![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2020\/01\/Chile-on-the-Globe-300x300.png\" "\\"\\"")
<\/a>The arid Atacama Desert<\/a> in northern Chile contains great mineral wealth, principally copper<\/a> and lithium<\/a>. The relatively small central area dominates in terms of population and agricultural resources, and is the cultural and political center from which Chile expanded in the late 19th century when it incorporated its northern and southern regions. Southern Chile<\/a> is rich in forests and grazing lands, and features a string of volcanoes and lakes. The southern coast is a labyrinth of fjords, inlets, canals, twisting peninsulas, and islands.<\/p>\n Spain conquered and colonized<\/a> the region in the mid-16th century, replacing Inca rule<\/a> in the north and center, but failing to conquer the independent Mapuche<\/a> who inhabited what is now south-central Chile. After declaring its independence from Spain<\/a> in 1818, Chile emerged in the 1830s as a relatively stable authoritarian republic. In the 19th century, Chile saw significant economic and territorial growth, ending Mapuche resistance<\/a> in the 1880s and gaining its current northern territory in the War of the Pacific (1879\u201383)<\/a> after defeating Peru and Bolivia. In the 1960s and 1970s, the country experienced severe left-right political polarization and turmoil. This development culminated with the 1973 Chilean coup d’\u00e9tat<\/a> that overthrew Salvador Allende<\/a>‘s democratically elected left-wing government and instituted a 16-year-long right-wing military dictatorship<\/a> that left more than 3,000 people dead or missing. The regime, headed by Augusto Pinochet<\/a>, ended in 1990 after it lost a referendum in 1988<\/a> and was succeeded by a center-left coalition<\/a> which ruled through four presidencies until 2010.<\/p>\n The modern sovereign state of Chile is among South America’s most economically and socially stable and prosperous nations, with a high-income economy and high living standards. It leads Latin American<\/a> nations in rankings of human development, competitiveness, income per capita, globalization, state of peace, economic freedom, and low perception of corruption. It also ranks high regionally in sustainability of the state, and democratic development. Currently it also has the lowest homicide rate in the Americas after Canada. Chile is a founding member of the United Nations<\/a>, the Union of South American Nations (UNASUR)<\/a>, the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC)<\/a> and the Pacific Alliance<\/a>, and joined the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)<\/a> in 2010.<\/p>\n There are various theories about the origin of the word Chile. According to 17th-century Spanish chronicler Diego de Rosales<\/a>, the Incas<\/a> called the valley of the Aconcagua<\/a> “Chili” by corruption of the name of a Picunche<\/a> tribal chief (“cacique”) called Tili, who ruled the area at the time of the Incan conquest in the 15th century. Another theory points to the similarity of the valley of the Aconcagua with that of the Casma Valley<\/a> in Peru, where there was a town and valley named Chili.<\/p>\n Other theories say Chile may derive its name from a Native American word meaning either “ends of the earth” or “sea gulls”; from the Mapuche word chilli, which may mean “where the land ends;” or from the Quechua<\/a> chiri, “cold”, or tchili, meaning either “snow” or “the deepest point of the Earth”. Another origin attributed to chilli is the onomatopoeic cheele-cheele\u2014the Mapuche imitation of the warble of a bird locally known as trile<\/a>.<\/p>\n The Spanish conquistadors<\/a> heard about this name from the Incas, and the few survivors of Diego de Almagro<\/a>‘s first Spanish expedition south from Peru in 1535\u201336 called themselves the “men of Chilli”. Ultimately, Almagro is credited with the universalization of the name Chile, after naming the Mapocho<\/a> valley as such. The older spelling “Chili” was in use in English until at least 1900 before switching to “Chile”.<\/p>\n Stone tool evidence indicates humans sporadically frequented the Monte Verde valley<\/a> area as long as 18,500 years ago. About 10,000 years ago, migrating indigenous Peoples<\/a> 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 Milod\u00f3n<\/a> and the Pali-Aike Crater’s<\/a> lava tube<\/a>.<\/p>\n 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. 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<\/a> was that the Inca conquest of the territories of Chile ended at the Maule river<\/a>.<\/p>\n In 1520, while attempting to circumnavigate the globe, Ferdinand Magellan<\/a> discovered the southern passage now named after him (the Strait of Magellan<\/a>) thus becoming the first European to set foot on what is now Chile. The next Europeans to reach Chile were Diego de Almagro<\/a> 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.<\/p>\n The conquest of Chile began in earnest in 1540 and was carried out by Pedro de Valdivia<\/a>, one of Francisco Pizarro’s<\/a> 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.<\/a><\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n 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 colonies 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 British and the Dutch. Buccaneers and English adventurers menaced the colony in addition to the Mapuche, as was shown by Sir Francis Drake’s<\/a> 1578 raid on Valpara\u00edso, 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.<\/a><\/p>\n In 1808, Napoleon’s<\/a> enthronement of his brother Joseph<\/a> as the Spanish King precipitated the drive by the colony for independence from Spain<\/a>. A national junta in the name of Ferdinand<\/a> \u2013 heir to the deposed king \u2013 was formed on 18 September 1810. The Government Junta of Chile<\/a> proclaimed Chile an autonomous republic within the Spanish monarchy.<\/p>\n After these events, a movement for total independence, under the command of Jos\u00e9 Miguel Carrera<\/a> and his two brothers Juan Jos\u00e9 and Luis Carrera<\/a>, soon gained a wider following. Spanish attempts to re-impose arbitrary rule during what was called the Reconquista<\/a> led to a prolonged struggle, including infighting from Bernardo O’Higgins<\/a>, who challenged Carrera’s leadership.<\/p>\n Intermittent warfare continued until 1817. With Carrera in prison in Argentina, O’Higgins and anti-Carrera cohort Jos\u00e9 de San Mart\u00edn<\/a>, hero of the Argentine War of Independence<\/a>, led an army<\/a> that crossed the Andes<\/a> 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.<\/p>\n Chile slowly started to expand its influence and to establish its borders. By the Tantauco Treaty, the archipelago of Chilo\u00e9 was incorporated in 1826. The economy began to boom due to the discovery of silver ore in Cha\u00f1arcillo, and the growing trade of the port of Valpara\u00edso, 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 Araucan\u00eda<\/a> and colonizing Llanquihue with German immigrants<\/a> in 1848. Through the founding of Fort Bulnes<\/a> by the Schooner Ancud<\/a> under the command of John Williams Wilson<\/a>, the Magallanes region<\/a> joined the country in 1843, while the Antofagasta region<\/a>, at the time part of Bolivia, began to fill with people.<\/p>\n Toward the end of the 19th century, the government in Santiago consolidated its position in the south by the Occupation of Araucan\u00eda. The Boundary treaty of 1881 between Chile and Argentina<\/a> confirmed Chilean sovereignty over the Strait of Magellan. As a result of the War of the Pacific<\/a> with Peru and Bolivia (1879\u201383), Chile expanded its territory northward by almost one-third, eliminating Bolivia’s access to the Pacific, and acquired valuable nitrate<\/a> 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.<\/p>\n The 1891 Chilean Civil War<\/a> 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 who had strong ties to foreign investors. Soon after, the country engaged in a vastly expensive naval arms race with Argentina<\/a> that nearly led to war.<\/p>\n 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<\/a>, whose program was frustrated by a conservative congress. In the 1920s, Marxist groups with strong popular support arose.<\/p>\n A military coup led by General Luis Altamirano<\/a> 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 Ib\u00e1\u00f1ez del Campo<\/a>, who briefly held power in 1925 and then again between 1927 and 1931 in what was a de facto dictatorship.<\/p>\n By relinquishing power to a democratically elected successor, Ib\u00e1\u00f1ez 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<\/a>, emerged. It became the key force in coalition governments for the next 20 years. During the period of Radical Party dominance (1932\u201352), the state increased its role in the economy. In 1952, voters returned Ib\u00e1\u00f1ez del Campo to office for another six years. Jorge Alessandri<\/a> succeeded Ib\u00e1\u00f1ez del Campo in 1958, bringing Chilean conservatism back into power democratically for another term.<\/p>\n The 1964 presidential election<\/a> of Christian Democrat<\/a> Eduardo Frei Montalva<\/a> 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.<\/p>\n In the 1970 election, Senator Salvador Allende<\/a> of the Socialist Party of Chile<\/a> (then part of the “Popular Unity”<\/a> coalition which included the Communists, Radicals, Social-Democrats, dissident Christian Democrats, the Popular Unitary Action Movement, and the Independent Popular Action), 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 percent of votes.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n 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. Joint public-private public works projects helped reduce unemployment. 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.<\/p>\n Allende’s program included advancement of workers’ interests, replacing the judicial system with “socialist legality”, nationalization of banks and forcing others to bankruptcy, and strengthening “popular militias” known as MIR. 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.<\/p>\n As a result, the Richard Nixon administration organized and inserted secret operatives in Chile<\/a>, in order to swiftly destabilize Allende’s government. In addition, US financial pressure restricted international economic credit to Chile.<\/p>\n The economic problems were also exacerbated by Allende’s public spending which was financed mostly by printing money and poor credit ratings given by commercial banks. 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. By early 1973, inflation was out of control. The crippled economy was further battered by prolonged and sometimes simultaneous strikes by physicians, teachers, students, truck owners, copper workers, and the small business class. On 26 May 1973, Chile’s Supreme Court, which was opposed to Allende’s government, unanimously denounced the Allende 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.<\/p>\n A military coup<\/a> overthrew Allende on 11 September 1973. As the armed forces bombarded the presidential palace,<\/a> Allende apparently committed suicide. After the coup, Henry Kissinger<\/a> told U.S. president Richard Nixon that the United States had “helped” the coup.<\/p>\n A military junta, led by General Augusto Pinochet<\/a>, took control of the country. The first years of the regime were marked by human rights violations<\/a>. Chile actively participated in Operation Condor<\/a>. On October 1973, at least 72 people were murdered by the Caravan of Death<\/a>. According to the Rettig Report<\/a> and Valech Commission<\/a>, at least 2,115 were killed, and at least 27,265 were tortured (including 88 children younger than 12 years old). In 2011, Chile recognized an additional 9,800 victims, bringing the total number of killed, tortured or imprisoned for political reasons to 40,018.<\/p>\n 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. In the late 1980s, largely as a result of events such as the 1982 economic collapse and mass civil resistance in 1983\u201388, the government gradually permitted greater freedom of assembly, speech, and association, to include trade union and political activity. The government launched market-oriented reforms with Hern\u00e1n B\u00fcchi<\/a> 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 for 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<\/a>, the candidate of a coalition of 17 political parties called the Concertaci\u00f3n, received an absolute majority of votes (55%). President Aylwin served from 1990 to 1994, in what was considered a transition period.<\/p>\n In December 1993, Christian Democrat Eduardo Frei Ruiz-Tagle<\/a>, the son of previous president Eduardo Frei Montalva, led the Concertaci\u00f3n coalition to victory with an absolute majority of votes (58%). Frei Ruiz-Tagle was succeeded in 2000 by Socialist Ricardo Lagos<\/a>, who won the presidency in an unprecedented runoff election against Joaqu\u00edn Lav\u00edn<\/a> of the rightist Alliance for Chile<\/a>. In January 2006, Chileans elected their first female president, Michelle Bachelet Jeria<\/a>, of the Socialist Party, defeating Sebasti\u00e1n Pi\u00f1era<\/a>, of the National Renewal<\/a> party, extending the Concertaci\u00f3n governance for another four years. In January 2010, Chileans elected Sebasti\u00e1n Pi\u00f1era as the first rightist President in 20 years, defeating former President Eduardo Frei Ruiz-Tagle of the Concertaci\u00f3n, for a four-year term succeeding Bachelet. Due to term limits, Sebasti\u00e1n Pi\u00f1era did not stand for re-election in 2013, and his term expired in March 2014 resulting in Michelle Bachelet returning to office.<\/p>\n On 27 February 2010, Chile was struck by an 8.8 Mw earthquake<\/a>, the fifth largest ever recorded at the time. More than 500 people died (most from the ensuing tsunami<\/a>) and over a million people lost their homes. The earthquake was also followed by multiple aftershocks. Initial damage estimates were in the range of US$15\u201330 billion, around 10 to 15 percent of Chile’s real gross domestic product.<\/p>\n 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 Jos\u00e9 copper and gold mine in the Atacama Desert<\/a> near Copiap\u00f3<\/a> in northern Chile, trapping 33 men 700 metres (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.<\/p>\n A long and narrow coastal Southern Cone<\/a> country on the west side of the Andes Mountains<\/a>, 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. 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.<\/a><\/p>\n 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<\/a>, Russia<\/a>, Canada<\/a>, and the United States, among others) all being wider from east to west by a factor of more than 10.<\/p>\n Chile controls Easter Island and Sala y G\u00f3mez Island, the easternmost islands of Polynesia, which it incorporated to its territory in 1888, and Robinson Crusoe Island, more than 600 km (370 mi) from the mainland, in the Juan Fern\u00e1ndez Islands. 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.<\/p>\n The northern Atacama Desert<\/a> 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.<\/p>\n The Chilean currency is the Chilean peso (CLP). Chile is one of South America’s most stable and prosperous nations, leading Latin American nations in human development, competitiveness, income per capita, globalization, economic freedom, and low perception of corruption. Since July 2013, Chile is considered by the World Bank as a “high-income economy”.<\/p>\n Copper mining makes up 20% of Chilean GDP and 60% of exports. Escondida<\/a> is the largest copper mine in the world, producing over 5% of global supplies. Overall, Chile produces a third of the world’s copper. Codelco<\/a>, the state mining firm, competes with private copper mining companies.<\/p>\n Sound economic policies, maintained consistently since the 1980s, have contributed to steady economic growth in Chile and have more than halved poverty rates.<\/p>\n 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 criticised for underestimating the power of economic incentives for expanded production in other parts of the world.<\/p>\n 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. Some major agriculture products of Chile include grapes, apples, pears, onions, wheat, corn, oats, peaches, garlic, asparagus, beans, beef, poultry, wool, fish, timber and hemp. Due to its geographical isolation and strict customs policies Chile is free from diseases such as Mad Cow Disease<\/a>, fruit fly<\/a> and Phylloxera<\/a>. This, its location in the Southern Hemisphere<\/a>, which has quite different harvesting times from the Northern Hemisphere,<\/a> 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.<\/p>\n Tourism in Chile has experienced sustained growth over the last few decades. In 2005, tourism grew by 13.6 percent, 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)<\/a>, 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 PR China.<\/p>\n The main attractions for tourists are places of natural beauty situated in the extreme zones of the country: San Pedro de Atacama<\/a>, 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<\/a>. In Putre<\/a>, also in the north, there is the Chungar\u00e1 Lake<\/a>, as well as the Parinacota<\/a> and the Pomerape<\/a> volcanoes, with altitudes of 6,348 m and 6,282 m, respectively. Throughout the central Andes there are many ski resorts of international repute, including Portillo<\/a>, Valle Nevado<\/a> and Termas de Chill\u00e1n<\/a>.<\/p>\n The main tourist sites in the south are national parks (the most popular is Conguill\u00edo National Park<\/a> in the Araucan\u00eda) and the coastal area around Tir\u00faa and Ca\u00f1ete with the Isla Mocha<\/a> and the Nahuelbuta National Park<\/a>, Chilo\u00e9 Archipelago<\/a> and Patagonia<\/a>, which includes Laguna San Rafael National Park<\/a>, with its many glaciers, and the Torres del Paine National Park<\/a>. The central port city of Valpara\u00edso<\/a>, which is World Heritage with its unique architecture, is also popular. Finally, Easter Island in the Pacific Ocean is one of the main Chilean tourist destinations.<\/p>\n For locals, tourism is concentrated mostly in the summer (December to March), and mainly in the coastal beach towns. Arica<\/a>, Iquique<\/a>, Antofagasta<\/a>, La Serena<\/a> and Coquimbo<\/a> are the main summer centers in the north, and Puc\u00f3n on the shores of Lake Villarrica<\/a> is the main center in the south. Because of its proximity to Santiago, the coast of the Valpara\u00edso Region, with its many beach resorts, receives the largest number of tourists. Vi\u00f1a del Mar<\/a>, Valpara\u00edso’s northern affluent neighbor, is popular because of its beaches, casino, and its annual song festival<\/a>, the most important musical event in Latin America. Pichilemu<\/a> in the O’Higgins Region<\/a> is widely known as South America’s “best surfing spot” according to Fodor’s.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n Chile is home to the world renowned Patagonian Trail<\/a> 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 and was designed by Tompkins Conservation<\/a> (founders Douglas Tompkins<\/a> and wife Kristine<\/a>).<\/p>\n Due to Chile’s topography a functioning transport network is vital to its economy. Buses are now the main means of long distance transportation in Chile, following the decline of its railway network. The bus system covers the entire country, from Arica<\/a> to Santiago<\/a> (a 30-hour journey) and from Santiago to Punta Arenas<\/a> (about 40 hours, with a change at Osorno<\/a>).<\/p>\n Chile has a total of 372 runways (62 paved and 310 unpaved). Important airports in Chile include Chacalluta International Airport (Arica)<\/a>, Diego Aracena International Airport (Iquique)<\/a>, Andr\u00e9s Sabella G\u00e1lvez International Airport (Antofagasta)<\/a>, Carriel Sur International Airport (Concepci\u00f3n)<\/a>, El Tepual International Airport (Puerto Montt)<\/a>, Presidente Carlos Ib\u00e1\u00f1ez del Campo International Airport (Punta Arenas)<\/a>, La Araucan\u00eda International Airport (Temuco)<\/a>, Mataveri International Airport (Easter Island)<\/a>, the most remote airport in the world,<\/p>\n and the Comodoro Arturo Merino Ben\u00edtez International Airport (Santiago)<\/a> 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.<\/a><\/p>\n The flag of Chile consists of two equal horizontal bands of white and red, with a blue square the same height as the white band in the canton, which bears a white five-pointed star in the center. It was adopted on 18 October 1817. The Chilean flag is also known in Spanish as La Estrella Solitaria.<\/p>\n It has a 3:2 ratio between length and width, it is divided horizontally into two bands of equal size (the lower being red). The upper area is divided once: in a square (blue), with a single centered white star; and rectangle (white), whose lengths are in proportion 1:2.<\/p>\n The star may represent a guide to progress and honor while other interpretations refer to its reference to an independent state; blue symbolizes the sky and the Pacific Ocean, white is for the snow-covered Andes<\/a>, and red stands for the blood spilled to achieve independence.<\/p>\n According to the epic poem La Araucana<\/a>, the colors were derived from those from the flag flown by the Mapuche<\/a> during the Arauco War<\/a>. “Flag Day” is held each year on the ninth of July to commemorate the 77 soldiers who died in the 1882 Battle of La Concepci\u00f3n<\/a>.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2020\/01\/Five-Presidents-of-Chile-Since-Transition-to-Democracy-1990\u20132018-300x207.jpg\" "\\"\\""){kind=spacer}
<\/a>Etymology:<\/h2>\n
History:<\/h2>\n
Early History:<\/h3>\n
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<\/a>Spanish Colonization:<\/h3>\n
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<\/a>Independence and Nation Building:<\/h3>\n
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<\/a>20th Century:<\/h3>\n
Salvador Allende:<\/h4>\n
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<\/a>Pinochet era (1973\u20131990):<\/h4>\n
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<\/a>21st Century:<\/h3>\n
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<\/a>Geography:<\/h2>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2020\/01\/Regions-of-Chile-134x300.png\" "\\"\\"")
<\/a>![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2020\/01\/Topographic-Map-of-Chile-134x300.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
<\/a>Economy:<\/h2>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2020\/01\/Santiago-Financial-District-263x300.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
<\/a>![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2020\/01\/Chuquicamata-the-Largest-Open-Pit-Copper-Mine-in-the-World-300x195.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
<\/a>![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2020\/01\/Vineyard-300x225.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
<\/a>Transportation:<\/h2>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2020\/01\/Santiago-Metro-300x225.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
<\/a>![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2020\/01\/Easter-Island-Airport-300x198.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
<\/a>Flag of Chile:<\/h2>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2020\/01\/Flag-of-Chile-300x200.png\" "\\"\\"")
<\/a>