Chile
At a glance . . .
Location
Occupies the southwestern tip of South America; east of the Pacific Ocean, south
of Bolivia and Peru and west of Argentina
2,600 miles long and about 150 miles wide
Population
approx. 17 million
(Florida = 18,328,324)
Largest Cities
Santiago (capital)
Money
peso
Languages
Spanish
Religion
Roman Catholic (70%)
Evangelical Christians (15%)
Divisions
15 divisions
History
(12,000 BC) Native American inhabitants reside in the valleys of Chile; these Native American tribes come from across the Pacific, North America and other parts of South America.
(1400 CE) The Incan empire extends from Peru into northern Chile
(1520) Francisco Magellan passes through Chile when he goes through the Straits of Magellan
Chilean Civil War
Royal loyalists vs. independents
(Spain) vs. (Spanish colonists)
Struggle ends in the 1820’s with Chile earning full independence in 1840
• (1537) Diego de Almagro leaves Peru and sets up communities in Chile
•(1609) Spain officially claims Chile; it is the least profitable region under their control and is largely agricultural
•(1810) The Chilean Civil War & the War of Independence
War of the Pacific
•(1879) Chile wins the War of the Pacific and earns land from Peru and Bolivia
Easter Island(1888) Chile takes control of Easter Island in
the Pacific
Government Instability
•(1924) In response to the growing lower and middle classes, a military coup overthrows the president; leads to a long period of government instability
•(1967) The economy of Chile is crippling; President Salvador Allende gives money to banks to stabilize the economy; also wage increases, price freezes and tax reforms; Cuba comes to Chile’s aid and the United States tries to block that help
Military Coup(1973) Military forces attack the capital and President Allende allegedly commits suicide; General Augusto
Pinochet comes into power and immediately begins to rule a regime with many human violations
Woman President
(2006) Chile elects their first woman president, a socialist name Michelle Bachelet
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