Spanish Schools in Chile

Country Name:
Long Form: Republic of Chile
Short Form: Chile
Directory of Spanish Schools, Spanish School Directory, Spanish schools in Chile, Study Spanish Chile, Learn Spanish Chile, Spanish Schools Chile
Population: 16,454,143 (July 2008 est.)
Median Age: 31.1 years
Currency: Peso (CLP)
GDP: $14,400 U.S

History:
Prior to the coming of the Spanish in the 16th century, northern Chile was under Inca rule while Araucanian Indians (also known as Mapuches) inhabited central and southern Chile. Although Chile declared its independence in 1810, decisive victory over the Spanish was not achieved until 1818. In the War of the Pacific (1879-83), Chile defeated Peru and Bolivia and won its present northern regions. It was not until the 1880s that the Araucanian Indians were completely subjugated. A three-year-old Marxist government of Salvador ALLENDE was overthrown in 1973 by a military coup led by Augusto PINOCHET, who ruled until a freely elected president was installed in 1990. Sound economic policies, maintained consistently since the 1980s, have contributed to steady growth, reduced poverty rates by over half, and have helped secure the country's commitment to democratic and representative government.

-information courtesy of the World Factbook