James Swisher, age 13, of Jackson, Miss., for his question

WHO WAS THE FIRST TO EXPLORE CHILE?

Chile is a republic that forms the southernmost point of the South American continent. From the southern Cape Horn,  the country extends 2,650 miles to the north. The first European to visit what is now Chile was a famous Portuguese explorer named Ferdinand Magellan. He traveled through the strait that now bears his name in 1520.

Magellan landed at Chiloe Island. The region even then was known to its native population as Tchili, an Indian word meaning "snow "

The dominant physical feature of Chile is the Andes Mountain system, which extends the entire length of the country. Many of the mountains have elevations in excess of 20,000 feet.

Although the country extends 2,650 miles from north to south, the average width is less than 110 miles.

At the time of Magellan's visit    most of southern Chile was dominated by the Araucanians, an Indian tribe remarkable for its fighting ability.

The tribes occupying the northern portions had been subjugated during the    15th century by the Incasof Peru.

In 1535, after the Spanish, under Francisco Pizarro, had completed their conquest of Peru, Diego de Almagro, one of Pizarro's aides, led a gold hunting expedition from that country overland into Chile. The expedition spent nearly three fruitless years in the country and then withdrew to Peru

Pedro de Valdivia, another of Pizarro's officers, led a second expedition into southern Chile in 1540. Despite fierce resistance from the Araucanians, Valdivia succeeded in establishing several settlements, including Santiago in 1541, Concepcion in 1550 and Valdivia in 1552. In 1553, however, the Araucanians organized a successful uprising. The rebellion was the initial phase of warfare that lasted nearly 100 years The Araucanians were the only important Indian people who did not quickly succumb to Spanish attack

In the Spanish colonial orgaization Chile originally was a dependency of the viceroyalty of Peru and later had its own government. The country developed slowly because it had neither important silver or gold deposits to attract the Spanish or natives who were willing to labor.

Moreoever, Chile was far from the main centers of Spanish colonization in Peru and was difficult to reach.

In 1810 Chile joined other Spanish colonies in breaking political ties with Spain. On September 18 of that year, celebrated thereafter as the Chilean independence day, the Santiago town council deposed the colonial governor of Chile, delegating his powers to a council of seven Although this act marked the formal establishment of Chilean independence from Spain, intermittent warfare against Splanish troops continued for more than 15 years.

Absolute independence of Chile was proclaimed in 1818 although royalist forces were not completely expelled from the county until 1826.