Discover
The identity of the nation
Chile is a narrow, extremely long strip of land located between the Andes mountain range and the Pacific Ocean, stretching more than 4,000 kilometers from the Atacama Desert in the north to the ice fields of Patagonia in the south. It has around 19 million inhabitants, most concentrated in the central region around the capital, Santiago. This extreme geography has shaped a resilient, organized people deeply connected to the land, the sea, and the mountains.
Historically, Chile has been a country of Catholic identity, a legacy of Spanish colonization that overlaid the indigenous peoples, especially the Mapuche. In recent decades, however, the nation has undergone one of the fastest secularizations in Latin America: the share identifying as Catholic has fallen from around 70% to less than half of the population, while the number of those who claim no religion at all grows, especially among young people in the big cities.
At the same time, the evangelical movement, with strong Pentecostal roots, has put down deep roots among the working classes and in the outskirts of cities, now numbering around 16% of Chileans. There is spiritual vitality and hunger for God, but also the challenge of an urban drift from religion that treats faith as a private matter and, at times, irrelevant.
Chile lives amid striking contrasts: institutional stability and relative prosperity alongside persistent inequality, wounds still open from the military dictatorship, and tensions in the Araucanía region, where the Mapuche people demand land, dignity, and recognition. Reconciliation, care for the poorest, and hope are themes that run through the Chilean soul.
It is a field that combines maturity and need: an already established church, able to serve and send, and a younger generation increasingly distant from any faith. Praying for Chile means asking for a revival that touches the secular heart of the cities and carries the gospel with respect and love to the indigenous peoples and the forgotten communities of the far south.
- Before colonization, peoples such as the Mapuche, Aymara, and Atacameños inhabited the territory, resisting foreign expansion for centuries.
- 1520 Ferdinand Magellan crosses the strait that bears his name, at the far south.
- 1541 Pedro de Valdivia founds Santiago; Spanish colonization begins.
- 1810 The First National Governing Junta launches the process of independence.
- 1818 Independence declared and secured at the Battle of Maipú, under the leadership of Bernardo O'Higgins.
- 1879 War of the Pacific against Peru and Bolivia, which expands the territory in the north.
- 1970 Salvador Allende is elected president, the first democratically elected socialist in the region.
- 1973 The military coup of September 11 installs the dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet.
- 1990 Return to democracy after a plebiscite; the country becomes one of the most stable democracies in Latin America.
- Today A majority Christian nation drifting rapidly from religion, prosperous yet unequal, with wounds still to be reconciled.
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Spanishofficial, spoken by nearly the entire population
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Mapudungunlanguage of the Mapuche people, still alive in the south of the country
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Aymara and Quechuaspoken by indigenous communities of the Andean north
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Rapa NuiPolynesian language of Easter Island
Chile is the longest and narrowest country in the world, squeezed between the Andes and the Pacific along more than 4,000 kilometers. This stretch crosses nearly every climate on the planet: from the driest desert on Earth in the north to the ice fields and fjords of Patagonia in the south, passing through the fertile valleys of the center. Easter Island, in the middle of the Pacific, and part of Tierra del Fuego also belong to the country.
Major cities
- SantiagoCapital and largest city, political and economic center at the foot of the Andes
- ValparaísoBohemian port city with colorful hillsides, a World Heritage Site
- ConcepciónUniversity and industrial hub of the south-central region
- AntofagastaCenter of copper mining in the desert north
- La SerenaCoastal city with neocolonial architecture and skies ideal for stargazing
- Punta ArenasGateway to Patagonia and Antarctica
Climate and temperature
Empanada de pino
Baked pastry filled with ground beef, onion, olive, raisins, and egg, a staple of the Chilean table.
Pastel de choclo
Fresh corn pie topped with beef, chicken, egg, and olives, a legacy of Mapuche cuisine.
Cazuela
Comforting stew of beef or chicken with potato, squash, corn, and vegetables.
Completo
Hot dog generously topped with mashed avocado, tomato, and mayonnaise, the national snack.
Caldillo de congrio
Congrio fish soup with potato and seasonings, immortalized in an ode by Pablo Neruda.
Chilean wine
The central valleys produce some of the most acclaimed wines in the world.
Understand
Culture and spirituality
2a · The culture
Pride and identity
Chileans have a strong sense of belonging, tied to the land, history, and the mountain range.
Initial reserve
Tends to be more reserved and formal than other Latin Americans, but warm once trust is built.
Family and tradition
Family ties and celebrations such as the Fiestas Patrias in September are central.
Value of work
The culture values effort, organization, and stability.
Mapuche heritage
The presence of the indigenous peoples marks the language, food, and identity of the south.
Urban, secular life
In the big cities, faith tends to be seen as a private matter.
- Confusing Chile with its neighbors National identity is strong; Chileans take pride in their cultural differences.
- Treating political topics lightly The dictatorship and its wounds are still sensitive; listen before you comment.
- Ignoring the Mapuche cause The conflict in Araucanía is delicate; approach it with respect and a listening ear.
- Forcing quick closeness Closeness is built with time and trust, not right away.
- Disregarding punctuality In formal settings, commitment and organization are valued.
2b · The field
Areas of spiritual battle and cultural captivity to cover in prayer. Tap each point to understand:
Faith is pushed into the private sphere, and many young people grow up without any reference to God.
Prosperity feeds the pursuit of status and consumption as a source of meaning.
The gap between rich and poor breeds resentment and division.
Unhealed traumas of violence and injustice still mark generations.
Many keep the Christian label without living faith or discipleship.
Devotions and beliefs blend with faith, diluting the gospel.
The urban environment fosters indifference and distrust toward the sacred.
The Mapuche, Aymara, and others remain on the margins, with little access to the gospel in their own language.
Life in the big cities isolates people and weakens community bonds.
The sense of self-sufficiency can harden the heart against dependence on God.
Chile guarantees broad religious freedom, and Christians live and worship freely. The Constitution has ensured the separation of Church and State since 1980, and most of the population identifies as Christian, Catholic or evangelical.
The main challenge is not open persecution but the growing indifference of a secular society, in which faith is seen as a private matter and increasingly irrelevant to public life. There have, however, been isolated episodes of tension: in the Araucanía region, amid the Mapuche land conflict, churches have been targeted with attacks and arson.
Overall, Chilean believers do not face systematic hostility. Prayer is directed less toward protection from violence and more toward boldness to proclaim Christ to a culture drifting away from the sacred.
The persecution score runs from 0 to 100: the higher it is, the greater the pressure on Christians.
Chile is a majority Christian nation, but with few groups still considered unreached. The greatest challenges lie among the indigenous peoples, especially the Mapuche in the south and the Aymara and Atacameño communities in the north, where biblical faith still has limited reach and there are languages without a complete Bible translation. Add to that the vast field of the secularized urban population, which keeps the Christian label without living faith.
- 37K Unreached 0,2%
- 0 Minimally reached 0%
- 15K Superficially reached 0,1%
- 412K Partially reached 2,1%
- 19.3M Significantly reached 97,7%
- 2 Unreached 9,1%
- 0 Minimally reached 0%
- 2 Superficially reached 9,1%
- 12 Partially reached 54,5%
- 6 Significantly reached 27,3%
Source of people group data: Joshua Project (joshuaproject.net). Estimates, may vary.
Judeus de fala espanhola
Deaf Frontier
Chineses
Source: Joshua Project. Estimates, may vary.
Pray
Intercede for this nation
Every nation carries a redemptive purpose. Marks that seem woven into the identity God desires to restore:
Go
Practical details for those who want to go
Local time
Cost of living
one of the highest in South America
Cost by city
Reference values (source: Numbeo). Confirm before traveling.
Practical points for those who go
- Learn Spanish: English is rarely spoken outside tourist circuits.
- Chilean Spanish is fast and full of slang; be patient as you adjust.
- Prepare for a diversity of climates: pack clothing for heat, cold, and wind depending on the region.
- Transport in Santiago is efficient; the metro and the Bip card make getting around easy.
- Stay alert to petty theft in busy areas of the big cities.
- The terrain is seismic: learn basic earthquake procedures.
- Respect historical sensitivities and the Mapuche cause: listen more than you offer opinions.
Send and sustain
Not everyone goes, everyone takes part
Not everyone goes. Everyone takes part.
Behind every worker among these peoples stands a network of people who pray without ceasing, care for the family left behind, and faithfully sustain the work. Sending is mission too.
Start with your church: introduce this nation, adopt it in ongoing prayer, and walk alongside those God is raising up to go.