* Workers ' United Center of Chile trade unionists from Chile's five largest labor confederations.

Within Chile's diversified network of trade relationships, its most important partner remained the United States.

Chile's total trade with China reached U. S. $ 8. 8 billion in 2006, representing nearly 66 % of the value of its trade relationship with Asia.

Chile's overall trade profile has traditionally been dependent upon copper exports.

Chile's distinctive shape — long and on average wide — makes it the longest country in the world in terms of length-to-width ratio, with the fifth lengthiest coastline at over.

Chile's first experiment with self-government, the " Patria Vieja " ( old republic, 1810 – 1814 ), was led by José Miguel Carrera, an aristocrat then in his mid-twenties.

He was a Marxist physician and member of Chile's Socialist Party, who headed the " Popular Unity " ( UP or " Unidad Popular ") coalition of the Socialist, Communist, Radical, and Social-Democratic Parties, along with dissident Christian Democrats, the Popular Unitary Action Movement ( MAPU ), and the Independent Popular Action.

Chile's financial sector has grown quickly in recent years, with a banking reform law approved in 1997 that broadened the scope of permissible foreign activity for Chilean banks.

Chile's private pension system, with assets worth roughly $ 70 billion at the end of 2006, has been an important source of investment capital for the capital market.

Trade with Korea and Japan grew significantly, but China remained Chile's most important trading partner in Asia.

The price bands were ruled inconsistent with Chile's World Trade Organization ( WTO ) obligations in 2002, and the government has introduced legislation to modify them.

Chile's Gini Coefficient in 2003 ( 53. 8 ) has slightly changed in comparison with the value in 1995 ( 56. 4 ).

These successes allowed the government to concentrate in 1996 and 1997 on major structural reforms such as the implementation of a fully funded pension system ( partly modelled after Chile's pension system with major modifications ), reform of higher education, and the creation of a national treasury.

* May 22 – The Great Chilean Earthquake: Chile's subduction fault ruptures from Talcahuano to Taitao Peninsula, causing the most powerful earthquake on record ( with a magnitude of 9. 5 ) and a tsunami.

Chile's northern neighbors are Peru and Bolivia, and its border with Argentina to the east, at, is the world's third longest.

Much of Chile's coastline is rugged, with surf that seems to explode against the rocks lying at the feet of high bluffs.

The best known of Chile's Pacific Islands is Easter Island ( Isla de Pascua, also known by its Polynesian name of Rapa Nui ), with a population of 2, 800 people.

After signing the peace treaty on October 20, 1883 with Iglesias ' government, Lizardo Montero tried to resist in Arequipa with a force of 4, 000 men, but when Chile's 3, 000 fighters arrived, the troops in Arequipa revolted and allowed the Chileans to occupy the city.

In 2010 it was announced that Lollapalooza would debut overseas, with a branch of the festival staged in Chile's capital Santiago on April 2 – 3, 2011 where they partnered up with Santiago-based company Lotus.

In 2010, it was announced that Lollapalooza would debut in South America, with a branch of the festival staged in Chile's capital Santiago on April 2 – 3, 2011.

The impact of the 1917 October Revolution in Russia was to give new vigor to Chile's revolutionary movements, which in the 1920s were mostly identified with Communist theory, including the formation of the Communist Party of Chile.

He, along with Elías Figueroa and Iván Zamorano, has been one of Chile's most prestigious footballers.

The Chilean armed forces had deployed a significant force to Chile's common border with Argentina, and the FAA was forced to reinstate their retired F-86 Sabres to bolster Argentina's air defences.

Chile's topography with the location of most of Chile's wine regions highlighted.

Chile's congressional elections are governed by a unique binomial system that rewards coalition slates.

In Chile's Chiloé Archipelago, potatoes are the main ingredient of many dishes, including milcaos, chapaleles, curanto and chochoca.

There are also several clinics like Universidad de Chile's Clinica Barón, Hospital Aleman ( due to close ), and the former Naval Hospital on Playa Ancha Hill.

Chile's largest oil refinery is located in Concón ( on the mouth of the Aconcagua River and about 20 km north of Valparaíso ) and there are two important copper ore refineries: the state owned Ventanas ( on the coast and north of Concón ) and the private works in Chagres, about 55 miles ( 90 km ) inland.

Other versions of this story say this happened in the 19th century, or that the Chilean flag was placed second after the French flag ; there are even variations that talk about Chile's national anthem, placing it either in the first place or second, after La Marseillaise.

Chile's most famous contributions to literature have come from Nobel Prize poets Pablo Neruda and Gabriela Mistral, whose homes and birthplaces are now museums that attract literary pilgrims to Chile.

Most commercial and administrative centers are located in the region, including Chile's main international airport, Arturo Merino Benítez.

The Churches of Chiloé in Chile's Chiloé Archipelago are a unique architectural phenomenon in the Americas and one of the most prominent buildings of Chilota architecture.

Other " chillanejos " are also part of Chile's best artistic and literary traditions: Marta Brunet, a writer ; Marta Colvin, a sculptress ; Pacheco Altamirano, a painter ; and numerous others who, however, did not reach the international acclaim achieved by Arrau and Vinay.

Chile's reforms under the government of Augusto Pinochet are held as the origin of neoliberal shock therapy.

Chile's vineyards are found along an 800-mile stretch of land from Atacama Region to the Bio-Bio Region in the south.

Most of Chile's premium wine regions are dependent on irrigation to sustain vineyards, getting the necessary water from melting snow caps in the Andes.

Many of Chile's vineyards are found on flat land within the foothills of the Andes.

Chile's wine laws are more similar to the US appellation system than to France's Appellation d ' origine contrôlée that most of Europe has based their wine laws on.

Los Lagos Region (, literally Region of the Lakes ) is one of Chile's 15 regions, which are first order administrative divisions, and comprises four provinces: Chiloé, Llanquihue, Osorno and Palena.

Its organisation and its powers and duties are defined in articles 42 to 59 of Chile's current constitution.

Chile's congressional elections are governed by a unique binomial system that rewards coalition slates.

Many of Chile's vineyards are found on flat land within the foothills of the Andes.

Remembered as Ercilla's 60-something elder widely respected by mapuche people, among his captains we can find headchiefs whose names are part of Chile's present geography: Paicaví, Lemo, Lincoyán, Elicura and Orompello, just to name a few.

Huasos ( plural ) are generally found in Chile's central valley.

Tigres are playing home and away qualifying matches against Chile's Unión Española.

Activists believe that conservative attitudes are changing, finding greater public tolerance as Chile's Congress debates striking " offenses to morals and good customs " clauses " that police have used to harass gays, even for behavior such as holding hands in public ".

One of Chile's Antarctic research facilities, Arturo Prat Station, and the Chilean Naval Academy, Escuela Naval Arturo Prat are named after him.