Chile occupies a narrow 2,880 mi (4,634.9 km) strip between the Andes mountains and the Pacific Ocean, southern Peru, and west of Bolivia and Argentina.The name ‘Chile’ may have originated from the indigenous Aimara word ‘chili.’, which means ‘where the Earth ends.’ It could potentially be based on a Mapuche bird cry imitation that sounds like ‘cheele cheele.‘Chileans affectionately refer to the country as ‘Pais De Los Poetas,’ or ‘country of poets.’ Chile has produced some of the world’s most well-known poets, including Nobel Laureates Gabriela Mistral and Pablo Neruda.Chile’s indigenous peoples, particularly the Mapuche, Patagonians, and Rapa Nui, have left a rich cultural legacy.In 1960, near Valdivia, Chile, the strongest earthquake ever recorded, a 9.5 on the Richter scale, occurred.Migrating indigenous people arrived in the rich lowlands and coastal regions of what is now Chile some 10,000 years ago.Chile is a progressive nation with a high GDP that has a high Human Development Index score.Chile is also a regional leader in terms of state sustainability, Christian democrat progress, and murder rates, second only to Canada in the Americas.Chile experienced democratization, fast population expansion and urbanization, and a growing reliance on copper mining exports for the Chilean economy over the 20th century.Chile became a well tough authoritarian republic during the 1830s after declaring independence from the rule of Spain in 1818.Chile saw tremendous economic and territorial progress in the 19th century, putting an end to Mapuche opposition in the 1880s and capturing its present northern area in the war of the Pacific after conquering Peru and Bolivia.Before transitioning to ‘Chili’ the earlier spelling ‘Chile’ was used in English till the 20th century.Chileans chose Michelle Bachelet Jeria of the Socialist Party as their first female president in January 2006, defeating Sebastián Piera of the National Renewal Party.The Chilean Civil War of 1891 resulted in a power transfer between the national congress and the president, and Chile became a parliamentary democracy.The flag of Chile, like the Texan flag, is based on the United States flag.Chile’s climate varies greatly, ranging from the world’s largest and driest desert, the Atacama Desert, to a continental climate in the middle, a humid subtropical on Easter Island, and marine weather in the south and east.Chile is one of South America’s most socially and economically stable countries, leading the region in competition, per capita income, globalization, the status of peace, free markets, and low perceptions of corruption.Price freezes, pay hikes, and tax changes were implemented by Salvador Allende during his presidency to encourage consumer spending and transfer money downward.On September 11, 1973, a military junta under the command of General Augusto Pinochet deposed the then-elected president, Allende.Augusto Pinochet was refused a second term in office on October 5, 1988, and Chileans chose a new president.Continue reading to learn some more interesting historical facts about Chile in South America. After reading these facts about Chile, you must also check out our other fun fact articles like Ghana’s history facts or Costa Rica history facts.Facts About Chile’s Early HistoryMigrating native Americans arrived in the rich lowlands and coastal regions of what is now Chile some 10,000 years ago.The Araucanians were Chile’s biggest Native American community, a dispersed culture of hunters, gatherers, and farmers.The Mapuche, which means ‘people of the land’ was the Araucanian community that fought back the most vehemently against attempts to seize their land.The Inca Empire temporarily expanded from what is now northern Chile, collecting tribute from small communities of fishers and oasis farmers but failing to establish a substantial social influence in the region.Slash-and-burn agriculture and hunting were common in southern Chile.The Incas built forts in Chile’s Central Valley during their conquest attempts in 1460 and 1491, but they were unable to settle the region.The Inca conquest of the Chilean territory came to an end at the Maule River, which established the border between both the Incan empire and the Mapuche lands as a consequence of the deadly Battle of the Maule.The Araucanians swiftly incorporated horses and European armament into their armory of clubs and crossbows during the conquest.The bravery of the Araucanians encouraged Chileans to glamorize them as the country’s first national heroes.Many tribes, mostly Tehuelches, lived in Chilean Patagonia south of the Calle-Calle River near Valdivia and were regarded as gigantic by the Spaniards.The provinces of Neuquén, Ro Negro, Chubut, and Santa Cruz, as well as the easter island of the Tierra del Fuego archipelago, make up Argentina’s Patagonia.The southern section of Valdivia, Los Lagos in Lake Llanquihue, Chiloé, Puerto Montt, and the Monte Verde Archeological Site, as well as the fiords and easter island south to the districts of Aisén and Magallanes, including the west side of Tierra del Fuego and Cape Horn, make up Chile’s Patagonia.Facts About Chile’s European ConquestFerdinand Magellan, who passed the Strait of Magellan on November 1, 1520, was the first European to see Chilean land.Francisco Pizarro’s nephew, Diego de Almagro, planned an expedition to central Chile in 1537, although he discovered very little value to compare to the Incas’ gold and silver in Peru.He traveled to Peru with the notion that the people in the region were destitute.Realizing the possibility of extending the Spanish kingdom southward, Pedro de Valdivia, a captain in the army, requested Pizarro’s permission to attack and conquer the southern regions.On February 12, 1541, he conquered the locals with a force of a few hundred soldiers and created Santiago de Chile.The Mapuche tribe, who battled European invasion and colonialism until the 1880s, were the most vocal opponents of Spanish control.The Chilean lands developed slowly north of the boundary line between Mapuche territories and the Spanish realm, and they ultimately became an important food supply for the Empire of Peru.Valdivia was the very first governor of Chile’s General Captaincy. He followed the governor of Peru and, via him, the Monarch of Spain and the administration in that position.Although Valdivia perished there at the Battle of Tucapel, the conquest of the European Union had begun.For most of its Spanish existence, Chile was the poorest dominion of the Spanish crown.Facts About Chile’s ColonizationThe era from 1600-1810 is known as ‘Colonial Chile’, and it begins with the devastation of the seven cities and ends with the beginning of the Chilean War of Independence.The Arauco War, a long war between the Spanish and native Mapuches, marked this period.Chile was an unhealthy and unsafe country in comparison to other Spanish possessions.A caste system governed Chilean colonial life.The Governate of Chile, or Gobernación de Chile, was a Spanish Empire territory until 1818 when it gained its formal independence.Santiago was split into 13 parties at the end of the 18th century.Following the slave labor system utilized in Mediterranean sugar cane farms, Spanish invaders used a substantial number of indigenous laborers.Conquistadors from Peru arrived in the region to mine valuable gold and silver. They retreated to Peru after finding little of worth.Diego de Almagro was the first Spanish conqueror to enter Chile in 1530.Diego, on the other hand, chose a perilous route from Peru through the Andean mountain ranges.His departure, however, paved the way for Pedro de Valdivia, who traveled through the deserts to the Mapocho Valley, where he built Santiago on February 12, 1541.Despite hard resistance, the Mapuche were unable to keep out the advanced and overpowering Spanish forces, and the country became a part of the Viceroyalty of Peru under Spanish rule.The mission of defeating Chile was allocated to Pedro de Valdivia, who directed his troops toward the Mapacho Valley in 1540.The present-day capital city of Santiago was established in that year, with several other major cities following soon after.When Valdivia resumed his attacks and crossed south into Mapuche territory, he paid with his life.In 1553, the Mapuche tied Valdivia to a tree and decapitated him.Facts About Chile’s IndependenceFor over 300 years, Chile was a Spanish colony, until Napoleon Bonaparte’s invasion of Spain undermined Spain’s imperial grasp on its South American possessions.Though Chile and the remainder of South America share a history of Iberian colonization, historical parallels appear to cease with Chile’s independence in 1810.Conservatives and civil liberties battled over the extent to which French colonial principles would be integrated into the movement among those who supported independence.Chile began as Christian democrats in 1810. However, the subsequent domestic unrest led to Spanish sovereignty being restored in 1814.A joint Argentinean and Chilean army defeated and drove out the Spanish troops in four years, regaining Chile’s freedom.Spain legally acknowledged Chile’s independence in 1840.The Spanish were defeated in the Battle of the Andes mountains, and O’Higgins, the illegitimate son of an aristocratic Irish emigrant, became the first supreme director of the Chilean republic.With two political parties system and a centralized Chilean government, O’Higgins, who ruled until 1823, established the groundwork for the modern state.The landowning elite, on the other hand, drove O’Higgins out in 1823 because of his proposal to abolish titles, limit inheritance, and raise taxes.Diego Portales, Chile’s dictator from 1830-1837, waged a war with Peru that resulted in the expansion of the Chilean territory.From 1879-1883, Chile fought Peru and Bolivia in the War of the Pacific Coast, gaining Antofagasta, Bolivia’s only seaport, and large swaths of Peru.As many of the economies of Latin America faltered during the 20th century, left-wing, Marxist political parties gained appeal.Salvador Allende was democratically elected president of Chile in 1970, making him the first Marxist to do so in a non-communist country.In 1973, Allende was assassinated by the legendary tyrant General Pinochet in a violent military coup.Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! 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Chile occupies a narrow 2,880 mi (4,634.9 km) strip between the Andes mountains and the Pacific Ocean, southern Peru, and west of Bolivia and Argentina.
