Chile

Table of Contents

Introduction & Quick Facts
Land
- Relief
  - The Chilean Andes
  - The intermediate depression
  - The coastal cordilleras
- Drainage
- Soils
- Climate
  - The northern desert
  - Mediterranean central Chile
  - Southern Chile
- Plant and animal life
- Settlement patterns
People
Economy
- Resources
  - Mineral resources, noncarboniferous
  - Energy resources
  - Forestry resources
  - Fishing resources
- Agriculture
- Industry
- Trade and finance
- Transportation
Administration and social conditions
- Government
- Education
- Health and welfare
Cultural life
- The arts
- Cultural institutions
- Recreation
- Press and broadcasting
History
- Precolonial period
- Colonial period
- Struggle for independence
- Chile from 1818 to 1920
  - The conservative hegemony, 1830–61
    - Economic prosperity
    - Political diversification
  - The widening of liberal influence, 1861–91
    - Political factions
    - European influences
    - The War of the Pacific (1879–83)
  - Political development, 1891–1920
    - Growth of the middle and lower classes
    - Formation of new political parties
    - Decline of the ruling class
- Chile after 1920
  - Political uncertainty, 1920–38
    - Effects of the world depression
    - Return to constitutional normality
  - The Radical presidencies, 1938–52
    - The presidencies of Aguirre Cerda and Ríos
    - The presidency of Gabriel González Videla
  - Political stagnation, 1952–64
    - The presidency of Jorge Alessandri Rodríguez
    - New political groupings
  - A period of change, 1964–73
    - The presidency of Frei Montalva
    - The socialist experiment
  - The military dictatorship, from 1973
- Chile in the 21st century
  - The return of socialist rule: the presidencies of Ricardo Lagos (2000–06) and Michelle Bachelet (2006–10)
  - The first presidency of Sebastián Piñera (2010–14)
  - The second presidency of Michelle Bachelet (2014–18)
  - The second presidency of Sebastián Piñera (2018–22)
  - The presidency of Gabriel Boric (2022– )

References & Edit History Facts & Stats

Images, Videos & Interactives

Chile: Lake Villarrica

Santiago, Chile

Physical features of Chile

Predicting an eruption of Llaima volcano in Chile

Chile: Lake Nordenskjöld

Chile: glacial lake

For Students

Read Next

Argentine General Jose de San Martin crossing the Andes with his army, 1817, painting by Ballerini. Argentina, 19th century . National History Museum Of The Town Hall And The 1810 May Revolution, Buenos Aires

When the “Hannibal of the Andes” Liberated Chile

The San Pedro de Atacama Church in San Pedro near the Atacama Desert in northern Chile in South America.

5 Buildings You Have to See in Chile

President Richard M. Nixon smiles and gives the victory sign as he boards the White House helicopter after his resignation on August 9, 1974 in Washington, D.C.

Timeline of the 1970s

soccer ball in the goal

Why Do Some People Call Football “Soccer”?

poem. A poet in a Heian period kimono writes Japanese poetry during the Kamo Kyokusui No En Ancient Festival at Jonan-gu shrine on April 29, 2013 in Kyoto, Japan. Festival of Kyokusui-no Utage orignated in 1,182, party Heian era (794-1192).

World Poetry Day

Discover

Drinking water is poured into a glass.

Water Fluoridation: Just the Facts

King Cobra snake in Malaysia. (reptile)

9 of the World’s Deadliest Snakes

Illustration for Demystified "How Dangerous is Quicksand"

How Deadly Is Quicksand?

Berries and leaves of the bittersweet nightshade (Solanum dulcamara) plant. Poisonous plant

7 of the World’s Deadliest Plants

Figure 13: A Maxim machine gun, belt-fed and water-cooled, operated by German infantrymen, World War I.

7 Deadliest Weapons in History

Close up of books. Stack of books, pile of books, literature, reading. Homepage 2010, arts and entertainment, history and society

12 Novels Considered the “Greatest Book Ever Written”

Gutzon Borglum. Presidents. Sculpture. National park. George Washington. Thomas Jefferson. Theodore Roosevelt. Abraham Lincoln. Mount Rushmore National Memorial, South Dakota.

9 Memorials and Monuments in the United States

Chile: Facts & Stats

Written and fact-checked by The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

News •

Mexico, Chile and Uruguay halt poultry imports from Brazil after bird flu outbreak • May 17, 2025, 5:59 PM ET (AP)

Chilean woman with muscular dystrophy becomes face of euthanasia debate as bill stalls in Senate • May 3, 2025, 10:18 AM ET (AP)

7.4 magnitude quake off Chile's far south briefly triggers tsunami alert but causes no damage • May 2, 2025, 6:14 PM ET (AP)

Pope Francis bestowed a special nickname on AP's Vatican reporter for her often-tough questions • Apr. 25, 2025, 2:57 PM ET (AP)

Pope Francis had a troubled course on dealing with clergy sexual abuse • Apr. 23, 2025, 6:52 AM ET (AP)

Facts

Also Known As	Republic of Chile • República de Chile
Head Of State And Government	President: Gabriel Boric
Capital	Santiago¹
Population	(2025 est.) 20,213,000
Currency Exchange Rate	1 USD equals 958.078 Chilean peso
Form Of Government	multiparty republic with two legislative houses (Senate [38]; Chamber of Deputies [120])
Official Language	Spanish
Official Religion	none
Official Name	República de Chile (Republic of Chile)
Total Area (Sq Km)	756,096
Total Area (Sq Mi)	291,929
Monetary Unit	peso (Ch$)
Population Rank	(2025) 66
Population Projection 2030	19,477,000
Density: Persons Per Sq Mi	(2025) 69.2
Density: Persons Per Sq Km	(2025) 26.7
Urban-Rural Population	Urban: (2019) 88.4% • Rural: (2019) 11.6%
Life Expectancy At Birth	Male: (2021) 76.1 years • Female: (2021) 82.1 years
Literacy: Percentage Of Population Age 15 And Over Literate	Male: (2022) 97% • Female: (2022) 97%
Gni (U.S.$ ’000,000)	(2023) 310,628
Gni Per Capita (U.S.$)	(2023) 15,800
¹Legislative bodies meet in Valparaíso.

Photos and Videos

Chile: Lake Villarrica

Santiago, Chile

Physical features of Chile

Chile: Lake Nordenskjöld

Chile: glacial lake

Santiago: University of Chile

Predicting an eruption of Llaima volcano in Chile

Discover Chile's rich copper reserves under the Atacama Desert sands and how they are mined

The dangerous journey around Cape Horn

A day in the life of a penguin researcher

Unearth copper reserves under Chile's Atacama Desert and learn how copper is processed and traded

National anthem of Chile

See All Videos, Images, Audio and Interactives →

Topics

list of presidents of Chile list of cities and towns in Chile League of Nations nation-state War of the Pacific Andean Community Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Capture of Valdivia UNASUR Latin American Integration Association United States India United Kingdom China Canada Russia Germany Australia Japan France

Dig Deeper: More Articles That Discuss This Topic

Pablo Neruda

Pablo Neruda

Chilean poet

José de San Martín

José de San Martín

Argentine revolutionary

The first female president of Chile

Michelle Bachelet

president of Chile

Sebastián Piñera

Sebastián Piñera

president of Chile

Bernardo O’Higgins

Chilean head of state

Augusto Pinochet

Augusto Pinochet

president of Chile

Salvador Allende

Salvador Allende

president of Chile

Eduardo Frei

president of Chile

Orlando Letelier

Chilean lawyer, economist, and diplomat

Patricio Aylwin Azócar

Patricio Aylwin

president of Chile

Ricardo Lagos

president of Chile

Grace, William R.

William R. Grace

American businessman

Carlos Ibáñez del Campo

Carlos Ibáñez del Campo

president of Chile

Jorge Edwards

Jorge Edwards

Chilean writer, critic, and diplomat

Gabriela Mistral, 1941.

Gabriela Mistral

Chilean poet

Arturo Alessandri Palma

Arturo Alessandri Palma

president of Chile

Manuel Montt

Manuel Montt

president of Chile

Diego Barros Arana

Chilean historian

Portales, lithograph by A. Legrand

Diego Portales

Chilean politician

Montt, Pedro

Pedro Montt

president of Chile

Latin America

history of Latin America

Map showing the countries of South America with national capitals and surrounding bodies of water, including the Atlantic and Pacific.

South America

continent

Skyline of Santiago

Santiago

national capital, Chile

Valparaíso

Valparaíso

Chile

Biobío región, Chile

Biobío

region, Chile

Valparaíso región, Chile

Valparaíso

region, Chile

Concepción: university campus

Concepción

Chile

Lake Todos los Santos, Los Lagos region, Chile.

Los Lagos

region, Chile

Magallanes y La Antarctica Chilena

region, Chile

Iquique

Iquique

Chile

O’Higgins

region, Chile

Arica

Arica

Chile

Maule región, Chile

Maule

region, Chile

Antofagasta

Antofagasta

region, Chile

Santiago región metropolitana, Chile

Santiago

region, Chile

Quiz

Actual continental drift of plates. Thematic map.

Geography Fun Facts

Opened passport with visas, stamps, seals, world map. (travel, tourism)

Guess the Country by Its Neighbors Quiz

Brown globe on antique map. Brown world on vintage map. North America. Green globe. Hompepage blog 2009, history and society, geography and travel, explore discovery

Match the Country with Its Hemisphere Quiz

Flags of all countries of the world. Flags of the world. National flags. Country flags. Hompepage blog 2009, history and society, geography and travel, explore discovery

The Country Quiz

Flags of the world against blue sky. Countries, International. Globalization, global relations, Australia, Canada, United Kingdom, Poland, Palestine, Japan. Homepage 2010, arts and entertainment, history and society

Which Country Is Larger By Population? Quiz

7:023 Geography: Think of Something Big, globe showing Africa, Europe, and Eurasia

Which Country Is Larger By Area? Quiz

Brown globe on antique map. Brown world on vintage map. North America. Green globe. Hompepage blog 2009, history and society, geography and travel, explore discovery

Countries & Their Features

Flags of the world. National flags. Country flags. Hompepage blog 2009, history and society, geography and travel, explore discovery

Countries of the World

Flags of all nations of the world. Grouping of various country flags on a world map.

Which Country Is Larger? Quiz

10:087 Ocean: The World of Water, two globes showing eastern and western hemispheres

You Name It!

List

The San Pedro de Atacama Church in San Pedro near the Atacama Desert in northern Chile in South America.

5 Buildings You Have to See in Chile