Santiago Chile

Description: Santiago also known as Santiago de Chile, is the capital and largest city of Chile and one of the largest cities in the Americas. It is located in the country’s central valley and is the center of the Santiago Metropolitan Region, which has a population of 7 million, representing 40% of Chile’s total population. Most of the city is situated between 500–650 m (1,640–2,133 ft) above sea level.

Population: 6,903,000

Demographics: White and non-Indigenous 88.9%, Mapuche 9.1%, Aymara 0.7%, other Indigenous groups 1% (includes Rapa Nui, Likan Antai, Quechua, Colla, Diaguita, Kawesqar, Yagan or Yamana), unspecified 0.3%.

History: Archaeological evidence suggests that the first human groups arrived in the Santiago basin around the 10th millennium BC. These groups were primarily nomadic hunter-gatherers who traveled from the coast to the interior to hunt guanacos during the Andean snowmelt. By around 800 AD, the first permanent settlers established themselves in the area, forming agricultural communities along the Mapocho River. They cultivated crops such as maize, potatoes, and beans and domesticated camelids. On 12 February 1541, Valdivia officially founded the city of Santiago del Nuevo Extremo (Santiago of New Extremadura), in honor of the Apostle James, patron saint of Spain, near Huelén, which he renamed Santa Lucía. During the 16th and 17th centuries, the growth of the city was hindered by a series of disasters including an earthquake, a smallpox epidemic in 1575, the Mapocho River floods in 1590, 1608, and 1618, and a devastating earthquake on 13 May 1647 which resulted in the death of over 600 people and affected over 5,000 others. Despite these setbacks, the capital of the Captaincy General of Chile continued to grow, with all the power of the country being centered on the Plaza de Armas in Santiago. In 1767, the Corregidor Luis Manuel de Zañartu launched one of the most significant architectural projects of the colonial period, the Calicanto Bridge, connecting the city to La Chimba on the north side of the Mapocho River. On 18 September 1810, the First Government Junta was proclaimed in Santiago, marking the start of the process towards Chilean independence. As the new century began, Santiago underwent various changes due to the rapid growth of industry. Valparaíso, which had previously been the economic center of the country, gradually lost its prominence to the capital. By 1895, 75% of the national manufacturing industry was located in Santiago, while only 28% was in Valparaíso. By 1910, major banks and shops had established themselves in the central streets of Santiago, further diminishing the role of Valparaíso. The 1920 census estimated the population of Santiago to be 507,296 inhabitants, equivalent to 13.6% of the total population of Chile. This represented a growth of 52.5% from the 1907 census, an annual increase of 3.3%, which was almost three times the national average. This growth was mainly due to an influx of farmers from the southern regions who came to work in the factories and railroads that were being built. However, this growth was concentrated in the suburbs and not in the city center. In the following decades, Santiago continued to grow at an unprecedented rate. In 1940, the city had a population of 952,075 residents, which increased to 1,350,409 by 1952, and reached 1,907,378 in the 1960 census. This growth was reflected in the urbanization of rural areas on the outskirts of the city, where middle and lower-class families with stable housing were established. In 1930, the urban area covered 6,500 hectares, which increased to 20,900 in 1960 and to 38,296 in 1980. With the onset of the transition to democracy in 1990, the city of Santiago surpassed four million inhabitants, with the majority residing in the south, particularly in La Florida, which was the most populous area, followed by Puente Alto and Maipú. The real estate development in these municipalities, as well as in others such as Quilicura and Peñalolén, was largely driven by the construction of housing projects for middle-class families. Despite urban integration efforts, socioeconomic inequality and geosocial fragmentation remain two of the most important problems, both in the city and in the country. These problems have been considered one of the factors that led to the “Estallido Social”, a series of massive protests and severe riots carried out between 2019 and 2020.

Elevation: 570 m

Climate: Cool semi-arid climate. Average annual temperature in Santiago is 16 C (60 F), the average for July is 9 C (48 F), the average for January is 21 C (69 F).

Attractions: Cerro San Cristobal, Sky Costanera, Barrio Lastarria, Costanera Center, Metropolitan Cathedral, Araucano Park, Barrio Bellavista

Airports: Arturo Merino Benitez International Airport SCL

Distance To City Centre: 20 km

Commute Length: 30 min

Average Cost: 35 USD

Peak Times: 6am – 9am, 4pm – 8pm