Chile Travel Podcast with Tomás Fuentes

Location

Southern South America, bordering the South Pacific Ocean, between Argentina and Peru

Terrain

Low coastal mountains, fertile central valley, rugged Andes in east

Climate

Temperate; desert in north; Mediterranean in central region; cool and damp in south

Elevation

Highest point

Nevado Ojos del Salado 6,893 m (highest volcano in the world)

Lowest point

Pacific Ocean 0 m

Mean elevation

1,871 m

Area

Total

756,102 sq km

Land

743,812 sq km

Water

12,290 sq km

Size comparison

Slightly smaller than twice the size of Montana

Coastline

6,435 km

Land borders

Total

7,801 km

Border countries

Argentina 6,691 km; Bolivia 942 km; Peru 168 km

Natural resources

Copper, timber, iron ore, nitrates, precious metals, molybdenum, hydropower

Land use

Agricultural land

14.4% (2023 est.)

Arable land

1.9% (2023 est.)

Permanent crops

0.7% (2023 est.)

Permanent pasture

11.8% (2023 est.)

Forest

24.5% (2023 est.)

Other

61.1% (2023 est.)

Natural hazards

Severe earthquakes; active volcanism; tsunamis

Volcanism: significant volcanic activity due to more than three-dozen active volcanoes along the Andes Mountains; Lascar (5,592 m), which last erupted in 2007, is the most active volcano in the northern Chilean Andes; Llaima (3,125 m) in central Chile, which last erupted in 2009, is another of the country's most active; Chaiten's 2008 eruption forced major evacuations; other notable historically active volcanoes include Cerro Hudson, Calbuco, Copahue, Guallatiri, Llullaillaco, Nevados de Chillan, Puyehue, San Pedro, and Villarrica; see note 2 under "Geography - note"

Note

Note 1: Chile is the longest country north-to-south in the world, extending across 39 degrees of latitude

Note 2: Chile is one of the countries along the Ring of Fire, which is a belt bordering the Pacific Ocean that contains about 75% of the world's volcanoes and up to 90% of the world's earthquakes

Note 3: the Atacama Desert in the north of Chile is the driest desert in the world; Ojos del Salado (6,893 m) in the Atacama Desert is the highest active volcano in the world, Chile's tallest mountain, and the second-highest in the Western Hemisphere and the Southern Hemisphere; the volcano's small crater lake is the world's highest lake at 6,390 m

Population

Total

19,091,343 (2025 est.)

Male

9,379,883

Female

9,711,460

Nationality

Noun

Chilean(s)

Adjective

Chilean

Ethnic groups

White and non-Indigenous 88.9%, Mapuche 9.1%, Aymara 0.7%, other Indigenous groups 1% (includes Rapa Nui, Likan Antai, Quechua, Colla, Diaguita, Kawesqar, Yagan or Yamana), unspecified 0.3% (2012 est.)

Languages

Languages

Spanish 99.5% (official), English 10.2%, Indigenous 1% (includes Mapudungun, Aymara, Quechua, Rapa Nui), other 2.3%, unspecified 0.2% (2012 est.)

Major-language sample(s)

La Libreta Informativa del Mundo, la fuente indispensable de información básica. (Spanish)

Religions

Catholic 57%, none 25.7%, Evangelical or Protestant 16.2%, other Christians and traditions related to Christ 1.3%; less than 1%: Buddhist, Catholic Orthodox, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, Islam, Judaism, other religions, no religion (2024)

Median age

Total

38.9 years (2025 est.)

Male

35.8 years

Female

38.2 years

Life expectancy

Total population

80.3 years (2024 est.)

Male

77.3 years

Female

83.3 years

Urbanisation

Urban population

88% of total population (2023)

Rate of urbanization

0.78% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Where people live

90% of the population is located in the middle third of the country around the capital of Santiago; the far north, including the Atacama Desert, and the extreme south are relatively underpopulated

Largest cities

6.903 million SANTIAGO (capital), 1.009 million Valparaiso, 912,000 Concepcion (2023)

Background

Indigenous groups inhabited central and southern Chile for several thousand years, living in mixed pastoralist and settled communities. The Inca then ruled the north of the country for nearly a century prior to the arrival of the Spanish in the 16th century. In 1541, the Spanish established the Captaincy General of Chile, which lasted until Chile declared its independence in 1810. The subsequent struggle with the Spanish became tied to other South American independence conflicts, with a decisive victory not being achieved until 1818. In the War of the Pacific (1879-83), Chile defeated Peru and Bolivia to win its current northernmost regions. By the 1880s, the Chilean central government cemented its control over the central and southern regions inhabited by Mapuche Indigenous peoples. Between 1891 and 1973, a series of elected governments succeeded each other until the Marxist government of Salvador ALLENDE was overthrown in 1973 in a military coup led by General Augusto PINOCHET, who ruled until a democratically elected president was inaugurated in 1990. Economic reforms that were maintained consistently since the 1980s contributed to steady growth, reduced poverty rates by over half, and 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.

Government

Presidential republic

Capital

Santiago; note - Valparaiso is the seat of the national legislature

Time zone

UTC-3 (2 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

Local name

República de Chile

Independence

18 September 1810 (from Spain)

National day

Independence Day, 18 September (1810)

Overview

Export-driven economy; leading copper producer; though hit by COVID-19, fairly quick rebound from increased liquidity and rapid vaccine rollouts; decreasing poverty but still lingering inequality; public debt rising but still manageable; recent political violence has had negative economic consequences

GDP per capita

Real GDP per capita 2024

$30,200 (2024 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2023

$29,600 (2023 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2022

$29,600 (2022 est.)

Inflation

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2024

4.3% (2024 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2023

7.6% (2023 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2022

11.6% (2022 est.)

Unemployment

Unemployment rate 2024

9.1% (2024 est.)

Unemployment rate 2023

9.1% (2023 est.)

Unemployment rate 2022

8.3% (2022 est.)

Exchange rate

Currency

Chilean pesos (CLP) per US dollar -

Exchange rates 2024

943.572 (2024 est.)

Exchange rates 2023

840.067 (2023 est.)

Exchange rates 2022

873.314 (2022 est.)

Exchange rates 2021

758.955 (2021 est.)

Exchange rates 2020

792.727 (2020 est.)

Main industries

Copper, lithium, other minerals, foodstuffs, fish processing, iron and steel, wood and wood products, transport equipment, cement, textiles

Agriculture

Grapes, milk, apples, wheat, tomatoes, potatoes, chicken, maize, sugar beets, pork (2023)

Airports

379 (2025)

Railways

Total

7,281.5 km (2014)

Narrow gauge

3,853.5 km (2014) 1.000-m gauge

Broad gauge

3,428 km (2014) 1.676-m gauge (1,691 km electrified)

Ports

Total ports

39 (2024)

Large

0

Medium

2

Small

10

Very small

27

Ports with oil terminals

25

Key ports

Antofagasta, Bahia de Valdivia, Bahia de Valparaiso, Coronel, Iquique, Mejillones, Puerto Montt, Puerto San Antonio, Rada de Arica, Rada Punta Arenas, Talcahuano, Tocopilla

Internet domain

.cl

Internet users

Percent of population 95% (2023 est.)

Mobile subscriptions

Total subscriptions

26.2 million (2024 est.)

Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

133 (2024 est.)

Environmental issues

Air pollution from industrial and vehicle emissions; water pollution from raw sewage; noise pollution; improper garbage disposal; soil degradation; widespread deforestation; pollution and ecosystem degradation from mining; wildlife conservation

Fresh water

923.06 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

UNESCO Global Geoparks

Total global geoparks and regional networks

1

Global geoparks and regional networks

Kutralkura (2023)