Wikipedia

Chile

country in South America

Chile(officially calledRepublic of Chile) is acountryon the south-western side ofSouth America.Most people there speakSpanish.

Republic of Chile
República de Chile(Spanish)
Motto:Por la razón o la fuerza
"By reason or by force"(in Spanish)[1]
Anthem:Himno Nacional de Chile(in Spanish)
Capital
and largest city
Santiago1
National languageSpanish
Other languages
  • English
  • French
  • German
Demonym(s)Chilean
GovernmentUnitarypresidentialconstitutional republic
Gabriel Boric
Álvaro Elizalde
Raúl Soto
María Elisa Quinteros
Guillermo Silva
LegislatureNational Congress
•Upper house
Senate
•Lower house
Chamber of Deputies
Independence
from Spain
18 September 1810
12 February 1818
• Recognized
25 April 1844
11 September 1980
Area
• Total
756,096.3[2]km2(291,930.4 sq mi) (37th)
• Water (%)
2.1 (as of 2015)[3]
Population
• 2017 census
17,574,003[4](64th)
• Density
24/km2(62.2/sq mi) (198th)
GDP(PPP)2022 estimate
• Total
Increase$550.450 billion[5](43rd)
• Per capita
Increase$27,629[5](57th)
GDP(nominal)2022 estimate
• Total
Increase$352.664 billion[5](45th)
• Per capita
Increase$17,702[5](55th)
Gini(2021)Negative increase46[6]
high
HDI(2019)Increase0.851[7]
very high·43rd
CurrencyPeso (CLP)
Time zoneUTC−4 to −6(CLT or EAST3)
• Summer (DST)
UTC−3 to −5(CLST or EASST)
Driving sideright
Calling code+56
ISO 3166 codeCL
Internet TLD.cl
  1. The legislature is based inValparaíso
  2. Includes Easter Island and Isla Sala y Gómez; does not include 1,250,000 square kilometres (480,000 sq mi) of territory claimed in Antarctica
  3. The mainland usesUTC−4(in summer:UTC−3);Easter Islanduses UTC−6 (in summer: UTC−5).

Chile, which claims a part of theAntarctic continent,is the longest country on earth. TheAtacama Desert,in the north of the country, is the driest place on earth. The average rainfall there is less than 0.05 mm (0.0020 in) per year. The center of Chile, with the two cities Santiago and Valparaíso, has aMediterranean climatewith an average temperature of 28 °C (82 °F) in January and 11 °C (52 °F) in July. In the middle of Chile, the country is very good for growing things.

There are about 16.9 million people living in Chile in 2009. About 10 million people live in the center of Chile around Valparaíso andSantiago,on about 20% of the total land.

Chile is a well-educated country. Only 2.7% are not able to read or write. Some believe that Chile has one of the best school systems in South America.

About 95% of Chileans are people with a combination ofEuropeandescent, mostlySpanish,but alsoGerman,English,ItalianandArab people.Around 2% of the population isNative American,but most people have native ancestors.Immigrantsare 7% of the population. including Peruvians, Bolivians, Colombians, Haitians, Chinese and Europeans. The majority of people areRoman Catholic(62.8%), but many do not go to church. About 10% areProtestant,and there are someJewsandMuslimsas well. The country's official language isSpanish.Chili peppers,first cultivated by Native Americans from other Latin American countries and the United States, did not come from this country, although it has a similar name.

Chile's currency is the Chileanpeso.

Geography

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Parinacota volcano in northern Chile

Chile bordersPeruto the north,Boliviato the northeast,Argentinato the east, and theDrake Passagein the far south. It is over 4,630 kilometres (2,880 mi) north to south, but only 430 kilometres (270 mi) at its widest point east to west.

The northernAtacama Deserthas great mineral wealth, mostlycopperandnitrates.Chile is the largest producer of copper.[8]TheAndes Mountainsare on the eastern border.

Chile controlsEaster Islandand Sala y Gómez Island, the easternmost islands ofPolynesia.

Animals and plants

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A glacier at Beagle Channel in southern Chile
Juan Fernández Firecrown

Animals

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Only a few of the many distinctive South American animals are found in Chile. Among the larger mammals are thepumaor cougar, the llama-likeguanacoand the fox-like chilla. In the forest region, several types ofmarsupialsand a small deer known as the pudu are found.

There are many species of small birds, but not most of the larger common Latin American types. Few freshwater fish are from Chile, but North American trout have been successfully introduced into the Andean lakes. The coast of Chile is close to theHumboldt Current,so ocean waters have many fish and other forms of marine life. This in turn supports a rich variety of waterfowl, including several penguins. There are many whales, and six species of seals in the area.

Fungi

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Just over 3,000 species offungiare recorded in Chile.[9][10]This number is far from complete. The true total number of fungal species in Chile is likely to be far higher. The generally accepted estimate is that only about 7 percent of all fungi worldwide have so far been discovered.[11]

Plants

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The northernmost coastal and central region is largely empty of vegetation. It is the most close to an absolute desert in the world. On the slopes of the Andes, besides the scattered tola desert brush, grasses are found. The central valley has several species ofcacti,the hardy espinos (a kind ofacaciatree), the Chilean pine, the southernbeechesand the copihue, a red bell-shaped flower that is Chile's national flower.

In southern Chile, south of theBiobío Riverlots of rain has made dense forests of laurels, magnolias, and various species of conifers and beeches, which become smaller and more stunted to the south.[12]

The cold temperatures and winds of the extreme south make it impossible for heavy forestation.Grasslandis found in Atlantic Chile (inPatagonia).

Much of the Chilean plant life is different from that of neighboringArgentina.This shows that the Andean barrier existed during the formation of Chile.[12]

Regions

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Chile is divided into 16 regions. The regions are then divided into provinces. Each province is divided intocommunes.[13]

Flag Name
(English/Spanish) 		Capital Area (km2) Population
(2017 census)
Arica and Parinacota
Región de Arica y Parinacota 		Arica 16,873.3 226,068
Tarapacá
Región de Tarapacá 		Iquique 42,225.8 330,558
Antofagasta
Región de Antofagasta 		Antofagasta 126,049.1 607,534
Atacama
Región de Atacama 		Copiapó 75,176.2 286,168
Coquimbo
Región de Coquimbo 		La Serena 40,579.9 757,586
Valparaíso
Región de Valparaíso 		Valparaíso 16,396.1 1,815,902
Santiago
Región Metropolitana de Santiago 		Santiago 15,403.2 7,112,808
O'Higgins
Región del Libertador General Bernardo O'Higgins 		Rancagua 16,387.0 914,555
Maule
Región del Maule 		Talca 30,296.1 1,044,950
Ñuble
Región de Ñuble 		Chillán 13,178.5 480,609
Biobío
Región del Biobío 		Concepción 23,890.2 1,556,805
Araucanía
Región de La Araucanía 		Temuco 31,842.3 957,224
Los Ríos
Región de Los Ríos 		Valdivia 18,429.5 384,837
Los Lagos
Región de Los Lagos 		Puerto Montt 48,583.6 828,708
Aysén
Región Aysén del General Carlos Ibáñez del Campo 		Coihaique 108,494.4 103,158
Magallanes
Región de Magallanes y de la Antártica Chilena 		Punta Arenas 132,291.1 166,533

Literature

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Chileans call their countrypaís de poetas-country of poets.[14]Gabriela Mistralwas the firstLatin Americanto receive a Nobel Prize for Literature (1945). Chile's most famous poet, however, isPablo Neruda.He also received the Nobel Prize for Literature (1971).

Among the list of other Chilean poets are Lily Garafulic, Vicente Huidobro, Pablo Simonetti, and Paulo Coloane. Isabel Allende is the best-selling Chilean novelist, with 51 millions of her novels sold worldwide.[15]Novelist José Donoso's novelThe Obscene Bird of the Nightis said by critic Harold Bloom to be one of the important works of 20th century Western literature. Another internationally recognized Chilean novelist is Roberto Bolaño. His translations into English have had an excellent reception from the critics.[16][17][18]

People

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The Chilean population is estimated to be about 65% mestizo, 35% white, 5% native.

Food and drink

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Chilean Cazuela and assorted salads.

Chilean food shows the differences in the land across the country. There is an assortment ofseafood,beef, fruits, and vegetables. Traditional recipes includeasado,cazuela,empanadas,humitas,pastel de choclo,pastel de papas,curantoandsopaipillas.[19]

Crudosis an example of food from the various ethnic groups in Chile. Onions were brought by theSpanish colonists,and the use ofmayonnaiseandyogurtwas introduced byGermanimmigrants, as was beer.

Sports

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Estadio Nacional de Chile

Chile's most popular sport isassociation football.Chile has been in eight FIFA World Cups which includes hosting the1962 FIFA World Cup.Other results by the national football team include four finals at the Copa América, one silver and two bronze medals at thePan American Games,a bronze medal at the2000 Summer Olympicsand two third places finishes in the FIFA under-17 and under-20 youth tournaments. The top league in the Chilean football league system is the Chilean Primera División. It was named by the IFFHS in 2011 as the ninth strongest national football league in the world.[20]

Tennisis one of Chile's most successful sports. Its national team won the World Team Cup clay tournament twice (2003 & 2004). They played the Davis Cup final againstItalyin 1976. At the2004 Summer Olympicsthe country took gold and bronze in men's singles and gold in men's doubles. Marcelo Ríos became the first Latin American man to reach the number one spot in the ATP singles rankings in 1998. Anita Lizana won theUS Openin 1937. She was the first woman from Latin America to win a grand slam tournament. Luis Ayala was twice a runner-up at the French Open and both Ríos, Nicolas Massu Friedt and Fernando González Ciuffardi reached the Australian Open men's singles finals. González also won a silver medal in singles at the2008 Summer Olympicsin Beijing.

At the Summer Olympic Games Chile has a total of two gold medals (tennis), seven silver medals (athletics,equestrian,boxing,shooting and tennis) and four bronze medals (tennis, boxing and football). In 2012 Chile won its first Paralympic Games medal (gold in Athletics).

Rodeois the country'snational sport.It is practiced in the more rural areas of the country. A sport similar tohockey.Skiingandsnowboardingare practiced at ski centers in the Central Andes.Surfingis popular at some coastal towns.Polois professionally practiced in Chile. In 2008 Chile won top prize in the World Polo Championship.

Basketballis a popular sport. Chile earned a bronze medal in the first men's FIBA World Championship held in 1950. They won a second bronze medal when Chile hosted the 1959 FIBA World Championship. Chile hosted the first FIBA World Championship for Women in 1953 finishing the tournament with the silver medal. Other sports such as marathons and ultramarathons are also increasing in popularity. San Pedro de Atacama is host to the yearly "Atacama Crossing," a six-stage, 250-kilometer footrace which has about 150 competitors from 35 countries each year. The Dakar Rally off-road automobile race has been held in both Chile andArgentinasince 2009.

Immigration to Chile

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A few European immigrants settled in Chile during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, mainly from Spain. The general picture is as follows:

Year Total population Immigrant populationSource:[21]
Total % Europeans Latin Americans Others
1865 1.819.223 21.982 1,21% 53,7% 41,4% 4,9%
1875 2.075.971 25.199 1,21% 62,3% 33,0% 4,7%
1885 2.057.005 87.077 4,23% 30,1% 67,2% 2,7%
1907 3.249.279 134.524 4,5% 53,3% 42,7% 4,0%
1920 3.731.593 114.114 3,06% 60,0% 31,2% 8,9%
1930 4.287.445 105.463 2,46% 60,0% 24,6% 15,4%
1940 5.023.539 107.273 2,14% 67,2% 21,7% 11,1%
1952 5.932.995 103.878 1,75% 55,9% 23,4% 20,7%
1960 7.374.115 104.853 1,42% 60,9% 26,1% 13,0%
1970 8.884.768 90.441 1,02% 53,3% 34,4% 12,3%
1982 11.275.440 84.345 0,75% 31,8% 54,5% 13,7%
1992 13.348.401 114.597 0,86% 20,1% 65,1% 14,8%
2002 15.116.435 184.464 1,22% 17,2% 71,8% 11,0%

National symbols

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TheAndean Condoris the national bird of Chile

The national flower is the copihue (Lapageria rosea,Chilean bellflower), which grows in the woods of southern Chile.

The coat of arms shows the two national animals: thecondor(Vultur gryphus,a very large bird that lives in the mountains) and the huemul (Hippocamelus bisulcus,an endangered white tail deer). It also has the sayingPor la razón o la fuerza(By reason or by force).

The flag of Chile has two equal horizontal bands of white (top) and red. There is a blue square the same height as the white band. The square has a white five-pointed star in the center. The star is a guide to progress and honor. Blue is for the sky, white is for the snow-covered Andes, and red stands for the blood spilled to get independence.

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  • Administrative Map
  • Actor Benjamín Vicuña
  • Tennis player Nicolas Massu
  • Actress María Elena Swett
  • Manuel Pellegrini
  • Puerto Varas
  • Metropolitan Region
  • Reñaca to central Chile
  • Santiago of Chile
  • Valdivia in southern Chile
  • Puerto Octay
  • Lolol
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References

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  1. ↑"Chilean Government".The Coat of Arms.Archived fromthe originalon 2007-07-06.Retrieved2009-06-20.
  2. ↑Instituto Nacional de Estadísticas(October 2006)."Compendio estadístico 2006"(PDF).Retrieved29 November2007.
  3. ↑"Surface water and surface water change".Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development(OECD).Retrieved11 October2020.
  4. ↑"RESULTADOS CENSO 2017"(PDF).RESULTADOS DEFINITIVOS CENSO 2017.National Statistics Institute.1 January 2018.Retrieved18 January2017.
  5. ↑5.05.15.25.3"Chile".World Economic Outlook Database, October 2021.International Monetary Fund.Retrieved23 February2022.
  6. ↑"Inequality - Income inequality".OECD.Retrieved25 July2021.
  7. ↑"Human Development Report 2020"(PDF).United Nations Development Programme.15 December 2020.Retrieved15 December2020.
  8. ↑"Chile's Copper Giant Codelco to Trim 2015 Refined Supply".Bloomberg.com.25 November 2014.RetrievedDecember 11,2014.
  9. ↑Oehrens, E.B. "Flora Fungosa Chilena". Universidad de Chile, Santiago de Chile, 1980
  10. ↑"Cybertruffle's Robigalia – Observations of fungi and their associated organisms".cybertruffle.org.uk.Retrieved9 July2011.
  11. ↑Kirk, P.M., Cannon, P.F., Minter, D.W. and Stalpers, J. "Dictionary of the Fungi". Edn 10. CABI, 2008
  12. ↑12.012.1Smith-Ramírez, Cecilia (August 2007)."Distribution patterns of flora and fauna in southern Chilean Coastal rain forests: Integrating Natural History and GIS".Biodiversity and Conservation.16(9). Springer Netherlands: 2627–2648.Bibcode:2007BiCon..16.2627S.doi:10.1007/s10531-006-9073-2.ISSN0960-3115.S2CID6879631.Retrieved26 June2019.[permanent dead link]
  13. ↑"Organigrama".Gobierno de Chile.Archived fromthe originalon 2007-12-14.Retrieved2012-10-16.
  14. ↑"UN MAPA POR COMPLETAR: LA JOVEN POESIA CHILENA – żPor qué tanta y tan variada poesía?".Uchile.cl. Archived fromthe originalon 10 May 2020.Retrieved17 December2009.
  15. ↑"Latin American Herald Tribune – Isabel Allende Named to Council of Cervantes Institute".Laht.com. Archived fromthe originalon 30 April 2011.Retrieved14 November2010.
  16. ↑Grossman, Lev (10 November 2008)."Bolaño's 2666: The Best Book of 2008".Time.Archived fromthe originalon 22 May 2010.Retrieved28 April2010.
  17. ↑Sarah Kerr (18 December 2008)."The Triumph of Roberto Bolaño | The New York Review of Books".Nybooks.com.{{cite magazine}}:Cite magazine requires|magazine=(help)
  18. ↑Wood, James (15 April 2007)."The Visceral Realist".The New York Times.Retrieved1 April2010.
  19. ↑Kijac, Maria Baez (2003).The South American Table: The Flavor and Soul of Authentic Home Cooking from Patagonia to Rio de Janeiro, with 450 Recipes.Harvard Common Press.ISBN978-1-55832-249-3.
  20. ↑"The strongest National League in the World 2011".IFFHS.Retrieved18 April2012.
  21. ↑Doña-Reveco, Cristián & Levinson, Amanda 2012. Chile: a growing destination country in search of a coherent approach to migration. MPI.[1]
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