Chile: Difference between revisions

Coordinates: 34°S 71°W / 34°S 71°W / -34; -71
Page semi-protected
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Content deleted Content added
 
Line 1: Line 1:
{{otheruses1|the country in South America}}
{{short description|Country in South America}}
{{about|the Republic of Chile}}
{{pp-vandalism|small=yes}}
{{pp-move}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2024}}
{{Infobox country
| conventional_long_name = Republic of Chile
| native_name = {{native name|es|República de Chile}}
| common_name = Chile
| name = {{collapsible list
| titlestyle = background:transparent;text-align:center;line-height:normal;font-size:84%;
}}
| image_flag = Flag of Chile.svg
| alt_flag =
| image_coat = Coat of arms of Chile (c).svg
| coa_size = 115
| national_motto = {{lang|es|Por la razón o la fuerza}}<br />("By reason or by force")
| national_anthem = {{lang|es|[[National Anthem of Chile|Himno Nacional de Chile]]}}<br />("National Anthem of Chile")<div style="padding-top:0.5em;">{{center|[[File:United_States_Navy_Band_-_National_Anthem_of_Chile.ogg]]}}</div>
| image_map = File:CHL orthographic (+all claims).svg
| map_width = 260px
| alt_map =
| map_caption = Chilean territory in dark green; [[Chilean Antarctic Territory|claimed but uncontrolled territory]] in light green
| capital = [[Santiago]]<sup>a</sup>
| coordinates = {{Coord|33|26|S|70|40|W|type:city}}
| largest_city = capital
| official_languages =
| languages_type = [[National language]]
| languages = [[Chilean Spanish|Spanish]]
| languages2 =
| languages2_type = Other spoken languages
| demonym = {{Unbulleted list
|[[Chileans|Chilean]]}}
| religion = {{unbulleted list
|{{Tree list}}
* 78% [[Christianity]]
** 60% [[Catholicism]]
** 18% other [[List of Christian denominations|Christian]]
{{Tree list/end}}
|21% [[Irreligion|no religion]]
|1% other}}
| religion_ref = <ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/chile/summaries | title=Country Summary }}</ref>
| religion_year = 2018
| government_type = Unitary [[Presidential system|presidential republic]]
| leader_title1 = [[President of Chile|President]]
| leader_name1 = {{nowrap|[[Gabriel Boric]]}}
| leader_title2 = [[President of the Senate of Chile|President of the Senate]]
| leader_name2 = {{nowrap|[[Juan Antonio Coloma Correa|Juan Antonio Coloma]]}}
| leader_title3 = [[President of the Chamber of Deputies of Chile|President of the Chamber of Deputies]]
| leader_name3 = {{nowrap|[[Ricardo Cifuentes]]}}
| leader_title4 = [[Supreme Court of Chile|President of Supreme Court]]
| leader_name4 = {{nowrap|[[List of presidents of the Supreme Court of Chile|Juan Fuentes Belmar]]}}
| legislature = {{nowrap|[[National Congress of Chile|National Congress]]}}
| upper_house = [[Senate of Chile|Senate]]
| lower_house = {{nowrap|[[Chamber of Deputies of Chile|Chamber of Deputies]]}}
| sovereignty_type = [[Chilean War of Independence|Independence]]
| sovereignty_note = from Spain
| established_event1 = [[Government Junta of Chile (1810)|Government Junta]]
| established_date1 = 18 September 1810
| established_event2 = [[Chilean Declaration of Independence|Declared]]
| established_date2 = 12 February 1818
| established_event3 = Recognized
| established_date3 = 25 April 1844
| established_event4 = {{nowrap|[[Chilean Constitution of 1980|Current constitution]]}}
| established_date4 = 11 March 1981
| area_rank = 37th
| area_km2 = 756,101.96<ref name="ce2006">{{Cite web |url=http://www.ine.cl/canales/publicaciones/compendio_estadistico/pdf/2006/compendio2006.pdf |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/http://www.ine.cl/canales/publicaciones/compendio_estadistico/pdf/2006/compendio2006.pdf |archive-date=9 October 2022 |url-status=live |title=Compendio estadístico 2006 |access-date=29 November 2007 |publisher=Instituto Nacional de Estadísticas |date=October 2006 }}</ref><ref name="Chile country profile">{{cite web |title=Chile country profile |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-19357497 |website=BBC News |access-date=17 October 2023 |date=17 October 2023 |archive-date=11 April 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230411095040/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-19357497 |url-status=live }}</ref>
| area_sq_mi = 291,930.4
| area_footnote =
| percent_water = 2.1 (as of 2015)<ref>{{cite web|title=Surface water and surface water change|access-date=11 October 2020|publisher=[[Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development]] (OECD)|url=https://stats.oecd.org/Index.aspx?DataSetCode=SURFACE_WATER|archive-date=24 March 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210324133453/https://stats.oecd.org/Index.aspx?DataSetCode=SURFACE_WATER|url-status=live}}</ref>
| population_estimate = 19,629,588<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://ourworldindata.org/grapher/population-with-un-projections?tab=table&time=2023|title=Our World in Data|access-date=11 January 2024|archive-date=12 January 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240112120730/https://ourworldindata.org/grapher/population-with-un-projections?tab=table&time=2023|url-status=live}}</ref>
| population_estimate_year = 2023
| population_estimate_rank = 65th
| population_density_km2 = 24
| population_density_sq_mi = 61
| population_density_rank = 198th
| GDP_PPP = {{increase}} $597.520 billion<ref name="IMFWEO.CL">{{cite web |url=https://www.imf.org/en/Publications/WEO/weo-database/2023/October/weo-report?c=228,&s=NGDPD,PPPGDP,NGDPDPC,PPPPC,&sy=2020&ey=2028&ssm=0&scsm=1&scc=0&ssd=1&ssc=0&sic=0&sort=country&ds=.&br=1 |title=World Economic Outlook Database, October 2023 Edition. (Chile) |publisher=[[International Monetary Fund]] |date=10 October 2023 |access-date=12 October 2023 |archive-date=11 November 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231111220407/https://www.imf.org/en/Publications/WEO/weo-database/2023/October/weo-report?c=228,&s=NGDPD,PPPGDP,NGDPDPC,PPPPC,&sy=2020&ey=2028&ssm=0&scsm=1&scc=0&ssd=1&ssc=0&sic=0&sort=country&ds=.&br=1 |url-status=live }}</ref>
| GDP_PPP_rank = 45th
| GDP_PPP_year = 2023
| GDP_PPP_per_capita = {{increase}} $29,934<ref name="IMFWEO.CL" />
| GDP_PPP_per_capita_rank = 64th
| GDP_nominal = {{increase}} $344.400 billion<ref name="IMFWEO.CL" />
| GDP_nominal_rank = 45th
| GDP_nominal_year = 2023
| GDP_nominal_per_capita = {{increase}} $17,253<ref name="IMFWEO.CL" />
| GDP_nominal_per_capita_rank = 62nd
| Gini_year = 2021
| Gini_change = increase
| Gini = 46 <!--number only-->
| Gini_ref = <ref name="Inequality - Income inequality">{{cite web |url=https://data.oecd.org/inequality/income-inequality.htm |title=Inequality – Income inequality |publisher=[[OECD]] |access-date=25 July 2021 |archive-date=1 July 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220701171540/https://data.oecd.org/inequality/income-inequality.htm |url-status=live }}</ref>
| Gini_rank =
| HDI_year = 2022<!-- Please use the year to which the data refers, not the publication year-->
| HDI_change = increase <!--increase/decrease/steady-->
| HDI = 0.860 <!--number only-->
| HDI_ref = <ref name="UNHDR">{{cite web|url=https://hdr.undp.org/system/files/documents/global-report-document/hdr2023-24reporten.pdf|title=Human Development Report 2023/24|language=en|publisher=[[United Nations Development Programme]]|date=13 March 2024|page=288|access-date=13 March 2024}}</ref>
| HDI_rank = 44th
| currency = [[Chilean peso]]
| currency_code = CLP
| time_zone = {{nowrap|[[Time in Chile|CLT and EAST]]<sup>c</sup>}}
| utc_offset = −4 and −6
| time_zone_DST =
| utc_offset_DST = -3 and −5
| DST_note = April to September
| drives_on = Right
| calling_code = [[Telephone numbers in Chile|+56]]
| iso3166code =
| cctld = [[.cl]]
| footnote_a = [[Politics of Chile#Legislative branch|Legislature]] is based in [[Valparaíso]].
| footnote_b = Includes Easter Island and [[Isla Salas y Gómez]]; does not include {{convert|1250000|km2}} of territory claimed in Antarctica.
}}


'''Chile''',{{efn|{{IPAc-en|audio=En-Chile-pronunciation.ogg|ˈ|tʃ|ɪ|l|i}} {{respell|CHILL|ee}}, {{IPAc-en|'|tʃ|ɪ|l|eɪ}} {{respell|CHILL|ay}};<ref>{{cite LPD|3}}</ref> {{IPA-es|ˈtʃile|lang}},{{refn|group=nb|In [[Chilean Spanish]], pronunciation ranges from {{IPA-all|ˈʃi.leː|}} ~ {{IPA-all|ˈt͡ʃiːle|}} on a spectrum from lower to upper classes, respectively, the former being a somewhat-stigmatized [[Post-creole continuum#Stratification|basilect]]. See [[Chilean Spanish#Sample|the Sample section]] for an [[International Phonetic Alphabet|IPA]] transcribed text in a lower-class form of the dialect.}}}} officially the '''Republic of Chile''',{{efn|{{Audio-es|República de Chile|Es-República de Chile.oga}}}} is a country in western [[South America]]. It is the southernmost country in the world and the closest to [[Antarctica]], stretching along a narrow strip of land between the [[Andes|Andes Mountains]] and the [[Pacific Ocean]]. With an area of {{convert|756102|km2|sp=us}}<ref name="Chile country profile"/> and a population of 17.5 million as of 2017,<ref name="population">{{cite web|url=http://www.censo2017.cl/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/Presentacion_Resultados_Definitivos_Censo2017.pdf |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/http://www.censo2017.cl/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/Presentacion_Resultados_Definitivos_Censo2017.pdf |archive-date=9 October 2022 |url-status=live|title=Resutados Censo 2017|publisher=[[National Statistics Institute (Chile)|National Statistics Institute]]|date=1 January 2018|access-date=18 January 2017}}</ref> Chile shares borders with [[Peru]] to the north, [[Bolivia]] to the northeast, [[Argentina]] to the east, and the [[Drake Passage]] to the south. The country also controls several Pacific islands, including [[Juan Fernández Islands|Juan Fernández]], [[Isla Salas y Gómez]], [[Desventuradas Islands|Desventuradas]], and [[Easter Island]], and claims about {{convert|1250000|km2|sp=us}} of Antarctica as the [[Chilean Antarctic Territory]].{{refn|group=nb|Since 1961, all claims to Antarctic land are ''[[de jure]]'' suspended under the [[Antarctic Treaty System]]}} The capital and largest city of Chile is [[Santiago]], and the national language is [[Spanish language|Spanish]].
The '''Republic of Chile''' is a country in [[South America]] occupying a long coastal strip between the [[Andes]] mountains and the [[Pacific Ocean]]. It shares borders with [[Argentina]] to the east, [[Bolivia]] to the northeast and [[Peru]] to the north.<!--


[[Conquest of Chile|Spain conquered and colonized]] the region in the mid-16th century, replacing [[Incas in Central Chile|Inca rule]], but [[Arauco War|failed to conquer]] the independent [[Mapuche|Mapuche people]] who inhabited what is now south-central Chile. Chile emerged as a relatively stable authoritarian republic in the 1830s after their 1818 [[Chilean Declaration of Independence|declaration of independence]] from [[Spain]]. During the 19th century, Chile experienced significant economic and territorial growth, [[Occupation of Araucanía|putting an end to Mapuche resistance]] in the 1880s and gaining its current northern territory in the [[War of the Pacific]] (1879–83) by defeating Peru and Bolivia. In the 20th century, up until the 1970s, Chile underwent a process of [[democratization]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.memoriachilena.gob.cl/602/w3-article-3382.html|title=Elecciones, sufragio y democracia en Chile (1810–2012)|access-date=20 June 2021|website=[[Memoria Chilena]]|publisher=[[National Library of Chile]]|language=Spanish|archive-date=6 June 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210606211346/http://www.memoriachilena.gob.cl/602/w3-article-3382.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.memoriachilena.gob.cl/602/w3-article-96054.html|title=Sufragio femenino universal|access-date=20 June 2021|website=[[Memoria Chilena]]|publisher=[[National Library of Chile]]|language=Spanish|archive-date=27 June 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210627203312/http://www.memoriachilena.gob.cl/602/w3-article-96054.html|url-status=live}}</ref> and experienced rapid population growth and [[urbanization]],<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.memoriachilena.gob.cl/602/w3-article-3351.html|title=Desarrollo y dinámica de la población en el siglo XX|access-date=20 June 2021|website=[[Memoria Chilena]]|publisher=[[National Library of Chile]]|language=Spanish|archive-date=11 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210711012135/http://www.memoriachilena.gob.cl/602/w3-article-3351.html|url-status=live}}</ref> while relying increasingly on exports from [[copper mining]] to support [[Economy of Chile|its economy]].<ref>[[Gabriel Salazar|Salazar, Gabriel]]; [[Julio Pinto|Pinto, Julio]] (2002). ''Historia contemporánea de Chile III. La economía: mercados empresarios y trabajadores.'' [[LOM Ediciones]]. {{ISBN?}}. Pages 124–125.</ref><ref>[[Sergio Villalobos|Villalobos, Sergio]]; [[Osvaldo Silva|Silva, Osvaldo]]; Silva, Fernando; Estelle, Patricio (1974). ''Historia De Chile'' (14th ed.). [[Editorial Universitaria]]. {{ISBN|956-11-1163-2}}. Pages 773–775.</ref> During the 1960s and 1970s, the country was marked by severe left-right [[political polarization]] and turmoil, which culminated in the [[1973 Chilean coup d'état]] that overthrew [[Salvador Allende]]'s democratically elected [[Presidency of Salvador Allende|left-wing government]]. This was followed by a [[Military dictatorship of Chile (1973–1990)|16-year right-wing military dictatorship]] under [[Augusto Pinochet]], which resulted in more than [[Human rights abuses in Chile under Augusto Pinochet|3,000 deaths or disappearances]].<ref name="BBC-Chile"/> The regime ended in 1990, following a [[1988 Chilean national plebiscite|referendum in 1988]], and was succeeded by a [[Concertación|center-left coalition]], which ruled until 2010.
START INFOBOX


Chile has a [[World Bank high-income economy|high-income economy]] and is one of the most economically and socially stable nations in South America, leading [[Latin America]] in [[Competition (companies)|competitiveness]], [[Median income|per capita income]], [[globalization]], [[Global Peace Index|peace]], and [[economic freedom]].<ref name="hdrstats.undp.org">{{cite web|url=http://hdrstats.undp.org/indicators/25.html |title=Human and income poverty: developing countries |work=UNDP |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090212140250/http://hdrstats.undp.org/indicators/25.html |archive-date=12 February 2009 }}</ref> Chile also performs well in the region in terms of [[Fragile States Index|sustainability of the state]] and democratic development,<ref name="wdi">{{cite web |url=http://databank.worldbank.org/ddp/home.do |title=World Development Indicators |publisher=World Bank |date=17 April 2012 |access-date=12 May 2012 |archive-date=26 December 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181226011605/https://databank.worldbank.org/data/home.aspx |url-status=live }}</ref> and boasts the [[List of countries by intentional homicide rate|second lowest homicide rate]] in the [[Americas]], following only Canada. Chile is a founding member of the [[United Nations]], the [[Community of Latin American and Caribbean States]] (CELAC), and the [[Pacific Alliance]], and joined the [[OECD]] in 2010.
-->
{{Infobox Country |
native_name = Rep&uacute;blica de Chile |
common_name = Chile |
image_flag = Chile flag large.png |
image_coat = Chile COA.jpg |
image_map = LocationChile.png |
national_motto = ''Por la raz&oacute;n o la fuerza''<br>([[Spanish language|Spanish]]: "By right or might") |
national_anthem = ''[[National anthem of Chile|Himno Nacional]]'' |
official_languages = [[Spanish language|Spanish]] |
capital = [[Santiago, Chile|Santiago]]<sup>1</sup> |
latd=33|latm=26|latNS=S|longd=70|longm=40|longEW=W|
government_type = [[Republic|Democratic republic]] |
leader_titles = [[President of Chile|President]] |
leader_names = [[Ricardo Lagos]] |
largest_city = [[Santiago, Chile|Santiago]] |
area = 756,950<sup>2</sup> |
area_rank = 38th |
area_magnitude = 1 E11 |
percent_water = 1.07% |
population_estimate = 16,136,137 |
population_estimate_year = June 2005 |
population_estimate_rank = 60th |
population_census = 15,116,435 |
population_census_year = 2002 |
population_density = 21 |
population_density_rank = 153rd |
GDP_PPP_year = 2005 |
GDP_PPP = $186,733 million |
GDP_PPP_rank = 45th |
GDP_PPP_per_capita = $11,537 |
GDP_PPP_per_capita_rank = 59th |
sovereignty_type = [[History of Chile|Independence]] |
established_events = &nbsp;&bull; Initiated<br>&nbsp;&bull; Declared |
established_dates = From [[Spain]]<br>[[September 18]], [[1810]]<br>[[February 12]], [[1818]] |
currency = [[Chilean Peso|Peso]] |
currency_code = CLP |
time_zone = &mdash; |
utc_offset = -4 |
time_zone_DST = &mdash; |
utc_offset_DST = -3 |
cctld = [[.cl]] |
calling_code = 56 |
footnotes = <sup>1</sup> The [[Politics_of_Chile#Legislative branch|legislative body]] operates in [[Valpara&iacute;so, Chile|Valpara&iacute;so]]<br><sup>2</sup> Includes [[Easter Island]] and [[Isla Sala y G&oacute;mez]]; does not include 1,250,000 km&sup2; of claimed territory in [[Antarctica]]
}}<!--


==Etymology==<!--linked-->
END INFOBOX
There are various theories about the origin of the word ''Chile''. According to 17th-century Spanish chronicler [[Diego de Rosales]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.chile.com/tpl/articulo/detalle/ver.tpl?cod_articulo=7225 |title=La Incógnita Sobre el Origen de la Palabra Chile |work=Chile.com |date=15 June 2000 |access-date=17 December 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090415204553/http://www.chile.com/tpl/articulo/detalle/ver.tpl?cod_articulo=7225 |archive-date=15 April 2009 }}</ref> the [[Incas]] called the valley of the [[Aconcagua River|Aconcagua]] ''Chili'' by corruption of the name of a [[Picunche]] [[tribal chief]] ({{lang|es|[[cacique]]}}) called ''Tili'', who ruled the area at the time of the Incan conquest in the 15th century.<ref>{{cite encyclopedia |url=https://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/459648/Picunche |title=Picunche (people) |encyclopedia=[[Encyclopædia Britannica]] |access-date=17 December 2009 |archive-date=22 November 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091122083026/http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/459648/Picunche |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="encina">{{Cite book |last1=Encina |first1=Francisco A. |author2=Leopoldo Castedo |title=Resumen de la Historia de Chile |edition=4th |location=Santiago |page=44 |volume=I |publisher=Zig-Zag |year=1961 |url=http://img242.imageshack.us/img242/6293/chilenameuo6.jpg |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090205171400/http://img242.imageshack.us/img242/6293/chilenameuo6.jpg |url-status=dead |archive-date=5 February 2009 }}</ref> Another theory points to the similarity of the valley of the Aconcagua with that of the [[Casma Valley]] in Peru, where there was a town and valley named ''Chili''.<ref name="encina"/>


Other theories say Chile may derive its name from a [[Indigenous peoples of the Americas|Native American]] word meaning either 'ends of the earth' or 'sea gulls';<ref>{{cite encyclopedia |url=http://ea.grolier.com |title=Chile |encyclopedia=Encyclopedia Americana |publisher=Grolier Online |year=2005 |access-date=2 March 2005 |quote=The name Chile is of Native American origin, meaning possibly 'ends of the earth' or simply 'sea gulls'. |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20020721154758/http://ea.grolier.com/ |archive-date=21 July 2002 |url-status=dead }}</ref> from the Mapuche word {{lang|arn|chilli}}, which may mean 'where the land ends'"<ref name="hudson">{{cite web |editor-last=Hudson |editor-first=Rex A. |url=http://lcweb2.loc.gov/frd/cs/cltoc.html |title=Chile: A Country Study |work=GPO for the Library of Congress |year=1995 |access-date=27 February 2005 |archive-date=25 June 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150625213643/http://lcweb2.loc.gov/frd/cs/cltoc.html |url-status=live }}</ref> or from the [[Quechua languages|Quechua]] ''[https://glosbe.com/qu/en/chiri chiri]'', 'cold',<ref name="1911britannica">{{EB1911|wstitle=Chile |quote=derived, it is said, from the Quichua chiri, cold, or tchili, snow }}</ref> or {{lang|qu|tchili}}, meaning either 'snow'<ref name="1911britannica"/><ref>{{cite encyclopedia|url=http://es.encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761572974_4/Chile.html |title=Chile (república) |encyclopedia=Enciclopedia Microsoft Encarta Online |year=2005 |access-date=26 February 2005 |quote=The region was then known to its native population as Tchili, a Native American word meaning 'snow'. |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080510215421/http://es.encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761572974_4/Chile.html |archive-date=10 May 2008 }}</ref> or "the deepest point of the Earth".<ref>{{cite encyclopedia |last=Pearson |first=Neale J. |url=http://gme.grolier.com |title=Chile |encyclopedia=Grolier Multimedia Encyclopedia |publisher=Scholastic Library Publishing |year=2004 |access-date=2 March 2005 |quote=Chile's name comes from an Indian word, Tchili, meaning 'the deepest point of the Earth'. |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19990210101840/http://www.gme.grolier.com/ |archive-date=10 February 1999 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Another origin attributed to ''chilli'' is the onomatopoeic {{lang|arn|cheele-cheele}}—the Mapuche imitation of the warble of a bird locally known as [[yellow-winged blackbird|trile]].<ref name="hudson"/><ref>{{cite book |first1=Miguel |last1=de Olivares |last2=González |first2=SJ |title=Historia de la Compañía de Jesús en Chile |work=Colección de historiadores de Chile y documentos relativos a la historia nacional |year=1864 |orig-year=1736 |publisher=Imprenta del Ferrocarril |location=Santiago |volume=4 }}<!-- missing URL |access-date=14 October 2010--></ref>
-->
==Origin of the name==


The Spanish [[conquistadors]] heard about this name from the Incas, and the few survivors of [[Diego de Almagro]]'s first Spanish expedition south from Peru in 1535–36 called themselves the "men of Chilli".<ref name="hudson"/> Ultimately, Almagro is credited with the universalization of the name ''Chile'', after naming the [[Mapocho River|Mapocho]] valley as such.<ref name="encina"/> The older spelling "Chili" was in use in English until the early 20th century before switching to "Chile".<ref>{{cite book|title=Appletons' annual cyclopaedia and register of noteworthy events of the year: 1900 |publisher=Appletons |location=New York |page=87 |url=https://archive.org/stream/s3appletonsann05newyuoft#page/87/mode/1up }}</ref>
There are various theories about the origin of the word ''Chile.'' According to one theory the [[Inca]]s of [[Peru]], who had failed to conquer the [[Araucanian]]s, called the valley of the [[Aconcagua]] "Chili" by corruption of the name of a tribal chief ("[[cacique]]") called ''Tili'', who ruled the area at the time of the Incan conquest. Another theory points to the similarity of the valley of the Aconcagua with that of the [[Casma]] in Peru, where there was a town and valley named ''Chili.'' Other theories say Chile may derive its name from the indigenous [[Mapuche]] word ''chilli,'' which may mean "where the land ends" or "the deepest point of the Earth," or from the [[Aimara]] ''tchili'' meaning "snow"; another meaning attributed to ''chilli'' is the onomatopoeic ''cheele-cheele''&mdash;the Mapuche imitation of a bird call. The Spanish conquistadors heard about this name from the Incas and the few survivors of [[Diego de Almagro]]'s first Spanish expedition south from Peru in [[1535]]-[[1536|36]] called themselves the "men of Chilli."


== History ==
==History==
''Main article: [[History of Chile]]''
{{Main|History of Chile}}


===Early history===
About 10,000 years ago, migrating [[Native American]]s settled in fertile valleys and along the coast of what is now Chile. The [[Inca]]s briefly extended their empire into what is now northern Chile, but the area's remoteness prevented extensive settlement.
{{see also|Prehispanic history of Chile|Origin of the Mapuche}}
[[File:Momia cultura chinchorro año 3000 AC.jpg|thumb|left|200px|The [[Chinchorro mummies]], the oldest of which are from around 5050 BCE.]]
[[File:El joven Lautaro - P. Subercaseaux.PNG|thumb|[[Lautaro]], Mapuche indigenous leader during the [[Arauco War]], by [[Pedro Subercaseaux|P. Subercaseaux]]]]


Stone tool evidence indicates humans sporadically frequented the [[Monte Verde]] valley area as long as 18,500 years ago. About 10,000 years ago, migrating [[Indigenous peoples of the Americas|Indigenous peoples]] settled in fertile valleys and coastal areas of what is present-day Chile. Settlement sites from very early human habitation include Monte Verde, [[Cueva del Milodón]] and the [[Pali-Aike Crater]]'s [[lava tube]].<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.sciencenews.org/article/people-roamed-tip-south-america-18500-years-ago | title=People roamed tip of South America 18,500 years ago | work=Science News | date=26 December 2015 | access-date=26 December 2015 | author=Bower, Bruce | pages=10 | archive-date=10 May 2020 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200510101040/https://www.sciencenews.org/article/people-roamed-tip-south-america-18500-years-ago | url-status=live }}</ref>
[[Image:Pedro de Valdivia.jpg|thumb|left|Pedro de Valdivia]]


The Incas briefly extended their empire into what is now northern Chile, but the [[Mapuche]] (or Araucanians as they were known by the Spaniards) successfully resisted many attempts by the [[Inca Empire]] to subjugate them, despite their lack of state organization.<ref>{{cite book|title=Insight Guides: Chile|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Nf8SnJ_ZJbkC&pg=PA27|access-date=14 July 2013|year=2002|publisher=Langenscheidt Publishing Group|isbn=978-981-234-890-6|page=27|archive-date=21 February 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240221111313/https://books.google.com/books?id=Nf8SnJ_ZJbkC&pg=PA27#v=onepage&q&f=false|url-status=live}}</ref> They fought against the Sapa Inca Tupac Yupanqui and his army. The result of the bloody three-day confrontation known as the [[Battle of the Maule]] was that the Inca conquest of the territories of Chile ended at the [[Maule river]].<ref name="countrystudies"/>
The first [[European]]s to arrive in Chile were [[Diego de Almagro]] and his band of Spanish [[conquistador]]s, who came from Peru in [[1535]] seeking [[gold]] but were turned back by the local population. The Spanish encountered hundreds of thousands of Indians from various cultures in the area that modern Chile now occupies. These cultures supported themselves principally through slash-and-burn [[agriculture]] and [[hunting]]. The first permanent European settlement, [[Santiago, Chile|Santiago]], was founded in [[1541]] by [[Pedro de Valdivia]], one of [[Francisco Pizarro]]'s lieutenants. Although the Spanish did not find the extensive gold and [[silver]] they sought, they recognized the agricultural potential of Chile's central valley, and Chile became part of the [[Viceroyalty of Peru]].


===Spanish colonization===
Conquest of the land that is today called Chile took place only gradually, and the Europeans suffered repeated setbacks at the hands of the local population. A massive [[Mapuche]] insurrection that began in [[1553]] resulted in Valdivia's death and the destruction of many of the colony's principal settlements. Subsequent major insurrections took place in [[1598]] and in [[1655]]. Each time the Mapuche and other native groups revolted, the southern border of the colony was driven northward. The abolition of [[slavery]] in [[1683]] defused tensions on the frontier between the colony and the Mapuche land to the south, and permitted increased trade between colonists and Mapuches.
{{main|Conquest of Chile|Colonial Chile}}
[[File:Captaincy General of Chile, 1775.svg|thumb|upright|[[Kingdom of Chile]] in 1775 according to Chilean historiography. The next year the [[Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata]] was created and the territories of the cities of [[Mendoza, Argentina|Mendoza]] and [[San Juan, Argentina|San Juan]] got transferred from Chile to the new entity.<ref>{{cite book |author1=Eyzaguirre, Jaime |title=Breve historia de las fronteras de Chile |date=1967 |publisher=Editorial Universitaria}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Lagos Carmona |first1=Guillermo |title=Los Títulos Históricos: Historia de Las Fronteras de Chile |date=1985 |publisher=Andrés Bello |quote=(p. 197) We note that the Loa river is at 22 degrees and that Baleato, in 1793, indicated 21.5 degrees for the beginning of the Kingdom of Chile, with the Loa at its mouth in the Pacific. (...) (p. 540) According to the Map of Cano y Olmedilla, the limit of the Kingdom of Chile "(...) through the desert of Atacama (...) From here it turns to the S., S.E., S.E., and S., keeping in general this last course until near the 29° parallel, from where it takes a S.E. direction. SE. and S., generally keeping this last course until the vicinity of the 29° parallel, from where it takes a S.E. direction, skirting to the east the 'Province of Cuyo' which, of course, appears to be included in the territory of the Kingdom of Chile. In the latitude of 32°30' the line turns to the S.W. until reaching the Quinto river, which, as the legend says 'communicates by channels with the Saladillo in time of floods'. It follows the river down to the meridian 316°, counting to the E. of Tenerife, where it turns a stretch until it reaches the Hueuque-Leuvu river (or Barrancas river) at 371/2° latitude. From here it runs along the river for a stretch to the S.E., and then turns to the E. and falls into the Atlantic Sea in the vicinity of parallel 37° between Cape Lobos and Cape Corrientes", "a little north of the current Mar del Plata". (...) (p. 543) In this document it is seen that those of the province of Cuyo end to the south at the source of the Diamante River, and that from that point to the east, the dividing line goes to the point where the Quinto River crosses the road that goes from Santiago to Buenos Aires.}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Amunátegui |first1=Miguel Luis |title=Títulos de la República de Chile a la soberanía i dominio de la Estremidad |date=1985 |url=https://libros.uchile.cl/files/presses/1/monographs/128/submission/proof/36/ |access-date=14 November 2022 |archive-date=12 November 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221112070737/https://libros.uchile.cl/files/presses/1/monographs/128/submission/proof/36/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Morla Vicuña |first1=Carlos |title=Estudio histórico sobre el descubrimiento y conquista de la Patagonia y de la Tierra del Fuego |publisher=F. A. Brockhaus |location=Leipzig |date=1903}}</ref>]]


In 1520, while attempting to circumnavigate the globe, [[Ferdinand Magellan]] discovered the southern passage now named after him (the [[Strait of Magellan]]) thus becoming the first European to set foot on what is now Chile. The next Europeans to reach Chile were Diego de Almagro and his band of [[Conquistador|Spanish conquistadors]], who came from [[Peru]] in 1535 seeking gold. The Spanish encountered various cultures that supported themselves principally through [[slash-and-burn]] agriculture and hunting.<ref name="countrystudies"/>
The drive for independence from Spain was precipitated by usurpation of the Spanish throne by [[Napoleon]]'s brother Joseph. A national junta in the name of Ferdinand&mdash;heir to the deposed king&mdash;was formed on [[September 18]], [[1810]]. The [[junta]] proclaimed Chile an autonomous republic within the Spanish [[monarchy]]. A movement for total independence soon won a wide following. Spanish attempts to reimpose arbitrary rule during what was called the ''[[Reconquista]]'' led to a prolonged struggle.


The conquest of Chile began in earnest in 1540 and was carried out by [[Pedro de Valdivia]], one of [[Francisco Pizarro]]'s lieutenants, who founded the city of Santiago on 12 February 1541. Although the Spanish did not find the extensive gold and silver they sought, they recognized the agricultural potential of Chile's central valley, and Chile became part of the [[Spanish Empire]].<ref name="countrystudies"/>
[[Image:Ohiggins.jpg|thumb|Bernardo O'Higgins]]


Conquest took place gradually, and the Europeans suffered repeated setbacks. A massive [[Mapuche]] insurrection that began in 1553 resulted in Valdivia's death and the destruction of many of the colony's principal settlements. Subsequent major insurrections took place in 1598 and in 1655. Each time the Mapuche and other native groups revolted, the southern border of the colony was driven northward. The abolition of [[slavery]] by the Spanish crown in 1683 was done in recognition that enslaving the Mapuche intensified resistance rather than cowing them into submission. Despite royal prohibitions, relations remained strained from continual colonialist interference.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://archive.org/details/storiadellaguer00caivgoog|title=Storia della guerra d'America fra Chilì, il Perù e la Bolivia, dell'avvocato Tommasso Caivano ..|first=Tommaso |last=Caivano|date=1 April 1882|publisher=Torino, E. Loescher|via=Internet Archive}}</ref>
Intermittent warfare continued until [[1817]], when an army led by [[Bernardo O'Higgins]], Chile's most renowned patriot, and [[Jos&eacute; de San Mart&iacute;n]], hero of [[Argentina|Argentine]] independence, crossed the [[Andes]] into Chile and defeated the royalists. On [[February 12]], [[1818]], Chile was proclaimed an independent republic under O'Higgins' leadership. The political revolt brought little social change, however, and [[19th century]] Chilean society preserved the essence of the stratified colonial social structure, which was greatly influenced by family politics and the [[Roman Catholic Church]]. The system of presidential absolutism eventually predominated, but wealthy landowners continued to control Chile.


Cut off to the north by desert, to the south by the Mapuche, to the east by the Andes Mountains, and to the west by the ocean, Chile became one of the most centralized, homogeneous territories in Spanish America. Serving as a sort of frontier [[garrison]], the colony found itself with the mission of forestalling encroachment by both the Mapuche and Spain's European enemies, especially the [[Kingdom of England|English]] and the [[Dutch Republic|Dutch]]. [[Buccaneer]]s and [[Piracy|pirates]] menaced the colony in addition to the Mapuche, as was shown by [[Francis Drake|Sir Francis Drake]]'s 1578 raid on Valparaíso, the colony's principal port. Chile hosted one of the largest standing armies in the Americas, making it one of the most militarized of the Spanish possessions, as well as a [[Real Situado|drain on the treasury of the Viceroyalty of Peru]].<ref name="hudson"/>
Toward the end of the 19th century, the government in Santiago consolidated its position in the south by ruthlessly suppressing the [[Mapuche]] Indians, finally completing the conquest begun more than three centuries earlier. In [[1881]], the government signed a treaty with Argentina confirming Chilean sovereignty over the [[Strait of Magellan]]. As a result of the [[War of the Pacific]] with Peru and Bolivia ([[1879]]-[[1883|83]]), Chile expanded its territory northward by almost one-third and acquired valuable nitrate deposits, the exploitation of which led to an era of national affluence. Chile established a parliamentary style democracy in the late 19th century, but degenerated into a system protecting the interests of the ruling [[oligarchy]]. By the [[1920s]], the emerging middle and [[working class]]es were powerful enough to elect a reformist president, whose program was frustrated by a conservative congress. In the 1920s, [[Marxism|Marxist]] groups with strong popular support arose.
[[Image:Fundacion de Santiago.jpg|thumb|left|[[Pedro Lira]]'s 1888 painting of the founding of [[Santiago]] by [[Pedro de Valdivia]] at [[Santa Lucía Hill|Huelén Hill]].]]


The first general census was conducted by the government of [[Agustín de Jáuregui]] between 1777 and 1778; it indicated that the population consisted of 259,646 inhabitants: 73.5% of [[White Latin American|European descent]], 7.9% [[mestizo]]s, 8.6% [[Indigenous peoples of the Americas|indigenous peoples]] and 9.8% blacks. Francisco Hurtado, Governor of the province of [[Chiloé Province|Chiloé]], conducted a census in 1784 and found the population consisted of 26,703 inhabitants, 64.4% of whom were whites and 33.5% of whom were natives. The Diocese of [[Concepción, Chile|Concepción]] conducted a census in areas south of the [[Maule river]] in 1812, but did not include the indigenous population or the inhabitants of the province of Chiloé. The population is estimated at 210,567, 86.1% of whom were [[Spanish Chilean|Spanish]] or of European descent, 10% of whom were indigenous and 3.7% of whom were mestizos, blacks and [[mulatto]]s.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.ine.cl/error-404|title=Error 404|website=Default|access-date=1 April 2021|archive-date=14 April 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210414213228/https://www.ine.cl/error-404|url-status=live}}</ref>
A military coup led by General [[Luis Altamirano]] in 1924 set off a period of great political instability that lasted until 1932. The longest lasting of the ten governments between those years was that of General [[Carlos Ib&aacute;&ntilde;ez]], who briefly held power in [[1925]] and then again between [[1927]] and [[1931]] in what was a de facto dictatorship. When constitutional rule was restored in [[1932]], a strong middle-class party, the Radicals, emerged. It became the key force in coalition governments for the next 20 years. During the period of [[Radical Party]] dominance (1932-52), the state increased its role in the economy. In [[1952]], voters returned Ib&aacute;&ntilde;ez to office for another 6 years. [[Jorge Alessandri]] succeeded Ib&aacute;&ntilde;ez in [[1958]].


A 2021 study by [[Jörg Baten|Baten]] and Llorca-Jaña shows that regions with a relatively high share of North European migrants developed faster in terms of [[numeracy]], even if the overall number of migrants was small. This effect might be related to [[Externality|externalities]]: the surrounding population adopted a similar behavior as the small non-European immigrant group, and new schools were created. Ironically, there might have been positive [[spillover effects]] from the educational investment made by migrants, at the same time numeracy might have been reduced by the greater inequality in these regions. However, the positive effects of immigration were apparently stronger.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Baten|first1=Joerg|last2=Llorca-Jaña|first2=Manuel|date=2021|title=Inequality, Low-Intensity Immigration and Human Capital Formation in the Regions of Chile, 1820–1939|journal=Economics and Human Biology|volume=43|page=101030|doi=10.1016/j.ehb.2021.101030|pmid=34171763|s2cid=219382958|url=https://www.cesifo.org/DocDL/cesifo1_wp8177.pdf |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/https://www.cesifo.org/DocDL/cesifo1_wp8177.pdf |archive-date=9 October 2022 |url-status=live}}</ref>
The [[1964]] presidential election of [[Christian Democratic Party of Chile|Christian Democrat]] [[Eduardo Frei Montalva]] by an absolute majority initiated a period of major reform. Under the slogan "Revolution in Liberty," the Frei administration embarked on far-reaching social and economic programs, particularly in education, housing, and agrarian reform, including rural unionization of agricultural workers. By [[1967]], however, Frei encountered increasing opposition from leftists, who charged that his reforms were inadequate, and from conservatives, who found them excessive. At the end of his term, Frei had accomplished many noteworthy objectives, but he had not fully achieved his party's ambitious goals.


===Independence and nation building===
In [[1970]], Senator [[Salvador Allende|Salvador Allende Gossens]], a Marxist physician and member of Chile's [[Socialist Party of Chile|Socialist Party]], who headed the "[[Popular Unity]]" (UP or "Unidad Popular") coalition of the Socialist, Communist, Radical, and Social-Democratic Parties, along with dissident Christian Democrats, the Popular Unitary Action Movement (MAPU), and the Independent Popular Action, won a [[plurality]] of votes in a three-way contest. The [[National Congress of Chile|Chilean Congress]] conducted a runoff vote between the leading candidates, Allende and former president [[Jorge Alessandri]] and chose Allende by a vote of 153 to 35.
{{see also|Chilean War of Independence|War of the Pacific|Argentine–Chilean naval arms race}}
[[File:Ejercito Libertador cruce de Cordillera de los andes.jpg|thumb|Generals [[José de San Martín]] (left) and [[Bernardo O'Higgins]] (right) during the [[crossing of the Andes]].]]


In 1808, [[Napoleon I|Napoleon's]] enthronement of his brother [[Joseph Bonaparte|Joseph]] as the [[Spanish monarchy|Spanish King]] precipitated the drive by Chile for [[Chilean War of Independence|independence from Spain]]. A national [[Junta (governing body)|junta]] in the name of [[Ferdinand VII of Spain|Ferdinand]] – heir to the deposed king – was formed on 18 September 1810. The [[Government Junta of Chile (1810)|Government Junta of Chile]] proclaimed an autonomous government for Chile within the Spanish monarchy (in memory of this day, Chile celebrates its [[Fiestas Patrias (Chile)|National Day]] on 18 September each year).
Allende's program included advancement of workers' interests; a thoroughgoing implementation of agrarian reform; the reorganization of the national economy into socialized, mixed, and private sectors; a foreign policy of "international solidarity" and national independence; and a new institutional order (the "people's state" or "poder popular"), including the institution of a unicameral congress. The Popular Unity platform also called for nationalization of foreign (U.S.) ownership of Chile's major [[copper]] mines.


After these events, a movement for total independence, under the command of [[José Miguel Carrera]] (one of the most renowned patriots) and his two brothers Juan José and [[Luis Carrera]], soon gained a wider following. Spanish attempts to re-impose arbitrary rule during what was called the [[Reconquista (Spanish America)|Reconquista]] led to a prolonged struggle, including infighting from [[Bernardo O'Higgins]], who challenged Carrera's leadership.
An [[economic depression]] that began in 1967 peaked in 1970, exacerbated by [[capital flight]], plummeting private investment, and withdrawal of bank deposits by those opposed to Allende's socialist program. Production fell and [[unemployment]] rose. Allende adopted measures including price freezes, wage increases, and tax reforms, which had the effect of increasing consumer spending and redistributing income downward. Joint public-private [[public works]] projects helped reduce unemployment. Much of the [[banking]] sector was [[nationalization|nationalized]]. Many enterprises within the [[copper]], [[coal]], [[iron]], [[nitrate]], and [[steel]] industries were [[expropriation|expropriated]], nationalized, or subjected to state intervention. Industrial output increased sharply and unemployment fell during the Allende administration's first year.


Intermittent warfare continued until 1817. With Carrera in prison in Argentina, O'Higgins and anti-Carrera cohort [[José de San Martín]], hero of the [[Argentine War of Independence]], led [[Army of the Andes|an army]] that [[Crossing of the Andes|crossed the Andes]] into Chile and defeated the royalists. On 12 February 1818, [[Chilean Declaration of Independence|Chile was proclaimed an independent republic]]. The political revolt brought little social change, however, and 19th-century Chilean society preserved the essence of the stratified colonial social structure, which was greatly influenced by family politics and the [[Catholic Church|Roman Catholic Church]]. A strong presidency eventually emerged, but wealthy landowners remained powerful.<ref name="countrystudies"/> Bernardo O'Higgins once planned to expand Chile by liberating the [[Philippines]] from Spain and incorporating the islands. In this regard he tasked the Scottish naval officer, Lord Thomas Cochrane, in a letter dated 12 November 1821, expressing his plan to conquer [[Guayaquil]], the [[Galapagos Islands]], and the [[Chile–Philippines relations|Philippines]]. There were preparations, but the plan did not push through because O' Higgins was exiled.<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=Jg5cEAAAQBAJ Intercolonial Intimacies: Relinking Latin/o America to the Philippines. 1898-1964 By Paula C. Park] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221101151055/https://books.google.com.ph/books?id=Jg5cEAAAQBAJ |date=1 November 2022 }} (INTRODUCTION: Residual Intercolonial Intimacies across the "Hispanic" Pacific)</ref>
Other reforms undertaken during the early Allende period included redistribution of millions of hectares of land to landless agricultural workers as part of the [[agrarian reform]] program, giving the armed forces an overdue pay increase, and providing free [[milk]] to children. The Indian Development Corporation and the Mapuche Vocational Institute were founded to address the needs of Chile's indigenous population.


Chile slowly started to expand its influence and to establish its borders. By the Tantauco Treaty, the archipelago of [[Chiloé]] was incorporated in 1826. The economy began to boom due to the discovery of silver ore in Chañarcillo, and the growing trade of the port of Valparaíso, which led to conflict over maritime supremacy in the Pacific with Peru. At the same time, attempts were made to strengthen sovereignty in southern Chile intensifying [[Occupation of Araucanía|penetration into Araucanía]] and [[German colonization of Valdivia, Osorno and Llanquihue|colonizing Llanquihue with German immigrants]] in 1848. Through the founding of [[Fort Bulnes]] by the [[Schooner Ancud]] under the command of [[John Williams Wilson]], the [[Magallanes Region]] [[Chilean colonization of the Strait of Magellan|started to be controlled by country in 1843]], while the [[Antofagasta Region]], at the time in [[Atacama Desert border dispute|dispute with Bolivia]], began to fill with people.
The nationalization of U.S. and other foreign-owned companies led to increased tensions with the [[United States]]. The [[Richard Nixon|Nixon]] administration brought international financial pressure to bear in order to restrict economic credit to Chile. Simultaneously, the [[CIA]] funded opposition media, politicians, and organizations, helping to accelerate a campaign of domestic destabilization. By [[1972]], the economic progress of Allende's first year had been reversed and the economy was in crisis. Political polarization grew, and large mobilizations of both pro- and anti-government groups became frequent, often leading to clashes.


[[File:DPortales.JPG|thumb|left|150px|Painting of [[Diego Portales]]. The Constitution of 1833 has been seen as the embodiement of the "Portalian thought".]]
By early [[1973]], [[inflation]] was out of control. The crippled economy was further battered by prolonged and sometimes simultaneous [[strike action|strikes]] by physicians, teachers, students, truck owners, copper workers, and shop owners. A [[Chilean coup of 1973|military coup]] backed by the [[CIA]] overthrew Allende on [[September 11]], 1973. As the armed forces bombarded the [[Palacio de La Moneda|presidential palace]] (Palacio de La Moneda), Allende reportedly committed suicide. A military government, led by General [[Augusto Pinochet|Augusto Pinochet Ugarte]], took over control of the country. The first years of the regime were marked by serious [[human rights violation]]s. A new [[Constitution]] was approved by a [[plebiscite]] on September 11, [[1980]], and General Pinochet became President of the Republic for an 8-year term. In its later years, the regime gradually permitted greater freedom of assembly, [[Freedom of speech|speech]], and association, to include trade union and political activity. In contrast to its authoritarian political rule, the military government pursued decidedly ''[[laissez-faire]]'' economic policies. During its nearly 17 years in power, Chile moved away from economic statism toward a largely [[free market economy]] that fostered an increase in domestic and foreign private investment. In a plebiscite on [[October 5]], [[1988]], General Pinochet was denied a second 8-year term as president. Chileans elected a new president and the majority of members of a two-chamber congress on [[December 14]], [[1989]]. Christian Democrat [[Patricio Aylwin]], the candidate of a coalition of 16 political parties called the [[Coalition of Parties for Democracy|Concertaci&oacute;n]], received an absolute majority of votes. President Aylwin served from [[1990]] to [[1994]].
After the [[Chilean Civil War of 1829–1830]] in which the conservatives won, under the [[Joaquín Prieto]] Administration, the [[Chilean Constitution of 1833]] was written and put into effect with high influence from the triple minister [[Diego Portales]].


Two other civil wars happen in Chile in the 1850s, one in [[1851 Chilean revolution|1851]] and the other one in [[1859 Chilean revolution|1859]].
In December [[1993]], Christian Democrat [[Eduardo Frei Ruiz-Tagle]], the son of previous president [[Eduardo Frei Montalva]], led the Concertaci&oacute;n coalition to victory with an absolute majority of votes. President Frei's administration was inaugurated in March [[1994]].


[[File:Combate Naval Iquique-Thomas Somerscales.jpg|thumb|The [[Battle of Iquique]] on 21 May 1879. The victory of Chile in the [[War of the Pacific]] allowed its expansion into new territories.]]
A presidential election was held on [[December 12]], [[1999]], but none of the six candidates obtained a majority, which led to an unprecedented runoff election on [[January 16]], [[2000]]. [[Ricardo Lagos|Ricardo Lagos Escobar]] of the Socialist Party led the Concertaci&oacute;n coalition to a narrow victory, with 51.31% of the votes. He was sworn in [[March 11]], [[2000]], for a 6-year term.
[[File:Arturo Prat - por W. H. Walton (2).jpg|thumb|150px|left|[[Arturo Prat]], considered a national hero from the War of the Pacific.]]


[[File:Territorial losses of the Republic of Chile de jure.svg|300px|thumb|Territorial losses of the Republic of Chile de jure (by law) according to Chilean historiography.<ref name=Eyzaguirre>{{cite book |author1=Eyzaguirre, Jaime |title=Breve historia de las fronteras de Chile |date=1967 |publisher=Editorial Universitaria |language= es}}</ref>]]
On November 5, 2004, Chilean army commander Gen. Juan Emilio Cheyre Espinosa officially announced that the Chilean army “has made the difficult but irreversible decision to assume the responsibilities which it has as an institution for all the punishable and morally unacceptable acts of the past.” In an open letter published January 5 in the Chilean daily La Tercera, Cheyre sought to further distance himself from the fformer military dictatorship, declaring “I’m not a political actor nor do I want to be one; neither am I, nor is the institution at my command, the heir of a particular government regime." The army, he insisted, is not linked “to any political party or social sector. It belongs to all Chileans, and is called to serve them all equally.”
Toward the end of the 19th century, the government in Santiago consolidated its position in the south by the [[Occupation of Araucanía]]. The [[Boundary treaty of 1881 between Chile and Argentina]] confirmed Chilean sovereignty over the [[Strait of Magellan]] but also made the country to renounce to its claims in the rest of East Patagonia after a [[East Patagonia, Tierra del Fuego and Strait of Magellan Dispute|dispute that started in 1842]].<ref name=PatagoniaAustral>{{cite book|author=Mateo Martinic Beros|title=Presencia de Chile en la Patagonia austral 1843 – 1879|date=1971|publisher=Editorial Andrés Bello|url=https://www.memoriachilena.gob.cl/602/w3-article-10386.html|access-date=December 8, 2022|language=es}}</ref> As a result of the [[War of the Pacific]] with Peru and Bolivia (1879–83), Chile expanded its territory northward by almost one-third, eliminating Bolivia's access to the Pacific, and acquired valuable [[Caliche (mineral)#Chilean caliche|nitrate]] deposits, the exploitation of which led to an era of national affluence. Chile had joined the stand as one of the high-income countries in South America by 1870.<ref>{{cite book|title=A History of the Global Economy. From 1500 to the Present.|last1= Baten |first1= Jörg |author-link= Jörg Baten |date=2016|publisher=Cambridge University Press|page=137|isbn=9781107507180}}</ref>


[[File:Policarpo Toro.jpg|thumb|150px|Chilean Navy Captain [[Policarpo Toro]].]]
== Politics ==
On 9 September 1888, Chile took possession of [[Easter Island]] by the signing of a mutual will agreement with the local king, thanks to the efforts of the Bishop of Tahiti, Monsignor José María Verdier since the island was constantly attacked by slave merchants. The naval officer [[Policarpo Toro]] represented the Chilean Government and [[Atamu Tekena]] was the head of the Council of Rapanui. The Rapa Nui elders ceded sovereignty, without renouncing their titles as chiefs, the ownership of their lands, the validity of their culture and traditions and on equal terms. The Rapa Nui sold nothing, they were integrated in equal conditions to Chile.<ref name=historia>{{Cite web |url=http://www.soberaniachile.cl/historia_de_la_incorporacion_y_las_controversias_de_la_isla_de_pascua.html |title=Historia de la Isla de Pascua: Su Incorporación y Su Conflicto Con La Williamson & Balfour. Daños Patrimoniales, Pretensiones Internacionales e Independentismos |access-date=26 January 2024 |archive-date=21 March 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230321015938/http://www.soberaniachile.cl/historia_de_la_incorporacion_y_las_controversias_de_la_isla_de_pascua.html |url-status=live }}</ref>
''Main article: [[Politics of Chile]]''


The [[1891 Chilean Civil War]] brought about a redistribution of power between the President and Congress, and Chile established a [[Parliamentary system|parliamentary]] style democracy. However, the Civil War had also been a contest between those who favored the development of local industries and powerful Chilean banking interests, particularly the House of Edwards which had strong ties to foreign investors. Soon after, the country engaged in a [[Argentine–Chilean naval arms race|vastly expensive naval arms race]] with [[Argentina]] that nearly led to war, as well because of the [[Puna de Atacama dispute]].
Chile's [[Constitution of Chile|Constitution]] was approved in a September [[1980]] national plebiscite. It entered into force in March [[1981]]. After Pinochet's defeat in the [[1988]] plebiscite, the Constitution was amended to ease provisions for future amendments to the Constitution. Many among Chile's political class see further constitutional reform as necessary to complete the transition to democracy. Reforms that are currently under consideration include the abolition of non-elected Senators (institutional senators, or senators for life) and securing the Presidential right to remove the Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces. A number of these reforms have been approved by the Senate and are awaiting action by the lower house.


After the War of the Pacific, Chile became a Naval Power in the Americas, even sending a ship in protests in the [[Panama crisis of 1885]] against the United States intervention in the then Colombian territory. The United States and Chile had the [[Baltimore crisis]] which almost became a war as Chile was a potential threat to the intentions of hegemony from the United States in the Western Hemisphere.<ref name="sater">William Sater, ''Chile and the United States: Empires in Conflict'', Athens, GA; University of Georgia Press, {{ISBN|0-8203-1249-5}} p.51</ref>
Chile's bicameral [[Congress of Chile|Congress]] has a 48-seat [[Senate of Chile|Senate]]--38 elected, 9 appointed, 1 for life--and a 120-member [[Chamber of Deputies of Chile|Chamber of Deputies]]. Deputies are elected every 4 years. Senators serve for 8 years with staggered terms. The current Senate is evenly split 24-24 between pro-government and opposition Senators. Nine institutional senators were appointed in [[1999]], and two "senators for life," former Presidents Pinochet (who resigned in [[2002]]) and Frei. (Chile's Constitution provides that former presidents who have served at least 6 years shall be entitled to a lifetime senate seat.) The last congressional elections were held in December [[2001]]. The current lower house—the Chamber of Deputies—contains 60 members of the governing center-left coalition and 56 from the center-right opposition. Currently 4 Deputies have their voting rights suspended on legal grounds. The Congress is located in the port city of [[Valparaíso, Chile|Valparaíso]], about 140 kilometers (84 mi.) west of the capital, Santiago.


===20th century===
Chile's congressional elections are governed by a unique binomial system that rewards coalition slates. Each coalition can run two candidates for the two Senate and two lower chamber seats apportioned to each chamber's electoral districts. Typically, the two largest coalitions split the seats in a district. Only if the leading coalition ticket out-polls the second-place coalition by a margin of more than 2-to-1 does the winning coalition gain both seats. In the 2001 congressional elections, the conservative [[Independent Democratic Union]] surpassed the [[Christian Democratic Party of Chile|Christian Democrats]] for the first time to become the largest party in the lower house. The [[Communist Party of Chile|Communist Party]] again failed to gain any seats in the 2001 elections.
{{see also|Parliamentary Era in Chile|1960 Valdivia earthquake|South American dreadnought race}}
[[File:Chilean battleship Almirante Latorre.jpg|thumb|left|Chile's ''Almirante Latorre'' [[dreadnought]] in 1921]]


In 1902 Chile and Argentina received the result from the [[1902 Arbitral award of the Andes between Argentina and Chile|arbitral award of the Andes]] resolved by the [[British Crown]].
The next presidential and congressional elections are set for December [[2005]].


In 1903 the Puna de Atacama dispute was solved.
Chile's judiciary is independent and includes a court of appeal, a system of military courts, a constitutional tribunal, and the Supreme Court. Chile will complete in mid-2005 a multi-year overhaul of its criminal justice system. The reform has replaced inquisitorial proceedings with an adversarial system more similar to that of the United States.


In 1904 Chile and Bolivia sign a [[Treaty of Peace and Friendship (1904)|Treaty of Peace and Friendship]] which clarified the border between both countries.
== Regions ==
''Main article: [[Regions of Chile]]''


The Chilean economy partially degenerated into a system protecting the interests of a ruling [[oligarchy]]. By the 1920s, the emerging middle and working classes were powerful enough to elect a reformist president, [[Arturo Alessandri]], whose program was frustrated by a conservative congress. In the 1920s, [[Marxism|Marxist]] groups with strong popular support arose.<ref name="countrystudies"/>
Chile is divided into 13 [[region]]s, each of which is headed by an ''intendente''. Every region is further divided into [[province]]s with a ''Gobernador Provincial''. Finally each province is divided into various ''Comunas'' each with its own mayor. Intendentes and gobernadores are appointed by the president, mayors are elected by popular vote.


A military coup led by General [[Luis Altamirano]] in 1924 set off a period of political instability that lasted until 1932. Of the ten governments that held power in that period, the longest lasting was that of General [[Carlos Ibáñez del Campo]], who briefly held power in 1925 and then again between 1927 and 1931 in what was a [[de facto]] dictatorship (although not really comparable in harshness or corruption to the type of military dictatorship that have often bedeviled the rest of Latin America).<ref>{{Cite book|title=Authoritarianism in Latin America since independence|last=Fowler|first=Will|year=1996|publisher=Greenwood Press|location=University of Virginia|isbn=0-313-29843-2|pages=30–96}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last=Frazier|first=Lessie Jo|title=Salt in the Sand: Memory, Violence, and the Nation-State in Chile, 1890 to the Present|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gQU-GYGeVSEC&pg=PA163|access-date=14 July 2013|date=17 July 2007|publisher=Duke University Press|isbn=978-0-8223-4003-4|pages=163–184|archive-date=29 November 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231129020445/https://books.google.com/books?id=gQU-GYGeVSEC&pg=PA163#v=onepage&q&f=false|url-status=live}}</ref>
Each region is designated by a name and a [[Roman numeral]]. Numbers are assigned from north to south. In general the Roman numeral is used, rather than the name. The only exception is the region where Santiago is situated, which is designated ''RM'', that stands for ''Regi&oacute;n Metropolitana'', ''Metropolitan Region''.

By relinquishing power to a democratically elected successor, Ibáñez del Campo retained the respect of a large enough segment of the population to remain a viable politician for more than thirty years, in spite of the vague and shifting nature of his ideology. When constitutional rule was restored in 1932, a strong middle-class party, the Radicals, emerged. It became the key force in coalition governments for the next 20 years. During the period of [[Radical Party (Chile)|Radical Party]] dominance (1932–52), the state increased its role in the economy. In 1952, voters returned Ibáñez del Campo to office for another six years. [[Jorge Alessandri]] succeeded Ibáñez del Campo in 1958, bringing Chilean conservatism back into power democratically for another term.

The [[1964 Chilean presidential election|1964 presidential election]] of [[Christian Democrat Party of Chile|Christian Democrat]] [[Eduardo Frei Montalva]] by an [[Majority|absolute majority]] initiated a period of major reform. Under the slogan "Revolution in Liberty", the Frei administration embarked on far-reaching social and economic programs, particularly in education, housing, and [[agrarian reform]], including rural unionization of agricultural workers. By 1967, however, Frei encountered increasing opposition from leftists, who charged that his reforms were inadequate, and from conservatives, who found them excessive. At the end of his term, Frei had not fully achieved his party's ambitious goals.<ref name="countrystudies">{{cite web|url=http://countrystudies.us/chile/85.htm|title=Development and Breakdown of Democracy, 1830–1973|work=Country Studies|publisher=Library of Congress|date=31 March 1994|access-date=21 April 2009|archive-date=9 July 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110709014719/http://countrystudies.us/chile/85.htm|url-status=live}}</ref>
[[File:Salvador Allende Gossens-.jpg|thumb|upright|[[Salvador Allende]]]]

In the 1970 election, Senator [[Salvador Allende]] of the [[Socialist Party of Chile]] (then part of the "[[Popular Unity (Chile)|Popular Unity]]" coalition which included the Communists, Radicals, Social-Democrats, dissident Christian Democrats, the Popular Unitary Action Movement, and the Independent Popular Action),<ref name="countrystudies"/> achieved a partial majority in a [[plurality (voting)|plurality]] of votes in a three-way contest, followed by candidates Radomiro Tomic for the Christian Democrat Party and Jorge Alessandri for the Conservative Party. Allende was not elected with an absolute majority, receiving fewer than 35% of the votes.

The [[National Congress of Chile|Chilean Congress]] conducted a runoff vote between the leading candidates, Allende and former president Jorge Alessandri, and, keeping with tradition, chose Allende by a vote of 153 to 35. Frei refused to form an alliance with Alessandri to oppose Allende, on the grounds that the Christian Democrats were a workers' party and could not make common cause with the right wing.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Mares|first=David|author2=Francisco Rojas Aravena|title=The United States and Chile: Coming in from the Cold|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0Y3EWkKZsYcC&pg=PA145|access-date=14 July 2013|year=2001|publisher=Routledge|isbn=978-0-415-93125-0|page=145|archive-date=29 November 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231129020509/https://books.google.com/books?id=0Y3EWkKZsYcC&pg=PA145|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last=Trento|first=Joseph J.|title=The Secret History of the CIA|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3uPBM7z_62gC&pg=PA560|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150319065032/http://books.google.com/books?id=3uPBM7z_62gC&pg=PA560|url-status=dead|archive-date=19 March 2015|access-date=14 July 2013|year=2005|publisher=Carroll & Graf Publishers|isbn=978-0-7867-1500-8|page=560}}</ref>

An [[economic depression]] that began in 1972 was exacerbated by [[capital flight]], plummeting private investment, and withdrawal of bank deposits in response to Allende's socialist program. Production fell and unemployment rose. Allende adopted measures including price freezes, wage increases, and tax reforms, to increase consumer spending and redistribute income downward.<ref>{{cite book|author=Lois Hecht Oppenheim|title=Politics in Chile: Socialism, Authoritarianism, and Market Democracy|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=99ZLX52z_noC&pg=PA52|access-date=14 July 2013|year=2007|publisher=Westview Press|isbn=978-0-7867-3426-9|page=52|archive-date=29 November 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231129020433/https://books.google.com/books?id=99ZLX52z_noC&pg=PA52#v=onepage&q&f=false|url-status=live}}</ref> Joint public-private [[public works]] projects helped reduce unemployment.<ref name="De Vylder">{{cite book|last=De Vylder|first=Stefan|title=Allende's Chile: The Political Economy of the Rise and Fall of the Unidad Popular|date=5 March 2009|publisher=Cambridge University Press|isbn=978-0-521-10757-0}}</ref>{{Page needed|date=September 2010}} Much of the banking sector was [[nationalization|nationalized]]. Many enterprises within the [[Copper#Production|copper]], coal, iron, [[Caliche (mineral)#Chilean caliche|nitrate]], and steel industries were [[Nationalization#Expropriation|expropriated]], nationalized, or subjected to state intervention. Industrial output increased sharply and unemployment fell during the Allende administration's first year.<ref name="De Vylder"/>

Allende's program included advancement of workers' interests,<ref name="De Vylder"/><ref>{{cite web|url=http://grace.evergreen.edu/~arunc/texts/chile/torre/Allende.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080107150857/http://grace.evergreen.edu/~arunc/texts/chile/torre/Allende.html|archive-date=7 January 2008 |title=Allende wins the elections: first coup attempt |publisher=Grace.evergreen.edu |access-date=17 December 2009}}</ref> replacing the judicial system with "socialist legality",<ref name=friedman368>{{cite book|last=Friedman|first=Norman|title=The Fifty-Year War: Conflict and Strategy in the Cold War|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0CIXLdxhQMAC&pg=PA367|access-date=14 July 2013|date=1 March 2007|publisher=Naval Institute Press|isbn=978-1-59114-287-4|pages=367–368|archive-date=29 November 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231129020229/https://books.google.com/books?id=0CIXLdxhQMAC&pg=PA367|url-status=live}}</ref> nationalization of banks and forcing others to bankruptcy,<ref name=friedman368/> and strengthening "popular militias" known as MIR.<ref name=friedman368/> Started under former President Frei, the Popular Unity platform also called for nationalization of Chile's major copper mines in the form of a constitutional amendment. The measure was passed unanimously by Congress. As a result,<ref>{{cite book|last=Qureshi|first=Lubna Z.|title=Nixon, Kissinger, and Allende: U.S. Involvement in the 1973 Coup in Chile|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=alISgQdNY4kC&pg=PA86|access-date=14 July 2013|year=2009|publisher=Lexington Books|isbn=978-0-7391-2655-4|pages=86–97|archive-date=29 November 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231129020042/https://books.google.com/books?id=alISgQdNY4kC&pg=PA86#v=onepage&q&f=false|url-status=live}}</ref> the [[Richard Nixon]] administration [[United States intervention in Chile|organized and inserted secret operatives]] in Chile, in order to swiftly destabilize Allende's government.<ref>{{cite web | title = Report on CIA Chilean Task Force activities | work = Chile and the United States: Declassified Documents relating to the Military Coup, 1970–1976 | publisher = The National Security Archive: Electronic Briefing Books (George Washington University) | url = http://www.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/NSAEBB/NSAEBB8/ch01-01.htm | access-date = 11 March 2010 | archive-date = 11 February 2010 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20100211203442/http://www.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/NSAEBB/NSAEBB8/ch01-01.htm | url-status = live }}</ref> In addition, US financial pressure restricted international economic credit to Chile.<ref name="fas.org">{{cite web |url=https://fas.org/irp/ops/policy/church-chile.htm |title=Covert Action In Chile 1963–1973, Staff Report Of The Select Committee To Study Governmental Operations With Respect To Intelligence Activities |publisher=Federation of American Scientists |access-date=17 December 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091003144646/http://www.fas.org/irp/ops/policy/church-chile.htm |archive-date=3 October 2009}}</ref>

The economic problems were also exacerbated by Allende's public spending, financed mostly through printing money, and by poor credit ratings given by commercial banks.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,879153,00.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101022175928/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,879153,00.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=22 October 2010|title=Tightening the Belt|magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]]|date = 7 August 1972 }}</ref>
Simultaneously, opposition media, politicians, business guilds and other organizations helped to accelerate a campaign of domestic political and economical destabilization, some of which was backed by the United States.<ref name="fas.org"/><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.derechos.org/nizkor/chile/doc/hinchey.html |title=Equipo Nizkor – CIA Activities in Chile – September 18, 2000 |publisher=Derechos.org |access-date=17 December 2009 |archive-date=13 May 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080513083911/http://www.derechos.org/nizkor/chile/doc/hinchey.html |url-status=live }}</ref> By early 1973, inflation was out of control.
On 26 May 1973, Chile's Supreme Court, which was opposed to Allende's government, unanimously denounced Allende's ''disruption of the legality of the nation''. Although illegal under the Chilean constitution, the court supported and strengthened Pinochet's soon-to-be seizure of power.<ref name=friedman368/><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.law.yale.edu/documents/pdf/rightdegree_independence(5).pdf |title=Transition to Democracy in Latin America: The Role of the judiciary |publisher=Yale University |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130819213445/http://www.law.yale.edu/documents/pdf/rightdegree_independence%285%29.pdf |archive-date=19 August 2013}}</ref>

====Pinochet era (1973–1990)====
{{Main|Military government of Chile (1973–90)|Miracle of Chile|Beagle conflict}}
[[File:Golpe de Estado 1973.jpg|thumb|left|[[Fighter aircraft|Fighter jets]] bombing the Presidential Palace of ''La Moneda'' during the [[Chilean coup of 1973]]]]
A [[Chilean coup of 1973|military coup]] overthrew Allende on 11 September 1973. As the armed forces bombarded the [[La Moneda Palace|presidential palace]], Allende apparently committed suicide.<ref>{{Cite book|first=Óscar|last=Soto|title=El último día de Salvador Allende|year=1999|publisher=Aguilar|isbn=978-956-239-084-2}}{{page needed|date=July 2013}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|first=Eugeno|last=Ahumada|title=Chile: La memoria prohibida}}{{page needed|date=July 2013}}</ref> After the coup, [[Henry Kissinger]] told [[President of the United States|U.S. president]] [[Richard Nixon]] that the United States had "helped" the coup.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www2.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/NSAEBB/NSAEBB437/ |title=Kissinger and Chile: the Declassified Record |publisher=The National Security Archive |date=16 September 2013 |access-date=16 September 2013 |archive-date=17 September 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130917045957/http://www2.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/NSAEBB/NSAEBB437/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

A military junta, led by General [[Augusto Pinochet]], took control of the country. The first years of the regime were marked by [[Human rights violations in Pinochet's Chile|human rights violation]]s. Chile actively participated in [[Operation Condor]].<ref>{{cite web |last1=Dinges |first1=John |title=Operation Condor |url=http://www.latinamericanstudies.org/chile/operation-condor.htm |website=latinamericanstudies.org |publisher=Columbia University |access-date=6 July 2018 |archive-date=22 July 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180722031734/http://www.latinamericanstudies.org/chile/operation-condor.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> In October 1973, at least 72 people were murdered by the [[Caravan of Death]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/850932.stm|title=Flashback: Caravan of Death|work=BBC|date=25 July 2000|access-date=11 March 2008|archive-date=26 February 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080226211503/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/850932.stm|url-status=live}}</ref> According to the [[Rettig Report]] and [[Valech Commission]], at least 2,115 were killed,<ref>{{cite web |author=Ministerio del Interior |url=http://www.ddhh.gov.cl/ddhh_rettig.html |title=Ministerio del Interior, Programa de Derechos Humanos – ddhh_rettig |publisher=Ddhh.gov.cl |date=3 August 1999 |access-date=17 December 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091223174254/http://www.ddhh.gov.cl/ddhh_rettig.html |archive-date=23 December 2009}}</ref> and at least 27,265<ref name=sintesis>{{cite web|url=http://www.comisionprisionpoliticaytortura.cl/filesapp/Sintesis.pdf |title=Sintesis Ok |access-date=17 December 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070727031254/http://www.comisionprisionpoliticaytortura.cl/filesapp/Sintesis.pdf |archive-date=27 July 2007 }}</ref> were tortured (including 88 children younger than 12 years old).<ref name=sintesis/> In 2011, Chile recognized an additional 9,800 victims, bringing the total number of killed, tortured or imprisoned for political reasons to 40,018.<ref>Eva Vergara (18 August 2015). [https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/08/18/chile-recognizes-9800-more-pinochet-victims_n_930754.html Chile Recognizes 9,800 More Pinochet Victims] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151231220056/http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/08/18/chile-recognizes-9800-more-pinochet-victims_n_930754.html |date=31 December 2015 }}. ''The Associated Press'' via ''The Huffington Post.'' Retrieved 25 August 2015.</ref> At the national stadium, filled with detainees, one of those tortured and killed was internationally known poet-singer [[Víctor Jara]] (see "Music and Dance", below).
[[File:Augusto Pinochet foto oficial coloreada.jpg|thumb|upright|[[Augusto Pinochet]]]]

A new Constitution was approved by a controversial [[plebiscite]] on 11 September 1980, and General Pinochet became president of the republic for an eight-year term. After Pinochet obtained rule of the country, several hundred committed Chilean revolutionaries joined the [[Sandinista]] army in [[Nicaragua]], guerrilla forces in [[Argentina]] or training camps in [[Cuba]], Eastern Europe and Northern Africa.<ref>{{cite book|author1=Pamela Constable |author-link=Pamela Constable |author2=Arturo Valenzuela |author2-link=Arturo Valenzuela |title=A Nation of Enemies: Chile Under Pinochet|year=1993|publisher=W W Norton & Company Incorporated|isbn=978-0-393-30985-0|page=150|url=https://archive.org/details/nationofenemiesc00cons}}</ref>

In the late 1980s, largely as a result of events such as the 1982 economic collapse<ref>{{cite book|last1=Klein|first1=Naomi|author-link=Naomi Klein|title=The Shock Doctrine: The Rise of Disaster Capitalism|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=PwHUAq5LPOQC&pg=PA85|access-date=14 July 2013|date=1 April 2010|publisher=Henry Holt and Company (2007)|isbn=978-1-4299-1948-7|page=85|archive-date=29 November 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231129020106/https://books.google.com/books?id=PwHUAq5LPOQC&pg=PA85#v=onepage&q&f=false|url-status=live}}</ref> and mass [[civil resistance]] in 1983–88, the government gradually permitted greater freedom of assembly, [[Freedom of speech|speech]], and association, to include trade union and political activity.<ref>{{cite book|last=Huneeus|first=Carlos|author-link=Carlos Huneeus|editor1=Adam Roberts|editor2=Timothy Garton Ash|title=Civil Resistance and Power Politics:The Experience of Non-violent Action from Gandhi to the Present|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zD_S8Y2WbRsC&pg=PT168|access-date=14 July 2013|date=3 September 2009|publisher=Oxford University Press|isbn=978-0-19-161917-5|pages=197–212|chapter=Political Mass Mobilization against Authoritarian Rule: Pinochet's Chile, 1983–88|archive-date=29 November 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231129020252/https://books.google.com/books?id=zD_S8Y2WbRsC&pg=PT168#v=onepage&q&f=false|url-status=live}}</ref> The government launched market-oriented reforms with [[Hernán Büchi]] as Minister of Finance. Chile moved toward a [[free market economy]] that saw an increase in domestic and foreign private investment, although the [[Copper#Production|copper]] industry and other important mineral resources were not opened to competition. In a [[1988 Chilean national plebiscite|plebiscite]] on 5 October 1988, Pinochet was denied a second eight-year term as president (56% against 44%). Chileans elected a new president and the majority of members of a [[Bicameralism|bicameral]] congress on 14 December 1989. Christian Democrat [[Patricio Aylwin]], the candidate of a coalition of 17 political parties called the ''[[Concertación]]'', received an absolute majority of votes (55%).<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1989/12/16/world/man-in-the-news-patricio-aylwin-a-moderate-leads-chile.html|title=Man in the News: Patricio Aylwin; A Moderate Leads Chile|work=The New York Times|first=Shirley|last=Christian|date=16 December 1989|access-date=28 July 2018|archive-date=29 July 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180729012944/https://www.nytimes.com/1989/12/16/world/man-in-the-news-patricio-aylwin-a-moderate-leads-chile.html|url-status=live}}</ref> President Aylwin served from 1990 to 1994, in what was considered a transition period.

===21st century===
{{See also|2010 Chile earthquake|2019–20 Chilean protests}}
[[File:Izamiento de la Gran Bandera Nacional - Presidentes de Chile.jpg|thumb|left|Five presidents of Chile since [[Transition to democracy]] (1990–2022), celebrating the [[Bicentennial of Chile]]]]

In December 1993, Christian Democrat [[Eduardo Frei Ruiz-Tagle]], the son of previous president Eduardo Frei Montalva, led the Concertación coalition to victory with an absolute majority of votes (58%).<ref>{{cite encyclopedia|url=http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1P2-8257609.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080526090105/http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1P2-8257609.html|archive-date=26 May 2008 |title=Chile elects new leader Late president's son wins big |encyclopedia=Encyclopedia.com |date=12 December 1993 |access-date=14 July 2013}}</ref> Frei Ruiz-Tagle was succeeded in 2000 by Socialist [[Ricardo Lagos]], who won the presidency in an unprecedented [[1999–2000 Chilean presidential election|runoff election]] against [[Joaquín Lavín]] of the rightist [[Alliance for Chile]].<ref>{{Cite news |url=http://archives.cnn.com/2000/WORLD/americas/01/17/chile.elex.01/ |title=Moderate socialist Lagos wins Chilean presidential election |work=CNN|date=16 January 2000 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080506162601/http://archives.cnn.com/2000/WORLD/americas/01/17/chile.elex.01/ |archive-date=6 May 2008 |url-status=dead}}</ref> In January 2006, Chileans elected their first female president, [[Michelle Bachelet Jeria]], of the Socialist Party, defeating [[Sebastián Piñera]], of the [[National Renewal (Chile)|National Renewal]] party, extending the ''Concertación'' governance for another four years.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nbcnews.com/id/10819903|title=Chile elects first woman president|work=NBC News|date=12 January 2006|access-date=10 November 2019|archive-date=9 November 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131109023348/http://www.nbcnews.com/id/10819903/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/03/11/AR2006031101381.html|title=Bachelet Sworn in As Chile's President|newspaper=The Washington Post|first=Monte|last=Reel|date=12 March 2006|access-date=22 August 2017|archive-date=1 July 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170701225835/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/03/11/AR2006031101381.html|url-status=live}}</ref> In January 2010, Chileans [[2009–10 Chilean presidential election|elected]] [[Sebastián Piñera]] as the first rightist President in 20 years, defeating former President [[Eduardo Frei Ruiz-Tagle]] of the ''Concertación'', for a four-year term succeeding Bachelet. Due to term limits, [[Sebastián Piñera]] did not stand for re-election in 2013, and his term expired in March 2014 resulting in [[Michelle Bachelet]] returning to office.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-26528923 |title=Michelle Bachelet sworn in as Chile's president |work=BBC News |date=11 March 2014 |access-date=12 August 2021 |url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140312035407/http://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-26528923 |archive-date=12 March 2014 }}</ref> Sebastián Piñera succeeded Bachelet again in 2018 as the [[President of Chile]] after winning the December 2017 presidential [[2017 Chilean general election|election]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-42388019 |title=Chile election: Conservative Piñera elected president |work=BBC News |date=18 December 2017 |access-date=12 August 2021 |url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171218103345/http://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-42388019 |archive-date=18 December 2017 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.yahoo.com/news/pinera-conservative-billionaire-sworn-president-chile-183054108.html?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAC6_pBevRC0GpV00u6W8P1NWhHqxCXKFRdRMnzk5fsa |title=Pinera, a conservative billionaire, is sworn in as president of Chile |work=Yahoo! News |agency=Agence France Presse |date=11 March 2018 |access-date=12 August 2021 |url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210801211945/https://www.yahoo.com/news/pinera-conservative-billionaire-sworn-president-chile-183054108.html?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAC6_pBevRC0GpV00u6W8P1NWhHqxCXKFRdRMnzk5fsa |archive-date=1 August 2021 }}</ref>

On 27 February 2010, Chile was struck by an 8.8 {{M|w|link=y}} [[2010 Chile earthquake|earthquake]], the fifth largest ever recorded at the time. More than 500 people died (most from the ensuing [[tsunami]]) and over a million people lost their homes. The earthquake was also followed by multiple aftershocks.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.australia-times.com.au/world/article.php?id=501|title=US ready to help Chile: Obama|work=The Australia Times|access-date=3 March 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110427081917/http://www.australia-times.com.au/world/article.php?id=501|archive-date=27 April 2011|url-status=dead}}</ref> Initial damage estimates were in the range of US$15–30 billion, around 10% to 15% of Chile's real gross domestic product.<ref>[http://www.contractmagazine.com/contract/content_display/design/news/e3i128fcc3d3e64156a013dfae605b73a5b More Quakes Shake Chile's Infrastructure], Adam Figman, ''Contract'', 1 March 2010 {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141114030306/http://www.contractmagazine.com/contract/content_display/design/news/e3i128fcc3d3e64156a013dfae605b73a5b |date=14 November 2014 }}</ref>

Chile achieved global recognition for the successful [[2010 Copiapó mining accident|rescue of 33 trapped miners]] in 2010. On 5 August 2010, the access tunnel collapsed at the San José copper and gold mine in the [[Atacama Desert]] near [[Copiapó]] in northern Chile, trapping 33 men {{convert|700|m|sp=us}} below ground. A rescue effort organized by the Chilean government located the miners 17 days later. All 33 men were brought to the surface two months later on 13 October 2010 over a period of almost 24 hours, an effort that was carried on live television around the world.<ref name="usstatedep">{{cite web|url=https://2009-2017.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/1981.htm|title=Background Note: Chile|work=[[Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs]], [[United States Department of State]]|date=16 December 2011|access-date=19 March 2012|archive-date=21 January 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170121153101/https://2009-2017.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/1981.htm|url-status=live}}</ref>
[[File:Marcha_Mas_Grande_De_Chile_2019_Plaza_Baquedano_Drone.jpg|thumb|View of the [[2019–2022 Chilean protests]] towards [[Plaza Baquedano]], [[Santiago]]]]

[[2019–20 Chilean protests]] are a series of country-wide protests in response to a rise in the [[Santiago Metro]]'s subway fare, the increased [[cost of living]], [[privatization]] and [[Economic inequality|inequality]] prevalent in the country.<ref>{{cite web|title=Chile protests: More than one million bring Santiago to a halt|url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/10/chile-protests-million-bring-santiago-halt-191025223542333.html|author=Naomi Larsson|website=Al Jazeera|date=26 October 2019|access-date=19 November 2019|archive-date=26 October 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191026165551/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/10/chile-protests-million-bring-santiago-halt-191025223542333.html|url-status=live}}</ref> On 15 November, most of the political parties represented in the National Congress signed an agreement to call a [[2020 Chilean national referendum|national referendum]] in April 2020 regarding the creation of a new Constitution, later postponed to October due to the [[COVID-19 pandemic in Chile|COVID-19 pandemic]].<ref>{{cite news |title=One month on: Protests in Chile persist despite gov't concessions |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/11/month-protests-chile-persist-gov-concessions-191118231609475.html |work=Al Jazeera |date=19 November 2019 |author=Sandra Cuffe |access-date=19 November 2019 |archive-date=17 March 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200317120559/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/11/month-protests-chile-persist-gov-concessions-191118231609475.html |url-status=live }}</ref> On 25 October 2020, Chileans voted 78.28 per cent in favor of a new constitution, while 21.72 per cent rejected the change. Voter turnout was 51 percent. An [[2021 Chilean Constitutional Convention election|election]] for the members of the [[Constitutional Convention (Chile)|Constitutional Convention]] was held in Chile between 15 and 16 May 2021.<ref name="postpone">{{Cite web |url=https://www.elmostrador.cl/noticias/pais/2021/04/06/presidente-pinera-promulga-reforma-que-posterga-elecciones-al-15-y-16-de-mayo/ |title=Presidente Piñera promulga reforma que posterga elecciones al 15 y 16 de mayo |date=6 April 2021 |website=El Mostrador |language=es |access-date=7 April 2021 |archive-date=5 May 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210505183947/https://www.elmostrador.cl/noticias/pais/2021/04/06/presidente-pinera-promulga-reforma-que-posterga-elecciones-al-15-y-16-de-mayo/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

On 19 December 2021, a leftist candidate, the 35-year-old former student protest leader [[Gabriel Boric]], won Chile's presidential [[2021 Chilean general election|election]] to become the country's youngest ever leader.<ref>{{cite news |title=Leftist Gabriel Boric to become Chile's youngest ever president |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-59715941 |work=BBC News |date=20 December 2021 |access-date=21 December 2021 |archive-date=20 December 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211220000309/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-59715941 |url-status=live }}</ref> On 11 March 2022, Boric was sworn in as president to succeed outgoing President Sebastian Piñera.<ref>{{cite news |title=Gabriel Boric, 36, sworn in as president to herald new era for Chile |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/mar/11/gabriel-boric-chile-president-new-era |work=The Guardian |date=11 March 2022 |language=en |access-date=15 March 2022 |archive-date=12 March 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220312233147/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/mar/11/gabriel-boric-chile-president-new-era |url-status=live }}</ref> Out of 24 members of Gabriel Boric's female-majority Cabinet, 14 are women.<ref>{{cite news |title=Chile's president-elect names progressive, majority-women cabinet |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/jan/21/chile-gabriel-boric-cabinet-majority-women |work=The Guardian |date=21 January 2022 |language=en |access-date=15 March 2022 |archive-date=25 January 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220125135734/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/jan/21/chile-gabriel-boric-cabinet-majority-women |url-status=live }}</ref>

On 4 September 2022, voters rejected the new constitution proposal in the [[2022 Chilean constitutional referendum|constitutional referendum]], which was put forward by the left-leaning [[Constitutional Convention (Chile)|Constitutional Convention]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Chile constitution: Voters overwhelmingly reject radical change |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-62792025 |work=BBC News |date=5 September 2022 |access-date=14 September 2022 |archive-date=5 September 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220905063525/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-62792025 |url-status=live }}</ref> On 17 December 2023, voters rejected a second new constitution proposal in a new [[2023 Chilean constitutional referendum|constitutional referendum]], written by the conservative-led [[Constitutional Council (Chile)|Constitutional Council]].<ref name="reuters.com">{{cite web |last1=Villegas |first1=A. |title=Chileans reject conservative constitution to replace dictatorship-era text |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/chileans-head-polls-again-replace-dictatorship-era-constitution-2023-12-17/ |website=Reuters |access-date=18 December 2023}}</ref><ref name=":2">{{Cite web |date=17 December 2023 |title=Chilean voters reject conservative constitution, after defeating leftist charter last year |url=https://apnews.com/article/chile-new-constitution-referendum-f7be231ff564856f6a5e1b0c0ac12c57 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231218053713/https://apnews.com/article/chile-new-constitution-referendum-f7be231ff564856f6a5e1b0c0ac12c57 |archive-date=18 December 2023 |access-date=18 December 2023 |website=AP News |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":3">{{Cite web |title=Chile rejects second attempt to renew constitution |url=https://www.dw.com/en/chile-rejects-second-attempt-to-renew-constitution/a-67749225 |access-date=19 December 2023 |website=dw.com |language=en |archive-date=18 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231218193156/https://www.dw.com/en/chile-rejects-second-attempt-to-renew-constitution/a-67749225 |url-status=live }}</ref>


== Geography ==
== Geography ==
''Main article: [[Geography of Chile]]''
{{Main|Geography of Chile}}
{{See also|Natural regions of Chile|Environmental issues in Chile}}
[[Image:Ci-map.png|thumb|Map of Chile]]
[[File:Cl-triconti-en.PNG|thumb|280px|left|Map of [[Tricontinental Chile]] with possessions in [[South America]] (mainland), [[Oceania]] ([[Easter Island]]), and [[Antarctica]] ([[Chilean Antarctic Territory]]) as well as the [[Mar presencial|presential sea]], [[exclusive economic zone]], the [[contiguous zone]], the [[continental shelves]] and the external parts of these.]]
{{Annotated image|float=right|caption=Natural regions of Chile.|image=Natural Regions of Chile.svg|width=150|image-width=150|image-left=0|image-top=0|annotations=
{{Annotation|70|30|'''[[Norte Grande]]'''}}
{{Annotation|57|85|'''[[Norte Chico, Chile|Norte<br />Chico]]'''}}
{{Annotation|40|130|'''[[Central Chile|Central<br />Zone]]'''}}
{{Annotation|35|175|'''[[Zona Sur|Southern<br />Zone]]'''}}
{{Annotation|7|295|'''[[Austral Zone]]'''}}
}}
A long and narrow coastal [[Southern Cone]] country on the west side of the [[Andes Mountains]], Chile stretches over {{convert|4300|km|-1|abbr=on}} north to south, but only {{convert|350|km|0|abbr=on}} at its widest point east to west<ref>{{cite encyclopedia |url=https://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/111326/Chile |title=Chile |encyclopedia=Encyclopædia Britannica |access-date=7 May 2013 |archive-date=16 June 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130616190930/http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/111326/Chile |url-status=live }}</ref> and {{convert|64|km|0|abbr=on}} at its narrowest point east to west, with an average width of {{convert|175|km|0|abbr=on}}. This encompasses a remarkable variety of climates and landscapes. It contains {{convert|756950|km2|sp=us}} of land area. It is situated within the [[Pacific Ring of Fire]]. Excluding its Pacific islands and Antarctic claim, Chile lies between latitudes [[17th parallel south|17°]] and [[56th parallel south|56°S]], and longitudes [[66th meridian west|66°]] and [[75th meridian west|75°W]].


Chile is among the longest north–south countries in the world. If one considers only mainland territory, Chile is unique within this group in its narrowness from east to west, with the other long north–south countries (including Brazil, Russia, Canada, and the United States, among others) all being wider from east to west by a factor of more than 10. Chile also claims {{convert|1250000|km2|abbr=on}} of [[Antarctica]] as part of its territory ([[Chilean Antarctic Territory]]). However, this latter claim is suspended under the terms of the [[Antarctic Treaty]], of which Chile is a signatory.<ref>{{cite web|title=Antarctic Treaty: Information about the Antarctic Treaty and how Antarctica is governed. |publisher=Polar Conservation Organisation |date=1 February 2008 |url=http://www.polarconservation.org/education/plonearticle.2005-12-28.3597747204/ |access-date=11 March 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100210224459/http://www.polarconservation.org/education/plonearticle.2005-12-28.3597747204 |archive-date=10 February 2010 }}</ref> It is the world's southernmost country that is geographically on the mainland.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Collin|first1=Robert|title=Trash Talk: An Encyclopedia of Garbage and Recycling around the World|date=2015|page=121}}</ref>
A long and narrow coastal region on the west side of the [[Andes]] Mountains, Chile stretches over 4,630 km (2,880 miles) north to south, but only 430 km (265 mi) at its widest point east to west.


Chile controls [[Easter Island]] and [[Sala y Gómez]] Island, the easternmost islands of Polynesia, which it incorporated to its territory in 1888, and the [[Juan Fernández Islands]], more than {{convert|600|km|abbr=on}} from the mainland. Also controlled but only temporarily inhabited (by some local fishermen) are the small islands of [[Desventuradas Islands|San Ambrosio and San Felix]]. These islands are notable because they extend Chile's claim to territorial waters out from its coast into the Pacific Ocean.<ref>{{cite book|last=Blanco|first=Alejandro Vergara|title=Derecho de aguas|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4o3G0FyArtAC|access-date=14 July 2013|year=1998|publisher=Editorial Jurídica de Chile|isbn=978-956-10-1241-7|archive-date=29 November 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231129020150/https://books.google.com/books?id=4o3G0FyArtAC|url-status=live}}</ref>
The northern [[Atacama]] desert contains great mineral wealth, primarily copper and [[nitrate]]s. The relatively small Central Valley, which includes Santiago, dominates the country in terms of population and agricultural resources. This area also is the historical center from which Chile expanded in the late 19th century, when it integrated the northern and southern regions. Southern Chile is rich in forests and grazing lands and features a string of [[volcano]]es and [[lake]]s. The southern coast is a labyrinth of [[fjord]]s, [[inlet]]s, [[canal]]s, twisting [[peninsula]]s, and [[island]]s. The Andes Mountains are located on the eastern border.


The northern [[Atacama Desert]] contains great mineral wealth, primarily [[Copper#Production|copper]] and [[Caliche (mineral)#Chilean caliche|nitrate]]s. The relatively small Central Valley, which includes Santiago, dominates the country in terms of population and agricultural resources. This area is also the historical center from which Chile expanded in the late 19th century when it integrated the northern and southern regions. Southern Chile is rich in forests, grazing lands, and features a string of volcanoes and lakes. The southern coast is a labyrinth of fjords, inlets, canals, twisting peninsulas, and islands. The Andes Mountains are located on the eastern border.
Chile is the longest (N-S) country in the world (over 4,200km), and also claims a large section of [[Antarctica]] as part of its territory.


=== Topography ===
Chile controls [[Easter Island]], the easternmost island of [[Polynesia]], which it incorporated to its territory in 1888, and [[Robinson Crusoe Island]], some 400 km from the mainland, in the [[Juan Fernández]] archipelago.
[[File:Chile topo en.jpg|thumbnail|upright|Topographic map of Chile]]


Chile is located along a highly [[seismic]] and [[volcanic]] zone, part of the Pacific Ring of Fire, due to the subduction of the Nazca and Antarctic plates in the [[South American plate]]. In the late [[Paleozoic]], 251 million years ago, Chile belonged to the continental block called [[Gondwana]]. It was just a depression that accumulated marine sediments began to rise at the end of the Mesozoic, 66 million years ago, due to the collision between the Nazca and South American plates, resulting in the Andes. The territory would be shaped over millions of years by the folding of the rocks, forming the current relief.
== Economy ==
''Main article: [[Economy of Chile]]''


The Chilean relief consists of the central depression, which crosses the country longitudinally, flanked by two mountain ranges that make up about 80% of the territory: the Andes mountains to the east-natural border with [[Bolivia]] and [[Argentina]] in the [[Atacama Region|region of Atacama]] and the [[Chilean Coast Range|Coastal Range]] west-minor height from the Andes. Chile's highest peak is the [[Nevado Ojos del Salado]], at 6891.3 m, which is also the highest volcano in the world. The highest point of the Coastal Range is Vicuña Mackenna, at 3114 meters, located in the Sierra Vicuña Mackenna, the south of [[Antofagasta Region|Antofagasta]]. Among the coastal mountains and the Pacific is a series of coastal plains, of variable length, which allow the settlement of coastal towns and big ports. Some areas of the plains territories encompass territory east of the Andes, and the Patagonian steppes and Magellan, or are high plateaus surrounded by high mountain ranges, such as the Altiplano or Puna de Atacama.
After a decade of impressive growth rates, Chile experienced a moderate downturn in 1999 brought on by the global economic slowdown. The economy remained sluggish until 2003, when it began to show clear signs of recovery, achieving 3.3% real GDP growth. The Chilean economy finished 2004 with growth of 6.1%. Most experts expect GDP growth of around 6% in 2005.


The [[Far North, Chile|Far North]] is the area between the northern boundary of the country and the [[Parallel (geometry)|parallel]] 26° S, covering the first three regions. It is characterized by the presence of the [[Atacama desert]], the most arid in the world. The desert is fragmented by streams that originate in the area known as the [[Pampa del Tamarugal|pampas Tamarugal]]. The Andes, split in two and whose eastern arm runs through [[Bolivia]], has a high altitude and volcanic activity, which has allowed the formation of the Andean altiplano and salt structures as the [[Salar de Atacama]], due to the gradual accumulation of sediments over time.
Chile has pursued generally sound economic policies for nearly three decades. The 1973-90 military government sold many state-owned companies, and the three democratic governments since 1990 have continued privatization at a slower pace. The government's role in the economy is mostly limited to regulation, although the state continues to operate copper giant Codelco and a few other enterprises. Chile is strongly committed to free trade and has welcomed large amounts of foreign investment. Chile has signed Free Trade agreements with several important economies, including an FTA with the United States, which was signed in 2003 and implemented in January 2004. High domestic savings and investment rates also helped propel Chile's economy to average growth rates of 8% during the 1990s. The privatized national pension system has encouraged domestic investment and contributed to an estimated total domestic savings rate of approximately 21% of GDP in 2003.


To the south is the [[Norte Chico, Chile|Norte Chico]], extending to the [[Aconcagua River|Aconcagua river]]. Los Andes begin to decrease its altitude to the south and closer to the coast, reaching 90&nbsp;km away at the height of [[Illapel]], the narrowest part of the Chilean territory. The two mountain ranges intersect, virtually eliminating the intermediate depression. The existence of rivers flowing through the territory allows the formation of [[Transverse Valleys|transverse valleys]], where agriculture has developed strongly in recent times, while the [[coastal plains]] begin to expand.
Unemployment has hovered in the 8%-10% range in recent years, well above the 5%-6% average for the 1990s. Unemployment remained at 8.8% at the end of 2004 in spite of strong economic growth. Wages have risen faster than inflation as a result of higher productivity, boosting national living standards. The share of Chileans with incomes below the poverty line--defined as twice the cost of satisfying a person's minimal nutritional needs--fell from 46% of the population in 1987 to 18.8% in 2003.
[[File:Amalia_Glacier_(47461801572).jpg|thumbnail|left|[[Amalia Glacier]], located in [[Bernardo O'Higgins National Park]]]]


The [[Zona Central, Chile|Central]] area is the most populated region of the country. The coastal plains are wide and allow the establishment of cities and ports along the Pacific. The Andes maintain altitudes above 6000m but descend slowly in height to 4000 meters on average. The intermediate depression reappears becoming a fertile valley that allows agricultural development and human settlement, due to sediment accumulation. To the south, the Cordillera de la Costa reappears in the [[Nahuelbuta Range|range of Nahuelbuta]] while glacial sediments create a series of lakes in the area of [[La Frontera, Chile|La Frontera]].
Chile's independent Central Bank pursues a policy of maintaining inflation between 2% and 4%. Inflation has not exceeded 5% since 1998. Chile registered inflation of 2.4% in 2004 and is expected to see a 2.5% increase in 2005. Most wage settlements and spending decisions are indexed, reducing inflation's volatility. Under the compulsory private pension system, most formal sector employees pay 10% of their salaries into privately managed funds.


Patagonia extends from within Reloncavi, at the height of parallel 41°S, to the south. During the [[Llanquihue glaciation|last glaciation]], this area was covered by ice that strongly eroded Chilean relief structures. As a result, the intermediate depression sinks in the sea, while the coastal mountains rise to a series of archipelagos, such as [[Chiloé Island|Chiloé]] and the [[Chonos Archipelago|Chonos]], disappearing in Taitao peninsula, in the parallel 47°S. The Andes mountain range loses height and erosion caused by the action of glaciers has caused [[fjords]]. East of the Andes, on the continent, or north of it, on the [[Tierra del Fuego (main island)|island of Tierra del Fuego]] are located relatively flat plains, which in the Strait of Magellan cover large areas. The Andes, as he had done previously Cordillera de la Costa, begins to break in the ocean causing a myriad of islands and islets and disappear into it, sinking and reappearing in the Southern Antilles arc and then the Antarctic Peninsula, where it is called Antartandes, in the Chilean Antarctic Territory, lying between the meridians 53°W and 90°W.
Total foreign direct investment rose to $7.1 billion in 2004, up from $2.5 billion in 2003. Both foreign and domestic investment in Chile had declined during the country’s period of slower economic growth from 1999-2003, but appear to be recovering strongly. The Chilean Government committed in early 2002 to undertake a series of microeconomic reforms designed to create new incentives for private investment. The government also has encouraged the use of Chile as an "investment platform" for multinational corporations planning to invest in the region. Chile's welcoming attitude toward foreign direct investment is codified in the country's Foreign Investment Law, which gives foreign investors the same treatment as Chileans. Registration is simple and transparent, and foreign investors are guaranteed access to the official foreign exchange market to repatriate their profits and capital. The U.S.-Chile Free Trade Agreement (FTA) offers a number of other investor protections.


In the middle of the Pacific, the country has sovereignty over several islands of volcanic origin, collectively known as Insular Chile. The archipelago of Juan Fernandez and Easter Island is located in the fracture zone between the Nazca plate and the Pacific plate known as East Pacific Rise.
===Foreign Trade ===
Chile's economy is highly dependent on international trade. In 2004, exports accounted for about 34% of [[GDP]]. Chile has traditionally been dependent upon copper exports; the state-owned firm [[CODELCO]] is the world's largest copper-producing company. Nontraditional exports have grown faster than those of copper and other minerals. In 1975, non-mineral exports made up just over 30% of total exports, whereas now they account for about 60%. The most important non-mineral exports are forestry and wood products, fresh fruit and processed food, fishmeal and seafood, and wine. The [[trade balance]] for 2004 showed a historic surplus $9 billion, considerably higher than 2003. Total exports in 2004 were $32 billion, a 52.1% increase from $20.4 billion in 2003. Chile's export markets are fairly balanced among Europe (25.1%), Asia (33.1%), Latin America (15.7%), and North America (19%). The U.S., the largest national market, takes in 17.3% of Chile's exports. Asia has been the fastest-growing export market in recent years.


=== Climate and hydrography ===
Chilean imports increased 30% in 2004, to $23 billion, reflecting a positive change in consumer demand and economic recovery. [[Capital goods]] made up about 66% of total imports. The United States represented 14.6% of Chilean imports in 2004. As a bloc, the EU in 2004 supplied 16.3% of Chile's imports, while Argentina contributed 16%. Chile unilaterally lowered its across-the-board [[import tariff]]--for all countries with which it does not have a trade agreement--to 6% in 2003.
[[File:Köppen–Geiger climate types in Chile.png|thumb|Chile map of Köppen climate classification.]]
{{main|Climate of Chile}}


The diverse [[climate of Chile]] ranges from the world's driest desert in the north—the [[Atacama Desert]]—through a [[Mediterranean climate]] in the center, [[Tropical rainforest climate|tropical]] in Easter Island,<ref>{{Cite book |last=K |first=Ana María Errázuriz |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=oXGaJKGMaMgC |title=Manual de geografía de Chile |date=1998 |publisher=Andres Bello |isbn=978-956-13-1523-5 |page=74 |language=es |access-date=21 November 2023 |archive-date=21 November 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231121211655/https://books.google.com/books?id=oXGaJKGMaMgC |url-status=live }}</ref> to an [[oceanic climate]], including [[alpine tundra]] and [[glaciers]] in the east and south.<ref name="BBC-Chile">{{Cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/country_profiles/1222764.stm |title=Country profile: Chile |work=BBC News |date=16 December 2009 |access-date=31 December 2009 |archive-date=14 January 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100114035710/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/country_profiles/1222764.stm |url-status=live }}</ref> According to the [[Köppen climate classification|Köppen system]], Chile within its borders hosts at least eighteen major climatic subtypes.<ref>Santibáñez, F; Uribe, J. 1997. Atlas Agroclimático de Chile. Santiago, Chile. Fondo
Higher effective tariffs are charged only on imports of wheat, wheat flour, and sugar as a result of a system of import price bands. The price bands were ruled inconsistent with Chile's [[WTO]] obligations in 2002 and the government has introduced legislation to modify them. Chile will have to phase out the price bands within 12 years under the terms of the U.S.-Chile [[FTA]].
Nacional de Desarrollo Científico y Tecnológico.</ref> There are four seasons in most of the country: summer (December to February), autumn (March to May), winter (June to August), and spring (September to November).


Due to the characteristics of the territory, Chile is crossed by numerous rivers generally short in length and with low flow rates. They commonly extend from the [[Andes Mountains|Andes]] to the Pacific Ocean, flowing from East to West. Because of the [[Atacama desert]], in the Norte Grande there are only short [[endorheic]] character streams, except for the [[Loa River]], the longest in the country 440&nbsp;km.<ref name=hydr>{{cite journal |author1=Niemeyer, Hans |author2=Cereceda, Pilar |year=1983 |title=Hydrography |journal=Geography of Chile |publisher=[[Military Geographic Institute (Chile)|Military Geographic Institute]] |edition=1st |location=Santiago |volume=8 }}</ref> In the high valleys, wetland areas generate [[Chungará Lake]], located at 4500 meters above sea level. It and the [[Lauca River]] are shared with [[Bolivia]], as well as the [[Lluta River]]. In the center-north of the country, the number of rivers that form valleys of agricultural importance increases. Noteworthy are the Elqui with 75&nbsp;km<ref name=hydr/> long, 142&nbsp;km Aconcagua, Maipo with 250&nbsp;km<ref name=hydr/> and its tributary, the Mapocho with 110&nbsp;km, and Maule with 240&nbsp;km. Their waters mainly flow from Andean snowmelt in the summer and winter rains. The major lakes in this area are the artificial lake Rapel, the Colbun Maule lagoon and the lagoon of La Laja.
Successive Chilean governments have actively pursued liberalizing trade agreements. During the 1990s, Chile signed FTAs with [[Canada]], [[Mexico]], and [[Central America]]. Chile also concluded preferential trade agreements with [[Venezuela]], [[Colombia]], and [[Ecuador]]. An association agreement with [[Mercosur]]--[[Argentina]], [[Brazil]], [[Paraguay]], and [[Uruguay]]--went into effect in October 1996. Chile, a member of the [[Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation]] ([[APEC]]) organization, is seeking to boost commercial ties to Asian markets. Continuing its export-oriented development strategy, Chile completed landmark free trade agreements in 2002 with the European Union and [[South Korea]]. After two years of negotiations, the United States and Chile signed an agreement in June 2003. The agreement will lead to completely duty free bilateral trade within 12 years. The U.S.-Chile FTA entered into force January 1, 2004 following approval by the U.S and Chilean congresses. Chile is a strong proponent of pressing ahead on negotiations for a [[Free Trade Area of the Americas]] (FTAA). Chile is currently negotiating trade agreements with [[China]] and [[India]], as well as a tri-partite agreement with [[Singapore]] and [[New Zealand]].


===Finance ===
===Biodiversity===
{{main|Wildlife of Chile}}
Chile's financial sector has grown faster than other areas of the economy over the last few years; a banking reform law approved in 1997 broadened the scope of permissible foreign activity for Chilean banks. The Chilean Government implemented a further liberalization of capital markets in 2001. Chileans have enjoyed the recent introduction of new financial tools such as home equity loans, currency futures and options, factoring, leasing, and debit cards. The introduction of these new products has been accompanied by increased use of traditional instruments such as loans and credit cards. Chile's private pension system, with assets worth roughly $54 billion in late 2004, has provided an important source of investment capital for the capital market. Chile maintains one of the best credit ratings (S+P A+) in Latin America. There are three main ways Chilean firms raise funds abroad: bank loans, issuance of bonds, and the selling of stock on U.S. markets through American Depository Receipts (ADR's). Nearly all of the funds raised go to finance investment. The government is paying down its foreign debt. The combined public and private foreign debt was roughly over 50% of GDP at the end of 2004--low by Latin American standards.
[[File:Araucaria araucana - Parque Nacional Conguillío por lautaroj - 001.jpg|thumb|left|[[Araucaria araucana]] trees in Conguillío National Park.]]


The flora and fauna of Chile are characterized by a high degree of endemism, due to its particular geography. In continental Chile, the [[Atacama Desert]] in the north and the [[Andes Mountains|Andes mountains]] to the east are barriers that have led to the isolation of flora and fauna. Add to that the enormous length of Chile (over {{convert|4300|km|0|abbr=on}}) and this results in a wide range of climates and environments that can be divided into three general zones: the desert provinces of the north, central Chile, and the humid regions of the south.
==Defense==
''Main article: [[Military of Chile]]''


The native flora of Chile consists of relatively fewer species compared to the flora of other South American countries.
Chile's Armed Forces are subject to civilian control exercised by the President through the Minister of Defense. Under the 1980 Constitution, the services enjoy considerable autonomy, and the President cannot remove service commanders on his own authority.
The northernmost coastal and central region is largely barren of vegetation, approaching the most absolute desert in the world.<ref name=Icarito>{{Cite web |title=Flora y Fauna de Chilena |work=Icarito |url=http://www.icarito.cl/icarito/enciclopedia/canal/canal/0,0,38035857_152308989,00.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060410080253/http://www.icarito.cl/icarito/enciclopedia/canal/canal/0%2C0%2C38035857_152308989%2C00.html |archive-date=10 April 2006}}</ref>
On the slopes of the Andes, in addition to the scattered tola desert brush, grasses are found. The central valley is characterized by several species of cacti, the hardy [[Acacia caven|espinos]], the [[Araucaria araucana|Chilean pine]], the [[nothofagus|southern beeches]] and the [[copihue]], a red bell-shaped flower that is Chile's national flower.<ref name= Icarito/>


In southern Chile, south of the Biobío River, heavy precipitation has produced dense forests of laurels, magnolias, and various species of conifers and beeches, which become smaller and more stunted to the south.<ref name="Bio&Con">{{cite journal |last1=Smith-Ramírez |first1=Cecilia |last2=Díaz |first2=Iván |last3=Pliscoff |first3=Patricio |last4=Valdovinos |first4=Claudio |last5=Méndez |first5=Marco A. |last6=Larraín |first6=Juan |last7=Samaniego |first7=Horacio |title=Distribution patterns of flora and fauna in southern Chilean Coastal rain forests: Integrating Natural History and GIS |journal=Biodiversity and Conservation |date=August 2007 |volume=16 |issue=9 |pages=2627–2648 |doi=10.1007/s10531-006-9073-2 |bibcode=2007BiCon..16.2627S |s2cid=6879631 }}</ref>
===Army ===
The cold temperatures and winds of the extreme south preclude heavy forestation. Grassland is found in East [[Magallanes Province]] and northern [[Tierra del Fuego Province, Chile|Tierra del Fuego]] (in Patagonia). Much of the Chilean flora is distinct from that of neighboring Argentina, indicating that the Andean barrier existed during its formation.<ref name="Bio&Con"/>
The commander in chief of the Chilean Army is General Juan Emilio Cheyre. The Chilean Army is 45,000 strong and is organized with an Army headquarters in Santiago, seven divisions throughout its territory, an Air Brigade in Rancagua, and a Special Forces Command in Colina. The Chilean Army is one of the most professional and technologically advanced armies in Latin America.
[[File:Peruan_Condor.jpg|thumb|[[Andean condor]] (''Vultur gryphus''), the national bird of Chile.]]


Some of Chile's flora has an Antarctic origin due to [[land bridge]]s which formed during the Cretaceous ice ages, allowing plants to migrate from Antarctica to South America.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/chilean-and-antarctic-fossils-reveal-the-last-geologic-minutes-of-the-age-of-dinosaurs-slide-show/|title=Chilean and Antarctic Fossils Reveal the Last "Geologic Minutes" of the Age of Dinosaurs [Slide Show]|first=Ángela|last=Posada-Swafford|website=[[Scientific American]]|access-date=5 April 2017|archive-date=6 April 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170406023619/https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/chilean-and-antarctic-fossils-reveal-the-last-geologic-minutes-of-the-age-of-dinosaurs-slide-show/|url-status=live}}</ref> Chile had a 2018 [[Forest Landscape Integrity Index]] mean score of 7.37/10, ranking it 43rd globally out of 172 countries.<ref name="FLII-Supplementary">{{cite journal|last1=Grantham|first1=H. S.|last2=Duncan|first2=A.|last3=Evans|first3=T. D.|last4=Jones|first4=K. R.|last5=Beyer|first5=H. L.|last6=Schuster|first6=R.|last7=Walston|first7=J.|last8=Ray|first8=J. C.|last9=Robinson|first9=J. G.|last10=Callow|first10=M.|last11=Clements|first11=T.|last12=Costa|first12=H. M.|last13=DeGemmis|first13=A.|last14=Elsen|first14=P. R.|last15=Ervin|first15=J.|last16=Franco|first16=P.|last17=Goldman|first17=E.|last18=Goetz|first18=S.|last19=Hansen|first19=A.|last20=Hofsvang|first20=E.|last21=Jantz|first21=P.|last22=Jupiter|first22=S.|last23=Kang|first23=A.|last24=Langhammer|first24=P.|last25=Laurance|first25=W. F.|last26=Lieberman|first26=S.|last27=Linkie|first27=M.|last28=Malhi|first28=Y.|last29=Maxwell|first29=S.|last30=Mendez|first30=M.|last31=Mittermeier|first31=R.|last32=Murray|first32=N. J.|last33=Possingham|first33=H.|last34=Radachowsky|first34=J.|last35=Saatchi|first35=S.|last36=Samper|first36=C.|last37=Silverman|first37=J.|last38=Shapiro|first38=A.|last39=Strassburg|first39=B.|last40=Stevens|first40=T.|last41=Stokes|first41=E.|last42=Taylor|first42=R.|last43=Tear|first43=T.|last44=Tizard|first44=R.|last45=Venter|first45=O.|last46=Visconti|first46=P.|last47=Wang|first47=S.|last48=Watson|first48=J. E. M.|title=Anthropogenic modification of forests means only 40% of remaining forests have high ecosystem integrity – Supplementary Material|journal=Nature Communications|volume=11|issue=1|year=2020|page=5978|issn=2041-1723|doi=10.1038/s41467-020-19493-3|pmid=33293507|pmc=7723057|bibcode=2020NatCo..11.5978G }}</ref>
===Navy===
Adm. Rodolfo Codina Díaz directs the 25,000-person Navy, including 5,000 Marines. Of the fleet of 29 surface vessels, only six are operational major combatants (destroyers and frigates). Those ships are based in Valparaíso. The Navy operates its own aircraft for transport and patrol; there are no Navy fighter or bomber aircraft. The Navy also operates three submarines based in Talcahuano.


Just over 3,000 species of fungi are recorded in Chile,<ref>Oehrens, E.B. "Flora Fungosa Chilena". Universidad de Chile, Santiago de Chile, 1980</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.cybertruffle.org.uk/robigalia/eng/index.htm |title=Cybertruffle's Robigalia – Observations of fungi and their associated organisms |publisher=cybertruffle.org.uk |access-date=9 July 2011 |archive-date=29 December 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181229121452/http://www.cybertruffle.org.uk/robigalia/eng/index.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref> but this number is far from complete. The true total number of fungal species occurring in Chile is likely to be far higher, given the generally accepted estimate that only about 7 percent of all fungi worldwide have so far been discovered.<ref>Kirk, P.M., Cannon, P.F., Minter, D.W. and Stalpers, J. "Dictionary of the Fungi". Edn 10. CABI, 2008</ref> Although the amount of available information is still very small, a first effort has been made to estimate the number of fungal species endemic to Chile, and 1995 species have been tentatively identified as possible endemics of the country.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.cybertruffle.org.uk/chilfung/eng/endelist.htm |title=Fungi of Chile – potential endemics |publisher=cybertruffle.org.uk |access-date=9 July 2011 |archive-date=27 September 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110927172749/http://www.cybertruffle.org.uk/chilfung/eng/endelist.htm |url-status=live }}</ref>
===Air Force (FACH)===
Gen. Osvaldo Sarabia heads a force of 12,500. Air assets are distributed among five air brigades headquartered in Iquique, Antofagasta, Santiago, Puerto Montt, and Punta Arenas. The Air Force also operates an airbase on [[King George Island]], Antarctica. The FACH will begin taking delivery of 10 U.S. F-16 aircraft in 2006.


Chile's geographical isolation has restricted the immigration of faunal life so that only a few of the many distinctive South American animals are found. Among the larger mammals are the [[Cougar|puma]] or cougar, the llama-like [[guanaco]] and the fox-like [[South American gray fox|chilla]]. In the forest region, several types of marsupials and a small deer known as the [[Pudú|pudu]] are found.<ref name= Icarito/>
===Carabineros===
After the military coup in September 1973, the Chilean national police (Carabineros) were incorporated into the Defense Ministry. With the return of democratic government, the police were placed under the operational control of the Interior Ministry but remained under the nominal control of the Defense Ministry. Gen. Alberto Cienfuegos is the head of the national police force of 30,000 men and women who are responsible for law enforcement, traffic management, narcotics suppression, border control, and counter-terrorism throughout Chile.


There are many species of small birds, but most of the larger common Latin American types are absent. Few freshwater fish are native, but North American trout have been successfully introduced into the Andean lakes.<ref name= Icarito/> Owing to the vicinity of the Humboldt Current, ocean waters abound with fish and other forms of marine life, which in turn support a rich variety of waterfowl, including several penguins. Whales are abundant, and some six species of seals are found in the area.<ref name= Icarito/>
==Foreign relations==


== Government and politics ==
Since its return to democracy in 1990, Chile has been an active participant in the international political arena. Chile completed a 2-year non-permanent position on the UN Security Council in January 2005. Chile is an active member of the UN family of agencies and participates in UN peacekeeping activities. Chile hosted the Defense Ministerial of the Americas in 2002 and the [[APEC]] summit and related meetings in 2004. Chile hosted the Community of Democracies ministerial in April 2005. An associate member of Mercosur and a full member of APEC, Chile and has been an important actor on international economic issues and hemispheric free trade.
{{Main|Politics of Chile|Law of Chile}}
{{See also|List of cities in Chile}}
[[File:Chile-02559 - La Moneda Presidential Palace (49033259257).jpg|thumb|The Colonial Neoclassical [[Palacio de La Moneda]] in [[Santiago]], built between 1784 and 1805, is the seat of the President of Chile.]]
[[File:Congreso_Nacional_Valpo.jpg|thumb|[[National Congress of Chile]] in the port city of [[Valparaíso]]]]
[[File:2017_Santiago_de_Chile_-_Edificio_de_los_Tribunales_de_Justicia.jpg|thumb|The [[Palacio de los Tribunales de Justicia de Santiago|Palace of Justice]] in [[Santiago]]]]


The current [[Chilean Constitution of 1980|Constitution of Chile]] was drafted by [[Jaime Guzmán]] in 1980<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-chile-constitution/polls-open-in-chile-for-historic-constitutional-plebiscite-idUSKBN27A0CF|title=Polls open in Chile for historic constitutional plebiscite|author1=Aislinn Laing|author2=Fabian Cambero|publisher=Reuters|date=25 October 2020|access-date=25 October 2020|archive-date=30 October 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201030032454/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-chile-constitution/polls-open-in-chile-for-historic-constitutional-plebiscite-idUSKBN27A0CF|url-status=live}}</ref> and subsequently approved via a national [[plebiscite]]—regarded as "highly irregular" by some observers<ref>{{cite web|url=http://lcweb2.loc.gov/frd/cs/cltoc.html|title=A Country Study: Chile|work=[[United States Library of Congress]]|access-date=8 March 2004|archive-date=25 June 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150625213643/http://lcweb2.loc.gov/frd/cs/cltoc.html|url-status=live}}</ref>—in September of that year, under the military dictatorship of [[Augusto Pinochet]]. It entered into force in March 1981. After Pinochet's defeat in the [[1988 Chilean national plebiscite|1988 plebiscite]], the constitution was amended to ease provisions for future amendments to the Constitution. In September 2005, President [[Ricardo Lagos]] signed into law several constitutional amendments passed by Congress. These include eliminating the positions of appointed senators and [[senators for life]], granting the President authority to remove the commanders-in-chief of the armed forces, and reducing the presidential term from six to four years.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/4157908.stm|title=Chile scraps Pinochet-era system|work=BBC|date=16 August 2005|access-date=31 December 2009|archive-date=8 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200508224011/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/4157908.stm|url-status=live}}</ref>
The Chilean Government has diplomatic relations with most countries. It settled its territorial disputes with Argentina during the 1990s. Chile and Bolivia severed diplomatic ties in 1978 over Bolivia's desire to reacquire territory it lost to Chile in 1879-83 [[War of the Pacific]]. The two countries maintain consular relations.

Chile's judiciary is independent and includes a court of appeal, a system of military courts, a constitutional tribunal, and the [[Supreme Court of Chile]]. In June 2005, Chile completed a nationwide overhaul of its criminal justice system.<ref>{{cite web |title=President Lagos: We can make a greater effort to make yesterday's and today's trials equally just |url=http://www.chileangovernment.cl/index.php?id=448&option=com_content&task=view |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080423171251/http://www.chileangovernment.cl/index.php?id=448&option=com_content&task=view |archive-date=23 April 2008 |work=Chilean Government}}</ref> The reform has replaced inquisitorial proceedings with an adversarial system with greater similarity to that of common law jurisdictions such as the United States.

For parliamentary elections, between 1989 and 2013 the [[Binominal System|binominal system]] was used, which promoted the establishment of two majority political blocs -[[Concertación]] and [[Alliance (Chile)|Alliance]]- at the expense of the exclusion of non-majority political groups. The opponents of this system approved in 2015 a moderate [[D'Hondt method|proportional electoral system]] that has been in force since the 2017 parliamentary elections, allowing the entry of new parties and coalitions. The [[Congress of Chile]] has a 50-seat [[Senate of Chile|Senate]] and a 155-member [[Chamber of Deputies of Chile|Chamber of Deputies]]. Senators serve for eight years with staggered terms, while deputies are elected every 4 years. The last congressional elections were held on 21 November 2021, concurrently with the presidential election. The Congress is located in the port city of [[Valparaíso]], about {{convert|140|km|-1|abbr=off|sp=us}} west of the capital, Santiago.

The main existing political coalitions in Chile are:

'''Government''':

* [[Apruebo Dignidad]] (''Approve Dignity'') is a [[Left-wing politics|left-wing]] coalition that has its origin in the [[2021 Chilean Constitutional Convention election]]. After the success in that election, it held presidential primaries, in which [[Gabriel Boric]] ([[Social Convergence|CS]], [[Broad Front (Chile)|FA]]) was the winner. It is formed by the coalition [[Broad Front (Chile)|Frente Amplio]] (''Broad Front'') and the coalition [[Chile Digno]] (''Worthy Chile'') formed by the [[Communist Party of Chile]] and other left-wing parties.
* [[Democratic Socialism (Chile)|Democratic Socialism]] is a [[Centre-left politics|center-left]] coalition, successor of the [[Constituent Unity]] coalition, itself a successor of the [[Concertación|Concertation]] coalition {{en dash}} which supported the "NO" option in the [[1988 Chilean national plebiscite|1988 plebiscite]] and subsequently governed the country from 1990 to 2010. This pact is formed by the [[Socialist Party of Chile|Socialist]], [[Party for Democracy (Chile)|for Democracy]], [[Radical Party of Chile (2018)|Radical]], and [[Liberal Party of Chile (2013)|Liberal]] parties.

'''Opposition:'''

* [[Chile Vamos]] (''Let's go Chile'') is a [[Centre-right politics|center-right]] coalition with roots of liberal conservatism, formed by the parties [[National Renewal (Chile)|Renovación Nacional]] (''National Renewal''), [[Independent Democratic Union|Unión Demócrata Independiente]] (''Independent Democratic Union'') and [[Evópoli]]. It has its origins in the [[Alliance (Chile)|Alliance]] coalition, formed by the main parties that supported the "YES" option in the [[1988 Chilean national plebiscite|1988 plebiscite]], although it has used different names since then. It was the ruling coalition during the first and second government of [[Sebastián Piñera]], (2010–2014) and (2018–2022).

In the National Congress, Chile Vamos has 52 deputies and 24 senators, while the parliamentary group of Apruebo Dignidad is formed by 37 deputies and 6 senators. Democratic Socialism is the third political force with 30 deputies and 13 senators. The other groups with parliamentary representation are the [[Republican Party (Chile, 2019)|Republican Party]] (15 deputies and 1 senator), the [[Christian Democratic Party (Chile)|Christian Democratic Party]] (8 deputies and 5 senators), the [[Party of the People (Chile)|Party of the People]] (8 deputies) and the [[Independent politician|independents]] outside of a coalition (5 deputies and 1 senator).

=== Foreign relations ===
{{Main|Foreign relations of Chile}}
[[File:Foreign relations of Chile.svg|thumb|upright=1.5|left|State of Chile's international relations in the world:
{{legend|#006680|Chile}}
{{legend|#008000|Country with diplomatic relations and Chilean embassy in the country.}}
{{legend|#00AA88|Country with diplomatic relations and an embassy in Chile, but no Chilean embassy.}}
{{legend|#8DD35F|Country with diplomatic relations but without ambassadors.}}
{{legend|#cccccc|Country with no diplomatic relations currently.}}
]]

Since the early decades after independence, Chile has always had an active involvement in foreign affairs. In 1837, the country aggressively challenged the dominance of Peru's port of [[Callao]] for preeminence in the Pacific trade routes, defeating the short-lived alliance between Peru and Bolivia, the [[Peru–Bolivian Confederation]] (1836–39) in the [[War of the Confederation]]. The war dissolved the confederation while distributing power in the Pacific. A second international war, the [[War of the Pacific]] (1879–83), further increased Chile's regional role, while adding considerably to its territory.<ref name="hudson"/>

During the 19th century, Chile's commercial ties were primarily with Britain, a nation that had a major influence on the formation of the Chilean navy. The French, influenced Chile's legal and educational systems and had a decisive impact on Chile, through the architecture of the capital in the boom years at the turn of the 20th century. German influence came from the organization and training of the army by [[Prussia]]ns.<ref name="hudson"/>

On 26 June 1945, Chile participated as a founding member of the United Nations being among 50 countries that signed the [[United Nations Charter]] in San Francisco, California.<ref>{{cite web |title=Founding Member States |url=https://research.un.org/en/unmembers/founders |publisher=United Nations |access-date=14 September 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190704121608/https://research.un.org/en/unmembers/founders |archive-date=4 July 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Chile |url=https://library.un.org/unms?combine=Chile |publisher=United Nations |access-date=14 September 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190914180256/https://library.un.org/unms?combine=Chile |archive-date=14 September 2019}}</ref> With the military coup of 1973, Chile became isolated politically as a result of widespread human rights abuses.<ref name="hudson"/>

Since its return to democracy in 1990, Chile has been an active participant in the international political arena. Chile completed a two-year non-permanent position on the UN Security Council in January 2005. Jose Miguel Insulza, a Chilean national, was elected Secretary General of the Organization of American States in May 2005 and confirmed in his position, being re-elected in 2009. Chile is currently serving on the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Board of Governors, and the 2007–2008 chair of the board is Chile's ambassador to the IAEA, Milenko E. Skoknic. The country is an active member of the UN family of agencies and participates in UN peacekeeping activities. It was [[United Nations Human Rights Council#Members|re-elected]] as a member of the [[United Nations Human Rights Council|UN Human Rights Council]] in 2011 for a three-year term.<ref>{{cite web|title=Election (13 May 2010) Human Rights Council|url=https://www.un.org/en/ga/64/elections/hrc/index.shtml|work=64th Session|publisher=[[United Nations General Assembly]]|access-date=28 June 2017|archive-date=30 June 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170630081406/http://www.un.org/en/ga/64/elections/hrc/index.shtml|url-status=live}}</ref> It was also [[2013 United Nations Security Council election|elected]] to one of five non-permanent seats on the [[United Nations Security Council|UN Security Council]] in 2013.<ref>{{cite web|title=Chad, Chile, Lithuania, Nigeria and Saudi Arabia were elected to serve on the UN Security Council|date=17 October 2013|access-date=17 October 2013|publisher=United Nations|url=https://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=46277&Cr=security+council&Cr1=|archive-date=20 October 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131020020717/http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=46277&Cr=security+council&Cr1=|url-status=live}}</ref> Chile hosted the Defense Ministerial of the Americas in 2002 and the APEC summit and related meetings in 2004. It also hosted the Community of Democracies ministerial in April 2005 and the Ibero-American Summit in November 2007. An associate member of Mercosur and a full member of APEC, Chile has been a major player in international economic issues and hemispheric free trade.<ref name="countrystudies"/>

===Military===
{{Main|Military of Chile}}

[[File:Almirante Blanco Encalada (FF-15).jpg|thumb|[[Karel Doorman-class frigate]] of [[Chilean Navy]]]]
[[File:Chilean_F-16_MLU.jpg|thumb|[[General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon|F-16 Fighting Falcon]] of [[Chilean Air Force]]]]

The Armed Forces of Chile are subject to civilian control exercised by the president through the Minister of Defense. The president has the authority to remove the commanders-in-chief of the armed forces.<ref name="countrystudies"/>

The commander-in-chief of the [[Chilean Army]] is [[Army General]] [[Ricardo Martínez Menanteau]]. The Chilean Army is 45,000 strong and is organized with an Army headquarters in Santiago, six divisions throughout its territory, an Air Brigade in [[Rancagua]], and a Special Forces Command in [[Colina, Chile|Colina]]. The Chilean Army is one of the most professional and technologically advanced armies in Latin America.<ref name="countrystudies"/>

Admiral [[Julio Leiva Molina]] directs the around 25,000-person [[Chilean Navy]],<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.defensa.cl/noticias/almirante-julio-leiva-nuevo-comandante-en-jefe-de-la-armada/ |title=Almirante Julio Leiva Nuevo Comandante en Jefe de la Armada |publisher=Ministry of Defence of Chile |access-date=10 January 2018 |archive-date=24 September 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170924092317/http://www.defensa.cl/noticias/almirante-julio-leiva-nuevo-comandante-en-jefe-de-la-armada/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> including 2,500 Marines. Of the fleet of 29 surface vessels, only eight are operational major combatants (frigates). Those ships are based in [[Valparaíso]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.armada.cl/p4_ingles/site/artic/20050719/pags/20050719132710.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070610100514/http://www.armada.cl/p4_ingles/site/artic/20050719/pags/20050719132710.html |archive-date=10 June 2007 |title=The National Fleet |publisher=Chilean Navy |access-date=30 May 2014}}</ref> The Navy operates its own aircraft for transport and patrol; there are no Navy fighter or bomber aircraft. The Navy also operates four submarines based in [[Talcahuano]].<ref name="countrystudies"/><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.armada.cl/p4_ingles/site/artic/20050719/pags/20050719132849.html |title=Submarine Force |access-date=14 July 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070610100430/http://www.armada.cl/p4_ingles/site/artic/20050719/pags/20050719132849.html |archive-date=10 June 2007 }}</ref>

Air Force General (four-star) Jorge Rojas Ávila heads the 12,500-strong [[Chilean Air Force]]. Air assets are distributed among five air brigades headquartered in Iquique, Antofagasta, Santiago, Puerto Montt, and Punta Arenas. The Air Force also operates [[Base Presidente Eduardo Frei Montalva|an airbase]] on [[King George Island (South Shetland Islands)|King George Island]], Antarctica. The Air Force took delivery of the final two of ten F-16s, all purchased from the U.S., in March 2007 after several decades of U.S. debate and previous refusal to sell. Chile also took delivery in 2007 of a number of reconditioned Block 15 F-16s from the Netherlands, bringing to 18 the total of F-16s purchased from the Dutch.<ref name="countrystudies"/>

After the military coup in September 1973, the [[Carabineros de Chile|Chilean national police]] (Carabineros) were incorporated into the Defense Ministry. With the return of democratic government, the police were placed under the operational control of the Interior Ministry but remained under the nominal control of the Defense Ministry. Gen. Gustavo González Jure is the head of the national police force of 40,964<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.carabineros.cl/sitioweb/web/verSeccion.do?cod=239&codContenido=429 |title=Carabineros de Chile |date=24 October 2007 |access-date=13 July 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120312050416/http://www.carabineros.cl/sitioweb/web/verSeccion.do?cod=239&codContenido=429 |archive-date=12 March 2012 }}</ref> men and women who are responsible for law enforcement, traffic management, narcotics suppression, border control, and counter-terrorism throughout Chile.<ref name="countrystudies"/>

In 2017, Chile signed the UN [[treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://treaties.un.org/Pages/ViewDetails.aspx?src=TREATY&mtdsg_no=XXVI-9&chapter=26&clang=_en |title=Chapter XXVI: Disarmament&nbsp;– No. 9 Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons |publisher=United Nations Treaty Collection |date=7 July 2017 |access-date=19 August 2019 |archive-date=6 August 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190806220546/https://treaties.un.org/Pages/ViewDetails.aspx?src=TREATY&mtdsg_no=XXVI-9&chapter=26&clang=_en |url-status=live }}</ref>

===Administrative divisions===
{{main|Administrative divisions of Chile}}
In 1978 Chile was administratively divided into [[regions]],<ref name="dl2339">{{Cite web |url=http://www.leychile.cl/Navegar?idNorma=6889&idVersion=1978-10-10 |title=Decreto ley 2339 de 1978 |access-date=28 June 2011 |author=Ministerio del Interior |date=10 October 1978 |archive-date=29 January 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120129044024/http://www.leychile.cl/Navegar?idNorma=6889&idVersion=1978-10-10 |url-status=live }}</ref> and in 1979 subdivided into [[province]]s and these into communes.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.leychile.cl/Navegar?idNorma=7019&idVersion=1979-10-26 |title=Decreto ley 2867 de 1979 |access-date=20 March 2011 |author=Ministerio del Interior |date=26 October 1979 |archive-date=10 September 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110910085048/http://www.leychile.cl/Navegar?idNorma=7019&idVersion=1979-10-26 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.leychile.cl/Navegar?idNorma=7020&idVersion=1979-10-26 |title=Decreto ley 2868 de 1979 |access-date=20 March 2011 |author=Ministerio del Interior |date=26 October 1979 |archive-date=10 September 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110910180343/http://www.leychile.cl/Navegar?idNorma=7020&idVersion=1979-10-26 |url-status=live }}</ref> In total the country has [[Regions of Chile|16 regions]],<ref name="l20174">{{Cite web |url=http://www.leychile.cl/Navegar?idNorma=259774&idVersion=2007-04-05 |title=Ley 20174 de 2007 |access-date=20 March 2011 |author=Ministerio del Interior |date=5 April 2007 |archive-date=10 September 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110910174827/http://www.leychile.cl/Navegar?idNorma=259774&idVersion=2007-04-05 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="l20175">{{Cite web |url=http://www.leychile.cl/Navegar?idNorma=259864&idVersion=2007-04-11 |title=Ley 20175 de 2007 |access-date=20 March 2011 |author=Ministerio del Interior |date=11 April 2007 |archive-date=10 September 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110910124207/http://www.leychile.cl/Navegar?idNorma=259864&idVersion=2007-04-11 |url-status=live }}</ref><!---<ref name="l21033">{{Cite web |url=https://www.leychile.cl/Navegar?idNorma=1107597&idVersion=2018-09-06 |title=Ley 21033 de 2018 |access-date=6 September 2018 |author=Ministerio del Interior |date=6 September 2018}}</ref>---> [[Provinces of Chile|56 provinces]] and [[Communes of Chile|348 communes]].<ref>{{Cite book |url=http://www.ine.cl/canales/chile_estadistico/territorio/division_politico_administrativa/pdf/DPA_COMPLETA.pdf |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/http://www.ine.cl/canales/chile_estadistico/territorio/division_politico_administrativa/pdf/DPA_COMPLETA.pdf |archive-date=9 October 2022 |url-status=live |title=División político-administrativa y censal, 2007 |access-date=27 February 2013 |author=Instituto Nacional de Estadísticas |date=18 March 2008 |pages=12 |publisher=Instituto Nacional de Estadísticas |isbn=978-956-7952-68-7}}</ref>

Each region was designated by a name and a [[Roman numeral]] assigned from north to south, except for the [[Santiago Metropolitan Region]], which did not have a number. The creation of two new regions in 2007, Arica and Parinacota (XV) and Los Ríos (XIV), and a third region in 2018, Ñuble (XVI) made this numbering lose its original order meaning.
[[File:Chile_(+Antarctica_&_Islands),_administrative_divisions_-_en_-_colored_2018.svg|thumb|upright=1.5|Map of [[Regions of Chile]]]]
{|class="wikitable col1izq col2izq col3der col4der col5der col6izq floatcenter"
|-
!colspan=7|Administrative divisions of Chile
|-
! scope="col" | Region<ref name="dl2339"/><ref name="l20174"/><ref name="l20175"/>
! scope="col" | Population<ref name="population"/>
! scope="col" | Area (km<sup>2</sup>)<ref name="ce2006"/>
! scope="col" | Density
! scope="col" | Capital

|-
|[[Arica y Parinacota Region|Arica y Parinacota]] ||224 548||16&nbsp;873,3 || 13,40 ||[[Arica]]
|-
|[[Tarapacá Region|Tarapacá]] ||324 930 ||42&nbsp;225,8 ||7,83 ||[[Iquique]]
|-
|[[Antofagasta Region|Antofagasta]] ||599 335||126&nbsp;049,1 ||4,82 ||[[Antofagasta]]
|-
|[[Atacama Region|Atacama]] ||285 363||75&nbsp;176,2 ||3,81 ||[[Copiapó]]
|-
|[[Coquimbo Region|Coquimbo]] ||742 178 ||40&nbsp;579,9 ||18,67 ||[[La Serena (Chile)|La Serena]]
|-
|[[Valparaíso Region|Valparaíso]] ||1&nbsp;790 219 ||16&nbsp;396,1 ||110,75 ||[[Valparaíso]]
|-
|[[Santiago Metropolitan Region|Santiago Metropolitan]] ||7&nbsp;036 792||15&nbsp;403,2 ||461,77 ||[[Santiago de Chile|Santiago]]
|-
|[[O'Higgins Region|Libertador General Bernardo O'Higgins]] ||908 545 ||16&nbsp;387 ||54,96 ||[[Rancagua]]
|-
|[[Maule Region|Maule]] ||1&nbsp;033 197 ||30&nbsp;296,1 ||34,49 ||[[Talca]]
|-
|[[Ñuble Region|Ñuble]] ||480&nbsp;609 ||13&nbsp;178.5 ||36.47 ||[[Chillán]]
|-
|[[Bio Bío Region|Biobío]] ||1&nbsp;556 805 ||23&nbsp;890,2 ||112,08 ||[[Concepción (Chile)|Concepción]]
|-
|[[Araucanía Region|Araucanía]] ||938 626 ||31&nbsp;842,3 ||30,06 ||[[Temuco]]
|-
|[[Los Ríos Region|Los Ríos]] ||380 181 ||18&nbsp;429,5 ||20,88 ||[[Valdivia]]
|-
|[[Los Lagos Region|Los Lagos]] ||823 204 ||48&nbsp;583,6 ||17,06 ||[[Puerto Montt]]
|-
|[[Aysén Region|Aysén del General Carlos Ibáñez del Campo]] ||102 317 ||108&nbsp;494,4 ||0,95 ||[[Coyhaique]]
|-
|[[Magallanes Region|Magallanes and Chilean Antarctica]] ||165 593 ||132&nbsp;297,2<sup>''(1)''</sup> ||1,26 ||[[Punta Arenas]]
|-
!colspan=1|Chile !!17&nbsp;373 831 !!756&nbsp;102,4<sup>''(2)''</sup> ||23,24 !!Santiago
|-
|colspan=7|
:''<sup>(1)</sup><span style="font-size:95%;"> Including the Chilean Antarctic Territory, its surface reaches 1&nbsp;382&nbsp;554,8 km<sup>2</sup></span>''
:''<sup>(2)</sup><span style="font-size:95%;"> Including the Chilean Antarctic Territory, its surface reaches 2&nbsp;006&nbsp;360 km<sup>2</sup></span>''
|}{{Clear}}

===National symbols===

The national flower is the [[copihue]] (''Lapageria rosea'', Chilean [[Campanula|bellflower]]), which grows in the woods of southern Chile.

The [[Coat of arms of Chile|coat of arms]] depicts the two national animals: the [[condor]] (''Vultur gryphus'', a very large bird that lives in the mountains) and the [[Hippocamelus|huemul]] (''Hippocamelus bisulcus,'' an endangered white tail deer). It also has the legend ''Por la razón o la fuerza'' (''By reason or by force'').

The [[flag of Chile]] consists of two equal horizontal bands of white (top) and red; there is a blue square the same height as the white band at the hoist-side end of the white band; the square bears a white five-pointed star in the center representing a guide to progress and honor; blue symbolizes the sky, white is for the snow-covered Andes, and red stands for the blood spilled to achieve independence. The flag of Chile is similar to the [[Flag of Texas]], although the Chilean flag is 21 years older. However, like the Texan flag, the flag of Chile is modeled after the [[Flag of the United States]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.worldatlas.com/webimage/flags/countrys/samerica/chile.htm |title=Chile flag and description |publisher=Worldatlas.com |access-date=1 August 2011 |archive-date=18 July 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110718113539/http://www.worldatlas.com/webimage/flags/countrys/samerica/chile.htm |url-status=live }}</ref>

==Economy==
{{Main|Economy of Chile}}
[[File:Bolsa 2.JPG|thumb|[[Santiago Stock Exchange]]]]
The [[Central Bank of Chile]] in Santiago serves as the [[central bank]] for the country. The Chilean currency is the [[Chilean peso]] (CLP). Chile is one of South America's most stable and prosperous nations,<ref name="BBC-Chile"/> leading Latin American nations in [[human development (humanity)|human development]], competitiveness, globalization, economic freedom, and low perception of corruption.<ref name="hdrstats.undp.org"/> Since July 2013, Chile is considered by the [[World Bank]] as a "[[World Bank high-income economy|high-income economy]]".<ref name="wb">{{cite web |url=https://datahelpdesk.worldbank.org/knowledgebase/articles/378834-how-does-the-world-bank-classify-countries |title=How does the World Bank classify countries? |publisher=[[World Bank]] |access-date=8 April 2021 |archive-date=22 May 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200522092916/https://datahelpdesk.worldbank.org/knowledgebase/articles/378834-how-does-the-world-bank-classify-countries |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="World Bank-2013a">{{cite web |work=Country and Lending Groups |url=http://data.worldbank.org/about/country-classifications/country-and-lending-groups#High_income |publisher=The World Bank |access-date=14 September 2013 |title=High-income economies ($12,616 or more) |date=1 July 2013 |archive-date=18 March 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110318125456/http://data.worldbank.org/about/country-classifications/country-and-lending-groups#High_income |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="World Bank-2013b">{{cite web|title=GNI per capita, Atlas method (current US$) |url=http://api.worldbank.org/datafiles/NY.GNP.PCAP.CD_Indicator_MetaData_en_EXCEL.xls |publisher=The World Bank |access-date=14 September 2013 |location=Washington, D.C. |format=xls |date=1 August 2013 |quote=GNI-WB |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130921055207/http://api.worldbank.org/datafiles/NY.GNP.PCAP.CD_Indicator_MetaData_en_EXCEL.xls |archive-date=21 September 2013}}</ref>

The think tank ''[[The Heritage Foundation]]'' states that Chile has the highest degree of [[economic freedom]] in South America (ranking 22nd worldwide), owing to its independent and efficient judicial system and prudent public finance management.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Chile Economy: Population, GDP, Inflation, Business, Trade, FDI, Corruption |url=https://www.heritage.org/index/country/chile |access-date=13 November 2023 |website=The Heritage Foundation |language=en |archive-date=22 June 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190622094514/https://www.heritage.org/index/country/chile |url-status=live }}</ref> In May 2010 Chile became the first South American country to join the [[Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development|OECD]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.oecd.org/chile/chilesaccessiontotheoecd.htm |publisher=[[Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development|OECD]] |title=Chile's accession to the OECD |date=7 May 2010 |access-date=22 July 2016 |archive-date=29 August 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120829025817/http://www.oecd.org/chile/chilesaccessiontotheoecd.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> In 2006, Chile became the country with the highest nominal GDP per capita in Latin America.<ref>[http://www.weforum.org/pdf/GCR09/GCR20092010fullrankings.pdf Table 4: The Global Competitiveness Index 2009–2010 rankings and 2008–2009 comparisons] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101030003958/http://www.weforum.org/pdf/GCR09/GCR20092010fullrankings.pdf |date=30 October 2010 }}. The Global Competitiveness Index 2009–2010. World Economic Forum</ref> As of 2020, Chile ranks third in Latin America (behind Uruguay and Panama) in nominal GDP per capita.

Copper mining makes up 20% of Chilean GDP and 60% of exports.<ref name=coppersol>{{cite news|title=Mining in Chile: Copper solution|url=https://www.economist.com/news/business/21576714-mining-industry-has-enriched-chile-its-future-precarious-copper-solution|newspaper=The Economist|access-date=13 July 2013|date=27 April 2013|archive-date=15 July 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130715211952/http://www.economist.com/news/business/21576714-mining-industry-has-enriched-chile-its-future-precarious-copper-solution|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Escondida]] is the largest copper mine in the world, producing over 5% of global supplies.<ref name=coppersol/> Overall, Chile produces a third of the world's copper.<ref name=coppersol/> [[Codelco]], the state mining firm, competes with private copper mining companies.<ref name=coppersol/>

Sound economic policies, maintained consistently since the 1980s, have contributed to steady economic growth in Chile and have more than halved poverty rates.<ref name=factbook>{{Cite CIA World Factbook|country=Chile|access-date=17 February 2014}}</ref><ref name="countrystudies"/> Chile began to experience a moderate economic downturn in 1999. The economy remained sluggish until 2003, when it began to show clear signs of recovery, achieving 4.0% GDP growth.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://indexmundi.com/chile/gdp_real_growth_rate.html |title=Chile GDP – real growth rate |publisher=Indexmundi.com |date=21 February 2013 |access-date=13 July 2013 |archive-date=12 June 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190612084542/https://www.indexmundi.com/chile/gdp_real_growth_rate.html |url-status=live }}</ref> The Chilean economy finished 2004 with growth of 6%. Real GDP growth reached 5.7% in 2005 before falling back to 4% in 2006. GDP expanded by 5% in 2007.<ref name="countrystudies"/> Faced with the [[financial crisis of 2007–2008]] the government announced an economic stimulus plan to spur employment and growth, and despite the [[Great Recession]], aimed for an expansion of between 2% and 3% of GDP for 2009. Nonetheless, economic analysts disagreed with government estimates and predicted economic growth at a median of 1.5%.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/economicNews/idUSN1027661220090110 |title=Chile finmin says no recession seen in 2009-report |work=Reuters |date=10 January 2009 |access-date=17 December 2009 |archive-date=11 January 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090111024811/http://www.reuters.com/article/economicNews/idUSN1027661220090110 |url-status=live }}</ref> Real GDP growth in 2012 was 5.5%. Growth slowed to 4.1% in the first quarter of 2013.<ref name=imfartiv>{{cite web|title=Chile: 2013 Article IV Consultation; IMF Country Report 13/198|date=14 June 2013|url=http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/scr/2013/cr13198.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130717155041/http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/scr/2013/cr13198.pdf |archive-date=17 July 2013 |url-status=live|publisher=IMF|access-date=13 July 2013}}</ref>
[[File:Gran Torre Santiago (39693576311) (2).jpg|upright|thumb|left|[[Gran Torre Costanera]] and [[Titanium La Portada]] (background) skyscrapers in ''[[Sanhattan]]'']]

The unemployment rate was 7.8% in 2022, according to [[World Bank|The World Bank]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=World Bank Open Data |url=https://data.worldbank.org/ |access-date=11 November 2023 |website=World Bank Open Data |archive-date=26 May 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230526025607/https://data.worldbank.org/ |url-status=live }}</ref> There are reported labor shortages in agriculture, mining, and construction.<ref name=imfartiv/> The percentage of Chileans with per capita household incomes below the poverty line—defined as twice the cost of satisfying a person's minimal nutritional needs—fell from 45.1% in 1987 to 11.5% in 2009, according to government surveys.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.trabajoyequidad.cl/documentos/temp/TP-825-CASEN%202006%20en%20profundidad-22-06-2007.pdf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130113065308/http://www.trabajoyequidad.cl/documentos/temp/TP-825-CASEN%2B2006%2Ben%2Bprofundidad-22-06-2007.pdf|archive-date=13 January 2013|work=Libertad y Desarrollo|title=Casen 2006 en profundidad|access-date=22 October 2007|date=22 June 2007|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.cepal.cl/publicaciones/xml/9/41799/PSE-panoramasocial2010.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110707005900/http://www.cepal.cl/publicaciones/xml/9/41799/PSE-panoramasocial2010.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-date=7 July 2011 |title=Panorama social de América Latina |publisher=ECLAC |year=2010 |access-date=13 July 2013 }}</ref> Critics in Chile, however, argue that true poverty figures are considerably higher than those officially published.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.economiaynegocios.cl/noticias/noticias.asp?id=35048|newspaper=El Mercurio|title=Una muy necesaria corrección: Hay cuatro millones de pobres en Chile|date=14 October 2007|access-date=22 October 2007|archive-date=15 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210815184809/http://www.economiaynegocios.cl/noticias/noticias.asp?id=35048|url-status=live}}</ref> Using the relative yardstick favoured in many European countries, 27% of Chileans would be poor, according to Juan Carlos Feres of the [[ECLAC]].<ref>{{Cite news|newspaper=The Economist|title=Destitute no more|url=http://www.economist.com/displaystory.cfm?story_id=9645174|access-date=22 October 2007|date=16 August 2007|archive-date=16 October 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071016204538/http://economist.com/displayStory.cfm?story_id=9645174|url-status=live}}{{Subscription required}}</ref>

{{as of|2012|November|}}, about 11.1 million people (64% of the population) benefit from government welfare programs,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.fichaproteccionsocial.gob.cl/estad/est_int.php?id=19 |title=Ficha de Protección Social – Ministerio de Desarrollo Social |publisher=Fichaproteccionsocial.gob.cl |date=20 November 2012 |access-date=12 March 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160518190839/http://www.fichaproteccionsocial.gob.cl/estad/est_int.php?id=19 |archive-date=18 May 2016 }}</ref>{{Clarify|date=May 2014}} via the "Social Protection Card", which includes the population living in poverty and those at a risk of falling into poverty.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.fichaproteccionsocial.gob.cl/fps/fps2.php |title=Ficha de Protección Social – Ministerio de Desarrollo Social |publisher=Fichaproteccionsocial.gob.cl |access-date=9 November 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120915085201/http://www.fichaproteccionsocial.gob.cl/fps/fps2.php |archive-date=15 September 2012 }}</ref> [[Chile pension system|The privatized national pension system]] (AFP) has encouraged domestic investment and contributed to an estimated total domestic savings rate of approximately 21% of GDP.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.safp.cl/573/articles-3523_copyright.pdf |title=The Chilean pension system |access-date=13 July 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120512092950/http://www.safp.cl/573/articles-3523_copyright.pdf |archive-date=12 May 2012 }}</ref> Under the compulsory private pension system, most formal sector employees pay 10% of their salaries into privately managed funds.<ref name="countrystudies"/>

Chile has signed [[free trade agreements]] (FTAs) with a whole network of countries, including an FTA with the United States that was signed in 2003 and implemented in January 2004.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ustr.gov/Trade_Agreements/Bilateral/Chile_FTA/Final_Texts/Section_Index.html |title=USA-Chile FTA Final Text |publisher=Ustr.gov |access-date=13 July 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160328045456/https://ustr.gov/trade_agreements/bilateral/chile_fta/final_texts/section_index.html |archive-date=28 March 2016}}</ref> Internal Government of Chile figures show that even when factoring out inflation and the recent high price of copper, bilateral trade between the U.S. and Chile has grown over 60% since then.<ref name="countrystudies"/> Chile's total trade with China reached US$8.8 billion in 2006, representing nearly 66% of the value of its trade relationship with Asia.<ref name="countrystudies"/> Exports to Asia increased from US$15.2 billion in 2005 to US$19.7 billion in 2006, a 29.9% increase.<ref name="countrystudies"/> Year-on-year growth of imports was especially strong from a number of countries: Ecuador (123.9%), Thailand (72.1%), South Korea (52.6%), and China (36.9%).<ref name="countrystudies"/>

Chile's approach to foreign direct investment is codified in the country's Foreign Investment Law. Registration is reported to be simple and transparent, and foreign investors are guaranteed access to the official [[foreign exchange market]] to repatriate their profits and capital.<ref name="countrystudies"/>
The Chilean Government has formed a Council on Innovation and Competition, hoping to bring in additional FDI to new parts of the economy.<ref name="countrystudies"/>

[[Standard & Poor's]] gives Chile a [[credit rating]] of AA−.<ref>{{cite news|title=Update 2-S&P raises Chile's credit rating to AA-minus|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/chile-ratings-sandp-idUSL1E8NQ6KM20121226|work=Reuters|access-date=13 July 2013|date=26 December 2012|archive-date=26 December 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121226235747/http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/12/26/chile-ratings-sandp-idUSL1E8NQ6KM20121226|url-status=live}}</ref> The Government of Chile continues to pay down its foreign debt, with public debt only 3.9% of GDP at the end of 2006.<ref name="countrystudies"/> The Chilean central government is a net creditor with a [[Net asset value|net asset position]] of 7% of GDP at end 2012.<ref name=imfartiv/> The [[current account deficit]] was 4% in the first quarter of 2013, financed mostly by foreign direct investment.<ref name=imfartiv/> 14% of central government revenue came directly from copper in 2012.<ref name=imfartiv/> Chile was ranked 52nd in the [[Global Innovation Index]] in 2023<ref>{{Cite web |title=Global Innovation Index 2023, 15th Edition |url=https://www.wipo.int/global_innovation_index/en/2023/index.html |access-date=28 October 2023 |website=www.wipo.int |date=13 December 2023 |publisher=World Intellectual Property Organization |doi=10.34667/tind.46596 |isbn=9789280534320 |language=en |archive-date=22 October 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231022042128/https://www.wipo.int/global_innovation_index/en/2023/index.html |url-status=live |last1=Dutta |first1=Soumitra |last2=Lanvin |first2=Bruno |last3=Wunsch-Vincent |first3=Sacha |last4=León |first4=Lorena Rivera |last5=World Intellectual Property Organization }}</ref>

===Mineral resources===
[[File:Chuquicamata-003_02.jpg|thumb|[[Chuquicamata]], the largest [[open-pit mining|open pit]] [[copper]] mine in the world]]
Chile is rich in mineral resources, especially copper and lithium. It is thought that due to the importance of lithium for batteries for electric vehicles and stabilization of electric grids with large proportions of intermittent renewables in the electricity mix, Chile could be strengthened geopolitically. However, this perspective has also been criticized for underestimating the power of economic incentives for expanded production in other parts of the world.<ref name="Overland-2019">{{Cite journal|last=Overland|first=Indra|date=1 March 2019|title=The geopolitics of renewable energy: Debunking four emerging myths|url=https://nupi.brage.unit.no/nupi-xmlui/bitstream/11250/2579292/2/2019%2b-%2bThe%2bgeopolitics%2bof%2brenewable%2benergy%252C%2bdebunking%2bfour%2bemerging%2bmyths.pdf |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/https://nupi.brage.unit.no/nupi-xmlui/bitstream/11250/2579292/2/2019%2b-%2bThe%2bgeopolitics%2bof%2brenewable%2benergy%252C%2bdebunking%2bfour%2bemerging%2bmyths.pdf |archive-date=9 October 2022 |url-status=live|journal=Energy Research & Social Science|volume=49|pages=36–40|doi=10.1016/j.erss.2018.10.018|issn=2214-6296|doi-access=free|bibcode=2019ERSS...49...36O }}</ref>

The country was, in 2019, the world's largest producer of [[copper]],<ref>{{cite web| url = https://pubs.usgs.gov/periodicals/mcs2021/mcs2021-copper.pdf| title = USGS Copper Production Statistics| access-date = 11 July 2022| archive-date = 9 October 2022| archive-url = https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/https://pubs.usgs.gov/periodicals/mcs2021/mcs2021-copper.pdf| url-status = live}}</ref> [[iodine]]<ref>{{cite web| url = https://pubs.usgs.gov/periodicals/mcs2021/mcs2021-iodine.pdf| title = USGS Iodine Production Statistics| access-date = 11 July 2022| archive-date = 25 June 2021| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210625191455/https://pubs.usgs.gov/periodicals/mcs2021/mcs2021-iodine.pdf| url-status = live}}</ref> and [[rhenium]],<ref>{{cite web| url = https://pubs.usgs.gov/periodicals/mcs2021/mcs2021-rhenium.pdf| title = USGS Rhenium Production Statistics| access-date = 11 July 2022| archive-date = 21 June 2021| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210621074425/https://pubs.usgs.gov/periodicals/mcs2021/mcs2021-rhenium.pdf| url-status = live}}</ref> the second largest producer of [[lithium]]<ref>{{cite web| url = https://pubs.usgs.gov/periodicals/mcs2021/mcs2021-lithium.pdf| title = USGS Lithium Production Statistics| access-date = 11 July 2022| archive-date = 9 October 2022| archive-url = https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/https://pubs.usgs.gov/periodicals/mcs2021/mcs2021-lithium.pdf| url-status = live}}</ref> and [[molybdenum]],<ref>{{cite web| url = https://pubs.usgs.gov/periodicals/mcs2021/mcs2021-molybdenum.pdf| title = USGS Molybdenum Production Statistics| access-date = 11 July 2022| archive-date = 9 October 2022| archive-url = https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/https://pubs.usgs.gov/periodicals/mcs2021/mcs2021-molybdenum.pdf| url-status = live}}</ref> the sixth largest producer of [[silver]],<ref>{{cite web| url = https://pubs.usgs.gov/periodicals/mcs2021/mcs2021-silver.pdf| title = USGS Silver Production Statistics| access-date = 11 July 2022| archive-date = 15 May 2021| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210515082301/https://pubs.usgs.gov/periodicals/mcs2021/mcs2021-silver.pdf| url-status = live}}</ref> the seventh largest producer of [[salt]],<ref>{{cite web| url = https://pubs.usgs.gov/periodicals/mcs2021/mcs2021-salt.pdf| title = USGS Salt Production Statistics| access-date = 11 July 2022| archive-date = 9 October 2022| archive-url = https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/https://pubs.usgs.gov/periodicals/mcs2021/mcs2021-salt.pdf| url-status = live}}</ref> the eighth largest producer of [[potash]],<ref>{{cite web| url = https://pubs.usgs.gov/periodicals/mcs2021/mcs2021-potash.pdf| title = USGS Potash Product ion Statistics| access-date = 11 July 2022| archive-date = 9 October 2022| archive-url = https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/https://pubs.usgs.gov/periodicals/mcs2021/mcs2021-potash.pdf| url-status = live}}</ref> the thirteenth producer of [[sulfur]]<ref>{{cite web| url = https://pubs.usgs.gov/periodicals/mcs2021/mcs2021-sulfur.pdf| title = USGS Sulfur Production Statistics| access-date = 11 July 2022| archive-date = 9 October 2022| archive-url = https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/https://pubs.usgs.gov/periodicals/mcs2021/mcs2021-sulfur.pdf| url-status = live}}</ref> and the thirteenth producer of [[iron ore]]<ref>{{cite web| url = https://pubs.usgs.gov/periodicals/mcs2021/mcs2021-iron-ore.pdf| title = USGS Iron Ore Production Statistics| access-date = 11 July 2022| archive-date = 9 October 2022| archive-url = https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/https://pubs.usgs.gov/periodicals/mcs2021/mcs2021-iron-ore.pdf| url-status = live}}</ref> in the world. The country also has considerable [[gold]] production: between 2006 and 2017, the country produced annual amounts ranging from 35.9 tonnes in 2017 to 51.3 tonnes in 2013.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.ceicdata.com/en/indicator/chile/gold-production |title=Gold Production in Chile |access-date=11 July 2022 |archive-date=18 October 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221018212808/https://www.ceicdata.com/en/indicator/chile/gold-production |url-status=live }}</ref>

===Agriculture===
{{Main|Agriculture in Chile}}
[[File:Viñedo Puente Alto.jpg|thumb|left|[[Vineyard]] in [[Puente Alto]]]]

[[Agriculture]] in Chile encompasses a wide range of different activities due to its particular [[geography]], [[climate]] and [[geology]] and human factors. Historically agriculture is one of the bases of Chile's economy. Now agriculture and allied sectors like [[forestry]], [[logging]] and [[fishing]] account for only 4.9% of the [[GDP]] {{As of|2007|lc=y}} and employ 13.6% of the country's labor force. Chile is one of the 5 largest world producers of [[cherry]] and [[blueberry]], and one of the 10 largest world producers of [[grape]], [[apple]], [[Kiwifruit|kiwi]], [[peach]], [[plum]] and [[hazelnut]], focusing on exporting high-value fruits.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.fao.org/faostat/en/#data/QCL/ |title=Agriculture in Chile, by FAO |access-date=11 July 2022 |archive-date=11 May 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170511194947/http://www.fao.org/faostat/en/#data/QCL/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Some other major agriculture products of Chile include [[pear]]s, [[onion]]s, [[wheat]], [[maize]], [[oats]], [[garlic]], [[asparagus]], [[bean]]s, [[beef]], [[poultry]], [[wool]], [[fish]], [[Lumber|timber]] and [[hemp]]. Due to its geographical isolation and strict customs policies Chile is free from diseases and pests such as [[mad cow disease]], [[Drosophilidae|fruit fly]] and [[Phylloxera]]. This, its location in the [[Southern Hemisphere]], which has quite different harvesting times from the [[Northern Hemisphere]], and its wide range of agriculture conditions are considered Chile's main comparative advantages. However, Chile's mountainous landscape limits the extent and intensity of agriculture so that arable land corresponds only to 2.62% of the total territory. Chile currently utilizes 14,015 Hectares of agricultural land.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://data.oecd.org/chile.htm|title=Chile – OECD Data|website=theOECD|language=en|access-date=2 November 2018|archive-date=25 November 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181125030826/https://data.oecd.org/chile.htm|url-status=live}}</ref>

Chile is the world's second largest producer of [[salmon]], after Norway. In 2019, it was responsible for 26% of the global supply.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.istoedinheiro.com.br/algas-nocivas-matam-mais-de-42-mil-toneladas-de-salmao-no-chile/|title=Algas nocivas matam mais de 4,2 mil toneladas de salmão no Chile|access-date=4 September 2022|archive-date=24 October 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221024140847/https://www.istoedinheiro.com.br/algas-nocivas-matam-mais-de-42-mil-toneladas-de-salmao-no-chile/|url-status=live}}</ref> In [[wine]], Chile is usually among the 10 largest producers in the world. In 2018 it was in 6th place.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2019|title=2019 Statistical Report on World Vitiviniculture|url=https://www.oiv.int/public/medias/6782/oiv-2019-statistical-report-on-world-vitiviniculture.pdf|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210206112544/https://www.oiv.int/public/medias/6782/oiv-2019-statistical-report-on-world-vitiviniculture.pdf|archive-date=6 February 2021|access-date=7 March 2021|website=International Organisation of Vine and Wine}}</ref>

===Tourism===
{{Main|Tourism in Chile}}
[[File:Cerro Concepcion.jpg|thumb|[[Valparaíso]] city, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.]]
[[File:Cuernos_del_Paine_from_Lake_Pehoé.jpg|thumb|[[Torres del Paine National Park]] in [[Chilean Patagonia]]]]
[[File:Moai Rano raraku.jpg|thumb|Pre-Columbian [[Moai]]s, human figures dated between 1250 and 1500 in the [[Easter Island]].]]

Tourism in Chile has experienced sustained growth over the last few decades. In 2005, tourism grew by 13.6%, generating more than 4.5 billion dollars of which 1.5 billion was attributed to foreign tourists. According to the National Service of Tourism (Sernatur), 2 million people a year visit the country. Most of these visitors come from other countries in the American continent, mainly [[Argentina]]; followed by a growing number from the United States, Europe, and Brazil with a growing number of Asians from [[South Korea]] and China.<ref>Blanco, Hernán ''et al.'' (August 2007) [https://web.archive.org/web/20080408235147/http://www.rides.cl/pdf/trade_tourism_chile.pdf International Trade and Sustainable Tourism in Chile]. International Institute for Sustainable Development</ref>

The main attractions for tourists are places of natural beauty situated in the extreme zones of the country: [[San Pedro de Atacama]], in the north, is very popular with foreign tourists who arrive to admire the Incaic architecture, the altiplano lakes, and the [[Valle de la Luna (Chile)|Valley of the Moon]].{{citation needed|date=July 2014}} In [[Putre]], also in the north, there is the [[Chungará Lake]], as well as the [[Parinacota Volcano|Parinacota]] and the [[Pomerape]] volcanoes, with altitudes of 6,348 m and 6,282 m, respectively. Throughout the central Andes there are many ski resorts of international repute,{{citation needed|date=July 2014}} including [[Portillo, Chile|Portillo]], [[Valle Nevado]] and [[Termas de Chillán]].

The main tourist sites in the south are national parks (the most popular is [[Conguillío National Park]] in the Araucanía)<ref>{{Cite web |title=Conguillio National Park (Official GANP Park Page) |url=https://national-parks.org/chile/conguillio |access-date=26 October 2022 |website=national-parks.org |language=en |archive-date=26 October 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221026143218/https://national-parks.org/chile/conguillio |url-status=live }}</ref> and the coastal area around Tirúa and Cañete with the [[Isla Mocha]] and the [[Nahuelbuta National Park]], [[Chiloé Archipelago]] and [[Patagonia]], which includes [[Laguna San Rafael National Park]], with its many glaciers, and the [[Torres del Paine National Park]]. The central port city of [[Valparaíso]], which is World Heritage with its unique architecture, is also popular.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Centre |first=UNESCO World Heritage |title=Historic Quarter of the Seaport City of Valpara&iacute;so |url=https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/959/ |access-date=22 January 2024 |website=UNESCO World Heritage Centre |language=en |archive-date=27 January 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240127041016/https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/959 |url-status=live }}</ref> Finally, [[Easter Island]] in the Pacific Ocean is one of the main Chilean tourist destinations.

For locals, tourism is concentrated mostly in the summer (December to March), and mainly in the coastal beach towns.{{citation needed|date=July 2014}} [[Arica]], [[Iquique]], [[Antofagasta]], [[La Serena, Chile|La Serena]] and [[Coquimbo]] are the main summer centers in the north, and Pucón on the shores of [[Lake Villarrica]] is the main center in the south. Because of its proximity to Santiago, the coast of the Valparaíso Region, with its many beach resorts, receives the largest number of tourists. [[Viña del Mar]], Valparaíso's more affluent northern neighbor, is popular because of its beaches, [[casino]], and its annual [[Viña del Mar International Song Festival|song festival]], the most important musical event in Latin America.{{citation needed|date=July 2014}} [[Pichilemu]] in the [[O'Higgins Region]] is widely known as South America's "best [[surfing]] spot" according to [[Fodor's]].{{citation needed|date=July 2014}}

In November 2005 the government launched a campaign under the brand "Chile: All Ways Surprising" intended to promote the country internationally for both business and tourism.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.prochile.us/ |title=Pro&#124;Chile – Importadores &#124; Selección idiomas |publisher=Prochile.us |access-date=22 December 2013 |archive-date=19 July 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140719080258/http://www.prochile.us/ |url-status=live }}</ref> [[List of museums in Chile|Museums in Chile]] such as the [[Chilean National Museum of Fine Arts]] built in 1880, feature works by [[List of Chilean artists|Chilean artists]].

Chile is home to the world-renowned [[Patagonia Park|Patagonian Trail]] that resides on the border between Argentina and Chile. Chile recently launched a massive scenic route for tourism in hopes of encouraging development based on conservation. The Route of Parks covers {{Convert | 1740 | mi}} and was designed by Tompkin Conservation (founders [[Douglas Tompkins]] and wife [[Kristine Tompkins|Kristine]]).<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-45663960|title=Chile unveils huge Patagonia scenic route|date=27 September 2018|work=BBC News|access-date=24 November 2018|language=en-GB|archive-date=24 November 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181124162200/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-45663960|url-status=live}}</ref>

===Transport===
{{Main|Transport in Chile}}
[[File:Chile Route 68 Northbound At Route 60.jpg|thumb|left|[[Chile Route 68|Route 68]] at the junction with [[Chile Route 60|Route 60]]]]

Due to Chile's topography a functioning transport network is vital to its economy. In 2020, Chile had {{convert|85984|km|0|abbr=on}} of [[highway]]s, with {{convert|21289|km|0|abbr=on}} paved.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.observatoriologistico.cl/infraestructura/red-vial/?id=5d719224d2c6f20029110412 |title=Data of interest 1 – National Network according to category |access-date=11 July 2022 |archive-date=29 May 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220529172624/https://www.observatoriologistico.cl/infraestructura/red-vial/?id=5d719224d2c6f20029110412 |url-status=live }}</ref> In the same year, the country had {{convert|3347|km|0|abbr=on}} of [[Dual carriageway|duplicated highways]], the second largest network in South America, after Brazil.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.observatoriologistico.cl/infraestructura/red-vial/?id=5d719224d2c6f20029110412 |title=Data of interest 3 – Red vial national de dobles calzadas por región año 2020 |access-date=11 July 2022 |archive-date=29 May 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220529172624/https://www.observatoriologistico.cl/infraestructura/red-vial/?id=5d719224d2c6f20029110412 |url-status=live }}</ref> Since the mid-1990s, there has been a significant improvement in the country's roads, through bidding processes that allowed the construction of an efficient road network, with emphasis on the duplication of continuous {{convert|1950|km|0|abbr=on}} of the [[Panamerican Highway]] ([[Chile Route 5]]) between [[Puerto Montt]] and [[Caldera, Chile|Caldera]] (in addition to the planned duplication in the Atacama Desert area),<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.infraestructurapublica.cl/2021-licitaran-carreteras-unen-antofagasta-caldera-e-iquique/ |title=In 2021 they will bid for roads that unite Antofagasta with Caldera and Iquique |date=13 March 2019 |access-date=11 July 2022 |archive-date=23 October 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221023012331/https://www.infraestructurapublica.cl/2021-licitaran-carreteras-unen-antofagasta-caldera-e-iquique/ |url-status=live }}</ref> the excerpts in between Santiago, Valparaiso and the Central Coast, and the northern access to Concepción and the large project of the Santiago urban [[highway]]s network, opened between 2004 and 2006.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.plataformaurbana.cl/archive/2009/01/14/115-nuevos-km-de-autopistas/ |title=115 nuevos km de autopistas |access-date=11 July 2022 |archive-date=11 July 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220711122610/https://www.plataformaurbana.cl/archive/2009/01/14/115-nuevos-km-de-autopistas/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Buses are now the main means of long-distance transportation in Chile, following the decline of its railway network.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.omnilineas.cl/comparison/index.html|title=Omnilineas website|author=Omnilineas|access-date=17 February 2014|archive-date=19 February 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140219172710/http://www.omnilineas.cl/comparison/index.html|url-status=live}}</ref> The bus system covers the entire country, from [[Arica, Chile|Arica]] to [[Santiago, Chile|Santiago]] (a 30-hour journey) and from Santiago to [[Punta Arenas]] (about 40 hours, with a change at [[Osorno, Chile|Osorno]]).

Chile has a total of 372 runways (62 paved and 310 unpaved). Important airports in Chile include [[Chacalluta International Airport]] ([[Arica]]), [[Diego Aracena International Airport]] ([[Iquique]]), [[Andrés Sabella Gálvez International Airport]]
([[Antofagasta]]), [[Carriel Sur International Airport]] ([[Concepción, Chile|Concepción]]), [[El Tepual International Airport]] ([[Puerto Montt]]), [[Presidente Carlos Ibáñez del Campo International Airport]] ([[Punta Arenas]]), [[La Araucanía International Airport]] ([[Temuco]]), [[Mataveri International Airport]] ([[Easter Island]]), the most remote airport in the world, as defined by distance to another airport, and the [[Arturo Merino Benítez International Airport]] ([[Santiago]]) with a traffic of 12,105,524 passengers in 2011. Santiago is headquarters of Latin America's largest [[airline]] [[holding company]] and Chilean [[flag carrier]] [[LATAM Airlines Group|LATAM Airlines]].

===Internet and telecommunications===
[[File:Andes y Torre Entel.jpg|thumbnail|[[Torre Entel]] in [[Santiago de Chile]], with the [[Andes mountains]] in the background]]
[[telecommunications in Chile|Chile has a telecommunication]] system which covers much of the country, including Chilean insular and Antarctic bases. Privatization of the telephone system began in 1988; Chile has one of the most advanced telecommunications infrastructure in South America with a modern system based on extensive microwave radio relay facilities and a domestic satellite system with 3 earth stations.<ref name=factbook /> In 2012, there were 3.276 million main lines in use and 24.13 million mobile cellular telephone subscribers.<ref name=factbook />

According to a 2012 database of the [[International Telecommunication Union]] (ITU), 61.42% of the Chilean population uses the internet, making Chile the country with the highest internet penetration in South America.<ref name="ITU-IndividualsUsingTheInternet">{{cite web | url=http://www.itu.int/en/ITU-D/Statistics/Documents/statistics/2013/Individuals_Internet_2000-2012.xls | title=Percentage of Individuals using the Internet 2000 | publisher=International Telecommunication Union | date=June 2013 | access-date=22 June 2013 | archive-date=9 February 2014 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140209141641/http://www.itu.int/en/ITU-D/Statistics/Documents/statistics/2013/Individuals_Internet_2000-2012.xls | url-status=live }}</ref>

The Chilean internet country code is "[[.cl]]".<ref>{{cite web |author1=Internet Assigned Numbers Authority |title=.cl Domain Delegation Data |url=https://www.iana.org/domains/root/db/cl.html |website=www.iana.org |access-date=3 April 2024}}</ref> In 2017 the government of Chile launched its first [[cyber security]] strategy, which receives technical support from the [[Organization of American States]] (OAS) Cyber Security Program of the Inter-American Committee against Terrorism (CICTE).<ref>{{Cite book|title= Cybersecurity Governance in Latin America: States, Threats, and Alliances | author1=Carlos Solar |publisher= State University of New York Press|year=2023 |isbn= 9781438491424 | pages=}}</ref>

===Energy===
{{main|Energy in Chile}}
[[File:Generadores eólicos.jpg|thumb|[[Wind farm]] near [[Canela, Chile]]]]

Chile's [[total energy supply]] (TES) was 23.0GJ per capita in 2020.<ref name=iea2020>{{cite web|title=IEA – Report|url=https://www.iea.org/data-and-statistics/data-tools/energy-statistics-data-browser?country=KENYA&fuel=Energy%20supply&indicator=TESbyPop|access-date=4 November 2020|archive-date=2 February 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170202060054/https://www.iea.org/statistics/statisticssearch/report/?country=Chile&product=indicators|url-status=dead}}</ref> Energy in Chile is dominated by fossil fuels, with coal, oil and gas accounting for 73.4% of the total primary energy. Biofuels and waste account for another 20.5% of primary energy supply, with the rest sourced from hydro and other renewables.<ref name=iea2020 />

Electricity consumption was 68.90 TWh in 2014. Main sources of electricity in Chile are [[hydroelectricity]], [[fuel gas|gas]], [[fuel oil|oil]] and [[coal]]. [[Renewable energy]] in the forms of [[Wind energy|wind]] and [[solar energy]] are also coming into use, encouraged by collaboration since 2009 with the [[United States Department of Energy]]. The electricity industry is [[privatization|privatized]] with [[Endesa (Chile)|ENDESA]] as the largest company in the field.

In 2021, Chile had, in terms of installed renewable electricity, 6,807 MW in hydropower (28th largest in the world), 3,137 MW in wind power (28th largest in the world), 4,468 MW in solar (22nd largest in the world), and 375 MW in biomass.<ref>{{cite web
| url=https://www.irena.org/-/media/Files/IRENA/Agency/Publication/2022/Apr/IRENA_RE_Capacity_Statistics_2022.pdf
| trans-title=
| title=RENEWABLE CAPACITY STATISTICS 2022
| author=IRENA
| author-link=
| format=
| series=
| volume=
| issue=
| publisher=
| agency=
| location=
| page=
| pages=
| date=
| year=
| access-date=8 May 2022
| language=
| doi=
| id=
| quote=
| chapter=
| issn=
| isbn=
| type=
| editor-first=
| website=
| journal=
| archive-date=9 October 2022
| archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/https://www.irena.org/-/media/Files/IRENA/Agency/Publication/2022/Apr/IRENA_RE_Capacity_Statistics_2022.pdf
| url-status=live
}}</ref> As the Atacama Desert has the highest [[solar irradiance|solar irradiation]] in the world, and Chile has always had problems obtaining oil, gas and coal (the country basically does not produce them, so it has to import them), renewable energy is seen as the solution for the country's shortcomings in the energy field.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.iadb.org/en/news/webstories/2011-12-15/solar-power-plant-in-atacama-desert-in-chile,9715.html |title=Energia Renovável para a irigação no Deserto do Atacama |access-date=11 July 2022 |archive-date=16 October 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171016080702/http://www.iadb.org/en/news/webstories/2011-12-15/solar-power-plant-in-atacama-desert-in-chile,9715.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://economia.uol.com.br/noticias/efe/2021/06/09/chile-inaugura-1-planta-de-energia-termossolar-da-america-latina.htm |title=Chile inaugura 1ª planta de energia termossolar da América Latina |access-date=11 July 2022 |archive-date=21 March 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220321111842/https://economia.uol.com.br/noticias/efe/2021/06/09/chile-inaugura-1-planta-de-energia-termossolar-da-america-latina.htm |url-status=live }}</ref>


== Demographics ==
== Demographics ==
''Main article: [[Demographics of Chile]]''
{{Main|Demographics of Chile}}
Chile's 2017 census reported a population of 17,574,003. Its rate of population growth has been decreasing since 1990, due to a declining [[birth rate]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ine.cl/canales/chile_estadistico/demografia_y_vitales/estadisticas_vitales/pdf/anuarios/vitales2003.zip|title=Anuario Estadísticas Vitales 2003|publisher=Instituto National de Estadísticas|access-date=30 May 2008|archive-date=1 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200501215449/https://www.ine.cl/canales/chile_estadistico/demografia_y_vitales/estadisticas_vitales/pdf/anuarios/vitales2003.zip|url-status=live}}</ref> By 2050 the population is expected to reach approximately 20.2 million people.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ine.cl/canales/chile_estadistico/demografia_y_vitales/proyecciones/Informes/Microsoft%20Word%20-%20InforP_T.pdf|title=Chile: Proyecciones y Estimaciones de Población. Total País 1950–2050|publisher=Instituto National de Estadísticas|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091230181515/http://www.ine.cl/canales/chile_estadistico/demografia_y_vitales/proyecciones/Informes/Microsoft%20Word%20-%20InforP_T.pdf|archive-date=30 December 2009}}</ref>


{{clear}}
Around 95% of Chileans descend from early [[Spain|Spanish]] colonists. During the colonial period, Spain found it necessary to keep sending soldiers to protect its distant colony. They came from all regions of Spain, including the Basque country, and many of them ended up settling in Chile. The combination of an economy based on temperate-zone agriculture, native American resistance to Spanish occupation, and a continuous influx of Spaniards from the mid-sixteenth century to the end of the colonial period defined the main body of the Chilean population — a mixture of native American and Spanish blood, but one in which the Spanish element is greater than in the other Andean mestizo populations. People of relatively unmixed Spanish ancestry are not uncommon.


=== Ancestry and ethnicity ===
People self-identifying as belonging to indigenous groups number around 700,000 (5%) and are mostly [[Mapuche]] (4%) that reside in the south-central area of the country. [[Aymara]] and [[Atacameño]] populations live along the northern border with Peru and Bolivia. There are also around 5,000 people of Polynesian ancestry who are indigenous to the Chilean territory of Easter Island ([[Rapanui]]) in the Pacific.
{{main|Indigenous peoples in Chile|Immigration to Chile}}
[[File:Ministro Osorio entrega terreno a Comunidad Mapuche Lorenzo Quintrileo de Tirúa.jpg|thumb|[[Mapuche people|Mapuche]] women of [[Tirúa]]]]
[[File:Misa por Chile - Banderas.jpg|thumb|Chileans with flags of Chile]]


Mexican professor Francisco Lizcano, of the [[National Autonomous University of Mexico]], estimated that 52.7% of [[Chileans]] were white, 39.3% were [[mestizo]], and 8% were [[Amerindian]].<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Lizcano Fernández |first1=Francisco |title=Composición Étnica de las Tres Áreas Culturales del Continente Americano al Comienzo del Siglo XXI |trans-title=Ethnic Composition of the Three Cultural Areas of the American Continent at the Beginning of the 21st Century |language=es |journal=Convergencia |date=August 2005 |volume=12 |issue=38 |pages=185–232 |url=http://www.scielo.org.mx/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1405-14352005000200185 |access-date=23 November 2020 |archive-date=22 September 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220922054604/https://www.scielo.org.mx/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1405-14352005000200185 |url-status=live }}</ref>
Chileans descended from non-Spanish European nationalities are not too numerous, but include a small yet influential number of Irish and English immigrants that arrived in Chile during the Spanish colonial period, and during the 19th century. Government-sponsored immigration from Germany began in 1848, and in time, changed the cultural makeup of the southern provinces of [[Valdivia]], [[Llanquihue]], and [[Osorno]], which still show a strong German influence. Other historically significant immigrant groups include people of Italian ([[Valparaíso, Chile|Valparaíso]]), Croatian ([[Antofagasta, Chile|Antofagasta]] and [[Punta Arenas, Chile|Punta Arenas]]), French, and Middle Eastern backgrounds (including the second largest [[Palestinian]] colony outside Middle East).


In 1984, a study called ''Sociogenetic Reference Framework for Public Health Studies in Chile'', from the Revista de Pediatría de Chile determined an ancestry of 67.9% European, and 32.1% Native American.<ref name="Valenzuela, 1984">{{cite journal |last1=Valenzuela |first1=C. |title=Marco de referencia sociogenético para los estudios de Salud Pública en Chile |trans-title=Sociogenetic reference limits for public health studies in Chile |language=es |journal=Revista Chilena de Pediatría |date=1984 |volume=55 |issue=2 |pages=123–127 |pmid=6473850 |s2cid=162443939 }}</ref><ref name="Vanegas et al, 2008">{{cite journal |last1=Vanegas L |first1=Jairo |last2=Villalón C |first2=Marcelo |last3=Valenzuela Y |first3=Carlos |title=Ethnicity and race as variables in epidemiological research about inequity |journal=Revista médica de Chile |date=May 2008 |volume=136 |issue=5 |pages=637–644 |doi=10.4067/S0034-98872008000500014 |pmid=18769813 |doi-access=free }}</ref> In 1994, a biological study determined that the Chilean composition was 64% European and 35% Amerindian.<ref name= Cruz-Coke>{{cite journal |last=Cruz-Coke |first=Ricardo |year=1994 |title=Genetic epidemiology of single gene defects in Chile |journal=Facultad de Medicina de la Universidad de Chile |location= Santiago de Chile |volume= 31|issue=9 |pages=702–706 |doi=10.1136/jmg.31.9.702 |pmid=7815439 |pmc=1050080 }}</ref> The recent study in the Candela Project establishes that the genetic composition of Chile is 52% of European origin, with 44% of the genome coming from Native Americans (Amerindians), and 4% coming from Africa, making Chile a primarily mestizo country with traces of African descent present in half of the population.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.eldinamo.cl/2013/08/19/estudio-genetico-en-chilenos-muestra-desconocida-herencia-africana/ |title=Estudio genético en chilenos muestra desconocida herencia africana &#124; El Dínamo |publisher=Eldinamo.cl |date=19 August 2013 |access-date=22 December 2013 |archive-date=6 July 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140706180053/http://www.eldinamo.cl/2013/08/19/estudio-genetico-en-chilenos-muestra-desconocida-herencia-africana/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> Another genetic study conducted by the [[University of Brasilia]] in several South American countries shows a similar genetic composition for Chile, with a European contribution of 51.6%, an Amerindian contribution of 42.1%, and an African contribution of 6.3%.<ref name=UB>{{cite thesis |last1=Godinho |first1=Neide Maria de Oliveira |title=O impacto das migrações na constituição genética de populações latino-americanas |trans-title=The impact of migration on the genetic makeup of Latin American populations |language=pt |date=2008 |url=https://repositorio.unb.br/handle/10482/5542 |access-date=23 November 2020 |archive-date=12 November 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201112044147/https://repositorio.unb.br/handle/10482/5542 |url-status=live }}</ref> In 2015 another study established genetic composition in 57% European, 38% Native American, and 2.5% African.<ref>{{cite journal |last=Homburger |first=Julian |display-authors=et al |year=2015 |title=Genomic Insights into the Ancestry and Demographic History of South America |volume=11 |issue=12 |at=1005602 |journal=[[PLOS Genetics]] |doi=10.1371/journal.pgen.1005602 |pmid=26636962 |pmc=4670080 |doi-access=free}}</ref>
In the last decade there has been an influx of Koreans who settled in small sections of Santiago. In recent years, the difficult economic situation in neighbouring [[Peru]] and [[Argentina]] has resulted in work-related trans-[[Andes|Andean]] migration to Chile.


A public health booklet from the [[University of Chile]] states that 35% of the population is of Caucasian origin; "predominantly White" Mestizos are estimated to amount to a total of 65%, while Native Americans (Amerindians) comprise the remaining 5%.<ref name="UC">{{cite web | title =5.2.6. Estructura racial | url =http://mazinger.sisib.uchile.cl/repositorio/lb/ciencias_quimicas_y_farmaceuticas/medinae/cap2/5b6.html | work =La Universidad de Chile | access-date =26 August 2007 | archive-date =16 October 2007 | archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20071016124831/http://mazinger.sisib.uchile.cl/repositorio/lb/ciencias_quimicas_y_farmaceuticas/medinae/cap2/5b6.html | url-status =dead }} ([http://mazinger.sisib.uchile.cl/repositorio/lb/ciencias_quimicas_y_farmaceuticas/medinae/ Main page] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090916211140/http://mazinger.sisib.uchile.cl/repositorio/lb/ciencias_quimicas_y_farmaceuticas/medinae/ |date=16 September 2009 }})</ref>
== Culture ==
''Main article: [[Culture of Chile]]''


Despite the genetic considerations, many Chileans, if asked, would self-identify as White. The 2011 [[Latinobarómetro]] survey asked respondents in Chile what race they considered themselves to belong to. Most answered "White" (59%), while 25% said "Mestizo" and 8% self-classified as "indigenous".<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.latinobarometro.org/latino/LATContenidos.jsp |title=Informe Latinobarómetro 2011 |publisher=Latinobarometro.org |access-date=13 July 2013 |archive-date=13 January 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160113084058/http://www.latinobarometro.org/latino/LATContenidos.jsp |url-status=live }}</ref> A 2002 national poll revealed that a majority of Chileans believed they possessed some (43.4%) or much (8.3%) "indigenous blood", while 40.3% responded that they had none.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cepchile.cl/enc_encuestas.html|title=Encuesta CEP, Julio 2002|date=July 2002|access-date=18 May 2012|language=es|archive-date=29 April 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130429001707/http://www.cepchile.cl/enc_encuestas.html|url-status=dead}}</ref>
Chile was an important center of culture in the ancient Inca empire, and was afterwards dominated by the Spanish.


Chile is one of 22 countries to have signed and ratified the only binding international law concerning indigenous peoples, the [[Indigenous and Tribal Peoples Convention, 1989]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ilo.org/ilolex/cgi-lex/ratifce.pl?C169 |archive-url=http://arquivo.pt/wayback/20091225170052/http://www.ilo.org/ilolex/cgi-lex/ratifce.pl?C169 |url-status=dead |archive-date=25 December 2009 |title=ILOLEX: submits English query |publisher=Ilo.org |date=9 January 2004 }}</ref> It was adopted in 1989 as the [[International Labour Organization]] (ILO) Convention 169. Chile ratified it in 2008. A Chilean court decision in November 2009, considered to be a landmark ruling on indigenous rights, made use of the convention. The Supreme Court decision on Aymara water rights upheld rulings by both the Pozo Almonte tribunal and the Iquique Court of Appeals and marks the first judicial application of ILO Convention 169 in Chile.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.santiagotimes.cl/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=17739:chiles-supreme-court-upholds-indigenous-water-use-rights&catid=19:other&Itemid=142 |title=Chile's Supreme Court Upholds Indigenous Water Use Rights |work=The Santiago Times|date=30 November 2009 |access-date=2 March 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100303200719/http://www.santiagotimes.cl/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=17739:chiles-supreme-court-upholds-indigenous-water-use-rights&catid=19:other&Itemid=142 |archive-date=3 March 2010 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
The national dance is the [[cueca]] (short for ''zamacueca'') and first appeared in [[1824]]. The [[tonada]] is another important form of Chilean traditional song, arising from the music imported by Spanish colonists. It is distinguished from the cueca by an intermediate melodic section and a more prominent melody in general; the tonada is also not danced. In the mid-[[1960s]] native musical forms were revitalized by the [[Parra family]] with the [[Nueva Canci&oacute;n|Nueva Canci&oacute;n Chilena]], which became associated with political activism and reformers like Chilean [[socialism|socialist]] [[Salvador Allende]] and his [[Popular Unity]] government. [[Violeta Parra]], [[V&iacute;ctor Jara]], [[Los Jaivas]], [[Inti-Illimani]], [[Illapu]] and [[Quilapay&uacute;n]] are exhibitors of this music. During the military dictatorship in the [[1970s]], all forms of public expression were repressed, and music circulated in a clandestine manner. In the late [[1980s]] and after the return of democracy in the [[1990s]], new musical bands like [[La Ley]], [[Los Tres]] and [[Los Prisioneros]], began to appear. ''See'': [[Music of Chile]]


The earliest [[Emigration from Europe|European immigrants]] were Spanish colonisers who arrived in the 16th century.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.euskadi.eus/eusko-jaurlaritza/osasun-saila/hasiera/|title=Osasuna Saila - Eusko Jaurlaritza - Euskadi.eus|first=r01e00000fe4e66771ba470b8d4a0e78f58078568|last=r01epd0122e4ed314423e0db04c97a47b5baa317f|website=www.euskadi.eus|access-date=1 April 2021|archive-date=10 April 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210410191534/https://www.euskadi.eus/eusko-jaurlaritza/osasun-saila/hasiera/|url-status=live}}</ref> The Amerindian population of central Chile was absorbed into the [[Spaniards|Spanish]] settler population in the beginning of the colonial period to form the large [[mestizo]] population that exists in Chile today; mestizos create modern middle and lower classes. In the 18th and 19th centuries, many [[Basque Chileans|Basques]] came to Chile where they integrated into the existing elites of [[Castile (historical region)|Castilian]] origin. Postcolonial Chile was never a particularly attractive destination for migrants, owing to its remoteness and distance from Europe.<ref name=Euzko/><ref name="HistoriaContemporaneaDeChile">{{cite book|last1=Salazar Vergara|first1=Gabriel|last2=Pinto|first2=Julio|title=Historia contemporánea de Chile: Actores, identidad y movimiento. II|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Vyx8JQtvU78C&pg=PA78|access-date=14 July 2013|year=1999|publisher=[[Lom Ediciones]]|isbn=978-956-282-174-2|pages=76–81|chapter=La Presencia Inmigrante|archive-date=29 November 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231129020127/https://books.google.com/books?id=Vyx8JQtvU78C&pg=PA78|url-status=live}}</ref> Europeans preferred to stay in countries closer to their homelands instead of taking the long journey through the Straits of Magellan or crossing the Andes.<ref name=Euzko/> European migration did not result in a significant change in the ethnic composition of Chile, except in the [[Magallanes y la Antártica Chilena Region|region of Magellan]].<ref name=C1907>{{cite web|url=http://www.ine.cl/canales/usuarios/cedoc_online/censos/pdf/censo_1907.pdf |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/http://www.ine.cl/canales/usuarios/cedoc_online/censos/pdf/censo_1907.pdf |archive-date=9 October 2022 |url-status=live|title=INE – Error 404|website=ine.cl}}</ref> Spaniards were the only major European migrant group to Chile,<ref name=Euzko>{{cite web |url=http://www.euzkoetxeachile.cl/libros/04-De%20los%20Vascos%20Onati%20y%20los%20Elorza-2.pdf |title=De los Vascos, Oñati y los Elorza |author=Waldo Ayarza Elorza |pages=59, 65, 66 |access-date=13 July 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130819165814/http://www.euzkoetxeachile.cl/libros/04-De%20los%20Vascos%20Onati%20y%20los%20Elorza-2.pdf |archive-date=19 August 2013 |url-status=dead }}</ref> and there was never large-scale immigration such as that to Argentina or Brazil.<ref name="HistoriaContemporaneaDeChile"/> Between 1851 and 1924, Chile only received 0.5% of European immigration to Latin America, compared to 46% to Argentina, 33% to Brazil, 14% to Cuba, and 4% to Uruguay.<ref name=Euzko/> However, it is undeniable that immigrants have played a significant role in Chilean society.<ref name="HistoriaContemporaneaDeChile"/>
Chileans call their country ''Pa&iacute;s de Poetas'' ("land of poets"). The country has produced two [[Nobel Prize in Literature|Nobel Literature]] laureates: [[Gabriela Mistral]] and [[Pablo Neruda]]. Other major poets include: [[Vicente Huidobro]], [[Pablo de Rokha]], [[Maximiliano Ilich Prieto]] , [[Gonzalo Rojas]], [[Jorge Teillier]], [[Enrique Lihn]] and [[Nicanor Parra]]. [[Isabel Allende]], a novelist, has achieved worldwide success with her stories of [[magic realism]] in [[Latin America]]. [[Jorge Edwards]], [[José Donoso]] and [[Roberto Bola&ntilde;o]] are also notable novelists.


Immigrants to Chile during the 19th and 20th centuries came from France,<ref>{{cite journal |last=Parvex |first=R. |date=2014 |url=https://journals.openedition.org/hommesmigrations/2720 |title=Le Chili et les mouvements migratoires |journal=Hommes & Migrations |issue=Nº 1305 |pages=71–76 |doi=10.4000/hommesmigrations.2720 |doi-access=free |access-date=21 July 2020 |archive-date=1 August 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200801043210/https://journals.openedition.org/hommesmigrations/2720 |url-status=live }}</ref> [[Great Britain]],<ref name="Británicos, 700.000">{{cite web |url=http://www.biografiadechile.cl/detalle.php?IdContenido=1673&IdCategoria=91&IdArea=488&TituloPagina=Historia%20de%20Chile |title=Historia de Chile: Otros Artículos. Británicos y Anglosajones en Chile durante el siglo XIX |access-date=16 March 2012 |author=Jorge Sanhueza Aviléz |publisher=Biografía de Chile |archive-date=12 November 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201112003642/http://www.biografiadechile.cl/detalle.php?IdContenido=1673 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Germany,<ref name="Alemanes, 500.000">{{cite news|url=http://www.dw.de/alemanes-en-chile-entre-el-pasado-colono-y-el-presente-empresarial/a-14958983-1|title=Alemanes en Chile: entre el pasado colono y el presente empresarial|publisher=Deustche-Welle|author=Victoria Dannemann|access-date=21 July 2020|archive-date=1 May 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150501162120/http://www.dw.de/alemanes-en-chile-entre-el-pasado-colono-y-el-presente-empresarial/a-14958983-1|url-status=live}}</ref> and [[Croatia]],<ref name="Croatas, 400.000">{{cite web |url=http://www.domovina.cl/inmigrantes-otras.php |title=Inmigración a Chile |publisher=Domivina|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150702225324/http://www.domovina.cl/inmigrantes-otras.php |archive-date=2 July 2015 }}</ref> among others. Descendants of different [[ethnic groups in Europe|European ethnic groups]] often intermarried in Chile. This intermarriage and mixture of cultures and races have helped to shape the present society and culture of the Chilean middle and upper classes.<ref name="deia.com">{{cite web|url=http://www.deia.com/es/impresa/2008/05/22/bizkaia/ekonomia/469496.php |title=entrevista al Presidente de la Cámara vasca |publisher=Deia.com |date=22 May 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090511001812/http://www.deia.com/es/impresa/2008/05/22/bizkaia/ekonomia/469496.php |archive-date=11 May 2009 }}</ref> Also, roughly 500,000 of Chile's population is of full or partial [[Palestinian people|Palestinian origin]],<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.adnkronos.com/AKI/English/CultureAndMedia/?id=1.0.2050534508 |title=Chile: Palestinian refugees arrive to warm welcome |publisher=Adnkronos.com |date=7 April 2003 |access-date=29 October 2009 |archive-date=24 November 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171124194143/http://www1.adnkronos.com/AKI/English/CultureAndMedia/?id=1.0.2050534508 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://laventana.casa.cult.cu/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=514 |title=500,000 descendientes de primera y segunda generación de palestinos en Chile |publisher=Laventana.casa.cult.cu |access-date=13 July 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090722073846/http://laventana.casa.cult.cu/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=514 |archive-date=22 July 2009}}</ref> and 800,000 Arab descents.<ref name="Oriente próximo, 800.000, Palestinos, 500.000">{{cite news |author=Ghosh P. |title=Arabs in the Andes? Chile, The Unlikely Long-Term Home of a Large Palestinian Community |url=http://www.ibtimes.com/arabs-andes-chile-unlikely-long-term-home-large-palestinian-community-1449718 |work=International Business Times |access-date=29 September 2017 |archive-date=23 April 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210423212551/https://www.ibtimes.com/arabs-andes-chile-unlikely-long-term-home-large-palestinian-community-1449718 |url-status=live }}</ref> Chile currently has 1.5 million of Latin American immigrants, mainly from [[Venezuela]], [[Peru]], [[Haiti]], [[Colombia]], [[Bolivia]] and [[Argentina]]; 8% of the total population in 2019, without counting descendants.<ref name="INE-DEM, 2019">[https://www.ine.cl/prensa/2020/03/12/seg%C3%BAn-estimaciones-la-cantidad-de-personas-extranjeras-residentes-habituales-en-chile-bordea-los-1-5-millones-al-31-de-diciembre-de-2019 Estimación de Población Extranjera en Chile, al 31 de diciembre de 2019] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220504115042/https://www.ine.cl/prensa/2020/03/12/seg%C3%BAn-estimaciones-la-cantidad-de-personas-extranjeras-residentes-habituales-en-chile-bordea-los-1-5-millones-al-31-de-diciembre-de-2019 |date=4 May 2022 }}, del Departamento de Extranjería y Migración (DEM) del Instituto Nacional de Estadísticas de Chile (INE), pp. 21. Retrieved 29 Juny 2020.</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.migrationinformation.org/Profiles/display.cfm?ID=199 |title=Chile: Moving Towards a Migration Policy |publisher=Migrationinformation.org |access-date=1 August 2011 |archive-date=15 February 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140215080515/http://migrationinformation.org/Profiles/display.cfm?ID=199 |url-status=live }}</ref> According to the 2002 national census, Chile's foreign-born population has increased by 75% since 1992.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.lanacion.com.ar/nota.asp?nota_id=920108 |title= El debate sobre la inmigración ilegal se extiende a la región |access-date= 31 December 2008 |last= Landaburu |first= Juan |date= 24 June 2007 |work= [[La Nación]] |archive-date= 13 February 2009 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20090213112339/http://www.lanacion.com.ar/nota.asp?nota_id=920108 |url-status= dead }}</ref> As of November 2021, numbers of people entering Chile from elsewhere in Latin America have grown swiftly in the last decade, tripling in the last three years to 1.5 million, with arrivals stemming from humanitarian crises in Haiti (ca. 180,000) and Venezuela (ca 460,000).<ref>{{Cite web|url = https://globalriskinsights.com/2021/11/chilean-election-unlikely-to-halt-new-barriers-to-immigration/|title = Chilean Election Unlikely to Halt New Barriers to Immigration|date = 20 November 2021|access-date = 21 November 2021|archive-date = 21 November 2021|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20211121064647/https://globalriskinsights.com/2021/11/chilean-election-unlikely-to-halt-new-barriers-to-immigration/|url-status = live}}</ref>
Local film production in Chile is small, although it has been growing lately. Important filmmakers include: [[Raúl Ruiz]] (''[[Palomita blanca]]''), [[Miguel Littin]] (''[[El chacal de Nahueltoro]]''), [[Silvio Caiozzi]] (''[[Julio comienza en julio]]''), [[Ricardo Larra&iacute;n]] (''[[La frontera]]''), [[Andr&eacute;s Wood]] (''[[Machuca]]''), [[Alejandro Jodorowsky]] and [[Marcelo Ferrari]] ("[[Sub Terra]]").
{{clear}}


=== Urbanization ===
==National symbols==
About 85% of the country's population lives in urban areas, with 40% living in [[Santiago|Greater Santiago]]. The largest agglomerations according to the 2002 census are Greater Santiago with 5.6 million people, [[Greater Concepción]] with 861,000
[[Image:Copihue.jpg|thumb|100px|A red copihue]]
and [[Greater Valparaíso]] with 824,000.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.observatoriourbano.cl/indurb/pre_ciudades.asp?id_user=0&idComCiu=0|title=List of Chilean cities|publisher=Observatorio Urbano, Ministerio de Vivienda y Urbanismo de Chile|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304031912/http://www.observatoriourbano.cl/indurb/pre_ciudades.asp?id_user=0&idComCiu=0|archive-date=4 March 2016}}</ref>
The national flower is the [[copihue]] (''Lapageria rosea'', Chilean bellflower), which grows in the woods of southern Chile.
{{Largest cities of Chile}}
[[Image:Chile_COA.jpg|thumb|left|Chile's Coat of Arms]]


===Religion===
The [[coat of arms]] depicts the two national animals: the [[condor]] (''Vultur gryphus'', a very large bird that lives in the mountains) and the [[huemul]] (''Hippocamelus bisulcus,'' an endangered white tail deer). It also has the legend ''Por la raz&oacute;n o la fuerza'' (''By reason or by force'').
{{Main|Religion in Chile}}
<br clear=all />
{{bar box
| title = Religious background in Chile (2012 Census)<ref name=CIA>{{Cite CIA World Factbook|country=Chile|access-date=29 January 2017}}</ref><ref name=CENSUS2012>{{cite web|url=https://www.cooperativa.cl/noticias/site/artic/20130425/asocfile/20130425190105/resultados_censo_2012_poblacion_vivienda_tomosiyii.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140415043914/http://www.cooperativa.cl/noticias/site/artic/20130425/asocfile/20130425190105/resultados_censo_2012_poblacion_vivienda_tomosiyii.pdf |archive-date=15 April 2014 |url-status=live|title=Resultados XVIII Censo de Población|date=2012}}</ref>
| titlebar = #ddd
| left1 = Religion
| right1 = Percent
| float = right
| bars =
{{bar percent|[[Catholic Church]]|DarkBlue|66.7}}
{{bar percent|[[Protestantism]]|Skyblue|16.4}}
{{bar percent|[[Irreligion|No religion]]|grey|11.5}}
{{bar percent|Others|Orange|4.5}}
{{bar percent|Unspecified|Black|1.1}}
}}
[[File:Catedral Metropolitana de Santiago 2012-09-01 10-05-15.jpg|thumb|[[Santiago Metropolitan Cathedral]], built between 1748 and 1906]]
[[File:Iglesia de Achao - fachada.JPG|thumb|200px|[[Church of Santa María de Loreto, Achao|Church of Santa María de Loreto of Achao]], built in the 18th century and now a [[World Heritage Site|UNESCO World Heritage]] site. ]]


{{As of|2012}}, 66.6%<ref name="censo.cl">{{cite web|title=Population 15 years of age or older, by religion, region, sex and age groups. (censused population) |url=http://plazapublica.cl/wp-content/uploads/658799.pdf |access-date= 23 March 2018|date= 7 September 2015 |language=es |format=.pdf|url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170207182725/http://plazapublica.cl/wp-content/uploads/658799.pdf |archive-date=7 February 2017}}</ref> of Chilean population over 15 years of age claimed to adhere to the Roman Catholic church, a decrease from the 70%<ref>7,853,428 out of 11,226,309 people over 15 years of age. {{cite web|title=Population 15 years of age or older, by religion, administrative division, sex and age groups|url=http://www.ine.cl/cd2002/cuadros/6/C6_00000.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060519100306/http://www.ine.cl/cd2002/cuadros/6/C6_00000.pdf |archive-date=19 May 2006 |url-status=live|work=Censo 2002|access-date=1 March 2014|language=es}}</ref> reported in the 2002 census. In the same census of 2012, 17% of Chileans reported adherence to an Evangelical church ("Evangelical" in the census referred to all Christian denominations other than the Roman Catholic and [[Eastern Orthodox Church|Orthodox]]—Greek, Persian, Serbian, Ukrainian, and Armenian—churches, [[the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints]], [[Seventh-day Adventists]], and [[Jehovah's Witnesses]]: essentially, those denominations generally still termed "[[Protestants|Protestant]]" in most English-speaking lands, although [[Adventism]] is often considered an Evangelical denomination as well). Approximately 90% of Evangelical Christians are [[Pentecostal]]. but [[Wesleyan Church|Wesleyan]], [[Lutheran]], [[Anglican]], [[Anglicanism|Episcopalian]], [[Presbyterian]], [[Reformed churches|other Reformed]], [[Baptist]], and [[Methodist church]]es also are present amongst Chilean Evangelical churches.<ref name="religiousfreedomreport">{{cite web|url=https://2001-2009.state.gov/g/drl/rls/irf/2008/108518.htm|title=Chile|work=International Religious Freedom Report|publisher=United States Department of State|date=19 September 2008|access-date=22 May 2019|archive-date=4 April 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230404113441/https://2001-2009.state.gov/g/drl/rls/irf/2008/108518.htm|url-status=live}}</ref> Irreligious people, atheists, and agnostics account for around 12% of the population.
== Miscellaneous topics ==


By 2015, the major religion in Chile remained Christianity (68%), with an estimated 55% of Chileans belonging to the Roman Catholic church, 13% to various Evangelical churches, and just 7% adhering to any other religion. Agnostics and atheist were estimated at 25% of the population.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://plazapublica.cl/wp-content/uploads/658799.pdf |title=Track semanal de Opinión Pública |language=es |trans-title=Weekly Public Opinion Track |date=7 September 2015 |access-date=11 December 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170207182725/http://plazapublica.cl/wp-content/uploads/658799.pdf |archive-date=7 February 2017 |url-status=dead}}</ref>
* [[Communications in Chile]]
* [[Transportation in Chile]]
* [[Elections in Chile]]
* [[Foreign relations of Chile]]
* [[List of Chileans]]
* [[Holidays in Chile]]
* [[U.S. intervention in Chile]]


Chile has a [[Baháʼí Faith|Baháʼí]] religious community, and is home to the Baháʼí mother temple, or continental [[Baháʼí House of Worship|House of Worship]], for Latin America. Completed in 2016, it serves as a space for people of all religions and backgrounds to gather, meditate, reflect, and worship.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.huffingtonpost.com/shastri-purushotma/bahai-temple-of-light-ris_b_6242968.html |author-last=Purushotma |author-first=Shastri |title=Breathtaking Baha'i Temple Rises in Chile |website=[[HuffPost]] |agency=HuffPost |date=6 December 2017 |access-date=5 August 2021 |archive-date=5 December 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161205142740/http://www.huffingtonpost.com/shastri-purushotma/bahai-temple-of-light-ris_b_6242968.html |url-status=live }}</ref> It is formed from cast glass and translucent marble and has been described as innovative in its architectural style.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.huffingtonpost.com/shastri-purushotma/bahai-temple-of-light-ris_b_6242968.html |author-last=Purushotma |author-first=Shastri |title=Breathtaking Baha'i Temple Rises in Chile |website=[[HuffPost]] |agency=HuffPost |date=6 December 2017 |access-date=21 February 2019 |archive-date=5 December 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161205142740/http://www.huffingtonpost.com/shastri-purushotma/bahai-temple-of-light-ris_b_6242968.html |url-status=live }}</ref>
== International rankings ==


The Constitution guarantees the right to [[freedom of religion]], and other laws and policies contribute to generally free religious practice. The law at all levels fully protects this right against abuse by either governmental or private actors.<ref name="religiousfreedomreport"/> Church and state are officially [[separation of church and state|separate]] in Chile. A 1999 law on religion prohibits [[religious discrimination]].
* [[Heritage Foundation]]/[[The Wall Street Journal]]: [http://www.heritage.org/research/features/index/ 2005] [[Index of Economic Freedom]], ranked 11 out of 155 countries (first in Latin America)
However, the Roman Catholic church for mostly historical and social reasons enjoys a privileged status and occasionally receives preferential treatment.<ref>Bill Kte'pi, "Chile", in Robert E. Emery, ''Cultural Sociology of Divorce: An Encyclopedia, Volume 1'' (London: Sage, 2013), 266–68. books.google.com/books?id=wzJdSIfeeTQC&pg=PA266
* [[Save the Children]]: [http://www.savethechildren.org/mothers/report_2005/ State of the World's Mothers 2005], ranked 17 out of 110 countries (tied with Argentina) (third in Latin America after Costa Rica and Cuba)
{{ISBN|9781412999588}}</ref> Government officials attend Roman Catholic events as well as major Evangelical and Jewish ceremonies.<ref name="religiousfreedomreport"/>
* [[IMD International]]: [http://www01.imd.ch/wcy/ World Competitiveness Yearbook 2005], ranked 19 out of 60 economies (countries and regions) (first in Latin America)

* [[Transparency International]]: [http://www.transparency.org/pressreleases_archive/2004/2004.10.20.cpi.en.html Corruption Perceptions Index 2004], ranked 20 out of 146 countries (first in Latin America)
The Chilean government treats the religious holidays of Christmas, [[Good Friday]], the [[Our Lady of Mount Carmel|Feast of the Virgin of Carmen]], the [[Feast of Saints Peter and Paul]], the [[Assumption of Mary|Feast of the Assumption]], [[All Saints' Day]], and the [[Feast of the Immaculate Conception]] as [[Public holiday|national holidays]].<ref name="religiousfreedomreport"/> Recently, the government declared 31 October, [[Reformation Day]], to be an additional national holiday, in honor of the Evangelical churches of the country.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.economist.com/world/americas/displaystory.cfm?story_id=12564066 |title=Hola, Luther |newspaper=The Economist|date=6 November 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081210125640/http://www.economist.com/world/americas/displaystory.cfm?story_id=12564066 |archive-date=10 December 2008 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |author=Andrea Henríquez |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/spanish/specials/2007/en_nombre_de_la_fe/newsid_7701000/7701290.stm |title=Los evangélicos tienen su feriado |publisher=BBC Mundo |date=31 October 2008 |access-date=17 December 2009 |archive-date=25 June 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180625104726/http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/spanish/specials/2007/en_nombre_de_la_fe/newsid_7701000/7701290.stm |url-status=live }}</ref>
* [[World Economic Forum]]: [http://www.weforum.org/site/homepublic.nsf/Content/Global+Competitiveness+Programme%5CGlobal+Competitiveness+Report Global Competitiveness Report 2004-2005 - Growth Competitiveness Index Ranking], ranked 22 out of 104 countries (first in Latin America)

* [[The Economist]]: [http://www.economist.com/theworldin/international/displayStory.cfm?story_id=3372495&d=2005 The World in 2005 - Worldwide quality-of-life index, 2005], ranked 31 out of 111 countries (first in Latin America)
The [[patron saint]]s of Chile are [[Our Lady of Mount Carmel]] and [[Saint James the Greater]] (''Santiago'').<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.catholic.org/saints/patron.php?letter=C |title=Patron Saints: 'C' |publisher=Catholic Online |access-date=28 June 2012 |archive-date=9 April 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190409002526/https://www.catholic.org/saints/patron.php?letter=C |url-status=live }}</ref> In 2005, [[Pope Benedict XVI]] canonized [[Alberto Hurtado]], who became the country's second native Roman Catholic saint after [[Teresa de los Andes]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.canonizacion.cl/cano_etapaPH.html |title=Las fechas del proceso de Canonización del Padre Hurtado |language=es |access-date=9 January 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080122033957/http://www.canonizacion.cl/cano_etapaPH.html |archive-date=22 January 2008 |url-status=dead}}</ref>
* [[A.T. Kearney]]/[[Foreign Policy|Foreign Policy Magazine]]: [http://www.atkearney.com/main.taf?p=5,4,1,116 Globalization Index 2005], ranked 34 out of 62 countries (second in Latin America after Panama)

* [[Reporters without borders]]: [http://www.rsf.fr/article.php3?id_article=11715 Third annual worldwide press freedom index (2004)], ranked 42 out of 167 countries (tied with Japan, Namibia and Uruguay) (fourth in Latin America after El Salvador, Dominican Republic and Costa Rica)
=== Languages ===
* [[UNDP]]: [http://hdr.undp.org/reports/global/2004/ Human Development Index 2004], ranked 43 out of 177 countries (second in Latin America after Argentina)
{{Main|Languages of Chile}}
[[File:Mapudungun.jpg|thumb|Chilean [[proverb]] written in [[Mapuche language]] and [[Chilean Spanish]]. The [[Mapudungun alphabet]] used here does not reflect an agreed-upon standard. In fact, there are three distinct alphabets currently used to write the Mapuche language.<ref>Montrul, Silvina. El Bilinguismo En El Mundo Hispanohablante. Hoboken: John Wiley & Sons Inc, 2013. p. 249</ref>]]

The [[Chilean Spanish|Spanish spoken in Chile]] is distinctively accented and quite unlike that of neighboring South American countries because final syllables are often dropped, and some consonants have a soft pronunciation.{{clarify|reason=Which consonants and what kind of soft pronunciation?|date=April 2018}} Accent varies only very slightly from north to south; more noticeable are the differences in accent based on social class or whether one lives in the city or the country. That the Chilean population was largely formed in a small section at the center of the country and then migrated in modest numbers to the north and south helps explain this relative lack of differentiation, which was maintained by the national reach of radio, and now television, which also helps to diffuse and homogenize colloquial expressions.<ref name="countrystudies"/>

There are several indigenous languages spoken in Chile: [[Mapudungun]], [[Aymara language|Aymara]], [[Rapa Nui language|Rapa Nui]], [[Chilean Sign Language]] and (barely surviving) [[Qawasqar language|Qawasqar]] and [[Yaghan language|Yaghan]], along with non-indigenous German, Italian, English, Greek and [[Chilean Quechua|Quechua]]. After the Spanish conquest, Spanish took over as the [[lingua franca]] and the indigenous languages have become minority languages, with some now extinct or close to extinction.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ethnologue.com/show_country.asp?name=CL |title=Ethnologue report for Chile |publisher=Ethnologue.com |access-date=1 August 2011 |archive-date=3 February 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130203004338/http://www.ethnologue.com/show_country.asp?name=CL |url-status=live }}</ref>

German is still spoken to some extent in southern Chile,<ref>{{cite web |author=Oliver Zoellner |url=http://www.research-worldwide.de/article-chile2005.html |title=Oliver Zoellner &#124; Generating Samples of Ethnic Minorities in Chile |publisher=Research-worldwide.de |access-date=17 December 2009 |archive-date=2 December 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091202075142/http://www.research-worldwide.de/article-chile2005.html |url-status=live }}</ref> either in small countryside pockets or as a second language among the communities of larger cities.

Through initiatives such as the [[English Opens Doors|English Opens Doors Program]], the government made English mandatory for students in fifth grade and above in public schools. Most private schools in Chile start teaching English from kindergarten.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/chile/090908/lack-english-proficiency |title=Repeat after me: Hello, my name is |publisher=Globalpost.com |access-date=22 February 2010 |archive-date=11 August 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100811114741/http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/chile/090908/lack-english-proficiency |url-status=live }}</ref> Common English words have been absorbed and appropriated into everyday Spanish speech.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Sáez Godoy |first1=Leopoldo |title=Anglicismos en el español de Chile |trans-title=Anglicisms in Chilean Spanish |language=es |journal=Atenea (Concepción) |date=2005 |issue=492 |pages=171–177 |doi=10.4067/S0718-04622005000200010 |doi-access=free }}</ref>

=== Health ===
{{Main|Healthcare in Chile}}
[[File:Credencial Fonasa.png|thumb|Card of [[Fondo Nacional de Salud|National Health Fund]] (''Fonasa'')]]
The [[Ministry of Health (Chile)|Ministry of Health]] (''Minsal'') is the cabinet-level administrative office in charge of planning, directing, coordinating, executing, controlling and informing the public health policies formulated by the President of Chile. The [[Fondo Nacional de Salud|National Health Fund]] (''Fonasa''), created in 1979, is the financial entity entrusted to collect, manage and distribute state funds for health in Chile. It is funded by the public. All employees pay 7% of their monthly income to the fund.<ref>{{cite web | title = ¿Cuál es la cotización legal para salud de un trabajador activo y en qué plazo deben ser declaradas y pagadas? | website = supersalud.gob.cl | publisher = [[Ministry of Health (Chile)|Superintendence of Health]] | date = | url = http://www.supersalud.gob.cl/consultas/667/w3-article-2908.html | access-date = 26 September 2021 | archive-date = 26 September 2021 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210926171408/http://www.supersalud.gob.cl/consultas/667/w3-article-2908.html | url-status = live }}</ref>

Fonasa is part of the NHSS and has executive power through the [[Ministry of Health (Chile)]]. Its headquarters are in [[Santiago, Chile|Santiago]] and decentralized public service is conducted by various Regional Offices. More than 12 million beneficiaries benefit from Fonasa. Beneficiaries can also opt for more costly private insurance through [[Isapre]].

=== Education ===
{{main|Education in Chile|List of universities in Chile}}
[[File:Casa Central de la Universidad de Chile.jpg|thumb|[[Casa Central de la Universidad de Chile|Casa Central]] of the [[University of Chile]] in Santiago]]
In Chile, education begins with [[preschool]] until the age of 5. [[Primary school]] is provided for children between ages 6 and 13. Students then attend [[secondary school]] until graduation at age 17.

Secondary education is divided into two parts: During the first two years, students receive a general education. Then, they choose a branch: scientific humanistic education, artistic education, or technical and professional education. Secondary school ends two years later on the acquirement of a certificate (licencia de enseñanza media).<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.unevoc.unesco.org/worldtvetdatabase1.php?ct=CHL|title=TVET Country Profiles|website=www.unevoc.unesco.org|access-date=29 April 2014|archive-date=29 April 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140429204820/http://www.unevoc.unesco.org/worldtvetdatabase1.php?ct=CHL|url-status=live}}</ref>

Chilean education is segregated by wealth in a three-tiered system – the quality of the schools reflects socioeconomic backgrounds:
* city schools (colegios municipales) that are mostly free and have the worst education results, mostly attended by poor students;
* subsidized schools that receive some money from the government which can be supplemented by fees paid by the student's family, which are attended by mid-income students and typically get mid-level results; and
* entirely private schools that consistently get the best results. Many private schools charge attendance fees of 0,5 to 1 median household income.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.emol.com/noticias/nacional/2013/12/30/637336/mensualidad-en-colegios-top-10-en-la-psu-supera-los-250-mil.html |title=Mensualidad de los colegios con los mejores puntajes en la PSU supera los mil |publisher=Emol.com |date=30 December 2013 |access-date=18 July 2014 |archive-date=19 July 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140719000507/http://www.emol.com/noticias/nacional/2013/12/30/637336/mensualidad-en-colegios-top-10-en-la-psu-supera-los-250-mil.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

Upon successful graduation of secondary school, students may continue into [[higher education]]. The higher education schools in Chile consist of [[Chilean Traditional Universities]] and are divided into [[Public university|public universities]] or [[Private university|private universities]]. There are [[List of medical schools in South America#Chile|medical schools]] and both the [[Universidad de Chile]] and [[Universidad Diego Portales]] offer [[Legal education|law schools]] in a partnership with [[Yale University]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.law.yale.edu/linkageinchili.htm |title=Program in Chile &#124; Yale Law School |publisher=Law.yale.edu |access-date=22 December 2013 |archive-date=24 December 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131224103311/http://www.law.yale.edu/linkageinchili.htm |url-status=live }}</ref>

==Culture==
{{Main|Culture of Chile|Music of Chile|Chilean cuisine}}
[[File:Zamacueca-Chile.jpg|thumb|''La Zamacueca'', 1873, by Manuel Antonio Caro.]]
From the period between early agricultural settlements and up to the late pre-Columbian period, northern Chile was a region of Andean culture that was influenced by altiplano traditions spreading to the coastal valleys of the north, while southern regions were areas of Mapuche cultural activities. Throughout the colonial period following the conquest, and during the early Republican period, the country's culture was dominated by the Spanish. Other European influences, primarily English, French, and German began in the 19th century and have continued to this day. German migrants influenced the Bavarian style rural architecture and cuisine in the south of Chile in cities such as [[Valdivia]], [[Frutillar]], [[Puerto Varas]], [[Osorno, Chile|Osorno]], [[Temuco]], [[Puerto Octay]], [[Llanquihue Province|Llanquihue]], [[Faja Maisan]], [[Pitrufquén]], [[Victoria, Chile|Victoria]], [[Pucón]] and [[Puerto Montt]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.allsouthernchile.com/southamerica/valdivia-southern-chile-city-guide/index.html |title=Valdivia Chile |publisher=Allsouthernchile.com |access-date=1 August 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090919231219/http://www.allsouthernchile.com/southamerica/valdivia-southern-chile-city-guide/index.html |archive-date=19 September 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|author=International Web Solutions, Inc. <http://www.iwsinc.net> |url=http://www.globaladrenaline.com/latinamerica/chile/ |title=Latin America :: Chile |publisher=Global Adrenaline |access-date=1 August 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110711100623/http://www.globaladrenaline.com/latinamerica/chile/ |archive-date=11 July 2011 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.learnapec.org/index.cfm?action=exploration&cou_id=4 |title=Learning About Each Other |publisher=Learnapec.org |access-date=1 August 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110429020520/http://www.learnapec.org/index.cfm?action=exploration&cou_id=4 |archive-date=29 April 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.country-studies.com/chile/foreign-relations.html |title=Chile Foreign Relations |publisher=Country-studies.com |access-date=1 August 2011 |archive-date=8 July 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110708194324/http://www.country-studies.com/chile/foreign-relations.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

===Music and dance===
[[File:Los_Jaivas_1972.jpg|left|thumb|200px|[[Los Jaivas]], one of the most recognized Chilean rock bands.]]
Music in Chile ranges from folkloric, popular and classical music. Its large geography generates different musical styles in the north, center and south of the country, including also Easter Island and Mapuche music.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.memoriachilena.cl/temas/index.asp?id_ut=elfolclordechileysustresgrandesraices |title=Memoria Chilena |publisher=Memoriachilena.cl |access-date=6 December 2008 |archive-date=12 January 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090112172209/http://www.memoriachilena.cl/temas/index.asp?id_ut=elfolclordechileysustresgrandesraices |url-status=live }}</ref> The national dance is the [[cueca]]. Another form of traditional Chilean song, though not a dance, is the [[tonada]]. Arising from music imported by the Spanish colonists, it is distinguished from the cueca by an intermediate melodic section and a more prominent melody.

From the 1950s to the 1970s, native folk musical forms were revitalized with the {{Lang|es|[[Nueva canción|Nueva canción chilena]]|italic=no}} movement led by composers such as [[Violeta Parra]], [[Raúl de Ramón]] and [[Pedro Messone]], which was also associated with political activists and reformers such as [[Víctor Jara]], [[Inti-Illimani]], and [[Quilapayún]]. Also, many Chilean rock bands like [[Los Jaivas]], [[Los Prisioneros]], [[La Ley (band)|La Ley]], [[Los Tres]] and [[Los Bunkers]] have reached international success, some incorporating strong folk influences, such as Los Jaivas. In February, annual music and comedy festivals are held in [[Viña del Mar]].<ref>{{cite news|last=Martinez|first=Jessica|title=Top Cultural Celebrations and Festivals in Chile|url=http://traveltips.usatoday.com/top-cultural-celebrations-festivals-chile-61003.html|newspaper=USA Today|access-date=27 September 2013|archive-date=8 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200508185540/https://traveltips.usatoday.com/top-cultural-celebrations-festivals-chile-61003.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

===Literature===
{{multiple image
| total_width = 220
| footer = [[Pablo Neruda]] and [[Gabriela Mistral]], Nobel Prize recipients in literature
| image1 = Pablo Neruda 1963.jpg
| alt1 = Pablo Neruda
| image2 = Gabriela Mistral 1945.jpg
| alt2 = Gabriela Mistral
}}
Chile is a ''country of poets''.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.uchile.cl/cultura/poetasjovenes/bianchi26.htm |title=Un mapa por completar: la joven poesia chilena – ¿Por qué tanta y tan variada poesía? |publisher=Uchile.cl |access-date=17 December 2009 |archive-date=10 May 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200510185823/https://www.uchile.cl/cultura/poetasjovenes/bianchi26.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref> [[Gabriela Mistral]] was the first Latin American to receive a [[Nobel Prize in Literature]] (1945). Chile's most famous poet is [[Pablo Neruda]], who received the Nobel Prize for Literature (1971) and is world-renowned for his extensive library of works on romance, nature, and politics. His three highly personalized homes in [[Isla Negra]], Santiago and Valparaíso are popular tourist destinations.

Among the list of other Chilean poets are [[Carlos Pezoa Véliz]], [[Vicente Huidobro]], [[Gonzalo Rojas]], [[Pablo de Rokha]], [[Nicanor Parra]], [[Ivonne Coñuecar]] and [[Raúl Zurita]]. [[Isabel Allende]] is the best-selling Chilean novelist, with 51 million of her novels sold worldwide.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.laht.com/article.asp?ArticleId=346023&CategoryId=13003 |title=Latin American Herald Tribune – Isabel Allende Named to Council of Cervantes Institute |publisher=Laht.com |access-date=14 November 2010 |archive-date=30 April 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110430032920/http://www.laht.com/article.asp?ArticleId=346023&CategoryId=13003 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Novelist [[José Donoso]]'s novel ''[[The Obscene Bird of Night]]'' is considered by critic [[Harold Bloom]] to be one of the canonical works of 20th-century Western literature. Another internationally recognized Chilean novelist and poet is [[Roberto Bolaño]] whose translations into English have had an excellent reception from the critics.<ref>{{Cite news |url=http://www.time.com/time/arts/article/0,8599,1857951,00.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081115083810/http://www.time.com/time/arts/article/0,8599,1857951,00.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=15 November 2008 |magazine=Time |date=10 November 2008 |access-date=28 April 2010 |first=Lev |last=Grossman |author-link= Lev Grossman |title=Bolaño's 2666: The Best Book of 2008}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |author=Sarah Kerr |url=http://www.nybooks.com/articles/22171 |title=The Triumph of Roberto Bolaño |magazine=The New York Review of Books |date=18 December 2008 |access-date=20 February 2010 |archive-date=4 March 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100304074108/http://www.nybooks.com/articles/22171 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/15/books/review/Wood.t.html |work=The New York Times |title=The Visceral Realist |first=James |last=Wood |date=15 April 2007 |access-date=1 April 2010 |archive-date=11 April 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090411144027/http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/15/books/review/Wood.t.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

===Cuisine===
[[File:Asado chileno - Flickr - Marieloreto.jpg|thumb|Chilean ''[[asado]]'' (barbecue) and ''[[marraqueta]]'']]

[[Chilean cuisine]] is a reflection of the country's topographical variety, featuring an assortment of seafood, beef, fruits, and vegetables. Traditional recipes include [[asado]], [[cazuela]], [[empanada]]s, [[humita]]s, [[pastel de choclo]], pastel de papas, [[curanto]], and [[sopaipilla#Chile|sopaipillas]].<ref>{{cite book|author=Maria Baez Kijac|title=The South American Table: The Flavor and Soul of Authentic...|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=LlePAePLlqkC|access-date=14 July 2013|year=2003|publisher=Harvard Common Press|isbn=978-1-55832-249-3|archive-date=29 November 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231129020253/https://books.google.com/books?id=LlePAePLlqkC|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Crudos]] is an example of the mixture of culinary contributions from the various ethnic influences in Chile. The raw minced [[llama]], heavy use of shellfish, and rice bread were taken from native [[Quechua people|Quechua]] Andean cuisine, (although beef, brought to Chile by Europeans, is also used in place of the llama meat), lemon and onions were brought by the Spanish colonists, and the use of [[mayonnaise]] and [[yogurt]] was introduced by German immigrants, as was [[beer]].

===Folklore===
{{Main|Chilean mythology}}
The folklore of Chile, cultural and demographic characteristics of the country, is the result of the mixture of Spanish and Amerindian elements that occurred during the colonial period. Due to cultural and historical reasons, they are classified and distinguished four major areas in the country: northern areas, central, southern and south. Most of the traditions of the [[culture of Chile]] have a festive purpose, but some, such as dances and ceremonies, have religious components.
<ref>Whole paragraph same as in Ravi Jyee et al., eds., World Encyclopaedia of American Countries, vol. 1
New Delhi: Afro-Asian-American Chamber of Commerce Occupational Research and Development, 2016. 179–80.
http://164.100.47.193/Ebooks/Writereaddate/52_2017.pdf {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200203210316/http://164.100.47.193/Ebooks/Writereaddate/52_2017.pdf |date=3 February 2020 }}</ref>

Chilean mythology is the mythology and beliefs of the Folklore of Chile. This includes [[Chilote mythology]], [[Rapa Nui mythology]] and [[Mapuche mythology]].

===Sports===
{{main|Sport in Chile}}
[[File:Inicio del partido Chile - Uruguay, Copa América Chile 2015.jpg|left|thumb|[[Estadio Nacional Julio Martínez Prádanos]]]]

Chile's most popular sport is [[association football]]. Chile has appeared in nine FIFA World Cups which includes hosting the [[1962 FIFA World Cup]] where the [[Chile national football team|national football team]] finished third. Other results achieved by the national football team include two [[Copa América]] titles (2015 and [[Copa América Centenario|2016]]), two runners-up positions, one silver and two bronze medals at the [[Pan American Games]], a bronze medal at the [[2000 Summer Olympics]] and two third places finishes in the FIFA under-17 and under-20 youth tournaments. The top league in the [[Chilean football league system]] is the [[Chilean Primera División]], which is named by the [[International Federation of Football History & Statistics|IFFHS]] as the ninth strongest national football league in the world.<ref name=iffhs>{{cite web |url=http://www.iffhs.de/?b6e28fa3002f71504e52d17f7370eff3702bb1c2bb11 |title=The strongest National League in the World 2011 |work=IFFHS |access-date=18 April 2012 |archive-date=5 November 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181105214658/https://iffhs.de/?b6e28fa3002f71504e52d17f7370eff3702bb1c2bb11 |url-status=live }}</ref>

The main football clubs are [[Colo-Colo]], [[Club Universidad de Chile|Universidad de Chile]] and [[Club Deportivo Universidad Católica|Universidad Católica]]. Colo-Colo is the country's most successful football club, having both the most national and international championships, including the coveted [[Copa Libertadores]] South American club tournament. Universidad de Chile was the last international champion ([[Copa Sudamericana]] 2011).

Tennis is Chile's most successful sport. Its [[Chile Davis Cup team|national team]] won the [[World Team Cup]] clay tournament twice (2003 & 2004), and played the [[Davis Cup]] final against Italy in 1976. At the [[2004 Summer Olympics]] the country captured gold and bronze in men's singles and gold in men's doubles ([[Nicolás Massú]] obtained two gold medals). [[Marcelo Ríos]] became the first Latin American man to reach the number one spot in the [[List of ATP number 1 ranked singles tennis players|ATP singles rankings]] in 1998. [[Anita Lizana]] won the [[US Open (tennis)|US Open]] in 1937, becoming the first woman from Latin America to win a [[Grand Slam (tennis)|Grand Slam]] tournament. [[Luis Ayala (tennis)|Luis Ayala]] was twice a runner-up at the French Open and both Ríos and [[Fernando González]] reached the Australian Open men's singles finals. González also won a silver medal in singles at the [[2008 Summer Olympics]] in Beijing.

At the Summer Olympic Games Chile boasts a total of two gold medals (tennis), seven silver medals (athletics, [[Equestrian at the Summer Olympics|equestrian]], [[boxing]], shooting and tennis) and four bronze medals (tennis, boxing and football). In 2012, Chile won its first Paralympic Games medal (gold in Athletics).

[[File:15 Abril 2015, Ministro Álvaro Elizalde junto a la Presidenta Michelle Bachelet reciben al Equipo Campeón Mundial de Polo en La Moneda. (17160926755).jpg|thumb|The Chilean national polo team with President [[Michelle Bachelet]] and the trophy of the [[2015 World Polo Championship]].]]

[[Chilean rodeo|Rodeo]] is the country's [[national sport]] and is practiced in the more rural areas of the nation. A sport similar to [[hockey]] called ''[[Palin (game)|chueca]]'' was played by the Mapuche people during the Spanish conquest. [[Skiing]] and [[snowboarding]] are practiced at ski centers located in the Central Andes, and in southern ski centers near to cities as Osorno, Puerto Varas, Temuco and Punta Arenas. [[Surfing in Chile|Surfing]] is popular at some coastal towns. [[Polo]] is professionally practiced within Chile, with the country achieving top prize in the 2008 and 2015 [[World Polo Championship]].

[[Basketball]] is a popular sport in which Chile earned a bronze medal in the first men's [[FIBA World Championship]] held in 1950 and won a second bronze medal when Chile hosted the [[1959 FIBA World Championship]]. Chile hosted the first [[FIBA World Championship for Women]] in 1953 finishing the tournament with the silver medal. [[San Pedro de Atacama]] is host to the annual "Atacama Crossing", a six-stage, {{convert|250|km|adj=on|sp=us}} footrace which annually attracts about 150 competitors from 35 countries. The [[Dakar Rally]] [[Off-road racing|off-road automobile race]] has been held in both Chile and [[Argentina]] since 2009.

===Cultural heritage===
The [[cultural heritage]] of Chile consists, first, of its intangible heritage, composed of various cultural events and activities, such as visual arts, crafts, dances, holidays, cuisine, games, music and traditions. Secondly, its tangible heritage consists of those buildings, objects and sites of archaeological, architectural, traditional, artistic, ethnographic, folkloric, historical, religious or technological significance scattered through Chilean territory. Among them, some are declared [[World Heritage Sites]] by [[UNESCO]], in accordance with the provisions of the Convention concerning the Protection of World Cultural and Natural Heritage of 1972, ratified by Chile in 1980. These cultural sites are the [[Rapa Nui National Park]] (1995), the [[Churches of Chiloé]] (2000), [[Valparaíso|the historical district of the port city of Valparaíso]] (2003), [[Humberstone and Santa Laura Saltpeter Works]] (2005) and the mining city [[Sewell, Chile|Sewell]] (2006).

In 1999 ''Cultural Heritage Day'' was established as a way to honour and commemorate Chile's cultural heritage. It is an official national event celebrated in May every year.<ref>{{cite web | title =Día del patrimonio cultural | url =https://www.chileatiende.gob.cl/fichas/40159-dia-del-patrimonio-cultural | website =chileatiende.gob.cl/ | date =14 May 2019 | access-date =13 May 2020 | archive-date =20 June 2020 | archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20200620174316/https://www.chileatiende.gob.cl/fichas/40159-dia-del-patrimonio-cultural | url-status =live }}</ref>

==See also==
{{portal|Chile|Latin America}}
* [[Index of Chile-related articles]]
* [[Outline of Chile]]
* [[COVID-19 pandemic in Chile]]
{{clear}}


==References==
==References==
===Notes===
{{notelist}}
{{Reflist|group=nb}}


===Citations===
* [http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/1981.htm Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs], [[United States Department of State]], April 2005
{{Reflist}}
* [http://lcweb2.loc.gov/frd/cs/cltoc.html Library of Congress country profile]
* [http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/ci.html The (CIA) World Factbook: Chile]


==Further reading==
== External links ==
{{Refbegin}}
{{Commons|Chile|Chile}}
* Christian Balteum: ''The Strip. A Marxist critique of a semicomparador economy'', University of Vermont Press, 2018
=== State resources ===
* Simon Collier and William F. Sater, ''A History of Chile, 1808–1894'', Cambridge University Press, 1996
* [http://www.gobiernodechile.cl/ Gobierno] - Government ([http://www.chileangovernment.cl/ English version])
* Paul W. Drake, and others., ''Chile: A Country Study'', Library of Congress, 1994
** [http://www.presidencia.cl/ Presidencia] - Presidency ([http://www.presidencyofchile.cl/ English version])
* Luis Galdames, ''A History of Chile'', University of North Carolina Press, 1941
** [http://www.interior.cl/ Ministerio del Interior] - Interior Ministry
* {{Cite EB1911|wstitle= Chile | volume= 6 |last1= Lamoureux |first1= Andrew Jackson |author1-link= |last2= and three others |first2= |author2-link= | pages = 142&ndash;160 |short= 1}}
** [http://www.minrel.cl/ Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores] - Ministry of Foreign Affairs
* Brian Lovemen, ''Chile: The Legacy of Hispanic Capitalism'', 3rd ed., Oxford University Press, 2001
* [http://www.congreso.cl/ Congreso Nacional] - National Congress
* John L. Rector, ''The History of Chile'', Greenwood Press, 2003
** [http://www.senado.cl/ Senado] - Senate
** [http://www.camara.cl/ Cámara de Diputados] - Chamber of Deputies
** [http://www.bcn.cl/ Biblioteca del Congreso Nacional] - Library of National Congress
* [http://www.poderjudicial.cl/ Poder Judicial] - Judiciary
*{{wikitravel}}


{{Refend}}
=== General information ===
* [http://www1.lanic.utexas.edu/la/chile/ Several links compiled by LANIC]
* [http://www.chile.com Chile.com]
* [http://www.chile-explorer.com Chile Explorer]
* [http://www.chilephoto.cl/cgi-bin/chilephoto/chilephoto.cgi Pictures]


==External links==
{{South_America}}
{{Sister project links|voy=Chile}}
[[Category:Chile| ]]
*[https://www.gob.cl/en/ Official Chile Government website]
[[Category:South American countries]]
*[https://thisischile.cl ThisIsChile Tourism & Commerce Website] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191220035214/https://www.thisischile.cl/ |date=20 December 2019 }}
*[https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/chile/ Chile]. ''[[The World Factbook]]''. [[Central Intelligence Agency]].
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20081011194320/http://ucblibraries.colorado.edu/govpubs/for/chile.htm Chile] from ''UCB Libraries GovPubs''
*{{Curlie|Regional/South_America/Chile}}
* [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/country_profiles/1222764.stm Chile profile] from the [[BBC News]]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20140116103522/http://www.ubicachile.cl/ Road maps of Chile, interactive]
*[http://wits.worldbank.org/CountryProfile/Country/CHL/Year/2012/Summary World Bank Summary Trade Statistics Chile]
*{{Wikiatlas|Chile}}
*{{osmrelation-inline|167454|bullet=no}}
* [http://www.ifs.du.edu/ifs/frm_CountryProfile.aspx?Country=CL Key Development Forecasts for Chile] from [[International Futures]]
* [http://www.chileculture.org/ Chile Cultural Society]


[[af:Chile]]
{{Chile topics}}
{{Navboxes
[[ar:&#1578;&#1588;&#1610;&#1604;&#1610;]]
| list =
[[bg:&#1063;&#1080;&#1083;&#1080;]]
{{Countries of South America}}
[[ca:Xile]]
{{Pacific Alliance}}
[[cy:Chile]]
{{Andean Community of Nations}}
[[da:Chile]]
{{Organization of American States}}
[[de:Chile]]
{{Union of South American Nations topics}}
[[el:&#935;&#953;&#955;&#942;]]
{{Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development}}
[[eo:&#264;ilio]]
{{G-15 nations}}
[[es:Chile]]
{{Mercosur}}
[[et:T&#353;iili]]
{{Non-Aligned Movement}}
[[fi:Chile]]
}}
[[fr:Chili]]
{{Authority control}}
[[gl:Chile]]

[[he:&#1510;'&#1497;&#1500;&#1492;]]
{{Coord|34|S|71|W|display=title}}
[[hi:&#2330;&#2367;&#2354;&#2368;]]

[[ht:Chili]]
[[ia:Chile]]
[[Category:Chile| ]]
[[id:Chili]]
[[Category:G15 nations]]
[[Category:Former Spanish colonies]]
[[it:Cile]]
[[Category:Republics]]
[[ja:&#12481;&#12522;]]
[[Category:States and territories established in 1818]]
[[ko:&#52832;&#47112;]]
[[Category:Spanish-speaking countries and territories]]
[[ks:Cil&#275;]]
[[Category:Countries in South America]]
[[la:Chilia]]
[[Category:Member states of the United Nations]]
[[lt:&#268;il&#279;]]
[[Category:1818 establishments in South America]]
[[lv:&#268;&#299;le]]
[[hu:Chile]]
[[Category:1818 establishments in Chile]]
[[Category:OECD members]]
[[ms:Chile]]
[[nds:Chile]]
[[nl:Chili]]
[[no:Chile]]
[[pl:Chile]]
[[pt:Chile]]
[[qu:Chili]]
[[ru:&#1063;&#1080;&#1083;&#1080;]]
[[sa:&#2330;&#2367;&#2354;&#2375;]]
[[simple:Chile]]
[[sk:&#268;ile]]
[[sl:&#268;ile]]
[[sv:Chile]]
[[tl:Chile]]
[[uk:&#1063;&#1080;&#1083;&#1110;]]
[[yi:%D7%98%D7%A9%D7%99%D7%9C%D7%A2]]
[[zh:&#26234;&#21033;]]
[[zh-min-nan:Chile]]

Latest revision as of 15:55, 29 April 2024

Republic of Chile
República de Chile (Spanish)
Motto: Por la razón o la fuerza
("By reason or by force")
Anthem: Himno Nacional de Chile
("National Anthem of Chile")
Chilean territory in dark green; claimed but uncontrolled territory in light green
Chilean territory in dark green; claimed but uncontrolled territory in light green
Capital
and largest city
Santiagoa
33°26′S 70°40′W / 33.433°S 70.667°W / -33.433; -70.667
National languageSpanish
Religion
(2018)[1]
  • 21% no religion
  • 1% other
Demonym(s)
GovernmentUnitary presidential republic
• President
Gabriel Boric
Juan Antonio Coloma
Ricardo Cifuentes
Juan Fuentes Belmar
LegislatureNational Congress
Senate
Chamber of Deputies
Independence 
from Spain
18 September 1810
• Declared
12 February 1818
• Recognized
25 April 1844
11 March 1981
Area
• Total
756,101.96[2][3] km2 (291,932.60 sq mi) (37th)
• Water (%)
2.1 (as of 2015)[4]
Population
• 2023 estimate
19,629,588[5] (65th)
• Density
24/km2 (62.2/sq mi) (198th)
GDP (PPP)2023 estimate
• Total
Increase $597.520 billion[6] (45th)
• Per capita
Increase $29,934[6] (64th)
GDP (nominal)2023 estimate
• Total
Increase $344.400 billion[6] (45th)
• Per capita
Increase $17,253[6] (62nd)
Gini (2021)Negative increase 46[7]
high
HDI (2022)Increase 0.860[8]
very high (44th)
CurrencyChilean peso (CLP)
Time zoneUTC−4 and −6 (CLT and EASTc)
• Summer (DST)
UTC-3 and −5
April to September
Driving sideright
Calling code+56
ISO 3166 codeCL
Internet TLD.cl
  1. Legislature is based in Valparaíso.
  2. Includes Easter Island and Isla Salas y Gómez; does not include 1,250,000 square kilometres (480,000 sq mi) of territory claimed in Antarctica.

Chile,[a] officially the Republic of Chile,[b] is a country in western South America. It is the southernmost country in the world and the closest to Antarctica, stretching along a narrow strip of land between the Andes Mountains and the Pacific Ocean. With an area of 756,102 square kilometers (291,933 sq mi)[3] and a population of 17.5 million as of 2017,[10] Chile shares borders with Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage to the south. The country also controls several Pacific islands, including Juan Fernández, Isla Salas y Gómez, Desventuradas, and Easter Island, and claims about 1,250,000 square kilometers (480,000 sq mi) of Antarctica as the Chilean Antarctic Territory.[nb 2] The capital and largest city of Chile is Santiago, and the national language is Spanish.

Spain conquered and colonized the region in the mid-16th century, replacing Inca rule, but failed to conquer the independent Mapuche people who inhabited what is now south-central Chile. Chile emerged as a relatively stable authoritarian republic in the 1830s after their 1818 declaration of independence from Spain. During the 19th century, Chile experienced significant economic and territorial growth, putting an end to Mapuche resistance in the 1880s and gaining its current northern territory in the War of the Pacific (1879–83) by defeating Peru and Bolivia. In the 20th century, up until the 1970s, Chile underwent a process of democratization[11][12] and experienced rapid population growth and urbanization,[13] while relying increasingly on exports from copper mining to support its economy.[14][15] During the 1960s and 1970s, the country was marked by severe left-right political polarization and turmoil, which culminated in the 1973 Chilean coup d'état that overthrew Salvador Allende's democratically elected left-wing government. This was followed by a 16-year right-wing military dictatorship under Augusto Pinochet, which resulted in more than 3,000 deaths or disappearances.[16] The regime ended in 1990, following a referendum in 1988, and was succeeded by a center-left coalition, which ruled until 2010.

Chile has a high-income economy and is one of the most economically and socially stable nations in South America, leading Latin America in competitiveness, per capita income, globalization, peace, and economic freedom.[17] Chile also performs well in the region in terms of sustainability of the state and democratic development,[18] and boasts the second lowest homicide rate in the Americas, following only Canada. Chile is a founding member of the United Nations, the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC), and the Pacific Alliance, and joined the OECD in 2010.

Etymology

There are various theories about the origin of the word Chile. According to 17th-century Spanish chronicler Diego de Rosales,[19] the Incas called the valley of the Aconcagua Chili by corruption of the name of a Picunche tribal chief (cacique) called Tili, who ruled the area at the time of the Incan conquest in the 15th century.[20][21] Another theory points to the similarity of the valley of the Aconcagua with that of the Casma Valley in Peru, where there was a town and valley named Chili.[21]

Other theories say Chile may derive its name from a Native American word meaning either 'ends of the earth' or 'sea gulls';[22] from the Mapuche word chilli, which may mean 'where the land ends'"[23] or from the Quechua chiri, 'cold',[24] or tchili, meaning either 'snow'[24][25] or "the deepest point of the Earth".[26] Another origin attributed to chilli is the onomatopoeic cheele-cheele—the Mapuche imitation of the warble of a bird locally known as trile.[23][27]

The Spanish conquistadors heard about this name from the Incas, and the few survivors of Diego de Almagro's first Spanish expedition south from Peru in 1535–36 called themselves the "men of Chilli".[23] Ultimately, Almagro is credited with the universalization of the name Chile, after naming the Mapocho valley as such.[21] The older spelling "Chili" was in use in English until the early 20th century before switching to "Chile".[28]

History

Early history

The Chinchorro mummies, the oldest of which are from around 5050 BCE.
Lautaro, Mapuche indigenous leader during the Arauco War, by P. Subercaseaux

Stone tool evidence indicates humans sporadically frequented the Monte Verde valley area as long as 18,500 years ago. About 10,000 years ago, migrating Indigenous peoples settled in fertile valleys and coastal areas of what is present-day Chile. Settlement sites from very early human habitation include Monte Verde, Cueva del Milodón and the Pali-Aike Crater's lava tube.[29]

The Incas briefly extended their empire into what is now northern Chile, but the Mapuche (or Araucanians as they were known by the Spaniards) successfully resisted many attempts by the Inca Empire to subjugate them, despite their lack of state organization.[30] They fought against the Sapa Inca Tupac Yupanqui and his army. The result of the bloody three-day confrontation known as the Battle of the Maule was that the Inca conquest of the territories of Chile ended at the Maule river.[31]

Spanish colonization

Kingdom of Chile in 1775 according to Chilean historiography. The next year the Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata was created and the territories of the cities of Mendoza and San Juan got transferred from Chile to the new entity.[32][33][34][35]

In 1520, while attempting to circumnavigate the globe, Ferdinand Magellan discovered the southern passage now named after him (the Strait of Magellan) thus becoming the first European to set foot on what is now Chile. The next Europeans to reach Chile were Diego de Almagro and his band of Spanish conquistadors, who came from Peru in 1535 seeking gold. The Spanish encountered various cultures that supported themselves principally through slash-and-burn agriculture and hunting.[31]

The conquest of Chile began in earnest in 1540 and was carried out by Pedro de Valdivia, one of Francisco Pizarro's lieutenants, who founded the city of Santiago on 12 February 1541. Although the Spanish did not find the extensive gold and silver they sought, they recognized the agricultural potential of Chile's central valley, and Chile became part of the Spanish Empire.[31]

Conquest took place gradually, and the Europeans suffered repeated setbacks. A massive Mapuche insurrection that began in 1553 resulted in Valdivia's death and the destruction of many of the colony's principal settlements. Subsequent major insurrections took place in 1598 and in 1655. Each time the Mapuche and other native groups revolted, the southern border of the colony was driven northward. The abolition of slavery by the Spanish crown in 1683 was done in recognition that enslaving the Mapuche intensified resistance rather than cowing them into submission. Despite royal prohibitions, relations remained strained from continual colonialist interference.[36]

Cut off to the north by desert, to the south by the Mapuche, to the east by the Andes Mountains, and to the west by the ocean, Chile became one of the most centralized, homogeneous territories in Spanish America. Serving as a sort of frontier garrison, the colony found itself with the mission of forestalling encroachment by both the Mapuche and Spain's European enemies, especially the English and the Dutch. Buccaneers and pirates menaced the colony in addition to the Mapuche, as was shown by Sir Francis Drake's 1578 raid on Valparaíso, the colony's principal port. Chile hosted one of the largest standing armies in the Americas, making it one of the most militarized of the Spanish possessions, as well as a drain on the treasury of the Viceroyalty of Peru.[23]

Pedro Lira's 1888 painting of the founding of Santiago by Pedro de Valdivia at Huelén Hill.

The first general census was conducted by the government of Agustín de Jáuregui between 1777 and 1778; it indicated that the population consisted of 259,646 inhabitants: 73.5% of European descent, 7.9% mestizos, 8.6% indigenous peoples and 9.8% blacks. Francisco Hurtado, Governor of the province of Chiloé, conducted a census in 1784 and found the population consisted of 26,703 inhabitants, 64.4% of whom were whites and 33.5% of whom were natives. The Diocese of Concepción conducted a census in areas south of the Maule river in 1812, but did not include the indigenous population or the inhabitants of the province of Chiloé. The population is estimated at 210,567, 86.1% of whom were Spanish or of European descent, 10% of whom were indigenous and 3.7% of whom were mestizos, blacks and mulattos.[37]

A 2021 study by Baten and Llorca-Jaña shows that regions with a relatively high share of North European migrants developed faster in terms of numeracy, even if the overall number of migrants was small. This effect might be related to externalities: the surrounding population adopted a similar behavior as the small non-European immigrant group, and new schools were created. Ironically, there might have been positive spillover effects from the educational investment made by migrants, at the same time numeracy might have been reduced by the greater inequality in these regions. However, the positive effects of immigration were apparently stronger.[38]

Independence and nation building

Generals José de San Martín (left) and Bernardo O'Higgins (right) during the crossing of the Andes.

In 1808, Napoleon's enthronement of his brother Joseph as the Spanish King precipitated the drive by Chile for independence from Spain. A national junta in the name of Ferdinand – heir to the deposed king – was formed on 18 September 1810. The Government Junta of Chile proclaimed an autonomous government for Chile within the Spanish monarchy (in memory of this day, Chile celebrates its National Day on 18 September each year).

After these events, a movement for total independence, under the command of José Miguel Carrera (one of the most renowned patriots) and his two brothers Juan José and Luis Carrera, soon gained a wider following. Spanish attempts to re-impose arbitrary rule during what was called the Reconquista led to a prolonged struggle, including infighting from Bernardo O'Higgins, who challenged Carrera's leadership.

Intermittent warfare continued until 1817. With Carrera in prison in Argentina, O'Higgins and anti-Carrera cohort José de San Martín, hero of the Argentine War of Independence, led an army that crossed the Andes into Chile and defeated the royalists. On 12 February 1818, Chile was proclaimed an independent republic. The political revolt brought little social change, however, and 19th-century Chilean society preserved the essence of the stratified colonial social structure, which was greatly influenced by family politics and the Roman Catholic Church. A strong presidency eventually emerged, but wealthy landowners remained powerful.[31] Bernardo O'Higgins once planned to expand Chile by liberating the Philippines from Spain and incorporating the islands. In this regard he tasked the Scottish naval officer, Lord Thomas Cochrane, in a letter dated 12 November 1821, expressing his plan to conquer Guayaquil, the Galapagos Islands, and the Philippines. There were preparations, but the plan did not push through because O' Higgins was exiled.[39]

Chile slowly started to expand its influence and to establish its borders. By the Tantauco Treaty, the archipelago of Chiloé was incorporated in 1826. The economy began to boom due to the discovery of silver ore in Chañarcillo, and the growing trade of the port of Valparaíso, which led to conflict over maritime supremacy in the Pacific with Peru. At the same time, attempts were made to strengthen sovereignty in southern Chile intensifying penetration into Araucanía and colonizing Llanquihue with German immigrants in 1848. Through the founding of Fort Bulnes by the Schooner Ancud under the command of John Williams Wilson, the Magallanes Region started to be controlled by country in 1843, while the Antofagasta Region, at the time in dispute with Bolivia, began to fill with people.

Painting of Diego Portales. The Constitution of 1833 has been seen as the embodiement of the "Portalian thought".

After the Chilean Civil War of 1829–1830 in which the conservatives won, under the Joaquín Prieto Administration, the Chilean Constitution of 1833 was written and put into effect with high influence from the triple minister Diego Portales.

Two other civil wars happen in Chile in the 1850s, one in 1851 and the other one in 1859.

The Battle of Iquique on 21 May 1879. The victory of Chile in the War of the Pacific allowed its expansion into new territories.
Arturo Prat, considered a national hero from the War of the Pacific.
Territorial losses of the Republic of Chile de jure (by law) according to Chilean historiography.[40]

Toward the end of the 19th century, the government in Santiago consolidated its position in the south by the Occupation of Araucanía. The Boundary treaty of 1881 between Chile and Argentina confirmed Chilean sovereignty over the Strait of Magellan but also made the country to renounce to its claims in the rest of East Patagonia after a dispute that started in 1842.[41] As a result of the War of the Pacific with Peru and Bolivia (1879–83), Chile expanded its territory northward by almost one-third, eliminating Bolivia's access to the Pacific, and acquired valuable nitrate deposits, the exploitation of which led to an era of national affluence. Chile had joined the stand as one of the high-income countries in South America by 1870.[42]

Chilean Navy Captain Policarpo Toro.

On 9 September 1888, Chile took possession of Easter Island by the signing of a mutual will agreement with the local king, thanks to the efforts of the Bishop of Tahiti, Monsignor José María Verdier since the island was constantly attacked by slave merchants. The naval officer Policarpo Toro represented the Chilean Government and Atamu Tekena was the head of the Council of Rapanui. The Rapa Nui elders ceded sovereignty, without renouncing their titles as chiefs, the ownership of their lands, the validity of their culture and traditions and on equal terms. The Rapa Nui sold nothing, they were integrated in equal conditions to Chile.[43]

The 1891 Chilean Civil War brought about a redistribution of power between the President and Congress, and Chile established a parliamentary style democracy. However, the Civil War had also been a contest between those who favored the development of local industries and powerful Chilean banking interests, particularly the House of Edwards which had strong ties to foreign investors. Soon after, the country engaged in a vastly expensive naval arms race with Argentina that nearly led to war, as well because of the Puna de Atacama dispute.

After the War of the Pacific, Chile became a Naval Power in the Americas, even sending a ship in protests in the Panama crisis of 1885 against the United States intervention in the then Colombian territory. The United States and Chile had the Baltimore crisis which almost became a war as Chile was a potential threat to the intentions of hegemony from the United States in the Western Hemisphere.[44]

20th century

Chile's Almirante Latorre dreadnought in 1921

In 1902 Chile and Argentina received the result from the arbitral award of the Andes resolved by the British Crown.

In 1903 the Puna de Atacama dispute was solved.

In 1904 Chile and Bolivia sign a Treaty of Peace and Friendship which clarified the border between both countries.

The Chilean economy partially degenerated into a system protecting the interests of a ruling oligarchy. By the 1920s, the emerging middle and working classes were powerful enough to elect a reformist president, Arturo Alessandri, whose program was frustrated by a conservative congress. In the 1920s, Marxist groups with strong popular support arose.[31]

A military coup led by General Luis Altamirano in 1924 set off a period of political instability that lasted until 1932. Of the ten governments that held power in that period, the longest lasting was that of General Carlos Ibáñez del Campo, who briefly held power in 1925 and then again between 1927 and 1931 in what was a de facto dictatorship (although not really comparable in harshness or corruption to the type of military dictatorship that have often bedeviled the rest of Latin America).[45][46]

By relinquishing power to a democratically elected successor, Ibáñez del Campo retained the respect of a large enough segment of the population to remain a viable politician for more than thirty years, in spite of the vague and shifting nature of his ideology. When constitutional rule was restored in 1932, a strong middle-class party, the Radicals, emerged. It became the key force in coalition governments for the next 20 years. During the period of Radical Party dominance (1932–52), the state increased its role in the economy. In 1952, voters returned Ibáñez del Campo to office for another six years. Jorge Alessandri succeeded Ibáñez del Campo in 1958, bringing Chilean conservatism back into power democratically for another term.

The 1964 presidential election of Christian Democrat Eduardo Frei Montalva by an absolute majority initiated a period of major reform. Under the slogan "Revolution in Liberty", the Frei administration embarked on far-reaching social and economic programs, particularly in education, housing, and agrarian reform, including rural unionization of agricultural workers. By 1967, however, Frei encountered increasing opposition from leftists, who charged that his reforms were inadequate, and from conservatives, who found them excessive. At the end of his term, Frei had not fully achieved his party's ambitious goals.[31]

Salvador Allende

In the 1970 election, Senator Salvador Allende of the Socialist Party of Chile (then part of the "Popular Unity" coalition which included the Communists, Radicals, Social-Democrats, dissident Christian Democrats, the Popular Unitary Action Movement, and the Independent Popular Action),[31] achieved a partial majority in a plurality of votes in a three-way contest, followed by candidates Radomiro Tomic for the Christian Democrat Party and Jorge Alessandri for the Conservative Party. Allende was not elected with an absolute majority, receiving fewer than 35% of the votes.

The Chilean Congress conducted a runoff vote between the leading candidates, Allende and former president Jorge Alessandri, and, keeping with tradition, chose Allende by a vote of 153 to 35. Frei refused to form an alliance with Alessandri to oppose Allende, on the grounds that the Christian Democrats were a workers' party and could not make common cause with the right wing.[47][48]

An economic depression that began in 1972 was exacerbated by capital flight, plummeting private investment, and withdrawal of bank deposits in response to Allende's socialist program. Production fell and unemployment rose. Allende adopted measures including price freezes, wage increases, and tax reforms, to increase consumer spending and redistribute income downward.[49] Joint public-private public works projects helped reduce unemployment.[50][page needed] Much of the banking sector was nationalized. Many enterprises within the copper, coal, iron, nitrate, and steel industries were expropriated, nationalized, or subjected to state intervention. Industrial output increased sharply and unemployment fell during the Allende administration's first year.[50]

Allende's program included advancement of workers' interests,[50][51] replacing the judicial system with "socialist legality",[52] nationalization of banks and forcing others to bankruptcy,[52] and strengthening "popular militias" known as MIR.[52] Started under former President Frei, the Popular Unity platform also called for nationalization of Chile's major copper mines in the form of a constitutional amendment. The measure was passed unanimously by Congress. As a result,[53] the Richard Nixon administration organized and inserted secret operatives in Chile, in order to swiftly destabilize Allende's government.[54] In addition, US financial pressure restricted international economic credit to Chile.[55]

The economic problems were also exacerbated by Allende's public spending, financed mostly through printing money, and by poor credit ratings given by commercial banks.[56] Simultaneously, opposition media, politicians, business guilds and other organizations helped to accelerate a campaign of domestic political and economical destabilization, some of which was backed by the United States.[55][57] By early 1973, inflation was out of control. On 26 May 1973, Chile's Supreme Court, which was opposed to Allende's government, unanimously denounced Allende's disruption of the legality of the nation. Although illegal under the Chilean constitution, the court supported and strengthened Pinochet's soon-to-be seizure of power.[52][58]

Pinochet era (1973–1990)

Fighter jets bombing the Presidential Palace of La Moneda during the Chilean coup of 1973

A military coup overthrew Allende on 11 September 1973. As the armed forces bombarded the presidential palace, Allende apparently committed suicide.[59][60] After the coup, Henry Kissinger told U.S. president Richard Nixon that the United States had "helped" the coup.[61]

A military junta, led by General Augusto Pinochet, took control of the country. The first years of the regime were marked by human rights violations. Chile actively participated in Operation Condor.[62] In October 1973, at least 72 people were murdered by the Caravan of Death.[63] According to the Rettig Report and Valech Commission, at least 2,115 were killed,[64] and at least 27,265[65] were tortured (including 88 children younger than 12 years old).[65] In 2011, Chile recognized an additional 9,800 victims, bringing the total number of killed, tortured or imprisoned for political reasons to 40,018.[66] At the national stadium, filled with detainees, one of those tortured and killed was internationally known poet-singer Víctor Jara (see "Music and Dance", below).

Augusto Pinochet

A new Constitution was approved by a controversial plebiscite on 11 September 1980, and General Pinochet became president of the republic for an eight-year term. After Pinochet obtained rule of the country, several hundred committed Chilean revolutionaries joined the Sandinista army in Nicaragua, guerrilla forces in Argentina or training camps in Cuba, Eastern Europe and Northern Africa.[67]

In the late 1980s, largely as a result of events such as the 1982 economic collapse[68] and mass civil resistance in 1983–88, the government gradually permitted greater freedom of assembly, speech, and association, to include trade union and political activity.[69] The government launched market-oriented reforms with Hernán Büchi as Minister of Finance. Chile moved toward a free market economy that saw an increase in domestic and foreign private investment, although the copper industry and other important mineral resources were not opened to competition. In a plebiscite on 5 October 1988, Pinochet was denied a second eight-year term as president (56% against 44%). Chileans elected a new president and the majority of members of a bicameral congress on 14 December 1989. Christian Democrat Patricio Aylwin, the candidate of a coalition of 17 political parties called the Concertación, received an absolute majority of votes (55%).[70] President Aylwin served from 1990 to 1994, in what was considered a transition period.

21st century

Five presidents of Chile since Transition to democracy (1990–2022), celebrating the Bicentennial of Chile

In December 1993, Christian Democrat Eduardo Frei Ruiz-Tagle, the son of previous president Eduardo Frei Montalva, led the Concertación coalition to victory with an absolute majority of votes (58%).[71] Frei Ruiz-Tagle was succeeded in 2000 by Socialist Ricardo Lagos, who won the presidency in an unprecedented runoff election against Joaquín Lavín of the rightist Alliance for Chile.[72] In January 2006, Chileans elected their first female president, Michelle Bachelet Jeria, of the Socialist Party, defeating Sebastián Piñera, of the National Renewal party, extending the Concertación governance for another four years.[73][74] In January 2010, Chileans elected Sebastián Piñera as the first rightist President in 20 years, defeating former President Eduardo Frei Ruiz-Tagle of the Concertación, for a four-year term succeeding Bachelet. Due to term limits, Sebastián Piñera did not stand for re-election in 2013, and his term expired in March 2014 resulting in Michelle Bachelet returning to office.[75] Sebastián Piñera succeeded Bachelet again in 2018 as the President of Chile after winning the December 2017 presidential election.[76][77]

On 27 February 2010, Chile was struck by an 8.8 Mw earthquake, the fifth largest ever recorded at the time. More than 500 people died (most from the ensuing tsunami) and over a million people lost their homes. The earthquake was also followed by multiple aftershocks.[78] Initial damage estimates were in the range of US$15–30 billion, around 10% to 15% of Chile's real gross domestic product.[79]

Chile achieved global recognition for the successful rescue of 33 trapped miners in 2010. On 5 August 2010, the access tunnel collapsed at the San José copper and gold mine in the Atacama Desert near Copiapó in northern Chile, trapping 33 men 700 meters (2,300 ft) below ground. A rescue effort organized by the Chilean government located the miners 17 days later. All 33 men were brought to the surface two months later on 13 October 2010 over a period of almost 24 hours, an effort that was carried on live television around the world.[80]

View of the 2019–2022 Chilean protests towards Plaza Baquedano, Santiago

2019–20 Chilean protests are a series of country-wide protests in response to a rise in the Santiago Metro's subway fare, the increased cost of living, privatization and inequality prevalent in the country.[81] On 15 November, most of the political parties represented in the National Congress signed an agreement to call a national referendum in April 2020 regarding the creation of a new Constitution, later postponed to October due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[82] On 25 October 2020, Chileans voted 78.28 per cent in favor of a new constitution, while 21.72 per cent rejected the change. Voter turnout was 51 percent. An election for the members of the Constitutional Convention was held in Chile between 15 and 16 May 2021.[83]

On 19 December 2021, a leftist candidate, the 35-year-old former student protest leader Gabriel Boric, won Chile's presidential election to become the country's youngest ever leader.[84] On 11 March 2022, Boric was sworn in as president to succeed outgoing President Sebastian Piñera.[85] Out of 24 members of Gabriel Boric's female-majority Cabinet, 14 are women.[86]

On 4 September 2022, voters rejected the new constitution proposal in the constitutional referendum, which was put forward by the left-leaning Constitutional Convention.[87] On 17 December 2023, voters rejected a second new constitution proposal in a new constitutional referendum, written by the conservative-led Constitutional Council.[88][89][90]

Geography

Map of Tricontinental Chile with possessions in South America (mainland), Oceania (Easter Island), and Antarctica (Chilean Antarctic Territory) as well as the presential sea, exclusive economic zone, the contiguous zone, the continental shelves and the external parts of these.

A long and narrow coastal Southern Cone country on the west side of the Andes Mountains, Chile stretches over 4,300 km (2,670 mi) north to south, but only 350 km (217 mi) at its widest point east to west[91] and 64 km (40 mi) at its narrowest point east to west, with an average width of 175 km (109 mi). This encompasses a remarkable variety of climates and landscapes. It contains 756,950 square kilometers (292,260 sq mi) of land area. It is situated within the Pacific Ring of Fire. Excluding its Pacific islands and Antarctic claim, Chile lies between latitudes 17° and 56°S, and longitudes 66° and 75°W.

Chile is among the longest north–south countries in the world. If one considers only mainland territory, Chile is unique within this group in its narrowness from east to west, with the other long north–south countries (including Brazil, Russia, Canada, and the United States, among others) all being wider from east to west by a factor of more than 10. Chile also claims 1,250,000 km2 (480,000 sq mi) of Antarctica as part of its territory (Chilean Antarctic Territory). However, this latter claim is suspended under the terms of the Antarctic Treaty, of which Chile is a signatory.[92] It is the world's southernmost country that is geographically on the mainland.[93]

Chile controls Easter Island and Sala y Gómez Island, the easternmost islands of Polynesia, which it incorporated to its territory in 1888, and the Juan Fernández Islands, more than 600 km (370 mi) from the mainland. Also controlled but only temporarily inhabited (by some local fishermen) are the small islands of San Ambrosio and San Felix. These islands are notable because they extend Chile's claim to territorial waters out from its coast into the Pacific Ocean.[94]

The northern Atacama Desert contains great mineral wealth, primarily copper and nitrates. The relatively small Central Valley, which includes Santiago, dominates the country in terms of population and agricultural resources. This area is also the historical center from which Chile expanded in the late 19th century when it integrated the northern and southern regions. Southern Chile is rich in forests, grazing lands, and features a string of volcanoes and lakes. The southern coast is a labyrinth of fjords, inlets, canals, twisting peninsulas, and islands. The Andes Mountains are located on the eastern border.

Topography

Topographic map of Chile

Chile is located along a highly seismic and volcanic zone, part of the Pacific Ring of Fire, due to the subduction of the Nazca and Antarctic plates in the South American plate. In the late Paleozoic, 251 million years ago, Chile belonged to the continental block called Gondwana. It was just a depression that accumulated marine sediments began to rise at the end of the Mesozoic, 66 million years ago, due to the collision between the Nazca and South American plates, resulting in the Andes. The territory would be shaped over millions of years by the folding of the rocks, forming the current relief.

The Chilean relief consists of the central depression, which crosses the country longitudinally, flanked by two mountain ranges that make up about 80% of the territory: the Andes mountains to the east-natural border with Bolivia and Argentina in the region of Atacama and the Coastal Range west-minor height from the Andes. Chile's highest peak is the Nevado Ojos del Salado, at 6891.3 m, which is also the highest volcano in the world. The highest point of the Coastal Range is Vicuña Mackenna, at 3114 meters, located in the Sierra Vicuña Mackenna, the south of Antofagasta. Among the coastal mountains and the Pacific is a series of coastal plains, of variable length, which allow the settlement of coastal towns and big ports. Some areas of the plains territories encompass territory east of the Andes, and the Patagonian steppes and Magellan, or are high plateaus surrounded by high mountain ranges, such as the Altiplano or Puna de Atacama.

The Far North is the area between the northern boundary of the country and the parallel 26° S, covering the first three regions. It is characterized by the presence of the Atacama desert, the most arid in the world. The desert is fragmented by streams that originate in the area known as the pampas Tamarugal. The Andes, split in two and whose eastern arm runs through Bolivia, has a high altitude and volcanic activity, which has allowed the formation of the Andean altiplano and salt structures as the Salar de Atacama, due to the gradual accumulation of sediments over time.

To the south is the Norte Chico, extending to the Aconcagua river. Los Andes begin to decrease its altitude to the south and closer to the coast, reaching 90 km away at the height of Illapel, the narrowest part of the Chilean territory. The two mountain ranges intersect, virtually eliminating the intermediate depression. The existence of rivers flowing through the territory allows the formation of transverse valleys, where agriculture has developed strongly in recent times, while the coastal plains begin to expand.

Amalia Glacier, located in Bernardo O'Higgins National Park

The Central area is the most populated region of the country. The coastal plains are wide and allow the establishment of cities and ports along the Pacific. The Andes maintain altitudes above 6000m but descend slowly in height to 4000 meters on average. The intermediate depression reappears becoming a fertile valley that allows agricultural development and human settlement, due to sediment accumulation. To the south, the Cordillera de la Costa reappears in the range of Nahuelbuta while glacial sediments create a series of lakes in the area of La Frontera.

Patagonia extends from within Reloncavi, at the height of parallel 41°S, to the south. During the last glaciation, this area was covered by ice that strongly eroded Chilean relief structures. As a result, the intermediate depression sinks in the sea, while the coastal mountains rise to a series of archipelagos, such as Chiloé and the Chonos, disappearing in Taitao peninsula, in the parallel 47°S. The Andes mountain range loses height and erosion caused by the action of glaciers has caused fjords. East of the Andes, on the continent, or north of it, on the island of Tierra del Fuego are located relatively flat plains, which in the Strait of Magellan cover large areas. The Andes, as he had done previously Cordillera de la Costa, begins to break in the ocean causing a myriad of islands and islets and disappear into it, sinking and reappearing in the Southern Antilles arc and then the Antarctic Peninsula, where it is called Antartandes, in the Chilean Antarctic Territory, lying between the meridians 53°W and 90°W.

In the middle of the Pacific, the country has sovereignty over several islands of volcanic origin, collectively known as Insular Chile. The archipelago of Juan Fernandez and Easter Island is located in the fracture zone between the Nazca plate and the Pacific plate known as East Pacific Rise.

Climate and hydrography

Chile map of Köppen climate classification.

The diverse climate of Chile ranges from the world's driest desert in the north—the Atacama Desert—through a Mediterranean climate in the center, tropical in Easter Island,[95] to an oceanic climate, including alpine tundra and glaciers in the east and south.[16] According to the Köppen system, Chile within its borders hosts at least eighteen major climatic subtypes.[96] There are four seasons in most of the country: summer (December to February), autumn (March to May), winter (June to August), and spring (September to November).

Due to the characteristics of the territory, Chile is crossed by numerous rivers generally short in length and with low flow rates. They commonly extend from the Andes to the Pacific Ocean, flowing from East to West. Because of the Atacama desert, in the Norte Grande there are only short endorheic character streams, except for the Loa River, the longest in the country 440 km.[97] In the high valleys, wetland areas generate Chungará Lake, located at 4500 meters above sea level. It and the Lauca River are shared with Bolivia, as well as the Lluta River. In the center-north of the country, the number of rivers that form valleys of agricultural importance increases. Noteworthy are the Elqui with 75 km[97] long, 142 km Aconcagua, Maipo with 250 km[97] and its tributary, the Mapocho with 110 km, and Maule with 240 km. Their waters mainly flow from Andean snowmelt in the summer and winter rains. The major lakes in this area are the artificial lake Rapel, the Colbun Maule lagoon and the lagoon of La Laja.

Biodiversity

Araucaria araucana trees in Conguillío National Park.

The flora and fauna of Chile are characterized by a high degree of endemism, due to its particular geography. In continental Chile, the Atacama Desert in the north and the Andes mountains to the east are barriers that have led to the isolation of flora and fauna. Add to that the enormous length of Chile (over 4,300 km (2,672 mi)) and this results in a wide range of climates and environments that can be divided into three general zones: the desert provinces of the north, central Chile, and the humid regions of the south.

The native flora of Chile consists of relatively fewer species compared to the flora of other South American countries. The northernmost coastal and central region is largely barren of vegetation, approaching the most absolute desert in the world.[98] On the slopes of the Andes, in addition to the scattered tola desert brush, grasses are found. The central valley is characterized by several species of cacti, the hardy espinos, the Chilean pine, the southern beeches and the copihue, a red bell-shaped flower that is Chile's national flower.[98]

In southern Chile, south of the Biobío River, heavy precipitation has produced dense forests of laurels, magnolias, and various species of conifers and beeches, which become smaller and more stunted to the south.[99] The cold temperatures and winds of the extreme south preclude heavy forestation. Grassland is found in East Magallanes Province and northern Tierra del Fuego (in Patagonia). Much of the Chilean flora is distinct from that of neighboring Argentina, indicating that the Andean barrier existed during its formation.[99]

Andean condor (Vultur gryphus), the national bird of Chile.

Some of Chile's flora has an Antarctic origin due to land bridges which formed during the Cretaceous ice ages, allowing plants to migrate from Antarctica to South America.[100] Chile had a 2018 Forest Landscape Integrity Index mean score of 7.37/10, ranking it 43rd globally out of 172 countries.[101]

Just over 3,000 species of fungi are recorded in Chile,[102][103] but this number is far from complete. The true total number of fungal species occurring in Chile is likely to be far higher, given the generally accepted estimate that only about 7 percent of all fungi worldwide have so far been discovered.[104] Although the amount of available information is still very small, a first effort has been made to estimate the number of fungal species endemic to Chile, and 1995 species have been tentatively identified as possible endemics of the country.[105]

Chile's geographical isolation has restricted the immigration of faunal life so that only a few of the many distinctive South American animals are found. Among the larger mammals are the puma or cougar, the llama-like guanaco and the fox-like chilla. In the forest region, several types of marsupials and a small deer known as the pudu are found.[98]

There are many species of small birds, but most of the larger common Latin American types are absent. Few freshwater fish are native, but North American trout have been successfully introduced into the Andean lakes.[98] Owing to the vicinity of the Humboldt Current, ocean waters abound with fish and other forms of marine life, which in turn support a rich variety of waterfowl, including several penguins. Whales are abundant, and some six species of seals are found in the area.[98]

Government and politics

The Colonial Neoclassical Palacio de La Moneda in Santiago, built between 1784 and 1805, is the seat of the President of Chile.
National Congress of Chile in the port city of Valparaíso
The Palace of Justice in Santiago

The current Constitution of Chile was drafted by Jaime Guzmán in 1980[106] and subsequently approved via a national plebiscite—regarded as "highly irregular" by some observers[107]—in September of that year, under the military dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet. It entered into force in March 1981. After Pinochet's defeat in the 1988 plebiscite, the constitution was amended to ease provisions for future amendments to the Constitution. In September 2005, President Ricardo Lagos signed into law several constitutional amendments passed by Congress. These include eliminating the positions of appointed senators and senators for life, granting the President authority to remove the commanders-in-chief of the armed forces, and reducing the presidential term from six to four years.[108]

Chile's judiciary is independent and includes a court of appeal, a system of military courts, a constitutional tribunal, and the Supreme Court of Chile. In June 2005, Chile completed a nationwide overhaul of its criminal justice system.[109] The reform has replaced inquisitorial proceedings with an adversarial system with greater similarity to that of common law jurisdictions such as the United States.

For parliamentary elections, between 1989 and 2013 the binominal system was used, which promoted the establishment of two majority political blocs -Concertación and Alliance- at the expense of the exclusion of non-majority political groups. The opponents of this system approved in 2015 a moderate proportional electoral system that has been in force since the 2017 parliamentary elections, allowing the entry of new parties and coalitions. The Congress of Chile has a 50-seat Senate and a 155-member Chamber of Deputies. Senators serve for eight years with staggered terms, while deputies are elected every 4 years. The last congressional elections were held on 21 November 2021, concurrently with the presidential election. The Congress is located in the port city of Valparaíso, about 140 kilometers (90 miles) west of the capital, Santiago.

The main existing political coalitions in Chile are:

Government:

Opposition:

In the National Congress, Chile Vamos has 52 deputies and 24 senators, while the parliamentary group of Apruebo Dignidad is formed by 37 deputies and 6 senators. Democratic Socialism is the third political force with 30 deputies and 13 senators. The other groups with parliamentary representation are the Republican Party (15 deputies and 1 senator), the Christian Democratic Party (8 deputies and 5 senators), the Party of the People (8 deputies) and the independents outside of a coalition (5 deputies and 1 senator).

Foreign relations

State of Chile's international relations in the world:
  Chile
  Country with diplomatic relations and Chilean embassy in the country.
  Country with diplomatic relations and an embassy in Chile, but no Chilean embassy.
  Country with diplomatic relations but without ambassadors.
  Country with no diplomatic relations currently.

Since the early decades after independence, Chile has always had an active involvement in foreign affairs. In 1837, the country aggressively challenged the dominance of Peru's port of Callao for preeminence in the Pacific trade routes, defeating the short-lived alliance between Peru and Bolivia, the Peru–Bolivian Confederation (1836–39) in the War of the Confederation. The war dissolved the confederation while distributing power in the Pacific. A second international war, the War of the Pacific (1879–83), further increased Chile's regional role, while adding considerably to its territory.[23]

During the 19th century, Chile's commercial ties were primarily with Britain, a nation that had a major influence on the formation of the Chilean navy. The French, influenced Chile's legal and educational systems and had a decisive impact on Chile, through the architecture of the capital in the boom years at the turn of the 20th century. German influence came from the organization and training of the army by Prussians.[23]

On 26 June 1945, Chile participated as a founding member of the United Nations being among 50 countries that signed the United Nations Charter in San Francisco, California.[110][111] With the military coup of 1973, Chile became isolated politically as a result of widespread human rights abuses.[23]

Since its return to democracy in 1990, Chile has been an active participant in the international political arena. Chile completed a two-year non-permanent position on the UN Security Council in January 2005. Jose Miguel Insulza, a Chilean national, was elected Secretary General of the Organization of American States in May 2005 and confirmed in his position, being re-elected in 2009. Chile is currently serving on the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Board of Governors, and the 2007–2008 chair of the board is Chile's ambassador to the IAEA, Milenko E. Skoknic. The country is an active member of the UN family of agencies and participates in UN peacekeeping activities. It was re-elected as a member of the UN Human Rights Council in 2011 for a three-year term.[112] It was also elected to one of five non-permanent seats on the UN Security Council in 2013.[113] Chile hosted the Defense Ministerial of the Americas in 2002 and the APEC summit and related meetings in 2004. It also hosted the Community of Democracies ministerial in April 2005 and the Ibero-American Summit in November 2007. An associate member of Mercosur and a full member of APEC, Chile has been a major player in international economic issues and hemispheric free trade.[31]

Military

Karel Doorman-class frigate of Chilean Navy
F-16 Fighting Falcon of Chilean Air Force

The Armed Forces of Chile are subject to civilian control exercised by the president through the Minister of Defense. The president has the authority to remove the commanders-in-chief of the armed forces.[31]

The commander-in-chief of the Chilean Army is Army General Ricardo Martínez Menanteau. The Chilean Army is 45,000 strong and is organized with an Army headquarters in Santiago, six divisions throughout its territory, an Air Brigade in Rancagua, and a Special Forces Command in Colina. The Chilean Army is one of the most professional and technologically advanced armies in Latin America.[31]

Admiral Julio Leiva Molina directs the around 25,000-person Chilean Navy,[114] including 2,500 Marines. Of the fleet of 29 surface vessels, only eight are operational major combatants (frigates). Those ships are based in Valparaíso.[115] The Navy operates its own aircraft for transport and patrol; there are no Navy fighter or bomber aircraft. The Navy also operates four submarines based in Talcahuano.[31][116]

Air Force General (four-star) Jorge Rojas Ávila heads the 12,500-strong Chilean Air Force. Air assets are distributed among five air brigades headquartered in Iquique, Antofagasta, Santiago, Puerto Montt, and Punta Arenas. The Air Force also operates an airbase on King George Island, Antarctica. The Air Force took delivery of the final two of ten F-16s, all purchased from the U.S., in March 2007 after several decades of U.S. debate and previous refusal to sell. Chile also took delivery in 2007 of a number of reconditioned Block 15 F-16s from the Netherlands, bringing to 18 the total of F-16s purchased from the Dutch.[31]

After the military coup in September 1973, the Chilean national police (Carabineros) were incorporated into the Defense Ministry. With the return of democratic government, the police were placed under the operational control of the Interior Ministry but remained under the nominal control of the Defense Ministry. Gen. Gustavo González Jure is the head of the national police force of 40,964[117] men and women who are responsible for law enforcement, traffic management, narcotics suppression, border control, and counter-terrorism throughout Chile.[31]

In 2017, Chile signed the UN treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons.[118]

Administrative divisions

In 1978 Chile was administratively divided into regions,[119] and in 1979 subdivided into provinces and these into communes.[120][121] In total the country has 16 regions,[122][123] 56 provinces and 348 communes.[124]

Each region was designated by a name and a Roman numeral assigned from north to south, except for the Santiago Metropolitan Region, which did not have a number. The creation of two new regions in 2007, Arica and Parinacota (XV) and Los Ríos (XIV), and a third region in 2018, Ñuble (XVI) made this numbering lose its original order meaning.

Map of Regions of Chile
Administrative divisions of Chile
Region[119][122][123] Population[10] Area (km2)[2] Density Capital
Arica y Parinacota 224 548 16 873,3 13,40 Arica
Tarapacá 324 930 42 225,8 7,83 Iquique
Antofagasta 599 335 126 049,1 4,82 Antofagasta
Atacama 285 363 75 176,2 3,81 Copiapó
Coquimbo 742 178 40 579,9 18,67 La Serena
Valparaíso 1 790 219 16 396,1 110,75 Valparaíso
Santiago Metropolitan 7 036 792 15 403,2 461,77 Santiago
Libertador General Bernardo O'Higgins 908 545 16 387 54,96 Rancagua
Maule 1 033 197 30 296,1 34,49 Talca
Ñuble 480 609 13 178.5 36.47 Chillán
Biobío 1 556 805 23 890,2 112,08 Concepción
Araucanía 938 626 31 842,3 30,06 Temuco
Los Ríos 380 181 18 429,5 20,88 Valdivia
Los Lagos 823 204 48 583,6 17,06 Puerto Montt
Aysén del General Carlos Ibáñez del Campo 102 317 108 494,4 0,95 Coyhaique
Magallanes and Chilean Antarctica 165 593 132 297,2(1) 1,26 Punta Arenas
Chile 17 373 831 756 102,4(2) 23,24 Santiago
(1) Including the Chilean Antarctic Territory, its surface reaches 1 382 554,8 km2
(2) Including the Chilean Antarctic Territory, its surface reaches 2 006 360 km2

National symbols

The national flower is the copihue (Lapageria rosea, Chilean bellflower), which grows in the woods of southern Chile.

The coat of arms depicts the two national animals: the condor (Vultur gryphus, a very large bird that lives in the mountains) and the huemul (Hippocamelus bisulcus, an endangered white tail deer). It also has the legend Por la razón o la fuerza (By reason or by force).

The flag of Chile consists of two equal horizontal bands of white (top) and red; there is a blue square the same height as the white band at the hoist-side end of the white band; the square bears a white five-pointed star in the center representing a guide to progress and honor; blue symbolizes the sky, white is for the snow-covered Andes, and red stands for the blood spilled to achieve independence. The flag of Chile is similar to the Flag of Texas, although the Chilean flag is 21 years older. However, like the Texan flag, the flag of Chile is modeled after the Flag of the United States.[125]

Economy

Santiago Stock Exchange

The Central Bank of Chile in Santiago serves as the central bank for the country. The Chilean currency is the Chilean peso (CLP). Chile is one of South America's most stable and prosperous nations,[16] leading Latin American nations in human development, competitiveness, globalization, economic freedom, and low perception of corruption.[17] Since July 2013, Chile is considered by the World Bank as a "high-income economy".[126][127][128]

The think tank The Heritage Foundation states that Chile has the highest degree of economic freedom in South America (ranking 22nd worldwide), owing to its independent and efficient judicial system and prudent public finance management.[129] In May 2010 Chile became the first South American country to join the OECD.[130] In 2006, Chile became the country with the highest nominal GDP per capita in Latin America.[131] As of 2020, Chile ranks third in Latin America (behind Uruguay and Panama) in nominal GDP per capita.

Copper mining makes up 20% of Chilean GDP and 60% of exports.[132] Escondida is the largest copper mine in the world, producing over 5% of global supplies.[132] Overall, Chile produces a third of the world's copper.[132] Codelco, the state mining firm, competes with private copper mining companies.[132]

Sound economic policies, maintained consistently since the 1980s, have contributed to steady economic growth in Chile and have more than halved poverty rates.[133][31] Chile began to experience a moderate economic downturn in 1999. The economy remained sluggish until 2003, when it began to show clear signs of recovery, achieving 4.0% GDP growth.[134] The Chilean economy finished 2004 with growth of 6%. Real GDP growth reached 5.7% in 2005 before falling back to 4% in 2006. GDP expanded by 5% in 2007.[31] Faced with the financial crisis of 2007–2008 the government announced an economic stimulus plan to spur employment and growth, and despite the Great Recession, aimed for an expansion of between 2% and 3% of GDP for 2009. Nonetheless, economic analysts disagreed with government estimates and predicted economic growth at a median of 1.5%.[135] Real GDP growth in 2012 was 5.5%. Growth slowed to 4.1% in the first quarter of 2013.[136]

Gran Torre Costanera and Titanium La Portada (background) skyscrapers in Sanhattan

The unemployment rate was 7.8% in 2022, according to The World Bank.[137] There are reported labor shortages in agriculture, mining, and construction.[136] The percentage of Chileans with per capita household incomes below the poverty line—defined as twice the cost of satisfying a person's minimal nutritional needs—fell from 45.1% in 1987 to 11.5% in 2009, according to government surveys.[138][139] Critics in Chile, however, argue that true poverty figures are considerably higher than those officially published.[140] Using the relative yardstick favoured in many European countries, 27% of Chileans would be poor, according to Juan Carlos Feres of the ECLAC.[141]

As of November 2012, about 11.1 million people (64% of the population) benefit from government welfare programs,[142][clarification needed] via the "Social Protection Card", which includes the population living in poverty and those at a risk of falling into poverty.[143] The privatized national pension system (AFP) has encouraged domestic investment and contributed to an estimated total domestic savings rate of approximately 21% of GDP.[144] Under the compulsory private pension system, most formal sector employees pay 10% of their salaries into privately managed funds.[31]

Chile has signed free trade agreements (FTAs) with a whole network of countries, including an FTA with the United States that was signed in 2003 and implemented in January 2004.[145] Internal Government of Chile figures show that even when factoring out inflation and the recent high price of copper, bilateral trade between the U.S. and Chile has grown over 60% since then.[31] Chile's total trade with China reached US$8.8 billion in 2006, representing nearly 66% of the value of its trade relationship with Asia.[31] Exports to Asia increased from US$15.2 billion in 2005 to US$19.7 billion in 2006, a 29.9% increase.[31] Year-on-year growth of imports was especially strong from a number of countries: Ecuador (123.9%), Thailand (72.1%), South Korea (52.6%), and China (36.9%).[31]

Chile's approach to foreign direct investment is codified in the country's Foreign Investment Law. Registration is reported to be simple and transparent, and foreign investors are guaranteed access to the official foreign exchange market to repatriate their profits and capital.[31] The Chilean Government has formed a Council on Innovation and Competition, hoping to bring in additional FDI to new parts of the economy.[31]

Standard & Poor's gives Chile a credit rating of AA−.[146] The Government of Chile continues to pay down its foreign debt, with public debt only 3.9% of GDP at the end of 2006.[31] The Chilean central government is a net creditor with a net asset position of 7% of GDP at end 2012.[136] The current account deficit was 4% in the first quarter of 2013, financed mostly by foreign direct investment.[136] 14% of central government revenue came directly from copper in 2012.[136] Chile was ranked 52nd in the Global Innovation Index in 2023[147]

Mineral resources

Chuquicamata, the largest open pit copper mine in the world

Chile is rich in mineral resources, especially copper and lithium. It is thought that due to the importance of lithium for batteries for electric vehicles and stabilization of electric grids with large proportions of intermittent renewables in the electricity mix, Chile could be strengthened geopolitically. However, this perspective has also been criticized for underestimating the power of economic incentives for expanded production in other parts of the world.[148]

The country was, in 2019, the world's largest producer of copper,[149] iodine[150] and rhenium,[151] the second largest producer of lithium[152] and molybdenum,[153] the sixth largest producer of silver,[154] the seventh largest producer of salt,[155] the eighth largest producer of potash,[156] the thirteenth producer of sulfur[157] and the thirteenth producer of iron ore[158] in the world. The country also has considerable gold production: between 2006 and 2017, the country produced annual amounts ranging from 35.9 tonnes in 2017 to 51.3 tonnes in 2013.[159]

Agriculture

Vineyard in Puente Alto

Agriculture in Chile encompasses a wide range of different activities due to its particular geography, climate and geology and human factors. Historically agriculture is one of the bases of Chile's economy. Now agriculture and allied sectors like forestry, logging and fishing account for only 4.9% of the GDP as of 2007 and employ 13.6% of the country's labor force. Chile is one of the 5 largest world producers of cherry and blueberry, and one of the 10 largest world producers of grape, apple, kiwi, peach, plum and hazelnut, focusing on exporting high-value fruits.[160] Some other major agriculture products of Chile include pears, onions, wheat, maize, oats, garlic, asparagus, beans, beef, poultry, wool, fish, timber and hemp. Due to its geographical isolation and strict customs policies Chile is free from diseases and pests such as mad cow disease, fruit fly and Phylloxera. This, its location in the Southern Hemisphere, which has quite different harvesting times from the Northern Hemisphere, and its wide range of agriculture conditions are considered Chile's main comparative advantages. However, Chile's mountainous landscape limits the extent and intensity of agriculture so that arable land corresponds only to 2.62% of the total territory. Chile currently utilizes 14,015 Hectares of agricultural land.[161]

Chile is the world's second largest producer of salmon, after Norway. In 2019, it was responsible for 26% of the global supply.[162] In wine, Chile is usually among the 10 largest producers in the world. In 2018 it was in 6th place.[163]

Tourism

Valparaíso city, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Torres del Paine National Park in Chilean Patagonia
Pre-Columbian Moais, human figures dated between 1250 and 1500 in the Easter Island.

Tourism in Chile has experienced sustained growth over the last few decades. In 2005, tourism grew by 13.6%, generating more than 4.5 billion dollars of which 1.5 billion was attributed to foreign tourists. According to the National Service of Tourism (Sernatur), 2 million people a year visit the country. Most of these visitors come from other countries in the American continent, mainly Argentina; followed by a growing number from the United States, Europe, and Brazil with a growing number of Asians from South Korea and China.[164]

The main attractions for tourists are places of natural beauty situated in the extreme zones of the country: San Pedro de Atacama, in the north, is very popular with foreign tourists who arrive to admire the Incaic architecture, the altiplano lakes, and the Valley of the Moon.[citation needed] In Putre, also in the north, there is the Chungará Lake, as well as the Parinacota and the Pomerape volcanoes, with altitudes of 6,348 m and 6,282 m, respectively. Throughout the central Andes there are many ski resorts of international repute,[citation needed] including Portillo, Valle Nevado and Termas de Chillán.

The main tourist sites in the south are national parks (the most popular is Conguillío National Park in the Araucanía)[165] and the coastal area around Tirúa and Cañete with the Isla Mocha and the Nahuelbuta National Park, Chiloé Archipelago and Patagonia, which includes Laguna San Rafael National Park, with its many glaciers, and the Torres del Paine National Park. The central port city of Valparaíso, which is World Heritage with its unique architecture, is also popular.[166] Finally, Easter Island in the Pacific Ocean is one of the main Chilean tourist destinations.

For locals, tourism is concentrated mostly in the summer (December to March), and mainly in the coastal beach towns.[citation needed] Arica, Iquique, Antofagasta, La Serena and Coquimbo are the main summer centers in the north, and Pucón on the shores of Lake Villarrica is the main center in the south. Because of its proximity to Santiago, the coast of the Valparaíso Region, with its many beach resorts, receives the largest number of tourists. Viña del Mar, Valparaíso's more affluent northern neighbor, is popular because of its beaches, casino, and its annual song festival, the most important musical event in Latin America.[citation needed] Pichilemu in the O'Higgins Region is widely known as South America's "best surfing spot" according to Fodor's.[citation needed]

In November 2005 the government launched a campaign under the brand "Chile: All Ways Surprising" intended to promote the country internationally for both business and tourism.[167] Museums in Chile such as the Chilean National Museum of Fine Arts built in 1880, feature works by Chilean artists.

Chile is home to the world-renowned Patagonian Trail that resides on the border between Argentina and Chile. Chile recently launched a massive scenic route for tourism in hopes of encouraging development based on conservation. The Route of Parks covers 1,740 miles (2,800 km) and was designed by Tompkin Conservation (founders Douglas Tompkins and wife Kristine).[168]

Transport

Route 68 at the junction with Route 60

Due to Chile's topography a functioning transport network is vital to its economy. In 2020, Chile had 85,984 km (53,428 mi) of highways, with 21,289 km (13,228 mi) paved.[169] In the same year, the country had 3,347 km (2,080 mi) of duplicated highways, the second largest network in South America, after Brazil.[170] Since the mid-1990s, there has been a significant improvement in the country's roads, through bidding processes that allowed the construction of an efficient road network, with emphasis on the duplication of continuous 1,950 km (1,212 mi) of the Panamerican Highway (Chile Route 5) between Puerto Montt and Caldera (in addition to the planned duplication in the Atacama Desert area),[171] the excerpts in between Santiago, Valparaiso and the Central Coast, and the northern access to Concepción and the large project of the Santiago urban highways network, opened between 2004 and 2006.[172] Buses are now the main means of long-distance transportation in Chile, following the decline of its railway network.[173] The bus system covers the entire country, from Arica to Santiago (a 30-hour journey) and from Santiago to Punta Arenas (about 40 hours, with a change at Osorno).

Chile has a total of 372 runways (62 paved and 310 unpaved). Important airports in Chile include Chacalluta International Airport (Arica), Diego Aracena International Airport (Iquique), Andrés Sabella Gálvez International Airport (Antofagasta), Carriel Sur International Airport (Concepción), El Tepual International Airport (Puerto Montt), Presidente Carlos Ibáñez del Campo International Airport (Punta Arenas), La Araucanía International Airport (Temuco), Mataveri International Airport (Easter Island), the most remote airport in the world, as defined by distance to another airport, and the Arturo Merino Benítez International Airport (Santiago) with a traffic of 12,105,524 passengers in 2011. Santiago is headquarters of Latin America's largest airline holding company and Chilean flag carrier LATAM Airlines.

Internet and telecommunications

Torre Entel in Santiago de Chile, with the Andes mountains in the background

Chile has a telecommunication system which covers much of the country, including Chilean insular and Antarctic bases. Privatization of the telephone system began in 1988; Chile has one of the most advanced telecommunications infrastructure in South America with a modern system based on extensive microwave radio relay facilities and a domestic satellite system with 3 earth stations.[133] In 2012, there were 3.276 million main lines in use and 24.13 million mobile cellular telephone subscribers.[133]

According to a 2012 database of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), 61.42% of the Chilean population uses the internet, making Chile the country with the highest internet penetration in South America.[174]

The Chilean internet country code is ".cl".[175] In 2017 the government of Chile launched its first cyber security strategy, which receives technical support from the Organization of American States (OAS) Cyber Security Program of the Inter-American Committee against Terrorism (CICTE).[176]

Energy

Wind farm near Canela, Chile

Chile's total energy supply (TES) was 23.0GJ per capita in 2020.[177] Energy in Chile is dominated by fossil fuels, with coal, oil and gas accounting for 73.4% of the total primary energy. Biofuels and waste account for another 20.5% of primary energy supply, with the rest sourced from hydro and other renewables.[177]

Electricity consumption was 68.90 TWh in 2014. Main sources of electricity in Chile are hydroelectricity, gas, oil and coal. Renewable energy in the forms of wind and solar energy are also coming into use, encouraged by collaboration since 2009 with the United States Department of Energy. The electricity industry is privatized with ENDESA as the largest company in the field.

In 2021, Chile had, in terms of installed renewable electricity, 6,807 MW in hydropower (28th largest in the world), 3,137 MW in wind power (28th largest in the world), 4,468 MW in solar (22nd largest in the world), and 375 MW in biomass.[178] As the Atacama Desert has the highest solar irradiation in the world, and Chile has always had problems obtaining oil, gas and coal (the country basically does not produce them, so it has to import them), renewable energy is seen as the solution for the country's shortcomings in the energy field.[179][180]

Demographics

Chile's 2017 census reported a population of 17,574,003. Its rate of population growth has been decreasing since 1990, due to a declining birth rate.[181] By 2050 the population is expected to reach approximately 20.2 million people.[182]

Ancestry and ethnicity

Mapuche women of Tirúa
Chileans with flags of Chile

Mexican professor Francisco Lizcano, of the National Autonomous University of Mexico, estimated that 52.7% of Chileans were white, 39.3% were mestizo, and 8% were Amerindian.[183]

In 1984, a study called Sociogenetic Reference Framework for Public Health Studies in Chile, from the Revista de Pediatría de Chile determined an ancestry of 67.9% European, and 32.1% Native American.[184][185] In 1994, a biological study determined that the Chilean composition was 64% European and 35% Amerindian.[186] The recent study in the Candela Project establishes that the genetic composition of Chile is 52% of European origin, with 44% of the genome coming from Native Americans (Amerindians), and 4% coming from Africa, making Chile a primarily mestizo country with traces of African descent present in half of the population.[187] Another genetic study conducted by the University of Brasilia in several South American countries shows a similar genetic composition for Chile, with a European contribution of 51.6%, an Amerindian contribution of 42.1%, and an African contribution of 6.3%.[188] In 2015 another study established genetic composition in 57% European, 38% Native American, and 2.5% African.[189]

A public health booklet from the University of Chile states that 35% of the population is of Caucasian origin; "predominantly White" Mestizos are estimated to amount to a total of 65%, while Native Americans (Amerindians) comprise the remaining 5%.[190]

Despite the genetic considerations, many Chileans, if asked, would self-identify as White. The 2011 Latinobarómetro survey asked respondents in Chile what race they considered themselves to belong to. Most answered "White" (59%), while 25% said "Mestizo" and 8% self-classified as "indigenous".[191] A 2002 national poll revealed that a majority of Chileans believed they possessed some (43.4%) or much (8.3%) "indigenous blood", while 40.3% responded that they had none.[192]

Chile is one of 22 countries to have signed and ratified the only binding international law concerning indigenous peoples, the Indigenous and Tribal Peoples Convention, 1989.[193] It was adopted in 1989 as the International Labour Organization (ILO) Convention 169. Chile ratified it in 2008. A Chilean court decision in November 2009, considered to be a landmark ruling on indigenous rights, made use of the convention. The Supreme Court decision on Aymara water rights upheld rulings by both the Pozo Almonte tribunal and the Iquique Court of Appeals and marks the first judicial application of ILO Convention 169 in Chile.[194]

The earliest European immigrants were Spanish colonisers who arrived in the 16th century.[195] The Amerindian population of central Chile was absorbed into the Spanish settler population in the beginning of the colonial period to form the large mestizo population that exists in Chile today; mestizos create modern middle and lower classes. In the 18th and 19th centuries, many Basques came to Chile where they integrated into the existing elites of Castilian origin. Postcolonial Chile was never a particularly attractive destination for migrants, owing to its remoteness and distance from Europe.[196][197] Europeans preferred to stay in countries closer to their homelands instead of taking the long journey through the Straits of Magellan or crossing the Andes.[196] European migration did not result in a significant change in the ethnic composition of Chile, except in the region of Magellan.[198] Spaniards were the only major European migrant group to Chile,[196] and there was never large-scale immigration such as that to Argentina or Brazil.[197] Between 1851 and 1924, Chile only received 0.5% of European immigration to Latin America, compared to 46% to Argentina, 33% to Brazil, 14% to Cuba, and 4% to Uruguay.[196] However, it is undeniable that immigrants have played a significant role in Chilean society.[197]

Immigrants to Chile during the 19th and 20th centuries came from France,[199] Great Britain,[200] Germany,[201] and Croatia,[202] among others. Descendants of different European ethnic groups often intermarried in Chile. This intermarriage and mixture of cultures and races have helped to shape the present society and culture of the Chilean middle and upper classes.[203] Also, roughly 500,000 of Chile's population is of full or partial Palestinian origin,[204][205] and 800,000 Arab descents.[206] Chile currently has 1.5 million of Latin American immigrants, mainly from Venezuela, Peru, Haiti, Colombia, Bolivia and Argentina; 8% of the total population in 2019, without counting descendants.[207][208] According to the 2002 national census, Chile's foreign-born population has increased by 75% since 1992.[209] As of November 2021, numbers of people entering Chile from elsewhere in Latin America have grown swiftly in the last decade, tripling in the last three years to 1.5 million, with arrivals stemming from humanitarian crises in Haiti (ca. 180,000) and Venezuela (ca 460,000).[210]

Urbanization

About 85% of the country's population lives in urban areas, with 40% living in Greater Santiago. The largest agglomerations according to the 2002 census are Greater Santiago with 5.6 million people, Greater Concepción with 861,000 and Greater Valparaíso with 824,000.[211]

 
Largest cities or towns in Chile
2002 Census[212]
Rank Name Region Pop.
Santiago Metropolis
Santiago Metropolis
Greater Valparaíso
Greater Valparaíso
1 Santiago Metropolis Santiago Metropolitan Region 5,428,590 Greater Concepción
Greater Concepción
Greater La Serena
Greater La Serena
2 Greater Valparaíso Valparaíso Region 803,683
3 Greater Concepción Biobío Region 666,381
4 Greater La Serena Coquimbo Region 296,253
5 Antofagasta Antofagasta Region 285,255
6 Greater Temuco Araucanía Region 260,878
7 Rancagua conurbation O'Higgins Region 236,363
8 Talca Maule Region 191,154
9 Arica Arica and Parinacota Region 175,441
10 Chillán conurbation Ñuble Region 165,528

Religion

Religious background in Chile (2012 Census)[213][214]
Religion Percent
Catholic Church
66.7%
Protestantism
16.4%
No religion
11.5%
Others
4.5%
Unspecified
1.1%
Santiago Metropolitan Cathedral, built between 1748 and 1906
Church of Santa María de Loreto of Achao, built in the 18th century and now a UNESCO World Heritage site.

As of 2012, 66.6%[215] of Chilean population over 15 years of age claimed to adhere to the Roman Catholic church, a decrease from the 70%[216] reported in the 2002 census. In the same census of 2012, 17% of Chileans reported adherence to an Evangelical church ("Evangelical" in the census referred to all Christian denominations other than the Roman Catholic and Orthodox—Greek, Persian, Serbian, Ukrainian, and Armenian—churches, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Seventh-day Adventists, and Jehovah's Witnesses: essentially, those denominations generally still termed "Protestant" in most English-speaking lands, although Adventism is often considered an Evangelical denomination as well). Approximately 90% of Evangelical Christians are Pentecostal. but Wesleyan, Lutheran, Anglican, Episcopalian, Presbyterian, other Reformed, Baptist, and Methodist churches also are present amongst Chilean Evangelical churches.[217] Irreligious people, atheists, and agnostics account for around 12% of the population.

By 2015, the major religion in Chile remained Christianity (68%), with an estimated 55% of Chileans belonging to the Roman Catholic church, 13% to various Evangelical churches, and just 7% adhering to any other religion. Agnostics and atheist were estimated at 25% of the population.[218]

Chile has a Baháʼí religious community, and is home to the Baháʼí mother temple, or continental House of Worship, for Latin America. Completed in 2016, it serves as a space for people of all religions and backgrounds to gather, meditate, reflect, and worship.[219] It is formed from cast glass and translucent marble and has been described as innovative in its architectural style.[220]

The Constitution guarantees the right to freedom of religion, and other laws and policies contribute to generally free religious practice. The law at all levels fully protects this right against abuse by either governmental or private actors.[217] Church and state are officially separate in Chile. A 1999 law on religion prohibits religious discrimination. However, the Roman Catholic church for mostly historical and social reasons enjoys a privileged status and occasionally receives preferential treatment.[221] Government officials attend Roman Catholic events as well as major Evangelical and Jewish ceremonies.[217]

The Chilean government treats the religious holidays of Christmas, Good Friday, the Feast of the Virgin of Carmen, the Feast of Saints Peter and Paul, the Feast of the Assumption, All Saints' Day, and the Feast of the Immaculate Conception as national holidays.[217] Recently, the government declared 31 October, Reformation Day, to be an additional national holiday, in honor of the Evangelical churches of the country.[222][223]

The patron saints of Chile are Our Lady of Mount Carmel and Saint James the Greater (Santiago).[224] In 2005, Pope Benedict XVI canonized Alberto Hurtado, who became the country's second native Roman Catholic saint after Teresa de los Andes.[225]

Languages

Chilean proverb written in Mapuche language and Chilean Spanish. The Mapudungun alphabet used here does not reflect an agreed-upon standard. In fact, there are three distinct alphabets currently used to write the Mapuche language.[226]

The Spanish spoken in Chile is distinctively accented and quite unlike that of neighboring South American countries because final syllables are often dropped, and some consonants have a soft pronunciation.[clarification needed] Accent varies only very slightly from north to south; more noticeable are the differences in accent based on social class or whether one lives in the city or the country. That the Chilean population was largely formed in a small section at the center of the country and then migrated in modest numbers to the north and south helps explain this relative lack of differentiation, which was maintained by the national reach of radio, and now television, which also helps to diffuse and homogenize colloquial expressions.[31]

There are several indigenous languages spoken in Chile: Mapudungun, Aymara, Rapa Nui, Chilean Sign Language and (barely surviving) Qawasqar and Yaghan, along with non-indigenous German, Italian, English, Greek and Quechua. After the Spanish conquest, Spanish took over as the lingua franca and the indigenous languages have become minority languages, with some now extinct or close to extinction.[227]

German is still spoken to some extent in southern Chile,[228] either in small countryside pockets or as a second language among the communities of larger cities.

Through initiatives such as the English Opens Doors Program, the government made English mandatory for students in fifth grade and above in public schools. Most private schools in Chile start teaching English from kindergarten.[229] Common English words have been absorbed and appropriated into everyday Spanish speech.[230]

Health

Card of National Health Fund (Fonasa)

The Ministry of Health (Minsal) is the cabinet-level administrative office in charge of planning, directing, coordinating, executing, controlling and informing the public health policies formulated by the President of Chile. The National Health Fund (Fonasa), created in 1979, is the financial entity entrusted to collect, manage and distribute state funds for health in Chile. It is funded by the public. All employees pay 7% of their monthly income to the fund.[231]

Fonasa is part of the NHSS and has executive power through the Ministry of Health (Chile). Its headquarters are in Santiago and decentralized public service is conducted by various Regional Offices. More than 12 million beneficiaries benefit from Fonasa. Beneficiaries can also opt for more costly private insurance through Isapre.

Education

Casa Central of the University of Chile in Santiago

In Chile, education begins with preschool until the age of 5. Primary school is provided for children between ages 6 and 13. Students then attend secondary school until graduation at age 17.

Secondary education is divided into two parts: During the first two years, students receive a general education. Then, they choose a branch: scientific humanistic education, artistic education, or technical and professional education. Secondary school ends two years later on the acquirement of a certificate (licencia de enseñanza media).[232]

Chilean education is segregated by wealth in a three-tiered system – the quality of the schools reflects socioeconomic backgrounds:

  • city schools (colegios municipales) that are mostly free and have the worst education results, mostly attended by poor students;
  • subsidized schools that receive some money from the government which can be supplemented by fees paid by the student's family, which are attended by mid-income students and typically get mid-level results; and
  • entirely private schools that consistently get the best results. Many private schools charge attendance fees of 0,5 to 1 median household income.[233]

Upon successful graduation of secondary school, students may continue into higher education. The higher education schools in Chile consist of Chilean Traditional Universities and are divided into public universities or private universities. There are medical schools and both the Universidad de Chile and Universidad Diego Portales offer law schools in a partnership with Yale University.[234]

Culture

La Zamacueca, 1873, by Manuel Antonio Caro.

From the period between early agricultural settlements and up to the late pre-Columbian period, northern Chile was a region of Andean culture that was influenced by altiplano traditions spreading to the coastal valleys of the north, while southern regions were areas of Mapuche cultural activities. Throughout the colonial period following the conquest, and during the early Republican period, the country's culture was dominated by the Spanish. Other European influences, primarily English, French, and German began in the 19th century and have continued to this day. German migrants influenced the Bavarian style rural architecture and cuisine in the south of Chile in cities such as Valdivia, Frutillar, Puerto Varas, Osorno, Temuco, Puerto Octay, Llanquihue, Faja Maisan, Pitrufquén, Victoria, Pucón and Puerto Montt.[235][236][237][238]

Music and dance

Los Jaivas, one of the most recognized Chilean rock bands.

Music in Chile ranges from folkloric, popular and classical music. Its large geography generates different musical styles in the north, center and south of the country, including also Easter Island and Mapuche music.[239] The national dance is the cueca. Another form of traditional Chilean song, though not a dance, is the tonada. Arising from music imported by the Spanish colonists, it is distinguished from the cueca by an intermediate melodic section and a more prominent melody.

From the 1950s to the 1970s, native folk musical forms were revitalized with the Nueva canción chilena movement led by composers such as Violeta Parra, Raúl de Ramón and Pedro Messone, which was also associated with political activists and reformers such as Víctor Jara, Inti-Illimani, and Quilapayún. Also, many Chilean rock bands like Los Jaivas, Los Prisioneros, La Ley, Los Tres and Los Bunkers have reached international success, some incorporating strong folk influences, such as Los Jaivas. In February, annual music and comedy festivals are held in Viña del Mar.[240]

Literature

Pablo Neruda
Gabriela Mistral
Pablo Neruda and Gabriela Mistral, Nobel Prize recipients in literature

Chile is a country of poets.[241] Gabriela Mistral was the first Latin American to receive a Nobel Prize in Literature (1945). Chile's most famous poet is Pablo Neruda, who received the Nobel Prize for Literature (1971) and is world-renowned for his extensive library of works on romance, nature, and politics. His three highly personalized homes in Isla Negra, Santiago and Valparaíso are popular tourist destinations.

Among the list of other Chilean poets are Carlos Pezoa Véliz, Vicente Huidobro, Gonzalo Rojas, Pablo de Rokha, Nicanor Parra, Ivonne Coñuecar and Raúl Zurita. Isabel Allende is the best-selling Chilean novelist, with 51 million of her novels sold worldwide.[242] Novelist José Donoso's novel The Obscene Bird of Night is considered by critic Harold Bloom to be one of the canonical works of 20th-century Western literature. Another internationally recognized Chilean novelist and poet is Roberto Bolaño whose translations into English have had an excellent reception from the critics.[243][244][245]

Cuisine

Chilean asado (barbecue) and marraqueta

Chilean cuisine is a reflection of the country's topographical variety, featuring an assortment of seafood, beef, fruits, and vegetables. Traditional recipes include asado, cazuela, empanadas, humitas, pastel de choclo, pastel de papas, curanto, and sopaipillas.[246] Crudos is an example of the mixture of culinary contributions from the various ethnic influences in Chile. The raw minced llama, heavy use of shellfish, and rice bread were taken from native Quechua Andean cuisine, (although beef, brought to Chile by Europeans, is also used in place of the llama meat), lemon and onions were brought by the Spanish colonists, and the use of mayonnaise and yogurt was introduced by German immigrants, as was beer.

Folklore

The folklore of Chile, cultural and demographic characteristics of the country, is the result of the mixture of Spanish and Amerindian elements that occurred during the colonial period. Due to cultural and historical reasons, they are classified and distinguished four major areas in the country: northern areas, central, southern and south. Most of the traditions of the culture of Chile have a festive purpose, but some, such as dances and ceremonies, have religious components. [247]

Chilean mythology is the mythology and beliefs of the Folklore of Chile. This includes Chilote mythology, Rapa Nui mythology and Mapuche mythology.

Sports

Estadio Nacional Julio Martínez Prádanos

Chile's most popular sport is association football. Chile has appeared in nine FIFA World Cups which includes hosting the 1962 FIFA World Cup where the national football team finished third. Other results achieved by the national football team include two Copa América titles (2015 and 2016), two runners-up positions, one silver and two bronze medals at the Pan American Games, a bronze medal at the 2000 Summer Olympics and two third places finishes in the FIFA under-17 and under-20 youth tournaments. The top league in the Chilean football league system is the Chilean Primera División, which is named by the IFFHS as the ninth strongest national football league in the world.[248]

The main football clubs are Colo-Colo, Universidad de Chile and Universidad Católica. Colo-Colo is the country's most successful football club, having both the most national and international championships, including the coveted Copa Libertadores South American club tournament. Universidad de Chile was the last international champion (Copa Sudamericana 2011).

Tennis is Chile's most successful sport. Its national team won the World Team Cup clay tournament twice (2003 & 2004), and played the Davis Cup final against Italy in 1976. At the 2004 Summer Olympics the country captured gold and bronze in men's singles and gold in men's doubles (Nicolás Massú obtained two gold medals). Marcelo Ríos became the first Latin American man to reach the number one spot in the ATP singles rankings in 1998. Anita Lizana won the US Open in 1937, becoming the first woman from Latin America to win a Grand Slam tournament. Luis Ayala was twice a runner-up at the French Open and both Ríos and Fernando González reached the Australian Open men's singles finals. González also won a silver medal in singles at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing.

At the Summer Olympic Games Chile boasts a total of two gold medals (tennis), seven silver medals (athletics, equestrian, boxing, shooting and tennis) and four bronze medals (tennis, boxing and football). In 2012, Chile won its first Paralympic Games medal (gold in Athletics).

The Chilean national polo team with President Michelle Bachelet and the trophy of the 2015 World Polo Championship.

Rodeo is the country's national sport and is practiced in the more rural areas of the nation. A sport similar to hockey called chueca was played by the Mapuche people during the Spanish conquest. Skiing and snowboarding are practiced at ski centers located in the Central Andes, and in southern ski centers near to cities as Osorno, Puerto Varas, Temuco and Punta Arenas. Surfing is popular at some coastal towns. Polo is professionally practiced within Chile, with the country achieving top prize in the 2008 and 2015 World Polo Championship.

Basketball is a popular sport in which Chile earned a bronze medal in the first men's FIBA World Championship held in 1950 and won a second bronze medal when Chile hosted the 1959 FIBA World Championship. Chile hosted the first FIBA World Championship for Women in 1953 finishing the tournament with the silver medal. San Pedro de Atacama is host to the annual "Atacama Crossing", a six-stage, 250-kilometer (160 mi) footrace which annually attracts about 150 competitors from 35 countries. The Dakar Rally off-road automobile race has been held in both Chile and Argentina since 2009.

Cultural heritage

The cultural heritage of Chile consists, first, of its intangible heritage, composed of various cultural events and activities, such as visual arts, crafts, dances, holidays, cuisine, games, music and traditions. Secondly, its tangible heritage consists of those buildings, objects and sites of archaeological, architectural, traditional, artistic, ethnographic, folkloric, historical, religious or technological significance scattered through Chilean territory. Among them, some are declared World Heritage Sites by UNESCO, in accordance with the provisions of the Convention concerning the Protection of World Cultural and Natural Heritage of 1972, ratified by Chile in 1980. These cultural sites are the Rapa Nui National Park (1995), the Churches of Chiloé (2000), the historical district of the port city of Valparaíso (2003), Humberstone and Santa Laura Saltpeter Works (2005) and the mining city Sewell (2006).

In 1999 Cultural Heritage Day was established as a way to honour and commemorate Chile's cultural heritage. It is an official national event celebrated in May every year.[249]

See also

References

Notes

  1. ^ /ˈɪli/ CHILL-ee, /ˈɪl/ CHILL-ay;[9] Spanish: [ˈtʃile],[nb 1]
  2. ^ Spanish: República de Chile
  1. ^ In Chilean Spanish, pronunciation ranges from [ˈʃi.leː] ~ [ˈt͡ʃiːle] on a spectrum from lower to upper classes, respectively, the former being a somewhat-stigmatized basilect. See the Sample section for an IPA transcribed text in a lower-class form of the dialect.
  2. ^ Since 1961, all claims to Antarctic land are de jure suspended under the Antarctic Treaty System

Citations

  1. ^ "Country Summary".
  2. ^ a b "Compendio estadístico 2006" (PDF). Instituto Nacional de Estadísticas. October 2006. Archived (PDF) from the original on 9 October 2022. Retrieved 29 November 2007.
  3. ^ a b "Chile country profile". BBC News. 17 October 2023. Archived from the original on 11 April 2023. Retrieved 17 October 2023.
  4. ^ "Surface water and surface water change". Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). Archived from the original on 24 March 2021. Retrieved 11 October 2020.
  5. ^ "Our World in Data". Archived from the original on 12 January 2024. Retrieved 11 January 2024.
  6. ^ a b c d "World Economic Outlook Database, October 2023 Edition. (Chile)". International Monetary Fund. 10 October 2023. Archived from the original on 11 November 2023. Retrieved 12 October 2023.
  7. ^ "Inequality – Income inequality". OECD. Archived from the original on 1 July 2022. Retrieved 25 July 2021.
  8. ^ "Human Development Report 2023/24" (PDF). United Nations Development Programme. 13 March 2024. p. 288. Retrieved 13 March 2024.
  9. ^ Wells, John C. (2008). Longman Pronunciation Dictionary (3rd ed.). Longman. ISBN 978-1-4058-8118-0.
  10. ^ a b "Resutados Censo 2017" (PDF). National Statistics Institute. 1 January 2018. Archived (PDF) from the original on 9 October 2022. Retrieved 18 January 2017.
  11. ^ "Elecciones, sufragio y democracia en Chile (1810–2012)". Memoria Chilena (in Spanish). National Library of Chile. Archived from the original on 6 June 2021. Retrieved 20 June 2021.
  12. ^ "Sufragio femenino universal". Memoria Chilena (in Spanish). National Library of Chile. Archived from the original on 27 June 2021. Retrieved 20 June 2021.
  13. ^ "Desarrollo y dinámica de la población en el siglo XX". Memoria Chilena (in Spanish). National Library of Chile. Archived from the original on 11 July 2021. Retrieved 20 June 2021.
  14. ^ Salazar, Gabriel; Pinto, Julio (2002). Historia contemporánea de Chile III. La economía: mercados empresarios y trabajadores. LOM Ediciones. [ISBN missing]. Pages 124–125.
  15. ^ Villalobos, Sergio; Silva, Osvaldo; Silva, Fernando; Estelle, Patricio (1974). Historia De Chile (14th ed.). Editorial Universitaria. ISBN 956-11-1163-2. Pages 773–775.
  16. ^ a b c "Country profile: Chile". BBC News. 16 December 2009. Archived from the original on 14 January 2010. Retrieved 31 December 2009.
  17. ^ a b "Human and income poverty: developing countries". UNDP. Archived from the original on 12 February 2009.
  18. ^ "World Development Indicators". World Bank. 17 April 2012. Archived from the original on 26 December 2018. Retrieved 12 May 2012.
  19. ^ "La Incógnita Sobre el Origen de la Palabra Chile". Chile.com. 15 June 2000. Archived from the original on 15 April 2009. Retrieved 17 December 2009.
  20. ^ "Picunche (people)". Encyclopædia Britannica. Archived from the original on 22 November 2009. Retrieved 17 December 2009.
  21. ^ a b c Encina, Francisco A.; Leopoldo Castedo (1961). Resumen de la Historia de Chile. Vol. I (4th ed.). Santiago: Zig-Zag. p. 44. Archived from the original on 5 February 2009.
  22. ^ "Chile". Encyclopedia Americana. Grolier Online. 2005. Archived from the original on 21 July 2002. Retrieved 2 March 2005. The name Chile is of Native American origin, meaning possibly 'ends of the earth' or simply 'sea gulls'.
  23. ^ a b c d e f g Hudson, Rex A., ed. (1995). "Chile: A Country Study". GPO for the Library of Congress. Archived from the original on 25 June 2015. Retrieved 27 February 2005.
  24. ^ a b  This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domainChisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Chile". Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. derived, it is said, from the Quichua chiri, cold, or tchili, snow
  25. ^ "Chile (república)". Enciclopedia Microsoft Encarta Online. 2005. Archived from the original on 10 May 2008. Retrieved 26 February 2005. The region was then known to its native population as Tchili, a Native American word meaning 'snow'.
  26. ^ Pearson, Neale J. (2004). "Chile". Grolier Multimedia Encyclopedia. Scholastic Library Publishing. Archived from the original on 10 February 1999. Retrieved 2 March 2005. Chile's name comes from an Indian word, Tchili, meaning 'the deepest point of the Earth'.
  27. ^ de Olivares, Miguel; González, SJ (1864) [1736]. Historia de la Compañía de Jesús en Chile. Vol. 4. Santiago: Imprenta del Ferrocarril. {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)
  28. ^ Appletons' annual cyclopaedia and register of noteworthy events of the year: 1900. New York: Appletons. p. 87.
  29. ^ Bower, Bruce (26 December 2015). "People roamed tip of South America 18,500 years ago". Science News. p. 10. Archived from the original on 10 May 2020. Retrieved 26 December 2015.
  30. ^ Insight Guides: Chile. Langenscheidt Publishing Group. 2002. p. 27. ISBN 978-981-234-890-6. Archived from the original on 21 February 2024. Retrieved 14 July 2013.
  31. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x "Development and Breakdown of Democracy, 1830–1973". Country Studies. Library of Congress. 31 March 1994. Archived from the original on 9 July 2011. Retrieved 21 April 2009.
  32. ^ Eyzaguirre, Jaime (1967). Breve historia de las fronteras de Chile. Editorial Universitaria.
  33. ^ Lagos Carmona, Guillermo (1985). Los Títulos Históricos: Historia de Las Fronteras de Chile. Andrés Bello. (p. 197) We note that the Loa river is at 22 degrees and that Baleato, in 1793, indicated 21.5 degrees for the beginning of the Kingdom of Chile, with the Loa at its mouth in the Pacific. (...) (p. 540) According to the Map of Cano y Olmedilla, the limit of the Kingdom of Chile "(...) through the desert of Atacama (...) From here it turns to the S., S.E., S.E., and S., keeping in general this last course until near the 29° parallel, from where it takes a S.E. direction. SE. and S., generally keeping this last course until the vicinity of the 29° parallel, from where it takes a S.E. direction, skirting to the east the 'Province of Cuyo' which, of course, appears to be included in the territory of the Kingdom of Chile. In the latitude of 32°30' the line turns to the S.W. until reaching the Quinto river, which, as the legend says 'communicates by channels with the Saladillo in time of floods'. It follows the river down to the meridian 316°, counting to the E. of Tenerife, where it turns a stretch until it reaches the Hueuque-Leuvu river (or Barrancas river) at 371/2° latitude. From here it runs along the river for a stretch to the S.E., and then turns to the E. and falls into the Atlantic Sea in the vicinity of parallel 37° between Cape Lobos and Cape Corrientes", "a little north of the current Mar del Plata". (...) (p. 543) In this document it is seen that those of the province of Cuyo end to the south at the source of the Diamante River, and that from that point to the east, the dividing line goes to the point where the Quinto River crosses the road that goes from Santiago to Buenos Aires.
  34. ^ Amunátegui, Miguel Luis (1985). Títulos de la República de Chile a la soberanía i dominio de la Estremidad. Archived from the original on 12 November 2022. Retrieved 14 November 2022.
  35. ^ Morla Vicuña, Carlos (1903). Estudio histórico sobre el descubrimiento y conquista de la Patagonia y de la Tierra del Fuego. Leipzig: F. A. Brockhaus.
  36. ^ Caivano, Tommaso (1 April 1882). "Storia della guerra d'America fra Chilì, il Perù e la Bolivia, dell'avvocato Tommasso Caivano ." Torino, E. Loescher – via Internet Archive.
  37. ^ "Error 404". Default. Archived from the original on 14 April 2021. Retrieved 1 April 2021.
  38. ^ Baten, Joerg; Llorca-Jaña, Manuel (2021). "Inequality, Low-Intensity Immigration and Human Capital Formation in the Regions of Chile, 1820–1939" (PDF). Economics and Human Biology. 43: 101030. doi:10.1016/j.ehb.2021.101030. PMID 34171763. S2CID 219382958. Archived (PDF) from the original on 9 October 2022.
  39. ^ Intercolonial Intimacies: Relinking Latin/o America to the Philippines. 1898-1964 By Paula C. Park Archived 1 November 2022 at the Wayback Machine (INTRODUCTION: Residual Intercolonial Intimacies across the "Hispanic" Pacific)
  40. ^ Eyzaguirre, Jaime (1967). Breve historia de las fronteras de Chile (in Spanish). Editorial Universitaria.
  41. ^ Mateo Martinic Beros (1971). Presencia de Chile en la Patagonia austral 1843 – 1879 (in Spanish). Editorial Andrés Bello. Retrieved 8 December 2022.
  42. ^ Baten, Jörg (2016). A History of the Global Economy. From 1500 to the Present. Cambridge University Press. p. 137. ISBN 9781107507180.
  43. ^ "Historia de la Isla de Pascua: Su Incorporación y Su Conflicto Con La Williamson & Balfour. Daños Patrimoniales, Pretensiones Internacionales e Independentismos". Archived from the original on 21 March 2023. Retrieved 26 January 2024.
  44. ^ William Sater, Chile and the United States: Empires in Conflict, Athens, GA; University of Georgia Press, ISBN 0-8203-1249-5 p.51
  45. ^ Fowler, Will (1996). Authoritarianism in Latin America since independence. University of Virginia: Greenwood Press. pp. 30–96. ISBN 0-313-29843-2.
  46. ^ Frazier, Lessie Jo (17 July 2007). Salt in the Sand: Memory, Violence, and the Nation-State in Chile, 1890 to the Present. Duke University Press. pp. 163–184. ISBN 978-0-8223-4003-4. Archived from the original on 29 November 2023. Retrieved 14 July 2013.
  47. ^ Mares, David; Francisco Rojas Aravena (2001). The United States and Chile: Coming in from the Cold. Routledge. p. 145. ISBN 978-0-415-93125-0. Archived from the original on 29 November 2023. Retrieved 14 July 2013.
  48. ^ Trento, Joseph J. (2005). The Secret History of the CIA. Carroll & Graf Publishers. p. 560. ISBN 978-0-7867-1500-8. Archived from the original on 19 March 2015. Retrieved 14 July 2013.
  49. ^ Lois Hecht Oppenheim (2007). Politics in Chile: Socialism, Authoritarianism, and Market Democracy. Westview Press. p. 52. ISBN 978-0-7867-3426-9. Archived from the original on 29 November 2023. Retrieved 14 July 2013.
  50. ^ a b c De Vylder, Stefan (5 March 2009). Allende's Chile: The Political Economy of the Rise and Fall of the Unidad Popular. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-10757-0.
  51. ^ "Allende wins the elections: first coup attempt". Grace.evergreen.edu. Archived from the original on 7 January 2008. Retrieved 17 December 2009.
  52. ^ a b c d Friedman, Norman (1 March 2007). The Fifty-Year War: Conflict and Strategy in the Cold War. Naval Institute Press. pp. 367–368. ISBN 978-1-59114-287-4. Archived from the original on 29 November 2023. Retrieved 14 July 2013.
  53. ^ Qureshi, Lubna Z. (2009). Nixon, Kissinger, and Allende: U.S. Involvement in the 1973 Coup in Chile. Lexington Books. pp. 86–97. ISBN 978-0-7391-2655-4. Archived from the original on 29 November 2023. Retrieved 14 July 2013.
  54. ^ "Report on CIA Chilean Task Force activities". Chile and the United States: Declassified Documents relating to the Military Coup, 1970–1976. The National Security Archive: Electronic Briefing Books (George Washington University). Archived from the original on 11 February 2010. Retrieved 11 March 2010.
  55. ^ a b "Covert Action In Chile 1963–1973, Staff Report Of The Select Committee To Study Governmental Operations With Respect To Intelligence Activities". Federation of American Scientists. Archived from the original on 3 October 2009. Retrieved 17 December 2009.
  56. ^ "Tightening the Belt". Time. 7 August 1972. Archived from the original on 22 October 2010.
  57. ^ "Equipo Nizkor – CIA Activities in Chile – September 18, 2000". Derechos.org. Archived from the original on 13 May 2008. Retrieved 17 December 2009.
  58. ^ "Transition to Democracy in Latin America: The Role of the judiciary" (PDF). Yale University. Archived from the original (PDF) on 19 August 2013.
  59. ^ Soto, Óscar (1999). El último día de Salvador Allende. Aguilar. ISBN 978-956-239-084-2.[page needed]
  60. ^ Ahumada, Eugeno. Chile: La memoria prohibida.[page needed]
  61. ^ "Kissinger and Chile: the Declassified Record". The National Security Archive. 16 September 2013. Archived from the original on 17 September 2013. Retrieved 16 September 2013.
  62. ^ Dinges, John. "Operation Condor". latinamericanstudies.org. Columbia University. Archived from the original on 22 July 2018. Retrieved 6 July 2018.
  63. ^ "Flashback: Caravan of Death". BBC. 25 July 2000. Archived from the original on 26 February 2008. Retrieved 11 March 2008.
  64. ^ Ministerio del Interior (3 August 1999). "Ministerio del Interior, Programa de Derechos Humanos – ddhh_rettig". Ddhh.gov.cl. Archived from the original on 23 December 2009. Retrieved 17 December 2009.
  65. ^ a b "Sintesis Ok" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 27 July 2007. Retrieved 17 December 2009.
  66. ^ Eva Vergara (18 August 2015). Chile Recognizes 9,800 More Pinochet Victims Archived 31 December 2015 at the Wayback Machine. The Associated Press via The Huffington Post. Retrieved 25 August 2015.
  67. ^ Pamela Constable; Arturo Valenzuela (1993). A Nation of Enemies: Chile Under Pinochet. W W Norton & Company Incorporated. p. 150. ISBN 978-0-393-30985-0.
  68. ^ Klein, Naomi (1 April 2010). The Shock Doctrine: The Rise of Disaster Capitalism. Henry Holt and Company (2007). p. 85. ISBN 978-1-4299-1948-7. Archived from the original on 29 November 2023. Retrieved 14 July 2013.
  69. ^ Huneeus, Carlos (3 September 2009). "Political Mass Mobilization against Authoritarian Rule: Pinochet's Chile, 1983–88". In Adam Roberts; Timothy Garton Ash (eds.). Civil Resistance and Power Politics:The Experience of Non-violent Action from Gandhi to the Present. Oxford University Press. pp. 197–212. ISBN 978-0-19-161917-5. Archived from the original on 29 November 2023. Retrieved 14 July 2013.
  70. ^ Christian, Shirley (16 December 1989). "Man in the News: Patricio Aylwin; A Moderate Leads Chile". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 29 July 2018. Retrieved 28 July 2018.
  71. ^ "Chile elects new leader Late president's son wins big". Encyclopedia.com. 12 December 1993. Archived from the original on 26 May 2008. Retrieved 14 July 2013.
  72. ^ "Moderate socialist Lagos wins Chilean presidential election". CNN. 16 January 2000. Archived from the original on 6 May 2008.
  73. ^ "Chile elects first woman president". NBC News. 12 January 2006. Archived from the original on 9 November 2013. Retrieved 10 November 2019.
  74. ^ Reel, Monte (12 March 2006). "Bachelet Sworn in As Chile's President". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on 1 July 2017. Retrieved 22 August 2017.
  75. ^ "Michelle Bachelet sworn in as Chile's president". BBC News. 11 March 2014. Archived from the original on 12 March 2014. Retrieved 12 August 2021.
  76. ^ "Chile election: Conservative Piñera elected president". BBC News. 18 December 2017. Archived from the original on 18 December 2017. Retrieved 12 August 2021.
  77. ^ "Pinera, a conservative billionaire, is sworn in as president of Chile". Yahoo! News. Agence France Presse. 11 March 2018. Archived from the original on 1 August 2021. Retrieved 12 August 2021.
  78. ^ "US ready to help Chile: Obama". The Australia Times. Archived from the original on 27 April 2011. Retrieved 3 March 2010.
  79. ^ More Quakes Shake Chile's Infrastructure, Adam Figman, Contract, 1 March 2010 Archived 14 November 2014 at the Wayback Machine
  80. ^ "Background Note: Chile". Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs, United States Department of State. 16 December 2011. Archived from the original on 21 January 2017. Retrieved 19 March 2012.
  81. ^ Naomi Larsson (26 October 2019). "Chile protests: More than one million bring Santiago to a halt". Al Jazeera. Archived from the original on 26 October 2019. Retrieved 19 November 2019.
  82. ^ Sandra Cuffe (19 November 2019). "One month on: Protests in Chile persist despite gov't concessions". Al Jazeera. Archived from the original on 17 March 2020. Retrieved 19 November 2019.
  83. ^ "Presidente Piñera promulga reforma que posterga elecciones al 15 y 16 de mayo". El Mostrador (in Spanish). 6 April 2021. Archived from the original on 5 May 2021. Retrieved 7 April 2021.
  84. ^ "Leftist Gabriel Boric to become Chile's youngest ever president". BBC News. 20 December 2021. Archived from the original on 20 December 2021. Retrieved 21 December 2021.
  85. ^ "Gabriel Boric, 36, sworn in as president to herald new era for Chile". The Guardian. 11 March 2022. Archived from the original on 12 March 2022. Retrieved 15 March 2022.
  86. ^ "Chile's president-elect names progressive, majority-women cabinet". The Guardian. 21 January 2022. Archived from the original on 25 January 2022. Retrieved 15 March 2022.
  87. ^ "Chile constitution: Voters overwhelmingly reject radical change". BBC News. 5 September 2022. Archived from the original on 5 September 2022. Retrieved 14 September 2022.
  88. ^ Villegas, A. "Chileans reject conservative constitution to replace dictatorship-era text". Reuters. Retrieved 18 December 2023.
  89. ^ "Chilean voters reject conservative constitution, after defeating leftist charter last year". AP News. 17 December 2023. Archived from the original on 18 December 2023. Retrieved 18 December 2023.
  90. ^ "Chile rejects second attempt to renew constitution". dw.com. Archived from the original on 18 December 2023. Retrieved 19 December 2023.
  91. ^ "Chile". Encyclopædia Britannica. Archived from the original on 16 June 2013. Retrieved 7 May 2013.
  92. ^ "Antarctic Treaty: Information about the Antarctic Treaty and how Antarctica is governed". Polar Conservation Organisation. 1 February 2008. Archived from the original on 10 February 2010. Retrieved 11 March 2010.
  93. ^ Collin, Robert (2015). Trash Talk: An Encyclopedia of Garbage and Recycling around the World. p. 121.
  94. ^ Blanco, Alejandro Vergara (1998). Derecho de aguas. Editorial Jurídica de Chile. ISBN 978-956-10-1241-7. Archived from the original on 29 November 2023. Retrieved 14 July 2013.
  95. ^ K, Ana María Errázuriz (1998). Manual de geografía de Chile (in Spanish). Andres Bello. p. 74. ISBN 978-956-13-1523-5. Archived from the original on 21 November 2023. Retrieved 21 November 2023.
  96. ^ Santibáñez, F; Uribe, J. 1997. Atlas Agroclimático de Chile. Santiago, Chile. Fondo Nacional de Desarrollo Científico y Tecnológico.
  97. ^ a b c Niemeyer, Hans; Cereceda, Pilar (1983). "Hydrography". Geography of Chile. 8 (1st ed.). Santiago: Military Geographic Institute.
  98. ^ a b c d e "Flora y Fauna de Chilena". Icarito. Archived from the original on 10 April 2006.
  99. ^ a b Smith-Ramírez, Cecilia; Díaz, Iván; Pliscoff, Patricio; Valdovinos, Claudio; Méndez, Marco A.; Larraín, Juan; Samaniego, Horacio (August 2007). "Distribution patterns of flora and fauna in southern Chilean Coastal rain forests: Integrating Natural History and GIS". Biodiversity and Conservation. 16 (9): 2627–2648. Bibcode:2007BiCon..16.2627S. doi:10.1007/s10531-006-9073-2. S2CID 6879631.
  100. ^ Posada-Swafford, Ángela. "Chilean and Antarctic Fossils Reveal the Last "Geologic Minutes" of the Age of Dinosaurs [Slide Show]". Scientific American. Archived from the original on 6 April 2017. Retrieved 5 April 2017.
  101. ^ Grantham, H. S.; Duncan, A.; Evans, T. D.; Jones, K. R.; Beyer, H. L.; Schuster, R.; Walston, J.; Ray, J. C.; Robinson, J. G.; Callow, M.; Clements, T.; Costa, H. M.; DeGemmis, A.; Elsen, P. R.; Ervin, J.; Franco, P.; Goldman, E.; Goetz, S.; Hansen, A.; Hofsvang, E.; Jantz, P.; Jupiter, S.; Kang, A.; Langhammer, P.; Laurance, W. F.; Lieberman, S.; Linkie, M.; Malhi, Y.; Maxwell, S.; Mendez, M.; Mittermeier, R.; Murray, N. J.; Possingham, H.; Radachowsky, J.; Saatchi, S.; Samper, C.; Silverman, J.; Shapiro, A.; Strassburg, B.; Stevens, T.; Stokes, E.; Taylor, R.; Tear, T.; Tizard, R.; Venter, O.; Visconti, P.; Wang, S.; Watson, J. E. M. (2020). "Anthropogenic modification of forests means only 40% of remaining forests have high ecosystem integrity – Supplementary Material". Nature Communications. 11 (1): 5978. Bibcode:2020NatCo..11.5978G. doi:10.1038/s41467-020-19493-3. ISSN 2041-1723. PMC 7723057. PMID 33293507.
  102. ^ Oehrens, E.B. "Flora Fungosa Chilena". Universidad de Chile, Santiago de Chile, 1980
  103. ^ "Cybertruffle's Robigalia – Observations of fungi and their associated organisms". cybertruffle.org.uk. Archived from the original on 29 December 2018. Retrieved 9 July 2011.
  104. ^ Kirk, P.M., Cannon, P.F., Minter, D.W. and Stalpers, J. "Dictionary of the Fungi". Edn 10. CABI, 2008
  105. ^ "Fungi of Chile – potential endemics". cybertruffle.org.uk. Archived from the original on 27 September 2011. Retrieved 9 July 2011.
  106. ^ Aislinn Laing; Fabian Cambero (25 October 2020). "Polls open in Chile for historic constitutional plebiscite". Reuters. Archived from the original on 30 October 2020. Retrieved 25 October 2020.
  107. ^ "A Country Study: Chile". United States Library of Congress. Archived from the original on 25 June 2015. Retrieved 8 March 2004.
  108. ^ "Chile scraps Pinochet-era system". BBC. 16 August 2005. Archived from the original on 8 May 2020. Retrieved 31 December 2009.
  109. ^ "President Lagos: We can make a greater effort to make yesterday's and today's trials equally just". Chilean Government. Archived from the original on 23 April 2008.
  110. ^ "Founding Member States". United Nations. Archived from the original on 4 July 2019. Retrieved 14 September 2019.
  111. ^ "Chile". United Nations. Archived from the original on 14 September 2019. Retrieved 14 September 2019.
  112. ^ "Election (13 May 2010) Human Rights Council". 64th Session. United Nations General Assembly. Archived from the original on 30 June 2017. Retrieved 28 June 2017.
  113. ^ "Chad, Chile, Lithuania, Nigeria and Saudi Arabia were elected to serve on the UN Security Council". United Nations. 17 October 2013. Archived from the original on 20 October 2013. Retrieved 17 October 2013.
  114. ^ "Almirante Julio Leiva Nuevo Comandante en Jefe de la Armada". Ministry of Defence of Chile. Archived from the original on 24 September 2017. Retrieved 10 January 2018.
  115. ^ "The National Fleet". Chilean Navy. Archived from the original on 10 June 2007. Retrieved 30 May 2014.
  116. ^ "Submarine Force". Archived from the original on 10 June 2007. Retrieved 14 July 2013.
  117. ^ "Carabineros de Chile". 24 October 2007. Archived from the original on 12 March 2012. Retrieved 13 July 2013.
  118. ^ "Chapter XXVI: Disarmament – No. 9 Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons". United Nations Treaty Collection. 7 July 2017. Archived from the original on 6 August 2019. Retrieved 19 August 2019.
  119. ^ a b Ministerio del Interior (10 October 1978). "Decreto ley 2339 de 1978". Archived from the original on 29 January 2012. Retrieved 28 June 2011.
  120. ^ Ministerio del Interior (26 October 1979). "Decreto ley 2867 de 1979". Archived from the original on 10 September 2011. Retrieved 20 March 2011.
  121. ^ Ministerio del Interior (26 October 1979). "Decreto ley 2868 de 1979". Archived from the original on 10 September 2011. Retrieved 20 March 2011.
  122. ^ a b Ministerio del Interior (5 April 2007). "Ley 20174 de 2007". Archived from the original on 10 September 2011. Retrieved 20 March 2011.
  123. ^ a b Ministerio del Interior (11 April 2007). "Ley 20175 de 2007". Archived from the original on 10 September 2011. Retrieved 20 March 2011.
  124. ^ Instituto Nacional de Estadísticas (18 March 2008). División político-administrativa y censal, 2007 (PDF). Instituto Nacional de Estadísticas. p. 12. ISBN 978-956-7952-68-7. Archived (PDF) from the original on 9 October 2022. Retrieved 27 February 2013.
  125. ^ "Chile flag and description". Worldatlas.com. Archived from the original on 18 July 2011. Retrieved 1 August 2011.
  126. ^ "How does the World Bank classify countries?". World Bank. Archived from the original on 22 May 2020. Retrieved 8 April 2021.
  127. ^ "High-income economies ($12,616 or more)". Country and Lending Groups. The World Bank. 1 July 2013. Archived from the original on 18 March 2011. Retrieved 14 September 2013.
  128. ^ "GNI per capita, Atlas method (current US$)". Washington, D.C.: The World Bank. 1 August 2013. Archived from the original (xls) on 21 September 2013. Retrieved 14 September 2013. GNI-WB
  129. ^ "Chile Economy: Population, GDP, Inflation, Business, Trade, FDI, Corruption". The Heritage Foundation. Archived from the original on 22 June 2019. Retrieved 13 November 2023.
  130. ^ "Chile's accession to the OECD". OECD. 7 May 2010. Archived from the original on 29 August 2012. Retrieved 22 July 2016.
  131. ^ Table 4: The Global Competitiveness Index 2009–2010 rankings and 2008–2009 comparisons Archived 30 October 2010 at the Wayback Machine. The Global Competitiveness Index 2009–2010. World Economic Forum
  132. ^ a b c d "Mining in Chile: Copper solution". The Economist. 27 April 2013. Archived from the original on 15 July 2013. Retrieved 13 July 2013.
  133. ^ a b c "Chile". The World Factbook (2024 ed.). Central Intelligence Agency. Retrieved 17 February 2014. (Archived 2014 edition.)
  134. ^ "Chile GDP – real growth rate". Indexmundi.com. 21 February 2013. Archived from the original on 12 June 2019. Retrieved 13 July 2013.
  135. ^ "Chile finmin says no recession seen in 2009-report". Reuters. 10 January 2009. Archived from the original on 11 January 2009. Retrieved 17 December 2009.
  136. ^ a b c d e "Chile: 2013 Article IV Consultation; IMF Country Report 13/198" (PDF). IMF. 14 June 2013. Archived (PDF) from the original on 17 July 2013. Retrieved 13 July 2013.
  137. ^ "World Bank Open Data". World Bank Open Data. Archived from the original on 26 May 2023. Retrieved 11 November 2023.
  138. ^ "Casen 2006 en profundidad" (PDF). Libertad y Desarrollo. 22 June 2007. Archived from the original (PDF) on 13 January 2013. Retrieved 22 October 2007.
  139. ^ "Panorama social de América Latina" (PDF). ECLAC. 2010. Archived from the original (PDF) on 7 July 2011. Retrieved 13 July 2013.
  140. ^ "Una muy necesaria corrección: Hay cuatro millones de pobres en Chile". El Mercurio. 14 October 2007. Archived from the original on 15 August 2021. Retrieved 22 October 2007.
  141. ^ "Destitute no more". The Economist. 16 August 2007. Archived from the original on 16 October 2007. Retrieved 22 October 2007.(subscription required)
  142. ^ "Ficha de Protección Social – Ministerio de Desarrollo Social". Fichaproteccionsocial.gob.cl. 20 November 2012. Archived from the original on 18 May 2016. Retrieved 12 March 2013.
  143. ^ "Ficha de Protección Social – Ministerio de Desarrollo Social". Fichaproteccionsocial.gob.cl. Archived from the original on 15 September 2012. Retrieved 9 November 2012.
  144. ^ "The Chilean pension system" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 12 May 2012. Retrieved 13 July 2013.
  145. ^ "USA-Chile FTA Final Text". Ustr.gov. Archived from the original on 28 March 2016. Retrieved 13 July 2013.
  146. ^ "Update 2-S&P raises Chile's credit rating to AA-minus". Reuters. 26 December 2012. Archived from the original on 26 December 2012. Retrieved 13 July 2013.
  147. ^ Dutta, Soumitra; Lanvin, Bruno; Wunsch-Vincent, Sacha; León, Lorena Rivera; World Intellectual Property Organization (13 December 2023). "Global Innovation Index 2023, 15th Edition". www.wipo.int. World Intellectual Property Organization. doi:10.34667/tind.46596. ISBN 9789280534320. Archived from the original on 22 October 2023. Retrieved 28 October 2023.
  148. ^ Overland, Indra (1 March 2019). "The geopolitics of renewable energy: Debunking four emerging myths" (PDF). Energy Research & Social Science. 49: 36–40. Bibcode:2019ERSS...49...36O. doi:10.1016/j.erss.2018.10.018. ISSN 2214-6296. Archived (PDF) from the original on 9 October 2022.
  149. ^ "USGS Copper Production Statistics" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 9 October 2022. Retrieved 11 July 2022.
  150. ^ "USGS Iodine Production Statistics" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 25 June 2021. Retrieved 11 July 2022.
  151. ^ "USGS Rhenium Production Statistics" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 21 June 2021. Retrieved 11 July 2022.
  152. ^ "USGS Lithium Production Statistics" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 9 October 2022. Retrieved 11 July 2022.
  153. ^ "USGS Molybdenum Production Statistics" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 9 October 2022. Retrieved 11 July 2022.
  154. ^ "USGS Silver Production Statistics" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 15 May 2021. Retrieved 11 July 2022.
  155. ^ "USGS Salt Production Statistics" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 9 October 2022. Retrieved 11 July 2022.
  156. ^ "USGS Potash Product ion Statistics" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 9 October 2022. Retrieved 11 July 2022.
  157. ^ "USGS Sulfur Production Statistics" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 9 October 2022. Retrieved 11 July 2022.
  158. ^ "USGS Iron Ore Production Statistics" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 9 October 2022. Retrieved 11 July 2022.
  159. ^ "Gold Production in Chile". Archived from the original on 18 October 2022. Retrieved 11 July 2022.
  160. ^ "Agriculture in Chile, by FAO". Archived from the original on 11 May 2017. Retrieved 11 July 2022.
  161. ^ "Chile – OECD Data". theOECD. Archived from the original on 25 November 2018. Retrieved 2 November 2018.
  162. ^ "Algas nocivas matam mais de 4,2 mil toneladas de salmão no Chile". Archived from the original on 24 October 2022. Retrieved 4 September 2022.
  163. ^ "2019 Statistical Report on World Vitiviniculture" (PDF). International Organisation of Vine and Wine. 2019. Archived (PDF) from the original on 6 February 2021. Retrieved 7 March 2021.
  164. ^ Blanco, Hernán et al. (August 2007) International Trade and Sustainable Tourism in Chile. International Institute for Sustainable Development
  165. ^ "Conguillio National Park (Official GANP Park Page)". national-parks.org. Archived from the original on 26 October 2022. Retrieved 26 October 2022.
  166. ^ Centre, UNESCO World Heritage. "Historic Quarter of the Seaport City of Valparaíso". UNESCO World Heritage Centre. Archived from the original on 27 January 2024. Retrieved 22 January 2024.
  167. ^ "Pro|Chile – Importadores | Selección idiomas". Prochile.us. Archived from the original on 19 July 2014. Retrieved 22 December 2013.
  168. ^ "Chile unveils huge Patagonia scenic route". BBC News. 27 September 2018. Archived from the original on 24 November 2018. Retrieved 24 November 2018.
  169. ^ "Data of interest 1 – National Network according to category". Archived from the original on 29 May 2022. Retrieved 11 July 2022.
  170. ^ "Data of interest 3 – Red vial national de dobles calzadas por región año 2020". Archived from the original on 29 May 2022. Retrieved 11 July 2022.
  171. ^ "In 2021 they will bid for roads that unite Antofagasta with Caldera and Iquique". 13 March 2019. Archived from the original on 23 October 2022. Retrieved 11 July 2022.
  172. ^ "115 nuevos km de autopistas". Archived from the original on 11 July 2022. Retrieved 11 July 2022.
  173. ^ Omnilineas. "Omnilineas website". Archived from the original on 19 February 2014. Retrieved 17 February 2014.
  174. ^ "Percentage of Individuals using the Internet 2000". International Telecommunication Union. June 2013. Archived from the original on 9 February 2014. Retrieved 22 June 2013.
  175. ^ Internet Assigned Numbers Authority. ".cl Domain Delegation Data". www.iana.org. Retrieved 3 April 2024.
  176. ^ Carlos Solar (2023). Cybersecurity Governance in Latin America: States, Threats, and Alliances. State University of New York Press. ISBN 9781438491424.
  177. ^ a b "IEA – Report". Archived from the original on 2 February 2017. Retrieved 4 November 2020.
  178. ^ IRENA. "RENEWABLE CAPACITY STATISTICS 2022" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 9 October 2022. Retrieved 8 May 2022.
  179. ^ "Energia Renovável para a irigação no Deserto do Atacama". Archived from the original on 16 October 2017. Retrieved 11 July 2022.
  180. ^ "Chile inaugura 1ª planta de energia termossolar da América Latina". Archived from the original on 21 March 2022. Retrieved 11 July 2022.
  181. ^ "Anuario Estadísticas Vitales 2003". Instituto National de Estadísticas. Archived from the original on 1 May 2020. Retrieved 30 May 2008.
  182. ^ "Chile: Proyecciones y Estimaciones de Población. Total País 1950–2050" (PDF). Instituto National de Estadísticas. Archived from the original (PDF) on 30 December 2009.
  183. ^ Lizcano Fernández, Francisco (August 2005). "Composición Étnica de las Tres Áreas Culturales del Continente Americano al Comienzo del Siglo XXI" [Ethnic Composition of the Three Cultural Areas of the American Continent at the Beginning of the 21st Century]. Convergencia (in Spanish). 12 (38): 185–232. Archived from the original on 22 September 2022. Retrieved 23 November 2020.
  184. ^ Valenzuela, C. (1984). "Marco de referencia sociogenético para los estudios de Salud Pública en Chile" [Sociogenetic reference limits for public health studies in Chile]. Revista Chilena de Pediatría (in Spanish). 55 (2): 123–127. PMID 6473850. S2CID 162443939.
  185. ^ Vanegas L, Jairo; Villalón C, Marcelo; Valenzuela Y, Carlos (May 2008). "Ethnicity and race as variables in epidemiological research about inequity". Revista médica de Chile. 136 (5): 637–644. doi:10.4067/S0034-98872008000500014. PMID 18769813.
  186. ^ Cruz-Coke, Ricardo (1994). "Genetic epidemiology of single gene defects in Chile". Facultad de Medicina de la Universidad de Chile. 31 (9). Santiago de Chile: 702–706. doi:10.1136/jmg.31.9.702. PMC 1050080. PMID 7815439.
  187. ^ "Estudio genético en chilenos muestra desconocida herencia africana | El Dínamo". Eldinamo.cl. 19 August 2013. Archived from the original on 6 July 2014. Retrieved 22 December 2013.
  188. ^ Godinho, Neide Maria de Oliveira (2008). O impacto das migrações na constituição genética de populações latino-americanas [The impact of migration on the genetic makeup of Latin American populations] (Thesis) (in Portuguese). Archived from the original on 12 November 2020. Retrieved 23 November 2020.
  189. ^ Homburger, Julian; et al. (2015). "Genomic Insights into the Ancestry and Demographic History of South America". PLOS Genetics. 11 (12). 1005602. doi:10.1371/journal.pgen.1005602. PMC 4670080. PMID 26636962.
  190. ^ "5.2.6. Estructura racial". La Universidad de Chile. Archived from the original on 16 October 2007. Retrieved 26 August 2007. (Main page Archived 16 September 2009 at the Wayback Machine)
  191. ^ "Informe Latinobarómetro 2011". Latinobarometro.org. Archived from the original on 13 January 2016. Retrieved 13 July 2013.
  192. ^ "Encuesta CEP, Julio 2002" (in Spanish). July 2002. Archived from the original on 29 April 2013. Retrieved 18 May 2012.
  193. ^ "ILOLEX: submits English query". Ilo.org. 9 January 2004. Archived from the original on 25 December 2009.
  194. ^ "Chile's Supreme Court Upholds Indigenous Water Use Rights". The Santiago Times. 30 November 2009. Archived from the original on 3 March 2010. Retrieved 2 March 2010.
  195. ^ r01epd0122e4ed314423e0db04c97a47b5baa317f, r01e00000fe4e66771ba470b8d4a0e78f58078568. "Osasuna Saila - Eusko Jaurlaritza - Euskadi.eus". www.euskadi.eus. Archived from the original on 10 April 2021. Retrieved 1 April 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  196. ^ a b c d Waldo Ayarza Elorza. "De los Vascos, Oñati y los Elorza" (PDF). pp. 59, 65, 66. Archived from the original (PDF) on 19 August 2013. Retrieved 13 July 2013.
  197. ^ a b c Salazar Vergara, Gabriel; Pinto, Julio (1999). "La Presencia Inmigrante". Historia contemporánea de Chile: Actores, identidad y movimiento. II. Lom Ediciones. pp. 76–81. ISBN 978-956-282-174-2. Archived from the original on 29 November 2023. Retrieved 14 July 2013.
  198. ^ "INE – Error 404" (PDF). ine.cl. Archived (PDF) from the original on 9 October 2022.
  199. ^ Parvex, R. (2014). "Le Chili et les mouvements migratoires". Hommes & Migrations (Nº 1305): 71–76. doi:10.4000/hommesmigrations.2720. Archived from the original on 1 August 2020. Retrieved 21 July 2020.
  200. ^ Jorge Sanhueza Aviléz. "Historia de Chile: Otros Artículos. Británicos y Anglosajones en Chile durante el siglo XIX". Biografía de Chile. Archived from the original on 12 November 2020. Retrieved 16 March 2012.
  201. ^ Victoria Dannemann. "Alemanes en Chile: entre el pasado colono y el presente empresarial". Deustche-Welle. Archived from the original on 1 May 2015. Retrieved 21 July 2020.
  202. ^ "Inmigración a Chile". Domivina. Archived from the original on 2 July 2015.
  203. ^ "entrevista al Presidente de la Cámara vasca". Deia.com. 22 May 2008. Archived from the original on 11 May 2009.
  204. ^ "Chile: Palestinian refugees arrive to warm welcome". Adnkronos.com. 7 April 2003. Archived from the original on 24 November 2017. Retrieved 29 October 2009.
  205. ^ "500,000 descendientes de primera y segunda generación de palestinos en Chile". Laventana.casa.cult.cu. Archived from the original on 22 July 2009. Retrieved 13 July 2013.
  206. ^ Ghosh P. "Arabs in the Andes? Chile, The Unlikely Long-Term Home of a Large Palestinian Community". International Business Times. Archived from the original on 23 April 2021. Retrieved 29 September 2017.
  207. ^ Estimación de Población Extranjera en Chile, al 31 de diciembre de 2019 Archived 4 May 2022 at the Wayback Machine, del Departamento de Extranjería y Migración (DEM) del Instituto Nacional de Estadísticas de Chile (INE), pp. 21. Retrieved 29 Juny 2020.
  208. ^ "Chile: Moving Towards a Migration Policy". Migrationinformation.org. Archived from the original on 15 February 2014. Retrieved 1 August 2011.
  209. ^ Landaburu, Juan (24 June 2007). "El debate sobre la inmigración ilegal se extiende a la región". La Nación. Archived from the original on 13 February 2009. Retrieved 31 December 2008.
  210. ^ "Chilean Election Unlikely to Halt New Barriers to Immigration". 20 November 2021. Archived from the original on 21 November 2021. Retrieved 21 November 2021.
  211. ^ "List of Chilean cities". Observatorio Urbano, Ministerio de Vivienda y Urbanismo de Chile. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016.
  212. ^ Chile: Ciudades, Pueblos, Aldeas y Caseríos 2005, Instituto Nacional de Estadísticas – June 2005.
  213. ^ "Chile". The World Factbook (2024 ed.). Central Intelligence Agency. Retrieved 29 January 2017. (Archived 2017 edition.)
  214. ^ "Resultados XVIII Censo de Población" (PDF). 2012. Archived (PDF) from the original on 15 April 2014.
  215. ^ "Population 15 years of age or older, by religion, region, sex and age groups. (censused population)" (PDF) (in Spanish). 7 September 2015. Archived from the original (.pdf) on 7 February 2017. Retrieved 23 March 2018.
  216. ^ 7,853,428 out of 11,226,309 people over 15 years of age. "Population 15 years of age or older, by religion, administrative division, sex and age groups" (PDF). Censo 2002 (in Spanish). Archived (PDF) from the original on 19 May 2006. Retrieved 1 March 2014.
  217. ^ a b c d "Chile". International Religious Freedom Report. United States Department of State. 19 September 2008. Archived from the original on 4 April 2023. Retrieved 22 May 2019.
  218. ^ "Track semanal de Opinión Pública" [Weekly Public Opinion Track] (PDF) (in Spanish). 7 September 2015. Archived from the original (PDF) on 7 February 2017. Retrieved 11 December 2018.
  219. ^ Purushotma, Shastri (6 December 2017). "Breathtaking Baha'i Temple Rises in Chile". HuffPost. HuffPost. Archived from the original on 5 December 2016. Retrieved 5 August 2021.
  220. ^ Purushotma, Shastri (6 December 2017). "Breathtaking Baha'i Temple Rises in Chile". HuffPost. HuffPost. Archived from the original on 5 December 2016. Retrieved 21 February 2019.
  221. ^ Bill Kte'pi, "Chile", in Robert E. Emery, Cultural Sociology of Divorce: An Encyclopedia, Volume 1 (London: Sage, 2013), 266–68. books.google.com/books?id=wzJdSIfeeTQC&pg=PA266 ISBN 9781412999588
  222. ^ "Hola, Luther". The Economist. 6 November 2008. Archived from the original on 10 December 2008.
  223. ^ Andrea Henríquez (31 October 2008). "Los evangélicos tienen su feriado". BBC Mundo. Archived from the original on 25 June 2018. Retrieved 17 December 2009.
  224. ^ "Patron Saints: 'C'". Catholic Online. Archived from the original on 9 April 2019. Retrieved 28 June 2012.
  225. ^ "Las fechas del proceso de Canonización del Padre Hurtado" (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 22 January 2008. Retrieved 9 January 2008.
  226. ^ Montrul, Silvina. El Bilinguismo En El Mundo Hispanohablante. Hoboken: John Wiley & Sons Inc, 2013. p. 249
  227. ^ "Ethnologue report for Chile". Ethnologue.com. Archived from the original on 3 February 2013. Retrieved 1 August 2011.
  228. ^ Oliver Zoellner. "Oliver Zoellner | Generating Samples of Ethnic Minorities in Chile". Research-worldwide.de. Archived from the original on 2 December 2009. Retrieved 17 December 2009.
  229. ^ "Repeat after me: Hello, my name is". Globalpost.com. Archived from the original on 11 August 2010. Retrieved 22 February 2010.
  230. ^ Sáez Godoy, Leopoldo (2005). "Anglicismos en el español de Chile" [Anglicisms in Chilean Spanish]. Atenea (Concepción) (in Spanish) (492): 171–177. doi:10.4067/S0718-04622005000200010.
  231. ^ "¿Cuál es la cotización legal para salud de un trabajador activo y en qué plazo deben ser declaradas y pagadas?". supersalud.gob.cl. Superintendence of Health. Archived from the original on 26 September 2021. Retrieved 26 September 2021.
  232. ^ "TVET Country Profiles". www.unevoc.unesco.org. Archived from the original on 29 April 2014. Retrieved 29 April 2014.
  233. ^ "Mensualidad de los colegios con los mejores puntajes en la PSU supera los mil". Emol.com. 30 December 2013. Archived from the original on 19 July 2014. Retrieved 18 July 2014.
  234. ^ "Program in Chile | Yale Law School". Law.yale.edu. Archived from the original on 24 December 2013. Retrieved 22 December 2013.
  235. ^ "Valdivia Chile". Allsouthernchile.com. Archived from the original on 19 September 2009. Retrieved 1 August 2011.
  236. ^ International Web Solutions, Inc. <http://www.iwsinc.net>. "Latin America :: Chile". Global Adrenaline. Archived from the original on 11 July 2011. Retrieved 1 August 2011.
  237. ^ "Learning About Each Other". Learnapec.org. Archived from the original on 29 April 2011. Retrieved 1 August 2011.
  238. ^ "Chile Foreign Relations". Country-studies.com. Archived from the original on 8 July 2011. Retrieved 1 August 2011.
  239. ^ "Memoria Chilena". Memoriachilena.cl. Archived from the original on 12 January 2009. Retrieved 6 December 2008.
  240. ^ Martinez, Jessica. "Top Cultural Celebrations and Festivals in Chile". USA Today. Archived from the original on 8 May 2020. Retrieved 27 September 2013.
  241. ^ "Un mapa por completar: la joven poesia chilena – ¿Por qué tanta y tan variada poesía?". Uchile.cl. Archived from the original on 10 May 2020. Retrieved 17 December 2009.
  242. ^ "Latin American Herald Tribune – Isabel Allende Named to Council of Cervantes Institute". Laht.com. Archived from the original on 30 April 2011. Retrieved 14 November 2010.
  243. ^ Grossman, Lev (10 November 2008). "Bolaño's 2666: The Best Book of 2008". Time. Archived from the original on 15 November 2008. Retrieved 28 April 2010.
  244. ^ Sarah Kerr (18 December 2008). "The Triumph of Roberto Bolaño". The New York Review of Books. Archived from the original on 4 March 2010. Retrieved 20 February 2010.
  245. ^ Wood, James (15 April 2007). "The Visceral Realist". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 11 April 2009. Retrieved 1 April 2010.
  246. ^ Maria Baez Kijac (2003). The South American Table: The Flavor and Soul of Authentic... Harvard Common Press. ISBN 978-1-55832-249-3. Archived from the original on 29 November 2023. Retrieved 14 July 2013.
  247. ^ Whole paragraph same as in Ravi Jyee et al., eds., World Encyclopaedia of American Countries, vol. 1 New Delhi: Afro-Asian-American Chamber of Commerce Occupational Research and Development, 2016. 179–80. http://164.100.47.193/Ebooks/Writereaddate/52_2017.pdf Archived 3 February 2020 at the Wayback Machine
  248. ^ "The strongest National League in the World 2011". IFFHS. Archived from the original on 5 November 2018. Retrieved 18 April 2012.
  249. ^ "Día del patrimonio cultural". chileatiende.gob.cl/. 14 May 2019. Archived from the original on 20 June 2020. Retrieved 13 May 2020.

Further reading

  • Christian Balteum: The Strip. A Marxist critique of a semicomparador economy, University of Vermont Press, 2018
  • Simon Collier and William F. Sater, A History of Chile, 1808–1894, Cambridge University Press, 1996
  • Paul W. Drake, and others., Chile: A Country Study, Library of Congress, 1994
  • Luis Galdames, A History of Chile, University of North Carolina Press, 1941
  • Lamoureux, Andrew Jackson; and three others (1911). "Chile" . Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 6 (11th ed.). pp. 142–160.
  • Brian Lovemen, Chile: The Legacy of Hispanic Capitalism, 3rd ed., Oxford University Press, 2001
  • John L. Rector, The History of Chile, Greenwood Press, 2003

External links

34°S 71°W / 34°S 71°W / -34; -71