Short answers, pulled from the story.
The capital city of Chile is Santiago, which was founded on the 12th of February 1541 by Pedro de Valdivia. It lies in the Central Valley and has served as the historical heart of the nation since the 16th century.
Chile declared its independence from Spain on the 12th of February 1818 following a prolonged struggle that included the intervention of José de San Martín. Bernardo O'Higgins was a key figure in the independence movement during this period.
Salvador Allende was the democratically elected president of Chile when a military coup overthrew his government on the 11th of September 1973. He died as the armed forces bombarded the presidential palace and a military junta led by General Augusto Pinochet took control.
The 2024 census recorded a population of 18.5 million people living within the elongated territory of Chile. This population resides in a nation that shares borders with Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, and Argentina to the east.
The Mapuche people are the largest Indigenous group in South America and successfully resisted the Spanish conquest for centuries. They maintained a level of autonomy until the late 19th century and have retained many aspects of their culture and identity to this day.