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Chile

Chile is a nation located in southwestern South America and boasts a population of nearly 20 million people. Its capital city is Santiago, and the majority of Chileans are mestizos, with a significant portion being of European descent or Aracanian (Mapuche) Indian origin. The country is renowned for its unique topography: it is a long, narrow strip of land between the Andes Mountains and the Pacific Ocean stretching some 2,700 miles (4,300 km) from north to south, and rarely widening beyond 217 miles (349 km). In the north lies an arid plateau, the Atacama Desert, which is home to many peaks above 16,000 ft (4,900 m), while most of the highest peaks can be found on the borders with Bolivia and Argentina. Rivers in Chile are limited in size, with the Bio-Bio river being the largest, and there are many beautiful lakes, such as Lake Llanquihue. The western half of Tierra del Fuego, including the island where Cape Horn is located, falls within Chilean territory, as do the small islets of Juan Fernandez and Easter Island.

Chile has a partially developed free-market economy based mainly on mining and manufacturing. Politically, the country is a multiparty republic with two legislative houses led by a president. Religion in Chile is primarily Christianity, specifically Roman Catholicism, though Protestantism and other forms of Christianity are also present. Spanish is the official language of Chile, and the currency is the Chilean peso.

Throughout history, Chile has been occasionally affected by earthquakes and tsunamis due to major faults in the ocean floor, including the magnitude-9.5 earthquake that struck the country in 1960, which was the largest ever recorded, and the magnitude-8.8 quake of 2010, which caused extensive damage. Nevertheless, Chile continues to grow and develop, and is sure to remain an important player in South America for years to come.