquarters and Viña del Mar Headquarters are located has almost 2 million inhabitants, the same number for the Bío-Bío Region where the Concepción Headquarters is located.
The official language of Chile is Spanish, and there are also languages of the original peoples that are still used today, such as Aymara and Quechua (Northern Zone and Altiplano), Mapudungun (language of the Mapuches in the surroundings of Temuco, IX region) and Rapa Nui (Easter Island). At university it is possible to come across standard academic Spanish, while in more informal contexts you will be exposed to idioms and shortened words that little by little you will include in your vocabulary as part of Chilean culture. We invite you to learn about some of the most common Chilean idioms in our Manual for Foreign Students. At USM, classes are all taught in Spanish. For those who want to improve their Spanish, the OAI offers Intensive Spanish courses for beginners and intermediate levels.
The currency is the Chilean peso, which is issued in bills of $1,000, $2,000, $5,000, $10,000 and $20,000; and $1, $5, $10, $50, $100, $500 coins. See photos of the bills and coins at the Central Bank of Chile. To express decimal figures in Chile, the comma is used, example: 13.5% (thirteen point five percent) and the point is used to express thousands, example: 10,000 (ten thousand).
Paying with credit cards is widely used in Chile but it is recommended to carry a small amount of cash in Chilean pesos as some more independent shops and public transportation outside the capital. Please make sure to contact your home bank to make sure your cards are able to work internationally. The USM does not have accommodation or residences on any of its campuses or locations. However, we have prepared a guide to help you find a place to live during your stay, using different search methods according to your preferences:
At Sansan@s compartiendo alojamiento, we bring together different offers for you.
All are accommodation options with USM students looking to share their house or apartment with exchange students.
You can check information about the location and price of the rooms they offer (remember to search according to your campus/study location) and, if you are interested, contact them directly to finalize the details.
2. External Searches
In Valparaíso, we recommend looking in the following neighborhoods: Cerro Placeres (near the university), Cerro Barón, Cerro Alegre, Cerro Concepción, Aníbal Pinto.
In Viña del Mar: Downtown Viña, Nortes and Ponientes streets, Libertad, Agua Santa Bajo, and Recreo. Reñaca is also a good option for those who want to be close to the beach or go surfing.
Note: Before choosing accommodation in another neighborhood, consult your student tutor first.
These are some recommended accommodation search engines:
These are the residence options:
If you are a USM student and you have a room or apartment that you want to offer to international students, you must complete the following form.Note: The DAI will not receive offers from residents or individuals who are not regular USM students.
