Santiago
Santiago | |
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Skyline of Santiago, with Sanhattan and Gran Torre Santiago, from San Cristóbal Hill La Moneda Palace National Library of Chile San Cristóbal Hill Torre Entel Santa Lucía Hill Metropolitan Cathedral of Santiago National Museum of Fine Arts | |
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Flag Coat of arms
Santiago Location in Chile Santiago Santiago (South America) | |
| Nickname: "The City of the Island Hills" | |
| Coordinates: 33°26′15″S 70°39′00″W / 33.43750°S 70.65000°W | |
| Country | Chile |
| Region | Santiago Metropolitan Region |
| Province | Santiago Province |
| Foundation | 12 February 1541 |
| Founded by | Pedro de Valdivia |
| Named after | Saint James |
| Area | |
| 641 km2 (247.6 sq mi) | |
| Elevation | 570 m (1,870 ft) |
| Population (2017) | |
| 6,269,384 | |
| • Rank | 1st in Chile 5th in South America |
| • Density | 9,821/km2 (25,436/sq mi) |
| • Metro | 6,903,479 |
| Demonym | Santiaguinos (-as) |
| GDP | |
| • Capital city | US$117.1 billion (2023)[1] |
| • Per capita | US$17,000 (2023) |
| Time zone | UTC−04:00 (CLT) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−03:00 (CLST) |
| Postal code | 8320000 |
| Area code | +56 2 |
| HDI (2022) | 0.890[2] – very high |
| Website | www |
Santiago (/ˌsæntiˈɑːɡoʊ/ SAN-tee-AH-goh, US also /ˌsɑːn-/ SAHN-,[3] Spanish: [sanˈtjaɣo]), also known as Santiago de Chile (Spanish: [sanˈtjaɣo ðe ˈtʃile] ⓘ), 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 seven million, representing 40% of Chile's total population.[4] Most of the city is situated between 500–650 m (1,640–2,133 ft) above sea level.
Founded in 1541 by the Spanish conquistador Pedro de Valdivia, Santiago has served as the capital city of Chile since colonial times.[5] The city features a downtown core characterized by 19th-century neoclassical architecture and winding side streets with a mix of Art Deco, Gothic Revival, and other styles. Santiago's cityscape is defined by several standalone hills and the fast-flowing Mapocho River, which is lined by parks such as Parque Bicentenario, Parque Forestal, and Parque de la Familia. The Andes Mountains are visible from most parts of the city and contribute to a smog problem, particularly during winter due to the lack of rain. The outskirts of the city are surrounded by vineyards, and Santiago is within an hour's drive of both the mountains and the Pacific Ocean.
Santiago is the political and financial center of Chile and hosts the regional headquarters of many multinational corporations and organizations. The Chilean government's executive and judiciary branches are based in Santiago, while the Congress mostly meets in nearby Valparaíso.
- ^ "TelluBase—Chile Fact Sheet (Tellusant Public Service Series)" (PDF). Tellusant. Retrieved 11 January 2024.
- ^ Sub-national HDI. "Area Database - Global Data Lab". hdi.globaldatalab.org. Archived from the original on 17 May 2025. Retrieved 24 June 2025.
- ^ Wells, John C. (2008). Longman Pronunciation Dictionary (3rd ed.). Longman. ISBN 978-1-4058-8118-0.
- ^ "SÍNTESIS DE RESULTADOS CENSO 2017" (PDF). National Institute of Statistics of Chile. June 2018. Archived (PDF) from the original on 13 July 2018. Retrieved 3 March 2023.
- ^ Travel, Chile. "Santiago". Chile Travel. Archived from the original on 18 November 2022. Retrieved 18 November 2022.