Overview Santiago

Santiago is the capital of Chile, it's population is 5.428.590 (INE 2002) and the region 6.061.185 (subdere).
it's area is 641,4 km². 
The city was founded on February 12th 1541 by the conquer Pedro de Valdivia.
The city was founded between two rivers (one of them Mapocho) and a hill. The city beacause of the Spanish crown law was built on a regular square blocks, this is the traditional order for the cities in America.
The city was growing uniformly until the crisis at the beginning of XXth century, when lots of people came to the city looking for a job and they established at the outskirts of the city.
a second crisis change the city then the economic model changed and lots of industries in the sub-central area were abandoned and the workers unemployed.
Now days the city is in a proses stared on the 70's, focusing on the economic development to get in to a important point of economic transaction on south America.  (must be cheked )


There are some new zones and landmarks in Santiago that are very remarkable on it's skyline, like the business zone where some new projects are been build like Costanera Center Tower, Titanium tower . On down-town Entel tower and San Cristobal hill at background is an icon of the city. The mountains at east let you know where the north is wherever in the city you are (?).


From San Cristobal hill you can see the whole city from the top at the big statue of the Virgin. 
here is a picture taken from the hill to the city 

Transantiago Routes A to C and subway

Here we explain the main routes and local routes (zones A to C) that may be useful to you trying to get somewhere.
This section includes the following districts:
Santiago (A)
Independencia, Renca, Recoleta, Huechuraba, Quilicura, Conchali (B)
Providencia, Las Condes, Viacura, Lo barnechea (C)

Alameda main routes:
This routes travel though the principal avenue of Stgo. Alameda, most of them transit from east to west but there are some that does not.
401 - 406 - 407 - 421 - 426 - 427  on this routes you will be able to travel from Moneda Palace to Los Dominicos and surroundings

405 mostly cover zone C you can travel from "Plaza Italia" to Santiago business discrict (vitacura av), Bicentenario Park, Clinica Alemana ...

Another av. Routes
409 if you are near Estación Mapocho  and you want to travel to Pedro de valdivia (north side), Kennedy av, Parque arauco (Shopping), Alto las condes (shopping), Clinica las Condes, and Lo Barnechea ( Raúl Labbé Av.) this route is useful.

410 - if you are in Renca District, maybe visiting Renca's old side, and you want to get to Providencia district (north side) to visit "Parque de las Esculturas", business district (Providencia side) this routes is useful


Subway 
If you are using subway you may probably use stations between  "Republica" and "Baquedano" on line 1 .
Most of the landmarks of Santiago are located near those stations.
Also you may use some of line 5 station like  "Plaza de armas" or Bellas Artes" where you find the places of the stations name, and also "Parque Forestal"

TRANSPORTATION

There are many ways to travel inside the city, using public transport like bus or subway or using share taxi or just a cab.

Here we will explain the mass transit system, how to use it, tips and principal routes related to landmark or other stuff.

Santiago mass transit system its compose of two mayor systems, subway and bus.

They where build independent of each other but now they work together, something that has brought some troubles in the rush hour.

The subway is mostly covering central areas, like Santiago down town, the business district and surroundings, but also connects the most populated areas of the city like La florida, Maipú, La Cisterna, Puente Alto.

The system transport about 2,3 million people daily.

Tansantiago is the bus system in our city. their operation began on october 2005, and it has been thought lots of problems related to routes and price of the journey.

The system is composed by 2 types of routes, the main line (Troncales) and local lines ,

The main lines are routes that cover a big area of the city travelling thought more than one zone (explained above)

Local lines are mostly covering one zone.

The city has been divided in 10 zones named clockwise from A to J  been A down-town Santiago.

Shared taxi system is a private system thar covers mostly the principal streets of the city, and you pay the journey you make.

Transantiago Zones

Santiago Subway map