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Santiago

Capital of ChileSantiago fills a basin in Chile's Central Valley, with the high Andes to the east, the Chilean Coastal Range to the west and the Mapocho River running through it.

Why it's the capital

Pedro de Valdivia founded the city on 12 February 1541. The Arauco War and frequent earthquakes delayed the Spanish Royal Court, but when it finally settled in Santiago in 1607, the city's place as the capital was secure.

Fun facts

  1. Valdivia named it Santiago del Nuevo Extremo in honour of James the Great, called Santiago in Spanish, the patron saint of Spain.
  2. Just seven months after it was founded, the new city was destroyed on 11 September 1541 by Mapuche and Picunche fighters led by chief Michimalonco.
  3. A 14 m statue of the Virgin Mary stands on San Cristóbal Hill, a hill that rises on its own inside the city.

Finding it on the globe

Go a little north of the middle of Chile's long, thin strip and tap inland near the Andes. Santiago is at almost the same latitude as Buenos Aires, on the other side of the mountains.

Easy to mix up

Chile's National Congress meets mostly in nearby Valparaíso, but Santiago is the capital.

Sources: Wikipedia: Santiago