Chile

At a glance . . .

Location

Occupies the southwestern tip of South America; east of the Pacific Ocean, south

of Bolivia and Peru and west of Argentina

2,600 miles long and about 150 miles wide

Population

approx. 17 million

(Florida = 18,328,324)

Largest Cities

Santiago (capital)

Money

peso

Languages

Spanish

Religion

Roman Catholic (70%)

Evangelical Christians (15%)

Divisions

15 divisions

History

(12,000 BC) Native American inhabitants reside in the valleys of Chile; these Native American tribes come from across the Pacific, North America and other parts of South America.

(1400 CE) The Incan empire extends from Peru into northern Chile

(1520) Francisco Magellan passes through Chile when he goes through the Straits of Magellan

Chilean Civil War

Royal loyalists vs. independents

(Spain) vs. (Spanish colonists)

Struggle ends in the 1820’s with Chile earning full independence in 1840

• (1537) Diego de Almagro leaves Peru and sets up communities in Chile

•(1609) Spain officially claims Chile; it is the least profitable region under their control and is largely agricultural

•(1810) The Chilean Civil War & the War of Independence

War of the Pacific

•(1879) Chile wins the War of the Pacific and earns land from Peru and Bolivia

Easter Island(1888) Chile takes control of Easter Island in

the Pacific

Government Instability

•(1924) In response to the growing lower and middle classes, a military coup overthrows the president; leads to a long period of government instability

•(1967) The economy of Chile is crippling; President Salvador Allende gives money to banks to stabilize the economy; also wage increases, price freezes and tax reforms; Cuba comes to Chile’s aid and the United States tries to block that help

Military Coup(1973) Military forces attack the capital and President Allende allegedly commits suicide; General Augusto

Pinochet comes into power and immediately begins to rule a regime with many human violations

Woman President

(2006) Chile elects their first woman president, a socialist name Michelle Bachelet