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Prior to the coming of the Spanish in the 16th century, northern Chile was under Inca rule while Araucanian Indians (also known as Mapuches) inhabited central and southern Chile. Although Chile declared its independence in 1810, decisive victory over the Spanish was not achieved until 1818.

In the War of the Pacific (1879-83), Chile defeated Peru and Bolivia and won its present northern regions. It was not until the 1880s that the Araucanian Indians were completely subjugated. A three-year-old Marxist government of Salvador Allende was overthrown in 1973 by a military coup led by Augusto Pinochet, who ruled until a freely elected president was installed in 1990. Sound economic policies, maintained consistently since the 1980s, have contributed to steady growth, reduced poverty rates by over half, and have helped secure the country's commitment to democratic and representative government. Chile has increasingly assumed regional and international leadership roles befitting its status as a stable, democratic nation.

 Chile has recently started to address international condemnation for its overuse of antibiotics in the many fish farms that breed mostly salmon. Millions of the fish have been destroyed and exports have diminished causing economic fallout throughout the country.More recently, the Salmon industry appear to be in a state of self –induced collapse. Breeding losses are running at over 85%, nationwide.This is a direct result of overuse of antibiotics – some of which are illegal in the US – in order to protect the salmon from infections that have become typical in mass animal farming. The antibiotice, through overuse, have become ineffective and the Salmon, like the industry, are dying.

Although Chile is one of the most stable and democratic countries in South America; there is a rise in rebellious youth entering into their own sexual revolution.