|RNational holiday:|N Independence Day, September 18.
|RNature and climate:|N Chile stretches along the South American coast from the southmost point up to Peru. In the east the Andes mountainchain form the border to Argentina and Bolivia. Several peaks reach more than 6 000 m.a.s.l.
Chile is situated in a geologically unstable area with frequent earthquakes.
Northern Chile has one of the most extreme desertclimates of the world.
Percipitation at the northern coast only 10 mm. In the middle of the country between 100 and 500 mm. In the southern part of the country it rains almost the whole year, which gives a percipitation of more than 5000 mm.
In the north the average temperature in January is just above +20°C and in the southmost parts +10°C. In July average temperature in the north +15°C and in the south +2°C.
|RPeople:|N More than 90% mestizoes. 2% European immigrants and their descendants. The rest American Indians, mostly Arauks.
|REconomy:|N Nature limits the possibilities for agriculture. Only 8% of the land is cultivated, 15% is used for pasturage and 27% is forested.
Most important crops are cereals, maize, sugarbeets, root vegetables, fruits and wine grapes.
Good and extensive fishing.
Chile is rich on a variety of minerals, such as copper, with the spin-off products gold, silver, lead, zink, manganese and molybdenum, also iron ore and iodine. Chile accounts for 2/3:s of the worlds iodine production.
Oil and natural gas in great quantities, and rich opportunities to develop hydroelectric power.
Industrialization started between World War I and World War II and was diverted to consumer goods to decrease the necessity of import.
Since 1970 more money has been invested in manufacturing the domestic raw materials before export.
|RHistory:|N 1540 Spanish colonizers forced their way into the country, but the Araukindians made fierce resistance and were not finally defeated until 1880.
During the colonial period Chile was administrated by the Spanish viceking in Peru.
In 1818 an independent nation was proclaimed. The liberation hero Bernardo O'Higgins was the first president, but was ousted 1823 when some of his reformproposals met solid opposition from the church, the landowners and the army.
These conservative groups fought for power against a liberal group. 1829-1830 the struggle took the form of a civil war, which was won by the conservatives.
Then followed some decades in calm and prosperity.
In 1861 the liberal groups hade grown and dominated politics and succeeded to realize several reforms to decrease the influence of the church and increase the ordinary peoples representation in politics.
1879-1884 Chile was at war against Bolivia and Peru. Chile then extended its area extensively and won great resources of saltpetre. Extraction of this started immediately.
In 1891 there was a short but bloody civil war won by the conservatives.
The conservatives dominated the following 30 years while industry, especially the saltpetreindustry prospered and made the rich men richer, but also created a big working-class.
1920 Arturo Alessandri was elected president on a program of social reforms. He was ousted in 1924 and replaced by a military dictator that held power till 1931.
In 1932 Alessandri once again was elected president, but once again he was unable to get his reforms approved by the conservative congress.
Not even the Christdemocrat Eduardo Frei, elected president in 1964, succeeded to pass his promised reforms through the congress.
1970 the marxist politician Salvador Allende was elected president. He raised all wages 35% all of a sudden, that raised the domestic demands so much that inflation increased substantially.
The improvements for the unemployed and those with low wages had to be paid by the best paid workers and the middle classes and led to strikes and violences.
September 11th 1973 a military coup ousted and killed Salvador Allende. Augustino Pinochet, the coupleader was first appointed prime minister and later president. After the coup followed an extensive pursuit of opposition mainly of the left wing. The military treatment of the opposition led to international criticism.
In 1988 there was a referendum partly about a new constitution, partly about if Pinochet should continue as president. The people said no to Pinochet and in a subsequent election 1989 Patricio Aywin was elected president and the military had played its roll to the end for this time.
