Chile

Programs Available: Overseas English Tutor

Overview | People & Culture | Sightseeing | History | Getting Around | Support | Map

Overview:

Slightly larger than Texas, Chile stretches along 2,672 miles of South America's western coast. Its average width is just more than 112 miles, but total square miles are 292,260. Chile's territory includes Isla de Pascua ("Easter Island"), Isla Sala y Gómez ("Sala and Gómez Island"), and Islas Juan Fernández ("Juan Fernández Islands"), among others; the first two islands lie almost 2,000 miles to the west. Chile also lays claim to a 480,000-square-mile disputed section of Antarctica, claimed by Britain as well.

Because of its north-to-south length, Chile has many different climates and landscapes. The climate ranges from arid desert in the north to temperate in the central region and subarctic in the south. One can find deserts, swamps, forests, the Andes Mountains, beautiful lakes, rich agricultural regions, volcanoes, and a wide variety of plants and animals. Chile has been called the "Switzerland of South America" for its natural beauty. The country is subject to relatively frequent earthquakes and resulting tidal waves. Because Chile lies in the Southern Hemisphere, its seasons are opposite those in North America: summer is between December and March.

People & Culture:

Arts

Of its cultural arts, Chile is best known for poetry. Two poets received the Nobel Prize for literature, Gabriela Mistral (1945) and Pablo Neruda (1971). Contemporary Chilean authors are known internationally.

European music and art are popular. Performing groups, museums, and galleries enjoy patronage in larger cities. Traditional arts are a source of inspiration to contemporary artists and musicians. Textile and pottery designs of indigenous peoples are frequently integrated into modern designs. Chilean music and dance reflect both Spanish and native heritage. The cueca, a rhythmic dance of courtship, is the national favorite. Chilean folk music (tonadas) has been influential in political and social reform. European and native instruments, such as the accordion, guitar, guitarrón (a 25-string guitar), piano, harp, and rabel (similar to a fiddle), are used to create a unique sound.

Food

Many national dishes are prepared with fish, seafood, chicken, beef, beans, eggs, and corn. Different regions feature different foods and dishes, but some favorites include empanadas de horno (meat turnovers with beef, hard-boiled eggs, onions, olives, and raisins), pastel de choclo (a baked meal of beef, chicken, onions, corn, eggs, and spices), cazuela de ave (chicken soup), ensalada chilena (cold tomato-and-onion salad), and seafood casseroles and stews. On rainy days, children enjoy eating sopaipillas, which are made from a deep-fried pumpkin dough sprinkled with sugar. Manjar, made by boiling an unopened can of sweetened condensed milk for hours, is a favorite bread spread and baking ingredient. Beverages usually are served at room temperature. Chile is well-known for its wines; pisco (grape brandy) is the national drink.

People

Chile's population of around 15.3 million is growing annually at 1.1 percent, one of the lowest growth rates among South American countries. Less than 15 percent of the population lives in rural areas. More than one out of every three Chileans lives in the Santiago metropolitan region. About 95 percent of the people have either a European heritage or are of mixed European-indigenous descent.

Spanish, called Castellano, is the official language. But as in all South American countries, some terms common to Chile do not have the same meaning elsewhere.

Although naturally friendly and warm, Chileans may be shy and reserved when first meeting someone. They are known for their sharp, witty, and somewhat cynical sense of humor. For this and their cultural and educational refinements, they are sometimes called the "British of South America." Chileans are very patriotic and take pride in their nation's cultural, educational, and economic achievements.

There is a large middle class in Chile, and education enables many poorer people to excel and build a better life. Chileans are a pragmatic people who believe in progress. Years of human-rights abuses under dictatorships have created in people a strong sense of and desire for social justice. At the same time, Chile has a relatively rigid class structure in which European descendants are granted higher social status than those of indigenous heritage.

The family unit in Chile encompasses the extended family. While men have tended to dominate private and public life in the past, recent years have seen a change in attitudes about women in the home and professional world. Many women hold key political and business positions. And while the father takes the lead in the family, the mother has considerable influence on decisions. Reciprocity characterizes the relationship between the husband and wife. Both the man and the woman perform courtesies for each other.

Religion

Most Chileans profess a Christian faith. It is estimated that more than 80 percent of the population belongs to the Roman Catholic Church. Most other people belong to various Protestant groups or other Christian churches. There is a small Jewish minority, and many indigenous peoples follow traditional beliefs. Church and state are separate, and religious freedom is guaranteed.

Sightseeing:

Easter Island

Over 2,000 miles west of the Chilean mainland, enigmatic Easter Island is the world's most remote inhabited island. More Polynesian than Chilean, the presence of Pacific Islanders in this isolated part of the world is as much a mystery as the origins of those famous stone heads.

Farellones/El Colorado

Chile has acquired an international reputation among skiers, and the country's best downhill skiing is to be found in Middle Chile's high cordillera. Within this region are the El Colorado and Farellones ski resorts, close enough together to be considered a single resort, with a total of 18 lifts and 22 runs from roughly 8,000-11,000 feet in altitude.

Parque Nacional Lauca

Lauca is northern Chile's treasure. Within the huge park are herds of llama and alpaca, and over 100 bird species, including flamingos and Andean gulls, plus archaeological landmarks. One spectacular feature is Lago Chungará, one of the world's highest lakes, at the foot of the dormant twin Payachata volcanos.

San Pedro de Atacama

This tiny colonial village has excellent access to the spectacular geysers, volcanoes, salt flats and lakes of the northern altiplano, and it is one of the country's most popular destinations. The town itself has an excellent archaeological museum and pretty 16th-century adobe buildings. Locals still farm terraces over a thousand years old. San Pedro is the access point to the world's highest geyser field at El Tatio, Chile's largest salt flat and a flamingo breeding ground; numerous volcanoes and natural hot springs; pre-Columbian archaeological sites, and other-worldly landscapes such as the famous Valle de la Luna. It's also a gateway to Bolivia's dazzling salt flat, Uyuni.

Santiago

Santiago de Chile is a modern metropolis with a shiny face and one of South America's most dynamic economies. At the same time, struggling street vendors board city buses to hawk everything from pins to ice cream, and housemaids ride for hours to scrub floors and change nappies in exclusive suburbs.

History:

The Incas from Peru were the first "explorers" of Chile, arriving in the north by the mid-15th century. They encountered the native Atacameño, Diaguita, Araucanian, and Mapuche cultures. The Portuguese sailor Ferdinand Magellan became the first European to sight Chilean shores in 1520, after successfully navigating around the southern tip of the American continent. Diego de Almagro claimed Chile as part of the Spanish Empire for Francisco Pizarro in 1536, and in 1541 Pedro de Valdivia commenced the Spanish conquest despite strong resistance by Araucanians. Chileans now revere many early indigenous warriors, like Caupolicán and Lautaro, as national heroes.

Chile began fighting for independence from Spain in 1810. Although initial revolts were suppressed, Chilean patriots eventually joined with the armies of José de San Martín in Argentina. In 1817, San Martín's forces invaded Chile by crossing the Andes Mountains. The Spanish were quickly defeated, and one of the revolution's heroes, Bernardo O'Higgins, became supreme dictator of the new republic. Opposed in land reform and other reform efforts, O'Higgins left the country in 1823 and Chilean politics remained unstable for several years. After 1830, however, stability and periodic reform allowed Chile to make progress. From 1879 to 1884, Chile fought the War of the Pacific against Peru and Bolivia. Victorious, Chile annexed the provinces of Tarapaca and Antofagasta in the north.

A civil war in 1891 was followed by less stable governments and military interventions. Chile returned to constitutional rule in 1932 with the reelection of President Arturo Alessandri. During most of the 20th century, Chile concentrated on promoting economic growth and addressing social problems. By 1970, many people had become convinced that socialism could solve some of those problems without hindering growth. That conviction allowed Salvador Allende to become the first freely elected Marxist president in South America. But the country soon faced economic disaster, and in 1973, General Augusto Pinochet Ugarte led a military coup that ended Allende's government.

Backed by the military, Pinochet ruled by decree until, in 1988, he subjected himself to a plebiscite to determine if he should continue in power. Upon losing, he called for elections in December 1989. Pinochet's choice for president was defeated by the centrist-left candidate, Patricio Aylwin Azocar. Aylwin took office in 1990 as the first elected president since 1970. While Pinochet's rule was characterized by years of human-rights abuses and dictatorial government, Pinochet is credited for building a successful and productive economy. Aylwin built on that foundation, facilitating Chile's development as one of the most prosperous Latin American countries. He is credited with implementing successful antipoverty programs and maintaining a delicate balance between opposing political forces.

In 1994, Eduardo Frei Ruiz-Tagle took office after being democratically elected. The son of a former president, Frei emphasized more social spending for education and antipoverty measures. He pursued closer economic ties with North and South America and constitutional reforms to reduce the military's political power. Under these reforms, Chilean presidents are not permitted to serve two consecutive terms. The government remains focused on building the nation's economy in the face of global and regional economic downturn, implementing constitutional reforms, and exposing the fate of those who disappeared during the Pinochet regime.

Getting Around:

Chile's border-crossing points with Peru and Bolivia are few and far between. The crossing between Arica in Chile and Tacna in Peru provides the only land access to Peru; road and rail connections link Chile with Bolivia, passing through Arica, Visviri, Tambo Quemado or Calama. Except in Patagonia, every crossing into Argentina involves crossing the Andes. Routes include Calama-Salta, Copiapó-Tucumán via Catamarca; La Serena-San Juan; and Santiago-Mendoza. More interesting are the many Lakes District and southern Patagonian routes, with buses and ferries servicing the crossing points between Chile and Argentina.

Public transportation in Chile is fairly efficient, although many roads remain unpaved. Traffic in Santiago is heavy and can be somewhat hazardous. Smog and other pollution problems sometimes result in school and business closures as cars are restricted. The government is working to implement stricter emissions test requirements, increase the use of unleaded gasoline, and reduce industrial pollution. Santiago has a subway, and elsewhere, private bus systems provide inexpensive and efficient travel in and between cities. Private cars are becoming more common. Trucks, motorcycles, and bicycles are used in rural areas to travel longer distances. Several airports serve domestic and international travelers.

Support During Your Placement:

We will be available to give you any support, advice, or guidance you may need with any issues. There will always be an emergency number for you to contact. Our aim is to ensure that you have a happy and successful experience during your stay in Chile.