Download Chile is a long, narrow country on South America`s west coast. It is

Chile
Chile is a long, narrow country on South America's west coast. It is more than
10 times as long as it is wide and stretches about 2,650 miles (4,265
kilometers) from Peru in the north to the southern tip of the continent. Chile's
name probably comes from chilli, an Indian word meaning where the land ends.
Chile is a land of great variety. The Atacama Desert in the north is one of the
driest places in the world, but parts of the south are among the rainiest. The
towering Andes Mountains form Chile's eastern boundary, and low mountains
rise along the country's Pacific coast. A series of fertile river basins called the
Central Valley lies between the mountain ranges in central Chile. The landscape
of southern Chile is breathtaking. There are snow-capped volcanoes, thick
forests, and huge glaciers. Many rocky, windswept islands dot the rugged shore.
Most Chileans are of mixed Spanish and Indian ancestry. Many others are of unmixed European
descent. Indians—descendants of Chile's original inhabitants—form another group. Nearly all Chileans
speak Spanish, the nation's official language, and about three-fourths of the people are Roman
Catholics.
Santiago is Chile's capital and largest city. It lies in the Central Valley, where the great majority of
Chile's people live. The Central Valley also has the country's other largest cities, its major factories, and
its best farmland.
Since about 1900, poor, rural Chileans have poured into the cities in search of a better life. But there
are not enough jobs in the cities. Also, many rural Chileans lack the skills needed for available city jobs.
As a result, Chile's large urban areas have had such problems as poverty and unemployment.
Chile is the world's leading copper-producing nation. Its economy depends on copper exports. Farms in
the Central Valley produce plentiful crops, but most fruit grown there is exported. Chile imports much
of its food, manufactured goods, and petroleum.
Way of life
Language. Nearly all Chileans speak Spanish, the country's official language. About 1 million Mapuche
Indians form the largest indigenous (native) group in Chile. Many Mapuche speak their own Indian
language in addition to Spanish. The indigenous population also includes small groups of Atacamenos,
Quechua, and Aymara Indians, most of whom live in the north.
City life. Wealthy city dwellers in Chile live in luxurious high-rise apartment buildings or spacious
houses with fenced-in lawns and gardens. The well-to-do include business executives, industrialists,
and owners of country estates who prefer to live in the city. Many middle-class city dwellers work in
business or industry or have government or professional jobs. They live in apartments or comfortable
single-family houses. Working-class city dwellers include salesclerks, factory workers, and other
Chileans with low-paying jobs. Many of them live in run-down buildings in older neighborhoods. Some
build their own homes out of discarded materials.
Food and drink. Most Chileans have enough to eat, though many poor people lack a well-balanced
diet. The Chilean diet is based on bread, beans, and potatoes. Most people also regularly eat at least a
little meat in addition to many kinds of fish and shellfish. Meat and vegetables are often combined in
stews or thick soups. Chileans enjoy a number of traditional dishes. Cazuela de ave is a hearty soup
consisting of chicken, rice, and vegetables. Pastel de choclo, a baked corn casserole, is made of grated
corn, minced meat, raisins, and onions. Other favorite dishes include a fish chowder called paila
marina and empanadas—pastry turnovers stuffed with meat or seafood, eggs, vegetables, and fruit.
Coffee and tea, including an herb tea called aguita, are popular beverages. Many of the wealthier
people enjoy fine Chilean wines with their meals.
Recreation. Movies are a popular form of recreation in Chilean cities. In Santiago and other major
cities, concerts, plays, ballets, and operas also attract large audiences. Rural Chileans enjoy family
outings and visits with friends and neighbors. Chileans also celebrate various religious holidays with
parades and festivals.
Chile's long Pacific coastline is dotted with scenic beaches. Vacationers from many countries flock to
the luxurious coastal resort of Viña del Mar during the warmer months of December through March.
South-central Chile's Lake Country offers fishing, boating, and hiking. Portillo and other ski resorts in
the Andes attract wealthy Chileans and foreigners.
Soccer is Chile's most popular spectator sport by far. Fans crowd the stadiums to watch professional
games and cheer their favorite teams. Chileans also enjoy such sports as horse racing, basketball, and
tennis.
Religion. Spanish colonists brought the Roman Catholic religion to Chile. Today, most Chileans are
Catholics. The Catholic Church operates many schools in Chile, and church leaders have actively
promoted political and social reforms.
The number of Protestants in Chile is growing. Protestant groups include Baptists, Lutherans,
Methodists, and an increasing number of Pentecostal churches.
Economy
In 1971, Chile's government began to take control of many industries and to regulate prices, wages,
and trade. These actions aroused opposition among some business and military leaders. After military
leaders overthrew the Chilean government in 1973, they reduced the government's role in the
economy. By 1990, when Chile returned to civilian rule, the government had sold most industries and
utilities to private owners. The civilian leaders continued the privatization process. Today, Chile has
one of the strongest economies in Latin America.
Service industries account for more than half of Chile's GDP and employ about two-thirds of the
country's workers. Many Chileans work for the government. Hotels, restaurants, and retail shops
benefit from the millions of tourists who visit Chile each year. Most of these tourists come from other
South American countries. Chile's banking industry has grown steadily since the 1990's.
Manufacturing accounts for about one-eighth of both Chile's GDP and its work force. Most Chilean
factories produce consumer goods, such as beverages, clothing, processed foods, textiles, and wood
products. Other manufactured goods include cement, chemicals, copper, steel, and transportation
equipment. Concepción, Santiago, and Valparaíso are Chile's main industrial centers.
Agriculture employs about 10 percent of the country's work force, but accounts for less than 5 percent
of the country's GDP. Almost all of Chile's farmland lies in the Central Valley. Grapes are the country's
most valuable crop. Chile is an important producer and exporter of wine. Other crops include apples,
avocados, kiwi fruit, oats, onions, peaches, pears, potatoes, sugar beets, tomatoes, and wheat. Chile’s
farmers also raise beef and dairy cattle, chickens, hogs, sheep, and turkeys.
Mining accounts for nearly one-sixth of Chile's GDP. Most mining occurs in the northern and central
parts of the country. Chile has about a fourth of the world's known copper reserves. Chile ranks as the
world's leading copper-producing nation. Chuquicamata, in the Atacama Desert, is the largest open-pit
copper mine in the world. The world's largest underground copper mine, El Teniente, lies southeast of
Santiago.
Chile ranks among the leading countries in the production of arsenic, iodine, lithium, molybdenum, and
silver. The country's mineral products also include clays, coal, gold, iron ore, natural gas, petroleum,
potash, salt, and zinc.
Fishing industry. Chile has one of the world's largest fishing industries. This industry yields an annual
catch of 5 million tons (4.5 million metric tons) of fish and shellfish. Most fishing takes place off the
north coast. The leading fishing catches include anchovettas, herring, and jack mackerel. Much of the
fish catch is processed into fish meal and fish oil for export. Chile also exports fresh fish, especially
salmon, to Europe, Japan, and the United States.
Energy sources. Chile uses far more petroleum than it produces. As a result, the country must import
most of the petroleum it uses. Petroleum, natural gas and hydroelectric power produce most of the
country's power.
International trade. Chile exports more than it imports. Minerals—mainly copper—account for much
of Chile's exports. Other leading exports include beverages, chemical products, fish products, fruits,
and wood products. The chief imports include chemicals, electronic equipment, machinery, motor
vehicles, and petroleum. Chile trades with Argentina, Brazil, China, Japan, South Korea, and the United
States.
Recent developments. In the 1990's, Chile's economy boomed. During most of the decade, Chile had
low inflation, low unemployment, an expanding middle class, and steady investment in education and
basic social welfare measures.
In February 2010, a powerful earthquake with a magnitude of 8.8 struck central Chile, killing several
hundred people and displacing more than a million. In August, the San José Mine near the northern
city of Copiapó collapsed, trapping 33 miners deep underground. An extensive rescue effort involving
experts from around the world rescued all the miners after 69 days.
Source:
Monteón, Michael. "Chile." World Book Student. World Book, 2013. Web. 30 Dec. 2013.