Chile

By: Ashley

      First People

1.  The Incas from Peru were the first people to live in Chile, arriving in the north by the mid-15th century. The Portuguese sailor Ferdinand Magellan became the first European to sight Chilean shores in 1520.

 First Non-Native People

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2.  Many Chileans have ancestry from Spain, France, Germany, Switzerland, Croatia, Italy, Russia, Syria or Lebanon.

              Independence

3. Chile began fighting for independence from Spain in 1810.

            Important People

4. Salvador Allende~He became the first freely elected Marxist president in South America in 1970.                

Michelle Bachelet~She was Chile's first female president and was elected in 2006.

Sebastian Pinera~He is currently chief of state and head of government, as president.

General Augusto Pinochet~He overthrows Allende's government, many Chilean citizens are tortured and killed during his presidency.

                     Appearance

5. Many commercial entities require their employees to wear uniforms, usually a stylish suit or dress. Individuals take considerable pride in their appearance. Although lower-income people wear secondhand clothing from the United States, sloppy or tattered clothing is considered to be in poor taste.

                         Greetings

6. Greetings in Chile are very important because they stress that one is welcome and recongnized. The abrazo is the most common greeting among friends and relatives. It consists of a handshake and hug, supplemented with a kiss to the right cheek for woman and family members. Eye contact is considered essential when greeting.

                 Belief  System

7. 87% of Chileans believe in the Christian faith. About 70% of Chile belongs to the Roman Catholic Church. There is a small Jewish minority and many indigenous people follow traditional religious beliefs. Church and state are seperate and religious freedom is guaranteed.

           Language

8. The most spoken language is Spanish. Some other languages that are spoken in Chile are German, Mapuche and English is taught in many schools.

           Holidays

9. Some of Chile's holidays are New Year's Day, Easter, Labor Day, Independence Day, Christmas and some others. In many ways Christmas is celebrated just like in North America, except in Chile Christmas is in the summer. Chileans consider New Year's the most important time for family gatherings.

                           Food

10. In Chile they have 2 meals in one day. Meals in Chile include fish, seafood, chicken, beef, beans, eggs and corn. Some traditional foods/meals are seafood which takes the prime spot when it comes to traditional Chilean food, diced beef and a variety of different vegetables, The pastel de choclo is a traditional summer time favorite and lots more.

                      Recreation

11. Popular sports in Chile are futbol (soccer) which is by far the most popular and basketball. Chileans also enjoy swimming, going to parks, watching videos at home, fishing and in some areas surfing.

                      Family

12. Most families in Chile have two children. The family unit in Chile is the extended family. Women roles are cooking, taking care of the children and cleaning. Men roles are to get jobs and to make money for the family.

                     The Arts

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13. European music is very popular in Chile. Textile and pottery designs of indigenous people are also very popular. Chilean music and dance reflect both Spanish and native heritage. The cueca, a courtship dance is the national dance.

                      Government

14. The Republic of Chile is a multiparty democracy. Chile's government is different from the United States because the United States has a federal republic democracy.

                       Education 

15. Chile has one of the best educated populations in Latin America. Schooling is free and compulsory between ages five and seventeen. Students in Chile have to attend school until age eighteen. Chile's school system and my school system are similar because we both have to attend school until age eighteen and schooling is free between ages five and seventeen.

        Transportation

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16. In Chile they use subways, buses, cars, trucks, motorcycles and bicycles for transportation.

                Jobs

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17. Some jobs that Chileans have are getting and producing copper, fisherman, fruit grower, lumberjack and lots more. Common jobs in Chile include getting and producing copper and fruit growers.

                      Geography

18. Some geographic features in Chile are deserts, the Andes Mountains, lakes, volcanoes, swamps ect. Volcanoes effect the people in Chile because if it erupts it would destroy alot of the country. The Andes Mountains can effect people in Chile because they are so big it would be hard to travel around them.

                     Production

19. Some natural resources in Chile are copper, timber, iron ore, nitrates, precious metals, molybdenum and hydropower. Some things that are grown in Chile are corn, canola, soy bean, beet root, potato and melon.

The End