Chile

Chile extends as a slender ribbon of land along the southwestern edge of South America, a nation defined by extremes of latitude, mountain and sea. Its territory, some 756,000 square kilometres on the mainland, reaches from the arid soils of the Atacama Desert in the north—among the driest places on Earth—to the tangled waterways and glaciers of Patagonia at its southern end. Bordered by Peru beyond the high Andes to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, and Argentina to the east, Chile touches the Drake Passage as it vanishes toward the Antarctic. Beyond its continental mass, the republic exercises authority over Pacific outposts—Easter Island, Juan Fernández and other islets—and maintains a suspended claim to nearly 1.25 million square kilometres of Antarctica under the Antarctic Treaty.

The name Chile emerges from a tapestry of indigenous and colonial accounts. Sixteenth- and seventeenth-century chronicles recall an Inca designation—Chili—linked variously to a tribal cacique, the valley of Aconcagua, or to native words signifying cold, sea birds, or the farthest reaches of land. Spanish conquerors adopted the term after Diego de Almagro’s expedition southward in 1535–36, declaring themselves “men of Chilli,” and the appellation persisted in European usage—spelled “Chili” in English until the early twentieth century—before settling as Chile.

Before Spanish arrival, the northern half of present-day Chile lay under Inca influence, a region of high-plateau traditions spilling into coastal valleys. Further south, autonomous Mapuche communities held sway—resisting Inca incursion and, later, defying repeated colonial thrusts. When conquistadors established permanent settlements in the mid-1500s, they encountered a landscape of valleys, rivers and forests whose occupants fiercely defended their autonomy. Over two centuries, colonial authorities extended settlements along the Central Valley but never wholly subdued the Mapuche heartland south of the Bío-Bío River.

After an 1818 declaration of independence, Chile coalesced into a relatively stable republic under authoritarian presidents. The young nation expanded territorially through conflict and negotiation. By the mid-1880s, the long-running “Pacification of Araucanía” ended organized Mapuche resistance, and the War of the Pacific (1879–1883) against Peru and Bolivia secured Chile’s present northern frontier rich in nitrates and copper. Economic growth, anchored in mineral exports and agrarian colonization of the Central Valley, transformed the country’s demographic and social makeup.

The twentieth century witnessed waves of democratization, urban migration and economic diversification. Population growth accelerated, cities grew around mining and agricultural hubs, and Chile became increasingly integrated into global markets through its copper industry. By the 1960s and early 1970s, however, political polarization deepened. In September 1973, a military junta overthrew the democratically elected government of Salvador Allende. Under General Augusto Pinochet’s sixteen-year rule, the constitution of 1980 was drafted with input from the Ortúzar Commission, and sweeping political and economic reforms were enacted. Those years also brought repression: more than three thousand citizens lost their lives or disappeared. A 1988 plebiscite set the nation on a path back to civilian rule, and in 1990 a center-left coalition assumed power, guiding Chile through two decades of democratic consolidation.

Today, Chile ranks among Latin America’s most stable and affluent economies. Its per-capita income situates it as a high-income nation, and it stands out regionally for robust governance indicators and sustained investment in education and infrastructure. A founding member of the United Nations, it helped form the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) and the Pacific Alliance, and joined the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development in 2010.

Chile’s mainland stretches more than 4,300 kilometres from north to south, yet rarely exceeds 350 kilometres in width. Its volcanic spine—the Andes—rises along the eastern boundary, carving basins of the Central Valley, which hosts the capital, Santiago. Northward, the Atacama Desert yields valuable mineral deposits, while southward forests and pastures cloak the landscape, punctuated by lakes and volcanoes. The seaside labyrinth of fjords, channels and peninsulas marks the approach to Patagonia and Tierra del Fuego.

In 1978, the republic reorganized into sixteen regions—each bearing a Roman numeral from north to south, save the Santiago Metropolitan Region—and further subdivided into provinces and communes. New regions created in 2007 (Arica and Parinacota; Los Ríos) and 2018 (Ñuble) altered the original numbering, but the structure endures as the basis for local governance.

Tourism has become a pillar of Chile’s economy. In the far north, San Pedro de Atacama draws visitors to pre-Hispanic ruins, high-altitude lakes and the so-called Valley of the Moon. Ski resorts in the central Andes—Portillo, Valle Nevado, Termas de Chillán—cater to winter sports enthusiasts. Southern terrain invites exploration of Conguillío and Nahuelbuta national parks, while the archipelagos of Chiloé and the labyrinthine channels of Patagonia—including Laguna San Rafael and Torres del Paine—offer wilderness of glacial ice and snow. Valparaíso’s multi-coloured hills and historic funiculars stand as a UNESCO-listed urban heritage, and remote Easter Island preserves the monumental moai of the Rapa Nui.

Domestic travellers crowd coastal summer resorts from December through March: northern ports such as Arica and Iquique; the beaches of La Serena and Coquimbo; lakeside Pucón in the south; and the Valparaíso Region’s seaside towns, particularly affluent Viña del Mar with its famed music contest. Rural surfer’s haven Pichilemu likewise sees seasonal influx.

In 2005, the government launched an international campaign to showcase Chile’s diversity. More recently, the Route of Parks—a 2,800-kilometre corridor of protected areas conceived by conservation pioneers—has promoted sustainable travel along the spine of Patagonia.

Chile’s challenging topography necessitates a comprehensive transport network. By 2020, nearly 86 000 kilometres of highways traversed the republic, more than 21 000 kilometres of them paved. Strategic duplication of key corridors—particularly the Pan-American Highway (Route 5)—has improved connectivity from the Atacama through central Chile to Puerto Montt. Long-distance buses dominate intercity travel, covering routes such as Santiago–Arica (30 hours) and Santiago–Punta Arenas (40 hours, with transfer at Osorno).

Air travel links distant regions: among 372 runways, Mataveri International Airport on Easter Island claims distinction as the world’s most isolated airport, while Santiago’s Arturo Merino Benítez handles over twelve million passengers annually. Other major airports serve Arica, Iquique, Antofagasta, Concepción, Puerto Montt, Punta Arenas and Temuco.

The 2017 census recorded some 17.6 million inhabitants. After decades of high growth, the birth rate has declined, slowing population increase—projections anticipate roughly 20.2 million residents by mid-century. Urban centres, especially Santiago, account for the bulk of citizens, reflecting continued rural-to-urban migration.

Chile’s cultural fabric intertwines indigenous, Spanish and later European influences. Northern Andean traditions persist in highland towns; in the south, German-settler communities imprint Bavarian architectural forms and culinary tastes in cities such as Valdivia and Puerto Varas. National cuisine mirrors the land’s diversity: seafood along the coast, beef and lamb on the plains, fruits and vegetables of the Central Valley. Signature dishes include cazuela—a hearty stew of meat and vegetables—empanadas, pastel de choclo (corn and meat pie), curanto (shellfish and meat baked in a pit), and sopaipillas (fried dough). The raw preparation known as crudos blends Andean, Spanish and German elements: finely minced llama (or more commonly beef), citrus, onion and European condiments such as mayonnaise and yogurt.

Chile’s heritage is preserved in both intangible traditions—music, dance, festivals, crafts—and tangible sites. Five locales enjoy UNESCO World Heritage status: Rapa Nui National Park (1995), the Churches of Chiloé (2000), Valparaíso’s historic quarter (2003), Humberstone and Santa Laura Saltpeter Works (2005), and the mining town of Sewell (2006). Since 1999, Cultural Heritage Day each May invites nationwide recognition of this legacy.

Across its length, Chile reveals contrasts of climate and culture, of indigenous persistence and immigrant legacy, of rugged wilderness and cosmopolitan city. Its story is one of adaptation to extremes, to forces of nature and currents of history, yet always shaped by those who call its long, narrow land home.