Chile , is a South American country occupying a long , narrow strip of land between the Andes to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west . The relatively small central area dominates in terms of population and agricultural resources , and is the cultural and political center from which Chile expanded in the late 19th century when it incorporated its northern and southern regions . Exclusive federal powers are powers within a federal system of government that each constituent political unit ( such as a state or province ) is absolutely or conditionally prohibited from exercising . Voting age population ( VAP ) refers to the set of individuals that have reached the minimum voting age for a particular geographical or political unit . The West Indian Federation , also known as the West Indies , was a short-lived political union that existed from 3 January 1958 to 31 May 1962 .
Chile is a political unit.