The territories of Chile's native tribes ran most of its very long length until 1450, when the Inca came down from Peru and conquered the areas in the north. But they failed to take the lands to the south, and not for lack of trying. Their defeat at the hands of the strong and fiercely determined Mapuche was just the beginning of a protracted history of warfare. Though the role of the aggressor was taken over by the Spanish conquistadors (followed by Spanish colonial governments and even the post-independence Chilean government), the defenders of their lands and freedom were steadfast-it was not until the eve of the 20th century that they were defeated. But we are getting ahead of ourselves.

In 1520 Magellan first set eyes on Chile and in 1533 the Inca rule of the north ended at the hands of Francisco Pizarro (the first explorer in Peru). Eight years later Valdivia claimed Chile for Spain and founded the capital city of Santiago, only to be killed in 1553 by Mapuche rebels. By 1599 the Mapuche and other tribes managed to stage a major rebellion that essentially wiped out the Spanish settlements in their lands. But of course the colonists persisted, fought back, rebuilt, and in between the fighting turned Chile into a prosperous ranching country during the 17th century. In the early 19th century fighting erupted (this time between the Spanish and mestizos themselves) over whether to remain loyal to Spain or join in the independence movement. The latter obviously won out, making Chile a free country just in time to discover its silver deposits in the 1840's.

The next decade saw the beginning of guano exportation and the subsequent conflict over the mineral-rich land in the north shared with Peru and Bolivia. After occupying part of Bolivia and discovering a plot between its two neighbors, Chile emerged victorious from the War of the Pacific (1879-1883), gaining nitrate-rich land from both countries. At the same time came the last uprising by the indigenous people of the south, finally forced to concede after over 300 years of fighting. The land of the Mapuche was declared state territory in 1881.

And so Chile entered the 20th century, seemingly with all its fighting finally behind it. Unfortunately this proved not to be the case. The popularity of the Socialist party grew through the 20th century, culminating in the election of Chile's first socialist president, Salvador Allende, in 1970. His first order of business involved several large scale reforms, including the nationalization of the copper mines. During this time, poet, national icon, and friend of Allende, Pablo Neruda becomes the 2nd Chilean to win the Nobel Prize for Literature. In 1973 came the establishment of a military junta with General Augusto Pinochet at its head. Neruda passes away not long after, and thousands of people flood the streets for his funeral despite the terror gripping the city. A ray of hope comes in the 1980's when people start demanding an election, which Pinochet agrees to, and then loses, in the democratic election of 1989.

With new president Patricio Aylwin the 1990's saw peace and a healthy economy return to a historically prosperous nation. Pinochet fled Chile for London, where he was captured and expedited to Spain, pending trial for crimes against Spanish peoples. He was eventually returned to Chile, where he was declared mentally unfit to stand trial. Now under moderate socialist president Ricardo Lagos, Chile continues to make progress toward closing the gap between rich and poor, and maintains its status as one of the most developed countries in South America.

 One overarching generalization made about the people of Chile is that they are quieter and more conservative than their boisterous Argentinean neighbors to the east. But they share with Argentina a love of the asado-the all-day outdoor slow cooking of huge slabs of meat and the subsequent feasting.

Yet aided perhaps by the country's bizarre geography, every region is as unique culturally as it is physically. Quechua-speaking tribes still live in the northern Andes along the border with Bolivia, and Mapuche have remained in the south. The 19th century German settlement of Puerto Montt still maintains its old-world ways, as have the British who set up camp nearby. That la cueca, the official national dance, varies by region and social class (between la cueca patronal and la cueca campesina-elite and working class) is a sign of the diversity of the place. 

Look for yourself, especially around the independence celebrations in September, for the local variation in this fun and flirty dance. Local tastes are also reflected in the performances of payadores-dueling poet/musicians who wax lyrical about local goings-on, in city and country alike, a fact that speaks to the country's rich literary tradition as well.

At 2,700 miles (4,300 kilometers) by 221 miles (355 kilometers), Chile covers a huge variety of environments in a relatively small land area. Flanked by the Andes to the east and the Pacific to the west, Chile is home to the driest desert in the world, dense forests, glaciers and more than 2,000 volcanoes thanks to its position on the Pacific Ocean's Ring of Fire (only five are active-but you have to guess which ones! Ok, not really.). And we haven't mentioned all of its islands yet, from the frigid specks of land in the Tierra del Fuego to Polynesian Easter Island, 2,360 miles out at sea.

Weather varies drastically by region, but moves steadily from the parched northern desert to the subantarctic temperatures at its southern end. The Central Valley, where the majority of the population lives, starts out dry and but gets increasingly rainy as you head south, leveling out to a lovely Mediterranean climate in the middle.

In Santiago, the peak of summer (December to January) can get hot, but the heat is moderated by ocean breezes at the many nearby coastal resorts, so don't worry about getting overheated if you go to Santiago during its best season (October to March)-you can always escape and refresh yourself. Skiing is also within easy reach of the city (but at the opposite end of the calendar). If you head south into the area of Puerto Montt and beyond, expect rain.

 Much of Chile's reputation today stems from it rich literary, musical, and cinematic contributions to world art. The seeds of Chile's cultural renaissance were planted by the political poetry of Pablo Neruda and the folk music of the beloved Violeta Parra. Born into a family of artists, La Violeta (as she is known in Chile) produced music and visual art that was not fully appreciated until after her death in the late 1960's.

Picking up on Violeta's political themes, fellow folk singer Victor Jara and his musical group Quilapayun found an audience in the national turmoil of the 1960's. His calls for social reform solidified his image as a folk hero when he was killed with many others when the government was overthrown in 1973. Since then, groups from numerous musical genres-pop, rock, folk, hip hop-have used their music to comment on the conditions of Chile and its people.

The same trend can be seen in literature and film as well. Modern writers like Alberto Fuguet started a movement to remove the veil of exoticism and romance that covers Latin America, revealing the sometimes harsh reality that lies underneath. As one of the first Latin American countries to screen and produce films, Chile has long been aware of the political power that film can wield (the 1970 film El Chacal de Nahueltoro, that brought an end to the death penalty in Chile, is a great example of this). The repression of the Pinochet era, and the subsequent restoration of freedom of expression have created new avenues for filmmakers to explore.

Although it too began as a ranching country, Chile does not worship beef in quite the same way as Argentina. Here, the ubiquitous food is of a more humble nature. Empanadas are savory pastries stuffed with meat, vegetables, and sometimes even fruit, and are all that most people outside of Chile know about Chilean food (but if you are going to pick one thing, you can't go wrong with an empanada). They, alongside their meaty, panini-esque cousin the churrasco, are served up on every street corner and in every restaurant and are enjoyed by Chileans everyday.

But the true national dish, befitting a country that is all coastline, is congrio, an eel-like fish that is usually served up in a stew with garlic and onions but is prepared in a variety of ways. Lamb raised in the south is also popular, and salmon from Chile is said to surpass those from the North Atlantic. People across North America are familiar with Chilean produce (stocking your grocery store shelves this winter) but experiencing it straight off the branch (or vine) is an entirely different story. From October to March sweet berries, juicy plums, kiwi, and melon flood the markets and are snatched up by an appreciative populace.

And then there's wine. Grown south of Santiago in the Mediterranean climate of the Central Valley, the famous Chilean grape has French origins but has since become its own breed. Export began in the 1980's, as wine consumption in Chile began to fall and wines were subsequently made lighter to appeal to North American tastes. But Chile makes great wines of all sorts and, best of all, they're a bargain.

 * It is fun and perhaps courteous to buy wines from the vineyards themselves as you go tasting in Chile, but if you are looking for a bargain, great wines can also be purchased from any local grocery store. 

* In fashionable Santiago, people dress themselves with care (and conservatism). You will blend in much better, no matter how little Spanish you know, if you do the same. 

* Water is deemed drinkable in Santiago but sticking with bottled water and avoiding pre-cut fruits and vegetables is always a safe bet.

* Serious heat and cold are possible in Chile if you travel to the extreme north (Atacama Desert, as well as Easter Island) or south (anywhere below Puerto Montt). Know your limits, wear layers and don't forget the sunscreen.

* Tourist facilities are in short supply on Easter Island. Make sure to stock up on everything you might need before you go.

 * Insight Guides: Chile, published 2005 by Apa Publications.

* Chile: The Pinochet Decade, by Brian Loveman, published by the Latin American Bureau. 

* The Essential Neruda: Selected Poems, published in 2004 with editor Mark Eisner. 

Bad Vibes, Kristina Cordero’s 1997 English translation of the novel Mala Onda by Alberto Fuguet. A novel about a wealthy and troubled teenager in Santiago at the end of the Pinochet era, it is often called Chile's Catcher in the Rye. 

* The Wines of Argentina, Chile, and Latin America, by Christopher Fielden. From the Mitchell Beazley Classic Wine Library.