Chile

chileChile is a South American country located on an incredibly thin, 2,700-mile strip of land, whose width never exceeds 150 miles, stretching along the southwestern coast of South America. The Pacific Ocean lines its entire southwestern border while on the eastern border is located a wall of Andes mountain range containing about 50 active volcanic peaks. The country’s north is rich in minerals, especially copper. Chile’s population is about 17.5 million, and most of it resides in the central part of the country. The capital of Chile is Santiago, which hosts the Regional Office for Latin America and the Caribbean of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). Chile is rated as an upper income, stable and prosperous country. The country is administratively divided into 15 regions, which are sub-divided into provinces. Each province is divided into communes, administered by municipalities. Regions are identified by their names along with assigned Roman numerals.

Acknowledgements

  • Authored by M. Kalim Qamar (November 2013)
  • Edited by Burton E. Swanson