Introduction: Chile, which hugs the southwestern edge of South America, might be described as the world's skinniest country. Stretching some 4,300 kilometers (2,700 miles) from north to south, it is on the average only 175 kilometers (110 miles) wide. Chile has been more politically stable than many other countries in Latin America, although it continues to deal with the legacy of Augusto Pinochet, a dictator who took over the country in a bloody coup in 1973.
Linguistic highlights : Spanish is the official language and is the primary language used by nearly all residents. A small number of people use indigenous languages, Quechua in the northern part of the country and Mapuche languages in the south-central region. There is also limited use by immigrants of some European languages such as German and Catalan.
Studying Spanish: Chile has several immersion schools in Santiago and along the northern coast. Costs are moderate, although transportation from the United States and Europe is expensive.
Tourist attractions: Most foreigners who visit Chile are drawn by its extensive and varied scenery. Attractions include the Atacama desert, the mountains of Patagonia, skiing during the Northern Hemisphere's summer, archaeological sites, ocean beaches and the remote Easter Island. Santiago also is the cultural capital of the country and also features colonial architecture.
Vital statistics: Chile has a total land area of 748,800 square kilometers and a coastline of 6,435 kilometers. Its elevation ranges from sea level to 6,880 meters in the Andes. Its population is about 16 million, with about 40 percent of the people living in the Santiago area. The literacy rate is 96 percent. Catholicism is the dominant religion, with about 90 percent belonging to the church. The gross domestic product is about $10,000 U.S. per capita.
Trivia: Nobody is sure from where Chile obtained its name, although it likely comes from one of its indigenous languages. The name has no known connection with the Spanish word chile and its English cognate, "chili," which come from an indigenous Mexican language, Nahuatl.
History: Indigenous groups, many of them ruled by the Incas, dominated the region before the arrival of Spanish conquerers. The Spanish conquest was led by Pedro de Valdivia. Today's capital, Santiago, was founded in 1541. The indigenous population was sharply reduced by European diseases and intermarriage. Today, about 95 percent of the population is of European of mixed blood, with about 3 percent indigenous. Independence from Spain was achieved in 1818 after a 10-year struggle, although the country's boundaries were smaller then.
Despite an occasional coup, Chile developed a relatively democratic form of government. Wealth and influence were held from a relative few, however, and simmering resentment by the poor led in 1970 to the election of leftist Salvador Allende as president. Allende sought rapid reform that included the state takeover of many businesses and the expropriation of businesses, such as U.S.-run mines, owned by foreign companies. Allende apparently committed suicide as General Augusto Pinochet, with covert U.S. support, led forces that bombed the presidential palace as part of a 1973 coup. Following were some of the darkest years in South American history: assassinations of opposition public officials, institutionalized torture, beheadings, the dissolution of Congress and the outlawing of opposition parties. Laissez faire economic policies, however, led to an improved economy. Despite Pinochet's oppressive policies, elections were permitted, and Pinochet's party was voted out of power in 1989, bringing back political stability. Pinochet left the country, and a series of international court cases returned him to Chilean custody. Chile's Supreme Court in 2004 stripped Pinochet of immunity to prosecution for human-rights abuses. Pinochet is in failing health and it is unclear if he will be brought to trial.
Since the departure of Pinochet, Chile's government has been stable, and the country has been able to remain affluent by South American standards.
