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ChileRepública de Chile Republic of Chile Flag Coat of arms Motto: Por la Razón o la Fuerza (Spanish: "By right or might") Anthem: Himno Nacional Capital Santiago1 33°26′S 70°40′W Largestcity Santiago Officiallanguage(s) Spanish Government Democratic republic • President Michelle Bachelet Independence • First Nat. Gov. Junta • Declared • Recognized From Spain September 18, 1810 February 12, 1818 April 25, 1844 Area - Total 756,950km²(38th) 292,183sqmi - Water (%) 1.07%2 Population - June 2006 est. 16,432,674(60th) - 2002 census 15,116,435 - Density 21/km²(153rd) 54/sqmi GDP (PPP) 2005 estimate - Total $193,213million(43rd) - Per capita $11,937(56th) HDI (2003) 0.854(37th)–high Currency Peso (CLP) Time zone — (UTC-4) - Summer(DST) — (UTC-3) Internet TLD .cl Calling code +56 1 The legislative body operates in Valparaíso 2 Includes Easter Island and Isla Sala y Gómez; does not include 1,250,000 km² of claimed territory in Antarctica Chile, officially the Republic of Chile (Spanish: República de Chile (help·info)), is a country in South America occupying a long coastal strip between the Andes mountains and the Pacific Ocean. It borders Argentina to the east, Bolivia to the northeast and Peru to the north. There are various theories about the origin of the word Chile. According to one theory the Incas of Peru, who had failed to conquer the Mapuche, called the valley of the Aconcagua "Chili" by corruption of the name of a tribal chief ("cacique") called Tili, who ruled the area at the time of the Incan conquest. Another theory points to the similarity of the valley of the Aconcagua with that of the Casma Valley in Peru, where there was a town and valley named Chili. Other theories say Chile may derive its name from the indigenous Mapuche word chilli, which may mean "where the land ends" or "the deepest point of the Earth," or from the Aymara tchili meaning "snow"; another meaning attributed to chilli is the onomatopoeic cheele-cheele—the Mapuche imitation of a bird call. The Spanish conquistadors heard about this name from the Incas and the few survivors of Diego de Almagro's first Spanish expedition south from Peru in 1535-36 called themselves the "men of Chilli." About 10,000 years ago, migrating Native Americans settled in fertile valleys and along the coast of what is now Chile. The Incas briefly extended their empire into what is now northern Chile, but the area's barrenness prevented extensive settlement. In 1520, while attempting to circumnavigate the earth, the Portuguese Ferdinand Magellan, discovered the southern passage now named after him, the Strait of Magellan. The next Europeans to reach Chile were Diego de Almagro and his band of Spanish conquistadors, who came from Peru in 1535 seeking gold. The Spanish encountered hundreds of thousands of Indians from various cultures in the area that modern Chile now occupies. These cultures supported themselves principally through slash-and-burn agriculture and hunting. The conquest of Chile began in earnest in 1540 and was carried out by Pedro de Valdivia, one of Francisco Pizarro's lieutenants, who founded the city of Santiago on February 12, 1541. Although the Spanish did not find the extensive gold and silver they sought, they recognized the agricultural potential of Chile's central valley, and Chile became part of the Viceroyalty of Peru. Check out the following recipes that are tagged "Chile":
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