Chile has 23 Provinces, all but five of which border on the Pacific, and one Territory. Beginning at the north the names of the Provinces follow with their approximate areas and population, and with the names and population of their capitals: -----------+---------+----------+-------------+----------- PROVINCES | AREA, |POPULATION| CAPITALS |POPULATION |in square| | | | miles | | | -----------+---------+----------+-------------+----------- Tacna | 9,000 | 40,000 | Tacna | 8,000 Tarapacá | 17,000 | 134,000 | Iquique | 45,000 Antofagasta| 46,500 | 220,000 | Antofagasta | 66,000 Atacama | 31,000 | 67,000 | Copiapó | 13,000 Coquimbo | 14,000 | 191,000 | La Serena | 16,000 Aconcagua | 5,400 | 140,000 | San Felipe | 12,000 Valparaiso | 1,775 | 347,000 | Valparaiso | 212,000 Santiago | 5,900 | 627,000 | Santiago | 450,000 O’Higgins | 2,168 | 125,000 | Rancagua | 13,000 Colchagua | 3,900 | 163,000 | San Fernando| 10,000 Curicó | 3,045 | 115,000 | Curicó | 23,000 Talca | 3,900 | 135,000 | Talca | 42,000 Maule | 2,800 | 125,000 | Cauquenes | 12,000 Linares | 4,000 | 120,000 | Linares | 3,000 Nuble | 3,500 | 199,000 | Chillán | 40,000 Concepción | 3,300 | 271,000 | Concepción | 72,700 Arauco | 2,200 | 74,000 | Arauco | 3,500 Bio-Bio | 5,400 | 106,000 | Los Angeles | 14,000 Malleco | 3,300 | 136,000 | Angol | 10,000 Cautín | 6,400 | 175,000 | Temuco | 31,000 Valdivia | 9,000 | 187,000 | Valdivia | 26,000 Llanquihue | 35,000 | 150,000 | Puerto Montt| 8,000 Chiloé | 7,000 | 100,000 | Ancud | 4,000 | | | TERRITORY | | | Magallanes | 65,000 | 32,000 | Punta Arenas| 20,000 -----------+---------+----------+-------------+----------- POPULATION The population of Chile is little if any below 4,000,000, which gives it an average of 12 or more to the square mile, the highest rate of all the North and West Coast countries. There is considerable variation in the different Provinces, but less than in the other Republics, if the Territory is omitted. The most thickly inhabited region is from Valparaiso south to Valdivia; the Province of Santiago having the largest population and that of Valparaiso the densest. As to the character of the population it is estimated that 40 per cent are of white extraction, with at least 50-60 per cent mestizos; probably 50,000 Indians, including possibly 5000 in the far south, uncivilized and dying out. The educated class as in other countries forms a small minority of the inhabitants, but in recent years greater attention has been paid to the diffusion of knowledge among the common people. EDUCATION