It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far south. The arid Atacama Desert in northern Chile contains great mineral wealth, principally copper and lithium. The relatively small central area dominates in terms of population and agricultural resources, and is the cultural and political center from which Chile expanded in the late 19th century when it incorporated its northern and southern regions.
Southern Chile is rich in forests and grazing lands, and features a string of volcanoes and lakes. The southern coast is a labyrinth of fjords, inlets, canals , twisting peninsulas, and islands. Spain conquered and colonized the region in the midth century, replacing Inca rule in the north and centre, but failing to conquer the independent Mapuche who inhabited what is now south-central Chile.
_(cropped).jpg "Adult Guide Diego de Almagro")
After declaring its independence from Spain in , Chile emerged in the s as a relatively stable authoritarian republic. In the 19th century, Chile saw significant economic and territorial growth, ending Mapuche resistance in the s and gaining its current northern territory in the War of the Pacific —83 after defeating Peru and Bolivia.
The modern sovereign state of Chile is among South America's most economically and socially stable and prosperous nations, with a high-income economy and high living standards. There are various theories about the origin of the word Chile.
According to 17th-century Spanish chronicler Diego de Rosales , [15] the Incas called the valley of the Aconcagua "Chili" by corruption of the name of a Picunche tribal chief "cacique" called Tili , who ruled the area at the time of the Incan conquest in the 15th century.
