Chile

CL / CHL -33.0°, -71.0°

Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in the Southern Cone of southwestern South America. It is the southernmost country in the world and the closest to Antarctica, extending along a narrow strip of land between the Andes Mountains and the Pacific Ocean. According to the 2024 census, Chile had an enumerated population of 18.5 million. The country covers a territorial area of 756,102 square kilometers (291,933 sq mi), sharing borders with Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage to the south. It also administers several Pacific islands, including Juan Fernández, Isla Salas y Gómez, Desventuradas, and Easter Island, and claims about 1,250,000 square kilometers (480,000 sq mi) of Antarctica as the Chilean Antarctic Territory. The capital and largest city is Santiago, and the official and national language is Spanish.

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Capital

Santiago

Population

19,458,000

Area

756,102 km2

Climate

Temperate

Government

Presidential republic

Currency

Chilean peso

Languages

Spanish 99.5%, English 10.2%, Indigenous 1%

Sells

copper ore, refined copper, fish, carbonates

Sells to

China 39%, USA 16%, Japan 7%

Land borders

3: Argentina, Bolivia, Peru

Drives on the

right

Calling code

+56

Founded

1810

Hemisphere

Southern

Where it is

Languages

Share of the population that speaks each. Click one to see every country that speaks it.

Spanishofficial

99.5%

English

10.2%

Indigenous

1.0%

What it sells, and to whom

Every line is a thread: click a commodity or a partner to see who else trades in it.

Farms and fisheries

grapes
milk
apples
wheat
tomatoes
potatoes

Largest cities

Santiago capital	4,837,295
Puente Alto	568,106
Maipú	503,635
Antofagasta	401,096
Viña del Mar	334,248

Wars and conflicts

Click one to see everyone else who fought in it.

War of the Pacific1879–1884 Spanish American wars of independence1808–1833 Chincha Islands War1864–1866 Chilean War of Independence1827–now War of the Confederation1836–1839

Form of government

Presidential republic.

democratic republic

Money, belief and alliances

Money

Chilean peso Unidad de Fomento

Belongs to

Organization of American States International Civil Defence Organisation United Nations World Meteorological Organization International Development Association Antarctic Treaty System International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons Union of South American Nations Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency UNESCO International Bank for Reconstruction and Development World Health Organization World Trade Organization

Climate and geography

temperate; desert in north; Mediterranean in central region; cool and damp in south

Climate zone

Temperate

Highest point

Ojos del Salado

Landmarks and landscapes

Atacama Desert Torres del Paine Easter Island

Southern hemisphere.

Land borders (3)

Argentina

Bolivia

Peru

In charge right now

José Antonio Kast Head of state and government

Figures from its history

Bernardo O'Higgins Independence leader Bernardo O'Higgins Riquelme was a Chilean military officer, statesman and a major leader of Chile's successful struggle for independence from the Spanish Empire.

Salvador Allende President overthrown in 1973 Salvador Guillermo Allende Gossens was a Chilean socialist politician who served as the 29th president of Chile from 1970 until his suicide in 1973.

Augusto Pinochet Dictator, 1973-1990 Augusto José Ramón Pinochet Ugarte was a Chilean army officer and military dictator who ruled Chile from 1973 to 1990.