Santiago de Chile

Santiago , also known as Santiago de Chile , is the capital and principal city of Chile and the Santiago Metropolitan Region , of which it is also the geographic center and whose population is concentrated mostly in the city. Located on the banks of the Mapocho River , Santiago was founded by the Spaniard Pedro de Valdivia , under the name Santiago de la Nueva Extremadura in honor of the Apostle Santiago , thus becoming the capital of the Governorate of New Extremadura , ⁷ in the  16th century . It is currently the economic and administrative center of the country, as well as being the largest urban agglomeration in the country.

The city is home to the country’s main public ( Government Palace , Judiciary and a number of international), commercial, cultural and financial organizations, with the exception of the National Congress , ^the National Navy , SERNAPESCA and the Ministry of Culture, Arts and Heritage , located in the city of Valparaíso . It is also the headquarters of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC).

Although generally conceived as a single city , Santiago does not constitute a single administrative unit, but is part of the territory of at least 43 communes , of which 28 are located entirely within the urban radius and 15 municipalities outside it, but all closely connected through modern highways and avenues. Most of the metropolis is located within the province of Santiago , and parts of it are located in communes belonging to other provinces of the Metropolitan Region, these are San Bernardo , Calera de Tango , Buin , Puente Alto , Talagante , Peñaflor , Padre Hurtado , El Monte and Isla de Maipo .