Chile: Flag and Facts

About Chile

The square is exactly as tall as the white band. The star is a guide toward progress and honor. Blue means sky, white stands for the snowy Andes, and red recalls the blood lost winning independence.

Indigenous peoples lived in central and southern Chile for thousands of years, and the Inca ruled the north for nearly a century before Spanish forces came in the 16th century. Spain set up the Captaincy General of Chile in 1541. Chile declared independence on 18 September 1810, though the fighting did not end in its favor until 1818. Later, in the War of the Pacific, which began in 1879, it beat Peru and Bolivia and gained its northernmost lands. The country is long and narrow, with desert in the north and cool, damp weather in the south.

Did you know?

• Nevado Ojos del Salado in Chile, at 6,893 meters, is the highest volcano in the world.
• The huemul, a mountain deer, and the Andean condor are national symbols of Chile.
• Chile covers a bit less than twice the area of Montana.