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Chile: South America
built 290 days ago
Chile is about 2,800 miles long, stretching from desert in the north to glaciers in the south. It is about 125 miles wide, moving from the Pacific Ocean to the Andes. Although its population is mainly European in origin, there is an indigenous presence a few hours south of Santiago. Chile is known for its wines, skiing and beaches.
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Intermittent warfare continued until 1817, when an army led by Bernardo O'Higgins, Chile's most renowned patriot, and Jos� de San Mart�n, hero of Argentine independence, crossed the Andes into Chile and defeated the royalists. On February 12, 1818, Chile was proclaimed an independent republic under O'Higgins' leadership. The political revolt brought little social change... and 19th century Chilean society preserved the essence of the stratified colonial social structure, which was greatly influenced by family politics and the Roman Catholic Church. The system of presidential absolutism eventually predominated, but wealthy landowners continued to control Chile. Toward the end of the 19th century, the government in Santiago consolidated its position in the south by ruthlessly suppressing the Mapuche Indians. In 1881, it signed a treaty with Argentina confirming Chilean sovereignty over the Strait of Magellan.
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Approximately 12,500 of Chile's 15,000 Jews today reside in the capital of Santiago. Other smaller communities exist in Vino Del Mar (Valparaiso), Concepcion, Temuco, and Valdivia. A group of Indians in the south, the Iglesia Israelita, observe many Jewish customs and consider themselves to be Jewish as well.
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Chile is bordered by Peru on the north, Bolivia on the northeast, and Argentina on the east. To the west, Chile’s border meets the pacific ocean, including 200 nautical miles of territorial waters, and to the south, the South Pole.
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Unlike most of the world, Chile is blessed with natural barriers. The fruit-growing region is protected by the Andes Mountains on the east, the Antarctic ice cap to the south, the Pacific Ocean to the west, and the Atacama Desert to the north.
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The forests of southern Chile have become the focus of an international controversy regarding appropriate management. Several geographic information system (GIS) initiatives in Chile have emerged recently in response to the pressing need to document the breadth and diversity of these forests.
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