The construction and representation of national territory constituted one of the central tasks of the Chilean ruling classes during the nineteenth century. In this context, the exploration, occupation and transformation of the Araucanía was one of the key factors, a process reflected in the cartography of the Araucanian territory during the period from 1836 to 1916. Viewing the maps as constructs of reality rather than images of nature allows us to see how the State became a relevant actor in the process of cartographic representation of the Araucanía from 1836 onwards. To this end it sent “specialists” such as naturalists, members of the military and engineers to generate an image of the Araucanía that reflected its specific interests and discourses.