From wikipedia about Chile
Chile,
officially the Republic of
Chile, is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders
Peru to the north,
Bolivia to the northeast,
Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far south. Along with
Ecuador, it is one of two countries in South America that do not border
Brazil. The Pacific coastline of
Chile is 6, 435 kilometres (4000 mi). Chilean territory includes the Pacific islands of Juan Fernández, Salas y Gómez, Desventuradas and Easter Island.
Chile also claims about of Antarctica, although all claims are suspended under the Antarctic Treaty.
The shape of
Chile is a distinctive ribbon of land long and on average wide. Its climate varies, ranging from the world's driest desert – the Atacama – in the north, through a Mediterranean climate in the centre, to a rainy temperate climate in the south. The northern desert contains great mineral wealth, principally copper. 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 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.
Prior to the arrival of the Spanish in the 16th century, northern
Chile was under Inca rule while the indigenous Mapuche inhabited central and southern
Chile.
Chile declared its independence from
Spain on February 12, 1818. In the War of the Pacific (1879–83),
Chile defeated
Peru and
Bolivia and won its current northern territory. It was not until the 1880s that the Mapuche were completely subjugated. Although relatively free of the coups and arbitrary governments that blighted South America,
Chile endured the 17-year long military dictatorship (1973–1990) of Augusto Pinochet that left more than 3, 000 people dead or missing.
Today,
Chile is one of South America's most stable and prosperous nations and a recognized middle power. It leads Latin American nations in human development, competitiveness, income per capita, globalization, economic freedom, low perception of corruption and state of peace. It also ranks high regionally in freedom of the press and democratic development. However, it has a high economic inequality, as measured by the Gini index. In May 2010
Chile became the first South American country to join the OECD.
Chile is a founding member of both the United Nations and the Union of South American Nations.