Which countries are there in South America (the richest and most developed country in South America) 21-09-12 08:30 Pujiang Guest Culture History

In 2019, a subway fare increase by 30 cents in the capital area The resulting turmoil, riots and mass violence have drawn the world’s attention, refocusing attention on Chile, a country long known as a South American bully.

Chile, located in South America, is the longest country in the world, not one of them.

Chile is 4332 kilometers long from north to south and 90 to 401 kilometers wide from east to west, so some people call it the “skirt” of South America.

Although Latin American countries started the process of modernization as early as the middle of the last century, the rich natural resources did not let these countries get out of trouble, but fell into a long-term economic shutdown or decline.

In Chile, where the political economy is “obscure”, it used to be the same. Some people even say that from Sao Paulo, Brazil, the largest city in South America, to the capital of Chile, just like traveling from a prosperous provincial capital to a remote county town, the roads are full of old second-hand cars, narrow streets, and dilapidated houses.

Today, however, people see Chile with new eyes. Against the background that Latin America is generally caught in a development dilemma, Chile has successfully overcome the “middle-income trap” and become a “developed economy”. In 2010, Chile was also included in the OECD, known as the “Club of Rich Countries”, and is the only Latin American member other than Mexico.

Per capita GDP (1980-2017) of Chile (blue) and Latin America (orange)

How did Chile get out of the quagmire step by step?

First, a different military ***

Like other countries in Latin America, Chile has seen coups and riots. After the military launched a coup, it overthrew the democratically elected president and established a military government.

However, unlike those soldiers who were corrupt and greedy and regarded the people as dung, the Chilean army *** walked out of a clear stream and created Chile’s economic miracle.

One day in December 2006, in the auditorium of a military academy in Santiago, Chile, and around the school, thousands of people mourned the death of a hero.

On the other side of San Diego, in the Plaza Italia in the center of the city, another group of people was holding signs and cheering, shouting slogans to celebrate the death of the devil.

The same person, his death has a completely different attitude in the hearts of Chileans. Some lamented, some mourned, some cheered, some wept. This person is Pinochet, a South American strongman who came to power through a coup, the former president of Chile, and the former commander-in-chief of the army.

No matter how controversial or scandalous Pinochet’s rise to power and his 17 years in power may have been, it is undeniable that this faction of military power, with its tough measures and iron-fisted reforms, Chile has become the most stable economic growth and political situation in Latin America since the 1990s.The most stable country has ensured the continuous improvement of people’s living standards.

Nobel Prize winner Friedman once said, “The real miracle of Chile is a horrible political system and evil military authorities, who are willing to violate their principles to support a free market economy.”

After democratically elected President Allende came to power in 1970, he vigorously promoted the policy of public ownership. But because his policies were too drastic and wide-ranging, after only one year, Chile’s production levels began to drop sharply, commodity shortages and inflation were severe.

In 1972, Allende spent all the savings in the treasury, and the economy stagnated. Stores in San Diego, which used to be well-supplied, even posted signs saying “No Bread, No Cigarettes, No Flour.”

It can be said that after Pinochet overthrew the Allende ***, he accepted a mess: serious unemployment, 800% inflation, sluggish production, and the people looked miserable.

Under such circumstances, Pinochet also had a headache for two years, because the situation did not get any relief in the first two years after he came to power through a coup. If the situation is allowed to deteriorate, Chile may well be plunged into poverty.

In order to change the plight and boost the economy, Pinochet turned to economist Friedman for help. He invited more than 100 economists, including Friedman, to form an advisory group to investigate Chile’s economy.

Friedman’s magic formula is “shock therapy”. One is to stop large-scale money printing, cut government spending by 20 to 25 percentage points, lay off a large number of employees, and further reduce the financial burden.

Factually speaking, very few people can do this. Since ancient times, self-reform is the most difficult.

In addition, the military government also privatized state-owned enterprises, loosened control over the capital market, and implemented a completely open free market economic policy.

Under Pinochet’s iron fist, he professed to carry out “shock therapy” at all costs. While people suffered for three years, the economy quickly recovered and bounced back. From 1978 to 1981, Chile’s economy grew by 20%.

In just six years from 1984 to 1989, Chile ushered in a period of rapid development, and inflation was well controlled. Chile has also become a more competitive country in Latin America, also known as the “Tigers of South America”.

GDP per capita (1945-2003) for Chile (blue) and South America (orange).

In December 1989, Pinochet was forced to call a general election, which eventually handed over power to Alvin, who won the election. It is worth mentioning that the democratically elected Communist Party has continued Pinochet’s economic policy since it came to power, which is also a guarantee for Chile to maintain its development momentum.

In some Latin American countries, the exchange of power is often also the redistribution of interests. Many leaders will put resources into their own camp in order to obtain broader benefits. This isWhether it will easily lead to recession, in the long run is not conducive to economic development.

But on the contrary, Chile’s national policy is very stable, there is no concept of subjugation and political interests, and there will be no huge differences in policy due to different camps. After years of running-in, all factions in Chile have almost the same position on the country’s most important and core development issues.

San Diego Business District

Second, rich resources and suitable climate

The development of a country is inseparable from policies and resources. Not only must we seize historical opportunities, but we must also have pillar industries or natural resources that can support national development.

Northern Chile is one of the driest regions in the world, where large tracts of land are barren. Everywhere you looked, there was gravel and rocky terrain. It is difficult to find even a few green plants in such a place, let alone suitable for human survival. But such a desolate place is an absolute treasure in the hearts of the Chilean people.

Because there are abundant mineral resources underground here, and the largest open-pit copper mine in the world is also here. Chile is known as the “Copper Country” and is famous for its rich copper. Chile is also a major producer of copper in the world, and traces of copper can be seen everywhere in its capital, Santiago. Walking on the street, you can often see many finely carved bronze statues.

From northern Chile to the southern Strait of Magellan, those large and small copper mines are impressively dotted. As early as the 1980s, Chile’s copper mines made great contributions to Chile’s development. In 1982, Chile produced 1.23 million tons of copper per year, becoming one of the copper-producing countries in the world.

Because of these copper mines, the Chileans once proudly said, “The snow in the Andes has nourished the people of South America, while the land of Chile has provided mankind with countless treasures.” Many everyday items of the Chilean people are made of copper. Copper rice bowls, copper soup bowls, jugs, cigarette cases, tea sets and even fruit plates can be seen everywhere. Many people even plate copper on doors, windows, tables and chairs at home.

People often like to use copper products to receive people and give gifts, and the shops are full of various copper products.

In addition to copper, Chile is also rich in minerals such as lithium, molybdenum, saltpeter, gold and silver. For a small country, resources are very precious and play a vital role in the development of the country. Abundant resources are the foundation of Chile’s rise.

Chile is also a country with very developed forestry resources in the world. *** Encourage private development of forestry resources and introduce foreign advanced technology for deep processing of wood. These resources have also driven a large number of hardworking people to become rich.

Because of its unique geographical location, Chile also has a long coastline of more than 4,000 kilometers, which also brings Chile rich fishery resources.

Chile has vigorously developed fishery resources, developed fishery and processing industries, and increased exports of aquatic products. For a time Chile remained the world’s largest exporter of fishmeal.

As early as 1992, the export of Chilean fishery productsreached $1.2 billion.

As the saying goes, Chileans live a life of gold and silver, and do not waste the wealth and resources bestowed by God. After long-term development, Chile has also formed four major export commodity bases. The north is dominated by mineral products, the central region is dominated by agricultural and animal husbandry products, the south is dominated by forest products, and the coastal areas are dominated by fishery products. This not only changed Chile’s single economic structure, made the government more resistant to risks, but also greatly improved the people’s living standards.

In addition, Chile is located in the southern hemisphere, and the climate is also very suitable. Its fertile land is suitable for crop growth and fruit industry development.

Vineyards in the Casablanca Valley

Because the northern and southern hemispheres, Europe and North America are in the cold winter, the fruit on the market is also off-season. However, at this time, in Chile, spring is blooming and fruit is in abundance.

For example, the Chilean cherry is a very popular fruit.

Using this time difference, Chile can vigorously send fresh seasonal fruits to Europe and North America, and can also earn a lot of foreign exchange for the country. In 1992 alone, Chile’s fruit exports reached $1 billion.

Of course, the development of Chile is also inseparable from the efforts of its own citizens and the influence of some Western immigrants.

Three. The quality of Chilean population

No matter what kind of country, only by transforming the population into qualified talents can it finally enjoy the so-called demographic dividend. Otherwise, it will be dragged down by the population and plunged into a whirlpool of poverty without any improvement. For example, Bangladesh has a population of over 100 million, but it is difficult to meet the basic requirements for poverty alleviation.

Chilean education is very good in Latin America. The state provides free public education from elementary school through high school, and some schools even provide subsidized lunches. Although the privatization of education has made Chile’s public education resources very scarce, these educations have cultivated many useful talents for Chile.

There are many universities in Chile, only divided into junior colleges and undergraduates, there is no concept of two. Seven of the top 50 universities in Latin America are from Chile. Moreover, several universities in Chile have a high degree of international recognition. These good educational resources ensure that Chile can continue to cultivate elites and pillars for its own country.

The Catholic University of Chile ranks second in South America and 228th in the world.

The development of any country is inseparable from the promotion of talents. From this perspective, Chile’s population is of good quality and can provide useful talents for its own development.

In addition, Chile and Germany are also closely linked. People who have watched the Chilean military parade often sigh sincerely: Isn’t this a replica of the German army in World War II?

In fact, the Chilean army did leave a lot of shadows of the German army in World War II. German immigration had a great influence on Chile. Around the end of World War II, a large number of Germans fled to Latin America, trying to avoid trial. Chile is also very popular with Germans due to its similar climate and cultural environment.

These Germans who came to Chile were well integrated with the locals, and they have long influenced Chile’sdevelop. Many Germans even entered the Chilean political arena by virtue of their talents or hard work, and also influenced the Chilean political arena with the rigorous style of Germany.

For these Germans, Chile is welcome. The elites of these original German societies also established many secret organizations in Chile, and even many fields in Chile are still controlled by these descendants.

Of course, the territory of Chile is not always fixed. The original part of Chile, which became independent in 1818, is only the central region today, only one-third of today’s Chile. After Chile became independent, Prussian immigrants were brought in and their fields returned to them. They are usually farmers, and these people will be requisitioned when they hit Youyou Resource Network.

German immigrants in southern Chile

In the second half of the 19th century, Chile’s military strength has also been greatly improved. Coupled with the influence of Prussia, the Chilean army has a very strong combat effectiveness. They solved the problems that could not be solved in the pre-Spanish colonial era, defeated the Mapuche, and expanded their territory all the way to the southernmost tip of South America.

In the north, Chile imitated Germany and launched military operations against Peru and Bolivia, and finally defeated these two countries with one enemy and two, which not only greatly promoted the northward expansion of the territory, but also caused Bolivia to lose its coastline , becoming a landlocked country. Excellent Resources Network

It can be said that the war allowed Chile to win an empty period of survival and development. Although Chile is long and narrow, there are rich mineral resources in the north and center