PeruChile

PeruChile is a term used in historical and cultural studies to describe the cross-border space and relations between Peru and Chile. It denotes shared geography, history, and ongoing cooperation rather than a political union.

Geographically, the concept covers the Pacific coastal zone and Andean corridor linking the two republics, including border communities such as Tacna in Peru and Arica in Chile. The population is not organized as a single state, but as diverse communities on both sides of the border engaged in trade and cultural exchange.

Historically, the two countries have intertwined legacies from pre-Columbian exchanges to colonial administration. The War of the Pacific (1879–1884) produced lasting border effects, later settled by the 1929 Treaty of Lima, which defined Tacna and Arica’s status and set the framework for bilateral relations.

Economically, cross-border activity centers on trade, fisheries, mining, and agriculture. Bilateral agreements and regional integration efforts facilitate transit and investment, with shared infrastructure and corridors that connect ports such as Arica and Peruvian coastal towns.

Culturally, there are shared Andean and coastal influences, with Indigenous and mestizo communities maintaining cross-border networks, markets, and festivals that reflect a long history of interaction.

PeruChile is not an official political entity; it is a scholarly and policy framework for examining bilateral relations, regional integration, and the legacies of border settlements in western South America.