Chile

An Introduction To Chile:

Have you ever wanted to be in the thinnest but the longest country in the world? Well then Chile is the place for you. Chile is a country located on the western part of South America next to the pacific ocean. Chile is known for its rich culture, its vibrant art and is one of the must see places on Earth. Another fun fact about Chile is that it has over 500 active volcanoes today and it is home to the Atacama desert which is known to be one of the driest places on Earth. Interestingly, despite Chile being one of the driest places on Earth, it is home to over 150,000 penguins thanks to Chile's amazing nature reserves. Overall, Chile is a must see place that is full of history, art and much more!

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History and Demographics in Chile:

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At the time of the Spanish conquest in the 16th century, several distinct Indigenous groups of people lived in the territory that is now Chile. Including, the Diaguita in the north, the Picunche in the central valley, and the Mapuche near the south. The Mapuche resisted the Inca who, under Topa Inca, invaded the territory from Peru to the Maule River in Chile. Later, another expedition led by Pedro de Valdivia, overcame the resistance from Mapuche and founded the city of Santiago which is now the capital of Chile. Chile declared its independence from Spain in 1810, but it was not until 1818 that Chile achieved true independence. After Chile became free was the rise of political figures: Bernardo O'Higgins and José de San Martín. Chile's geographic isolation has helped it to keep its Spanish heritage intact and this isolation has also helped Chile maintain its independence. In 1536 the first Spanish expedition, led by Diego de Almagro, traveled across the Andes and into the central lowlands but did not establish a settlement. However, the southern region remained empty until the early 19th century during the War of Arauco. Some important events that played a part in the history of Chile and Chile’s future are the War of the Pacific (1879-1883), The War of the Pacific (1879–1884) which caused Bolivia to become landlocked and Chile to gain more access to the ocean and more land. Another important event is the Revolutionary Civil War and the overthrow of President Salvador Allende in 1973. Chile was colonized by Spain in the 1540s and it lasted from 1540 to 1818 which is about 278 years. Today only about 5 percent of the population is native Mapuche and other indigenous groups. Mapuche means "people of the earth" or "children of the land." The Mapuche are tied back to history because they lived in Chile before it became an independent country and they resisted the invasion of the Inca during the late 1400s. All of the major events that have happened have caused Chile to be the historical country that it is today.