Chile with the capital city Santiago is located in South America (Southern South America, bordering the South Pacific Ocean). It covers some 756,950 square kilometres (slightly smaller than twice the size of Montana) with 16,432,000 citizens.

About the flag and history of Chile

Two equal horizontal bands of white (top) and red; a blue square the same height as the white band at the hoist-side end of the white band; the square bears a white five-pointed star in the center representing a guide to progress and honor; blue symbolizes the sky, white is for the snow-covered Andes, and red represents the blood spilled to achieve independence note: design was influenced by the US flag.

Prior to the arrival of the Spanish in the 16th century, the Inca ruled northern Chile while the Mapuche inhabited central and southern Chile. Although Chile declared its independence in 1810, decisive victory over the Spanish was not achieved until 1818. In the War of the Pacific (1879-83), Chile defeated Peru and Bolivia and won its present northern regions. It was not until the 1880s that the Mapuche were brought under central government control. After a series of elected governments, the three-year-old Marxist government of Salvador ALLENDE was overthrown in 1973 by a military coup led by Augusto PINOCHET, who ruled until a freely elected president was inaugurated in 1990. Sound economic policies, maintained consistently since the 1980s, have contributed to steady growth, reduced poverty rates by over half, and have helped secure the country's commitment to democratic and representative government. Chile has increasingly assumed regional and international leadership roles befitting its status as a stable, democratic nation.

National administrative regions of Chile

• Aisen
• Antofagasta
• Araucania
• Arica y Parinacota
• Atacama
• Biobio
• Chile (general)
• Coquimbo
• Los Lagos
• Los Rios
• Magallanes
• Maule
• Metropolitana
• O'Higgins
• Tarapaca
• Valparaiso

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