Country Information on Chile

Terrain Chile can be divided longitudinally into three topographic zones: the Andes (Cordillera de los Andes) in the east; the lower coastal mountains (Cordillera de la Costa) in the west parallel to the shoreline; and the Great Longitudinal Valley (Valle Longitudinal) between these ranges. The Andes are widest in the northern region and get narrower towards the south. The country's highest peak, Ojos del Salado (6,893 m), is found in the southern part of the Andes, on the border with Argentina. Climate Owing to its enormous length there are various climatic zones in Chile. In the extreme south, in Patagonia and Tierra del Fuego, snow, wind, and rain prevail, the highest summer temperatures are around 11°C. In central Chile a rather Mediterranean climate predominates, with a rainy season from May to August. In July the temperature averages around 10°C, whereas in January temperatures around 28°C can be expected. Generally speaking, temperatures are moderate owing to the oceanic Humboldt Current, except for the high mountain regions. Fauna/Flora In the north of the country deserts and steppes are found, in which only few cacti, succulents, briars, and other plants grow. Further south, near the coast, there are forests with abundant vegetation, which partly cover their need for water through the frequent fog. The more humid Central Valley is a steppe which supports several species of cacti, espino (a thorny shrub), and numerous grasses. At higher altitudes (between 500 and 1,800 m), towards the Andes, coniferous forests predominate. South of Valdivia there are rests of a temperate rain forest, which is frost-free and favoured by high precipitation. It contains numerous laurels, magnolias, and lianas with colourful blossoms. Indigenous mammals include the llama, the alpaca, the vicuña, the guanaco, the puma, the Andean jackal or Magellan fox, the huemal (a large deer), the pudu (a small deer), and the chinchilla. History/Politics In 1535, Diego de Almagro started the conquest of Chile from Peru, later to become a General Captaincy during colonial times. In 1810, Chile, together with other Spanish colonies in America, sought political independence from Spain. In 1818, General Bernardo O'Higgins, one of the leaders of the independence fighters, proclaimed Chile's independence. The War of the Pacific (1879-1884) found Chile fighting Peru and Bolivia. A victorious Chile was in a position to move its borders further north, leaving Bolivia without any access to the sea. The worldwide economic crisis of 1929-30 destroyed Chile's export-oriented agro-mineral economy. The country's economy would not recover upon the introduction of an economic substitute programme to lower dependency on imports. The programme was to be the basis for a broad popular front movement in 1936, led by radical Pedro Aguirre Cerda. In the 1938 elections, a liberal government with Pedro Aguirre Cerda as president was installed by a coalition of several democratic groups. In 1942, the coalition was again successful, and Juan Antonio Rios, member of the Radical Party, was elected president. He pursued a policy of mediation at first, despite internal tensions between strong supporters of US policy as well as the Axis Powers' approach during World War II. Later, Rios opted for active support of the Allies, and Chile joined forces with the USA when it entered the war in 1944. During the war the Communist Party became one of Chile's most powerful political organizations. The communists, who were frequently quarrelling with the other members of the government, were dismissed from the cabinet in 1947. Before the next presidential elections of 1970 the left opposition formed a coalition and appointed Salvador Allende Gossens their candidate. Allende based his election campaign on a comprehensive concept of "socialism in freedom". It contained economic reforms, including the state take-over of many private companies, foreign banks, and companies having a monopoly on mining. This meant buying Chile's freedom from foreign shares, particularly from US capital. Furthermore, the concept included the continuation of agrarian reform, social improvement, and various democratic concessions. He obtained 37% of votes and thus gained the majority by a narrow margin. However, only three years later General Augusto Pinochet seized power in a bloody coup, in which Allende was overthrown and assassinated. In the following years oppression reigned and thousands of Chileans lost their lives. In 1989, free parliamentary elections were held. Pinochet was voted out of office by a large majority and Patricio Aylwin Azocar was appointed president. After the 1994 elections, Eduardo Frei became head of state. He was succeeded by Ricardo Lagos in March 2000. Economy From the early 20th century on, Chilean economy used to depend on copper mining, from the 1940s, however, the industrial sector has been developing following various governmental measures. Today Chile counts among Latin America's leading industrial nations and producers of raw materials. In the 1970s, great pains were taken to increase the proceeds from agriculture, which had been neglected so far, and thus to make the country less dependent on food imports. Nevertheless, agriculture remains a relatively small economic sector, with only approximately 8% of gross domestic product, compared with industry (34%) and the services sector (58%). Culture Chilean culture is largely dominated by two contrasting but lively trends: the cosmopolitan culture of the well-off city-dwellers, and the folk culture, which prevails in the country and bears Spanish but also Araucan marks. Folk culture is best visible in Chilean music and dance. Chile possesses a rich and flourishing literary tradition, a fact which is proved by the Nobel Prize-winning poets Gabriela Mistral and Pablo Neruda.