Chile
A ribbon of a country stretched between desert, mountain, and sea.
Chile's independence from Spain was declared in 1818, led by Bernardo O'Higgins, who became the nation's first Supreme Director and is remembered as the founding father of the Chilean republic.
The national motto, "Por la razón o la fuerza" ("By reason or by force"), was adopted in 1920 and speaks to the resolve it took to settle a coastline stretched between the Andes and the Pacific. That same resolve, in gentler words, is something every nation across this hemisphere shares.
Get to Know Chile
Capital: Santiago. Official language: Spanish. Currency: Chilean peso. Chile declared independence from Spain in 1818 under Bernardo O'Higgins, its first head of state.
Fun Facts
- Chile is the longest country in the world, stretching more than 4,300 kilometers from north to south.
- The Atacama Desert in northern Chile is one of the driest places on Earth.
- Easter Island, home to the famous moai statues, is part of Chile despite sitting far out in the Pacific.
Why Visit
Chile stretches from the driest desert on Earth to the glaciers of Patagonia, packing an extraordinary range of landscapes into one long, narrow country. Visitors can wander the otherworldly salt flats and geysers of the Atacama, explore the colorful hillside streets of Valparaiso, hike among the granite towers of Torres del Paine, or stand before the mysterious moai of Easter Island. Add renowned Chilean wine country in the Central Valley, and Chile offers one of the most varied trips in South America.
Made in Chile
Chile is known for its wine, copper mining, salmon exports, and fresh fruit sent around the world. This space is reserved for a future Local Marketplace Spotlight, featuring Trust Standard certified Chilean businesses once that pillar of the Americas Ecosystem exists. Soon.