s ▁other ▁major ▁expansion ist ▁polity , ▁the ▁United ▁States , ▁and ▁c ement ed ▁Chile ' s ▁status ▁as ▁a ▁regional ▁power ▁in ▁Latin ▁America . ▁Chile ' s ▁territorial ▁expansion ▁also ▁left ▁a ▁legacy ▁of ▁dist rust ▁with ▁its ▁neighb ors , ▁all ▁of ▁which ▁continue ▁having ▁boundary ▁disput es ▁with ▁Chile . ▁The ▁country ' s ▁mist re at ment ▁of ▁the ▁non - Ch ile an ▁inhabitants ▁of ▁its ▁conquer ed ▁territ ories , ▁particularly ▁the ▁state - sp ons ored ▁forced ▁cultural ▁assim ilation ▁process ▁of ▁" Ch ilen ization ", ▁have ▁further ▁led ▁to ▁internal ▁t ensions ▁and ▁calls ▁for ▁greater ▁aut onomy , ▁if ▁not ▁independence , ▁from ▁the ▁Map uche ▁and ▁the ▁R apa ▁N ui . ▁ ▁Orig ins ▁▁ ▁The ▁newly - in dependent ▁Republic ▁of ▁Chile ' s ▁territorial ▁poss essions , ▁inherited ▁from ▁the ▁colonial ▁general ▁captain cy ▁( cap itan ía ▁general ) ▁that ▁was ▁under ▁the ▁control ▁of ▁the ▁Spanish ▁Empire ' s ▁Vic ero yal ty ▁of ▁Peru , ▁had ▁left ▁the ▁state ▁surrounded ▁by ▁undefined ▁boundaries . ▁Its ▁northern most ▁settlement ▁was ▁Cop ia p ó ▁in ▁the ▁southern ▁At ac ama ▁Des ert , ▁border ing ▁Boliv ia ; ▁however , ▁its ▁exact ▁boundary ▁was ▁disput ed ▁until ▁ 1 8 6 6 , ▁when ▁both ▁countries ▁del im ited ▁their ▁boundaries ▁at ▁the ▁ 2 4 ° ▁South ▁parallel ▁from ▁the ▁Pacific ▁Ocean . ▁Its ▁southern most ▁settlement ▁was ▁Con cep ción , ▁a ▁few