The Spanish conquistadors during the 1500's came to Chile seeking gold and silver, and now today, Chile's population consists mostly of mestizos, who are descendents of the Spanish colonizers and the indigenous people. The modern day Chile has a long narrow coastline that is parallel to the Pacific Ocean and the Andes Mts.
The country borders Peru and Argentina, which also claims territory on the continent of Antarctica. As a result of a long stretch of land the country displays a variety of landscapes and climates. After a long military dictatorship of Pinochet, the country is now considered to be a democratic republic, where the president is Chief of State and Head of the Government. The president and the cabinet hold their offices in the capital, Santiago.
The Chilean economy, as a result of the rich and abundant resources of the Atacama Desert and Central Valley, has a good agricultural sector. The country employs the Chilean Peso for its currency, which is weak due to a lagging economy and high unemployment of the nation, however, their financial sector has grown quickly in recent years.
The culture of Chile is greatly influenced by the Spanish who settled in earlier centuries. It's been said that the Chilean Spanish is considered one of the most proper uses of the Spanish language. The country's culture is represented worldwide with two Nobel Prize winners in literature, which proudly claims the title of 'Land of Poets'. As with many Latin nations, dancing is very popular, and therefore the Chileans have a national dance called the Zamacueca, or cueca, which is Spanish and African inspired. The cuisine is also slanted towards the Spanish style of cooking along side a mix of other European variations.
Quick Facts
Population: 17,067,369
Capital: Santiago
Per-capita GDP: $ 17400
Size: 756,102 km2
Time Zone: (GMT - 04:00 hours) Atlantic Time (Canada)
Country information is adapted from public domain resources including the CIA World Fact Book and www.Wikipedia.org.
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Xavier University of Louisiana Center for Intercultural and International Programs
