Bolivia is today a landlocked nation. Until 1884 it had a coastline on the Pacific Ocean. That territory was surrendered to Chile in 1884 as a result of a truce that ended the fighting in the War of the Pacific.
This war, waged from 1879 until 1884, was a conflict involving Chile, Bolivia, and Peru. It grew out of a dispute between Chile and Bolivia over control of a part of the Atacama Desert that lies between the 23rd and 26th parallels on the Pacific coast of South America. The territory contained valuable mineral resources, particularly sodium nitrate.
National borders in the region had never been definitively established; the two countries negotiated a treaty that recognized the 24th parallel as their boundary and that gave Chile the right to share the export taxes on the mineral resources of Bolivia’s territory between the 23rd and 24th parallels. But Bolivia became dissatisfied at having to share its taxes with Chile and feared Chilean seizure of its coastal region and mining industry.
Peru’s interest in the War of the Pacific stemmed from its rivalry with Chile for power and influence on the Pacific coast of South America. Also, the prosperity of the Peruvian government’s guano (fertilizer) monopoly and the thriving nitrate industry in Peru’s Tarapacá province were related to mining activities on the Bolivian coast.
In 1873 Peru agreed secretly with Bolivia to a mutual guarantee of their territories and independence. In 1874 Chilean-Bolivian relations were eased by a revised treaty under which Chile gave up its share of export taxes on minerals shipped from Bolivia, and Bolivia agreed not to raise taxes on Chilean enterprises in Bolivia for 25 years. The peace was broken in 1878 when Bolivia tried to increase the taxes of the Chilean Antofagasta Nitrate Company over the protests of the Chilean government. When Bolivia threatened to confiscate the company’s property, Chilean armed forces occupied the port city of Antofagasta on Feb. 14, 1879. Bolivia then declared war on Chile and called upon Peru for help. Chile declared war on both Peru and Bolivia (April 5, 1879).
Chile occupied the Bolivian coastal region (Antofagasta province) easily and then took the offensive against more powerful Peru. Naval victories at Iquique (May 21, 1879) and Angamos (Oct. 8, 1879) enabled Chile to control the sea approaches to Peru. A Chilean army then invaded Peru. An attempt at mediation by the United States failed in October 1880, and Chilean forces occupied the Peruvian capital of Lima the following January. Peruvian resistance continued for three more years, with encouragement by the United States. Finally, on Oct. 20, 1883, Peru and Chile signed the Treaty of Ancón, by which Tarapacá province was ceded to Chile.
Chile was also to occupy the provinces of Tacna and Arica for ten years, after which a vote was to be held to determine their nationality. But the two countries failed for decades to agree on terms under which the vote was to be conducted. This diplomatic dispute over Tacna and Arica was known as the Question of the Pacific. Finally, in 1929, through the mediation of the United States, an accord was reached by which Chile kept Arica; Peru reacquired Tacna and received 6 million dollars indemnity and other concessions. But the war had nearly destroyed Peru’s economy, and it prompted a seven-month civil war.
In 1884 a truce between Bolivia and Chile gave the latter control of the entire Bolivian coast (Antofagasta province) with its nitrate, copper, and other mineral industries; a treaty in 1904 made this arrangement permanent. In return Chile agreed to build a railroad connecting the Bolivian capital of La Paz with the port of Arica and guaranteed freedom of transit for Bolivian commerce through Chilean ports and territory.