War of the Pacific

High school (ages 12+)
History & Culture

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/war-of-the-pacific

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the conflict dates?April 5, 1879 – October 20, 1883
2. What is the primary resource contested?Nitrate deposits, crucial for explosives and fertilizers, found in the Atacama Desert
3. What was the War of the Pacific about?It was a fight between Chile, Bolivia, and Peru over valuable salt called nitrates that were used for gunpowder and fertilizer.
4. Why did Chile want the nitrate lands?Chile had a strong nitrate industry and wanted to keep control of the richest deposits to become richer and stronger.

Resource Nationalism: A political ideology advocating for the state control and exploitation of natural resources within its borders.
Geopolitical Realignment: Significant shifts in the political power and relationships between countries in a region or globally.
Strategic Commodity: A raw material or primary product that is essential for the economy or military power of a nation or group of nations.