Chile

Orthographic projection of Chile, including the Chilean Antarctic Territory.

Chile is a long, narrow country on the western edge of South America, bordered by the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Andes Mountains to the east. Chile is known for its breathtaking natural beauty, with landscapes ranging from the arid Atacama Desert in the north to Patagonia's lush forests and glaciers in the south. The country also has vibrant cities, such as Santiago, the capital, and a very diverse cultural heritage that combines indigenous traditions with European influences. Chile is known for its fine wines, distinct cuisine, and vibrant arts scene. Another very important factor to take into account is the diverse origins of the Chilean society, from descendants of the indigenous Mapuche, Aymara, Huiliche and Rapa Nui and those of the Spanish settlers, to the Croat, Basque, French, German, Greek and Arab immigrants who have made Chile their home, among others who have immigrated in recent times.

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History of Chile

The first humans arrived in Chile approximately on 12,000 BC. At first people lived by hunting and farming, but in northern Chile they were turning to agriculture by 2,500 BC. The Incas conquered northern Chile in the 15th century, but they were also conquered by the Spanish in 1533. The south of the country was dominated by an indigenous people, the Mapuche, known to the Spanish as the Araucanians. In 1540, Pedro de Valdivia invaded southern Chile and founded Santiago in 1540. However, in 1553 the Mapuche rebelled, led by men called Lautaro and Caupolicán and plundered Spanish settlements. The Spanish managed to regain control, but the Araucanians continued to resist Spanish rule into the 19th century and there were frequent conflicts between them and the Spanish. Although at the end of the 17th century Chile's population was about 100,000 and at the end of the 18th century it was almost 500,000, the majority of whom were mestizos or mixed-race.

Posthumous portrait of the Founding Fathers of the Chilean Republic. From left to right: José Miguel Carrera, Bernardo O'Higgins, José de San Martín, Diego Portales.

In 1808 Napoleon occupied Spain and deposed King Ferdinand VII, making his brother Joseph the new King of Spain. In rejection of this move, leading Chilean citizens elected a junta in September 1810, claiming.to rule in the name of the deposed King Ferdinand, but introduced a number of reforms and moved towards independence. Peru remained loyal to Spain and went to war with Chile to test it. In October 1814 a royalist army defeated the Chileans and occupied Santiago. In the meantime, Napoleon abdicated and the Spanish king had been restored. The king then took drastic measures against Chile and introduced a repressive regime, which simply alienated the people. José de San Martín led an army that defeated the royalists on 12 February 1817, which led Chile achieving independence from Spain on 12 February 1818. However, the first years of Chile's independence were marred by political instability. In 1829 the conservatives took power and introduced an authoritarian regime, led by Diego Portales, who never became president, but was nevertheless very influential. In 1833 a new constitution for Chile was drawn up, which was followed by a long period of relative stability and economic growth. However, after 1873 Chile plunged into recession and exports of wheat, silver and copper fell dramatically.

Finally in 1879 war began between Chile on the one hand and Peru and Bolivia on the other. For years Chile and Bolivia had a border dispute. Finally, Chile agreed to recognize the disputed territory as Bolivian as long as Bolivia did not raise the tax on exports of Chilean nitrate companies operating there. Bolivia raised the tax, which led to war. Peru joined the war on Bolivia's side. In 1879 the Chileans captured the Huáscar, Peru's largest warship, and later invaded southern Peru, capturing captured the capital, Lima in 1881. The war with Peru ended in 1883 and the war with Bolivia in 1884. Chile gained territory at the expense of Peru and Bolivia.

During the last years of the 19th century, Chile's nitrate exports soared and the country became prosperous again. However, in 1890 the congress refused to accept the president's budget for 1891. The president announced that he would use the 1890 budget again in 1891. Congress claimed it was illegal and he fled. A brief civil war followed and the president's army was defeated. Congress then became much stronger and the president's power was drastically reduced. Meanwhile, the Chilean economy was thriving and industry was growing. Unfortunately, when World War I began in 1914, nitrate exports collapsed, causing much unrest in Chile. The military decided that only a strong presidency would be able to deal with the crisis in Chile and from 1924 they intervened in Chilean politics. In 1925 a new constitution was drawn up. However, the depression of the 1930s meant an economic collapse in Chile, causing political instability with many strikes and changes of government. Stability was restored in 1932 when Arturo Alessandri became president of Chile again.

Chile subsequently became a multi-party system with right-wing, left-wing and liberal parties. However, in 1958, the socialist Salvador Allende narrowly failed to win the presidency, greatly alarming the right. In 1964 a Christian Democrat named Eduardo Frei was elected president. He introduced a number of reforms, such as the minimum wage. However, his reforms were not enough for some, while for others they were too much. Chile became increasingly divided between the left and the right. Finally. in September 1970, the socialist Salvador Allende was elected president of Chile. Allende nationalized industries, but that depleted foreign exchange reserves. He also initiated a radical land reform. However, government spending far outstripped its revenues, leading to a huge deficit. The international prices of copper also fell, further reducing government revenues. Inflation also rose very rapidly and food shortages became common. In addition, in October 1972, a truckers' strike brought Chile to a standstill. Finally, on September 11, 1973, the military staged a coup d'état led by Augusto Pinochet, who introduced a brutal military dictatorship in Chile. The worst instrument of repression was his secret police, the DINA. However, at first Pinochet was economically successful. Inflation in Chile was curbed and unemployment fell. In 1980, Pinochet drafted a new constitution, under which he would continue in power until 1988 and then the people would decide whether they wanted military rule to continue or whether they wanted an election. In that referendum, Chileans voted for a return to democracy.

In the elections that followed in 1989, a Christian Democrat named Patricio Aylwin became president. During the 1990s, Chile continued enjoying rapid economic growth, which continued into the early years of the 21st century. Today, poverty in Chile is rapidly declining. Chile is also a stable democracy. In 2010, Sebastián Piñera was elected president. Also in 2010, Chile joined the OECD. Today, Chile's economy is growing steadily. The current population of Chile is 17.8 million.

See also:

• Military dictatorship of Chile
• 1960 Valdivia earthquake

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Geography of Chile

Train running in the Atacama desert.

Chile is a narrow strip of land at the southern tip of the American continent that connects the Pacific Ocean to the Andes mountains. More than 756,626 square kilometers surround its continental surface, with a length of 4,270 kilometers and an average width of 200 kilometers, giving it an elongated and narrow shape on a world map. Its westernmost possession is Easter Island, which is 3,780 kilometers from the continental coastline. One of the country's main characteristics, thanks to this possession and the Antarctic territory, is its so-called tri-continentality, which implies overcoming the traditional vision of it as an "island country," with an unfavorable geographical situation due to its remoteness from the rest of the world. The Andes mountain range, on the other hand, dominates the majority of the country, as does its extensive coastline. Orographically, two other well-defined units can be distinguished: the intermediate depression, which extends from the north of the country to Puerto Montt, and the coastal mountain range, which has a maximum altitude of more than 2,000 meters in some sections. The short distance between the Andean and coastal mountain ranges has defined its status as a maritime country, with ports serving as keys and access points for commercial integration with other countries around the world. The temperate climate dominates, but the aridity of the desert, the humidity of Easter Island, and the cold of the ice in the south make Chile a true representative of climatic diversity, with temperatures typically lower on the coasts due to the Pacific Ocean's moderating action.

Economy of Chile

Vineyards in Puente Alto, Chile.

Chile has became the most stable and competitive economy in Latin America thanks to a series of economic reforms initiated in the late 1970s and 1980s like deregulation and liberalization of trade, which set the foundations for a stable economy, which combined with strong institutions, the diversification of its economy and prudent fiscal policies has turned into the most developed country in Latin America.

Demography of Chile

Mapuche woman

Chile's demographics are shaped by its long history of migration and indigenous populations. For thousands of years, the region has been inhabited by the Mapuche, Aymara, and Rapa Nui indigenous people. The Mapuche, in particular, played an important role in resisting Spanish colonization, retaining their distinct identity and culture despite external pressures. During the colonial period, Chile experienced limited European settlement, primarily from Spain. However, during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, the country saw significant waves of immigration. People from Germany, Italy, and France arrived in the late 1800s, adding to Chile's cultural diversity, particularly in southern regions such as Valdivia and Puerto Varas. In the early twentieth century, migrants from the Balkans settled in the country, contributing to its multicultural landscape.

The twentieth century saw significant migration from neighboring countries, particularly Argentina, Peru, and Bolivia. This was influenced by economic opportunities and political instability in neighboring regions. Furthermore, political refugees arrived during dictatorial periods, such as the 1970s and 1980s, with many fleeing conflicts in Argentina, Colombia, and Chile's military regime and the most recent wave of migration, made up of Venezuelans fleeing the economic hardships of the Maduro regime, which has become the largest immigrant community in the country. Today, Chile remains a cultural melting pot, with European, indigenous, and Latin American influences shaping its modern identity. While the indigenous population is a minority, it is an important part of Chile's cultural heritage and current social dynamics.

See also:

• Polynesian ethnicity
• Mesoamerican and Andean ethnicity

Researching family history in Chile

Birth certificate from Chile.

Doing family research in Chile can be a rewarding but difficult experience, shaped by both the country's history and the unique aspects of its archive system. Access to records is a major challenge, as many of the country's historical documents are housed in a variety of locations, including parish archives, civil registries, and local notaries. These records can be dispersed and sometimes inadequately digitized, making remote research challenging. Language barriers can also be an issue for non-Spanish speakers, as the majority of records are in Spanish, and older documents may be written in archaic versions of the language. Furthermore, for families tracing indigenous or rural roots, records may be scarce or poorly preserved, complicating the search. However, there are significant opportunities available. Chile has a rich genealogical heritage, with many families having well-documented lineages thanks to the country's organized civil registry system, which was established in 1884. This system enables researchers to track vital records like births, marriages, and deaths across generations. Furthermore, Chile has several genealogical societies and local archives that are frequently open to researchers. Another benefit is the increased digitization of records. Institutions such as the Chilean Civil Registry and the National Archives have made significant progress in making records available online, especially in recent years. Other institutions like the NGO Nos Buscamos, supports people affected by irregular adoptions in their search process. With the right tools and patience, a researcher can uncover a wealth of information, ranging from colonial ancestors to more recent family histories.

See also:

• Chile historical records

Surnames in Chile

See also:

• Basque surnames
• Hispanic surnames
• Croatian surnames
• Mesoamerican and Andean surnames

See also

• Argentina
• Military dictatorship of Chile

Explore more about Chile

• Chile - Collection Catalog at MyHeritage, containing 7 collections with 31,881,379 records
• Chile: Recursos Genealógicos ~ Genealogy Resources project Dashboard at Geni
• Texas Firefighter Reunited with the Chilean Family He Was Stolen From as a Baby on the MyHeritage blog
• Chilean-American Adoptee Reunites with His Family 42 Years After He Was Stolen From Them on the MyHeritage blog
• Chilean Adoptee Stolen as a Baby Reunites with His Sister on the MyHeritage blog
• Nos Buscamos
• RECOPILACION DE GENEALOGIA CHILENA
  

References

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