Chile

1. Chile Chile is located on the west coast of South America. It shares borders with Peru, Bolivia, and Argentina. Chile’s capital is Santiago (de Chile), It has a Population of 6.1 million The total area of Chile’s land is292,058 sq miles The country’s official religion is Christian (Roman Catholic) Chile has a Republic government, whose current president is Michelle Bachelet, elected January 2006

2. flag During its struggle for independence the government of Jose Miguel Carrera created the first national flag of the country. On July 4th 1812 the flag was raised for the first time during a banquet, celebrating the independence of United States. On September 30th 1812 the seal and the flag the the Old County were adapted. On 18th October 1817 the flag of transition was adapted. This flag had blue, white and red stripes. The color red had replaced the yellow color of the previous flag. Finally on October 18, 1817 the current flag was adopted as the official flag by the Bernardo O'Higgins' government.

3. Independence In 1810 Chile joined other Spanish colonies in breaking political ties with Spain. On September 18 of that year, celebrated as the Chilean independence day, the Santiago town council deposed the colonial governor of Chile, asigning his powers to a council of seven. Although this act marked the formal establishment of Chilean independence from Spain, warfare against Spanish troops continued for more than 15 years. A royalist army was decisively defeated at Chacabuco on February 12, 1817, ending Spanish control of northern Chile. One year later Bernardo O'Higgins, one of the revolutionary leaders, proclaimed the absolute independence of Chile. Nevertheless, royalist forces controlled nearly all of southern Chile until 1818, and were not completely expelled from the country until 1826.

4. The Meat Massacre The Meat Massacre in 1904 was a civilian revolt against inflation on meat products. To crush the revolt, the Central Government sent in the Army. After 2 days of riots, hundreds of the civilians were killed and the revolt is disbanded.

5. Major holiday the Fiestas Patrias of Chile consists of two days: September 18, in commemoration of the proclamation of the First Governing Body of 1810, and marking the beginning of the Chilean independence process. September 19, known as the "Day of the Glories of the (Chilean) Army". Within Chile the Fiestas Patrias are often called the Dieciocho, or 18th because the celebration occurs on September 18. Unofficially, the celebration can last for around a week, depending on when it falls. Most schools and jobs declare a week long vacation for the holiday.

6. Historical Building In the center of Santiago, the capital of Chile, is the Plaza de Armas. The square is the center of the city, and surrounded by Spanish colonial buildings, including the 18th Century Cathedral and the main post office which was once the Spanish governor’s residence. The Plaza de Armas dates back to 1540s when Pedro de Valdivia founded the city. The Plaza was founded in 1541 as the center of the country. The Plaza was surrounded by the Royal Court of Justice (now the National History Museum), the Governor’s Palace (now the Central Post Office), the Metropolitan Cathedral, and other colonial homes.

7. Famous Geological Feature The Andes Mountains are the longest chain of mountains in the world, stretching along the entire west coast of South America from Cape Horn through Chile to Panama and Venezuela for a distance of 4,500 miles. It is also second highest Mountain Range in the world, Only to the Himalaya of Tibet. Many of its peaks rise over 20,000 feet. The chain is about 400 miles wide across its widest part.

8. Bernardo O'Higgins Bernardo O'Higgins Riquelme was a Chilean independence leader who, together with José de San Martín, freed Chile from Spanish rule in the Chilean War of Independence. Although he was the second Supreme Director of Chile he is considered one of Chile's founding fathers.

9. Famous Woman Michelle Bachelet is a divorced mother of three, a self-described socialist and an unapologetic atheist, an unlikely profile for the president of Chile, a conservative, Catholic country, which elected her in 2006, the first woman to rise to the top of the dominantly male hierarchy.

10. Chilean Earthquake On February 27, 2010, an 8.8 magnitude earthquake shook 6 Chilean regions for more than 90 seconds. The earthquake was felt in a few cities in Argentina, as well as Peru. The earthquake triggered a tsunami and warnings were issued to 53 countries. In addition to this, the quake also cause a blackout, effecting 93% of the population. There are 521 known deaths.

11. Citations • www.nytimes.com • www.geographia.com • www.kwintessential.co.uk • news.bbc.co.uk