What is the capital city of Chile?

What is the capital city of Chile? Santiago is the capital city of Chile. Officially called Santiago de Chile, it is the country’s principal political, cultural, and economic center and lies in the broad central valley between the Andes and the Chilean Coast Range.

The city was founded in 1541 by Spanish conquistador Pedro de Valdivia, who named it Santiago del Nuevo Extremo. Its location near the Mapocho River helped make it an important settlement, although earthquakes and floods have repeatedly reshaped the city. Santiago is also the capital of Chile’s Santiago Metropolitan Region.

A common mix-up is confusing Santiago with Valparaíso, Chile’s major Pacific port city. Valparaíso hosts Chile’s National Congress, but Santiago remains the national capital and seat of the executive and judicial branches. The modern metropolitan area stretches across a large urban basin, with the Andes visible to the east and landmarks such as La Moneda Palace at its political heart.