Tourist Information about Chile

Looking at a map of South America, the Republic of Chile appears to occupy a mere thin ribbon of land. It is actually a long coastal strip between the Andes Mountains and the Pacific Ocean that extends 2,600 miles from north to south but has as average width of only 110 miles. Its neighbors are Argentina to the east, Bolivia to the northeast and Peru to the north.

When the Inca Empire extended into middle Chile, the Incas were not able to subdue the Araucanian Indians, the original inhabitants of the area. Two tribes of the Araucanians, the Mapuche and Huilliche were fierce, well-organized warriors and it is to their credit that the Araucanian tribes were generally seen as possessing immense courage and superior military powers.

The Spanish conquistadors who came also encountered heavy resistance from the Araucanians. It was impossible to conquer the land in one sweep as the Europeans suffered repeated setbacks from the locals. The founder of the first permanent European settlement in Santiago, Pedro de Valdivia, died during a massive Mapuche insurrection. The Indians were pushed southward during the 16th and 17th centuries but they continued to clash with the Spanish.

The first steps toward independence were taken after the King of Spain had been deposed and imprisoned by Napoleon I of France. Many of the Chilean troops, headed by Bernardo O' Higgins escaped to Argentina where they joined forces with revolutionary leader Jose de San Martin. San Martin's army defeated the royalist forces. O' Higgins formally declared Chile's independence on February 12, 1818 and became the first head of state.

After a period of confusion, a stable government was established under an orderly succession of presidents. But as internal control was gained, boundary disputes and conflicts of interest with its neighbors arose. Chile remained neutral in World War I and experienced economic boom due to the great increase in the demand for nitrates. During World War II, Chile broke diplomatic relations with the axis countries. The country continued to expand industrially after the war.

International trade plays a very important role in Chile's economy. Copper has long been its primary export product but non-mineral exports such as fresh fruits, processed food and wine, have grown faster in the recent years. Chile is presently an active member of the United Nations family of agencies and is involved in peace keeping activities.

Chileans call their country Pais de Poetas. There are numerous major poets, novelists and short story writers in the country. Chile may very well be called the Land of Poets for producing two Nobel Literature laureates in the person of Gabriela Mistral and Pablo Neruda.

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