GROWING CAPITAL

Santiago, sited between the Pacific Ocean and Andes Mountains at the center of 4,000-kilometers (2,485 miles)-long Chile, was established as an outpost at the most distant reaches of Spain's colonial empire. It later serviced large farms, or haciendas, and remained rural in character until Chilean independence in the 19th century, when mining of nitrates accelerated the capital city's economy. Santiago was devastated by an earthquake in 1906 that all but destroyed the nearby port of Valparaíso, but both were soon rebuilt. About one-third of Chile's population lives in Santiago, and 90 percent live within 320 kilometers (199 miles).