A comprehensive survey of a South American republic that interweaves physical geography and climatic contrasts with historical narrative from indigenous and Inca periods through Spanish colonial rule and independence. It recounts exploration and naval episodes, including passages through southern waterways, and discusses political questions such as frontier disputes. Economic analysis covers mining (nitrate, copper, coal), agriculture, forestry, commerce, transport and finance, while separate chapters treat immigration, military and naval position, national literature, native peoples, and the archaeology and lore of a distant Pacific island, supplemented by maps, illustrations, and demographic statistics projecting contemporary conditions and prospects.