2. 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
3. Population
Religion
approx. 17 million
Roman Catholic (70%)
(Florida = 18,328,324)
Evangelical Christians (15%)
Largest Cities
Divisions
Santiago (capital)
15 divisions
Money
peso
Languages
Spanish
4. 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
5. • (1537) Diego de Almagro
leaves Peru and sets up Chilean Civil War
communities in Chile
Royal loyalists vs. independents
•(1609) Spain officially
claims Chile; it is the least (Spain) vs. (Spanish colonists)
profitable region under
Struggle ends in the 1820’s with
their control and is largely
Chile earning full
agricultural
independence in 1840
•(1810) The Chilean Civil
War & the War of
Independence
6. War of the Pacific
•(1879) Chile wins the War
of the Pacific and earns land
from Peru and Bolivia
8. 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
9. 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
