Lexi Skuhrovec
Chileans are located in the long, narrow country called Chile. The Andes Mountains run the full length of their country. Their pacific coastline is over 2,400 miles long. Chile is made up of deserts, snowy mountains, farmlands, beaches, and volcanoes.
Chile is a long and narrow country located on the continent South America. Because Chile stretches out so long, it is made up of many different types of environments. Chileans live in a very successful country.
Mestizo is the ethnicity most Chileans are. Mestizo is a mix of Amerindian and European ancestry. Chileans are also made up of many different indigenous groups. The smallest group is the latter. It only has about 2,000 people. The largest group is the Mapuche.
Spanish is the language that most Chileans speak. But in Chile, they usually don t call is Spanish or Espanol. They call it Castellano, what Spanish is called in Spain. Chilean children learn English as a second language in school. Some Chileans also speak German. Along with that, there are eight different indigenous languages.
There are many Chilean myths and legends. One is about a lost city. This city has great wealth, streets paved with gold and silver, a mist hides it s sight, and everyone who goes there looses their memory. It is said that the seen only once, when the world ends.
Chileans celebrate the main Catholic holidays. They celebrate Christmas, the Immaculate Conception, Corpus Christi, and Easter. They celebrate some other holidays like Labor Day. They have two independence days: Independence Day and Liberation Day. Day of The Glory of the Armed Forces is celebrated as well.
Glory of the Armed Forces Day being celebrated in Chile by all the Chileans. Chileans honor all the people who served for their country.
One major festival is the International Theatre Festival. Actors and choreographers from around the world compete in competitions with different categories. Another festival is Feast Day of the Virgin del Carmen in July. This shows their love for a patron saint of the nation and military. Pilgrims come to celebrate Rosario Virgin Festival in December.
International Theater Festival in Chile. Many people from around the world come and dress up in different costumes showing off their talents. A lot of Chileans take part in this yearly activity.
Chileans that are Catholic think for the identity of a child, baptism and First Communion are very important. There is a church ceremony for marriages. Nine days of prayer follow the day a loved one dies. Chileans believe that if someone dies violently, their spirits never leave.
Chile was one of the first Latin American countries who allowed religious practices that are non-catholic. This was big for Chileans. Church-state separation finally came. People were allowed to come into Chile and were free to practice a religion of their choice.
Roman Catholicism is the major religion of Chile. Cities and towns have a church in the town square. In the nations capital, Santiago, Chileans can see a statue of the Virgin Mary. This is where most pilgrims go for religious gatherings. Pilgrims also go to the Templo Vovito de Maipu.
This is the Virgin Mary statue that Chileans can see every day in Chile s capital, Santiago. This is a very important statue for most Chileans. They will travel into town just to visit this statue.
Chileans who practice Roman Catholicism have a few special festivals. Local communities throw small celebrations around their patron saint. The Festival of La Tirana is the biggest religious celebration. Celebrated in Iquique, people feast and dance for several days. Thousands of pilgrims come to this celebration.
Chileans who practice Roman Catholicism don t usually dress any different than any other Chilean who practices some other religion. During some religious festivals, dancers and people who attend them might dress up. They will wear traditional costumes and masks looking colonial.
Marriage is a ritual in Chile that many other Catholic rituals are like in other areas in the world. Chileans will have a religious ceremony for their wedding. Engaged Chileans will wear a wedding band on their right ring finger until they are married. When they are married, it switches to their left ring finger.
This is a simple Chilean marriage. It s not too big and only close family are invited. People usually wear something nice, but not too fancy.
More than 3/4ths of Chileans practice Roman Catholicism. But, only 21 percent of Chileans who practice this religion go to mass weekly. They still consider themselves part of the religion. Most Chileans who say they practice Roman Catholicism were baptized into it.
Catholicism is a major part of Chilean lifestyle. Laws make divorce and abortion extremely difficult. In private homes and government offices, crucifixes are common. Priests and nuns are highly respected. Most parents have their children baptized early in life. Chileans have one of the lowest divorce rates in the Western Hemisphere.
250 different religious denominations are in Chile. Protestantism is a big Chilean religion. It isn t as big as Roman Catholicism, but a lot of Chileans do practice it. 12 percent of Chileans practice Protestantism. There aren t a lot of Catholic priests in poor neighborhoods, where this is more popular. Non-Christian religions have made no cultural or political impact.
Chileans are very relaxed people. Being on time isn t a big deal. For scheduled social occasions, Chileans are expected to be up to an hour late. They usually greet each other with handshakes. Friends, men and women, usually greet each other with a kiss on the cheek.
The wealthy Chileans are known to usually own ranches. They usually also have a summer home. Their summer home is usually located in the coastal resort area. Poor people are known as pobladores. They live in the crowded shantytowns of Chile. They live in homes made from zinc and bits of wood or brick.
This picture is of some of the Shanty towns in Chile. Pobladores, poor Chileans, will live here. It isn t a good living condition. Some of these small houses could be a home for big Chilean families. Sometimes more than 6 people will live in one of these little shacks.
Chileans used to have big families. Today, a Chilean family has around two or three children. Women work outside the home in most cases, there is no stay at home mom. They still do household chores when they get home after work. In poor households, older children will usually look over younger children.
Extended families don t live together. They do spend a lot of time together. Children are usually close with their cousins. Close friends are treated as family, they might even be called aunt or uncle. This close relationship can help family members find jobs through each other.
Middle-class people who live around the city wear Western style clothes. Men dress up and wear suits. Women who work in the office will also wear a suit or dress to look professional. Cowboys wear ponchos, or cloaks. They wear straw hats in the summer and warmer hats in the winter. They wear boots on their feet.
This picture is an example of some Chileans who are cowboys. They are at a rodeo festival in Chile.
A typical Chilean dish is Pastel de choclo, which is baked corn paste. White bean soup is a favorite soup, it also includes pumpkin, peppers, and corn. Empanadas are a highly liked snack. Some are simple with only cheese, and other are more complex with more ingredients. They also have some native stews called cazuelas made with meat.
This is the famous Chilean dish, Pastel de choclo, a corn paste. Chileans enjoy this dish on many different occasions.
Education is important in Chile. They want good education to escape poverty. Primary schools are free. The literacy rate of the country is 80 percent. More Chileans are attending universities, making the middleclass start to grow rapidly. The Catholic church has helped Chile with it s education.
This is an example of a Chilean school. It isn t too big or really nice, but it is good enough for Chilean children to attend.
Many Chileans play soccer, the most popular sport in Chile. Chilean cowboys compete horse racing in medialunas, which are corals in the shape of a half moon. Chile has a lot of nice beaches where people will spend the day swimming. People also boat and fish in the waters. Chile has a few ski resorts for the winter time.
This is a Chilean girl s soccer team. They are a very good team and win many games. It is an honor to be a good soccer team in Chile.
This is an example of a beach in Chile. Many Chileans, as well as visitors to Chile, come to the beaches to enjoy things like fishing, swimming, and boating. Chile is known for it s beautiful beaches.
Family and friends usually have asados, which are barbecues. Meat is grilled on fires in yards or public parks. Chileans also enjoy movies. Younger people go to bars and dance. People spend time shopping. There are a few nice shopping districts and malls in higher class neighborhoods.
This is an example of a shop in Chile. Chileans can show off their skills and sell items that they hand made. Many people enjoy shopping in Chile. A lot of Chileans make a living selling items at shops like these.
Chileans have a very special dance, known as the cueca. This dance is usually performed by a couple. When the cueca is performed to the song tonada, it used to be a protest movement. People who lost their loved ones would dance alone to this song.
This is an example of two Chileans performing the nation s dance, the cueca. This is a couple s dance that all Chilean couples know of.
Many musical groups are all around Chile. They perform different types of music depending on their style. It ranges from folk music to salsa music. Some groups even sing western-pop. Some people weave, make baskets, do pottery, carve wood, and make jewelry. The pottery is found in Chilean kitchens and gardens.
This is an example of some Chilean pottery. Every piece of pottery is different. There are different colors, shapes, sizes, and designs.
In Chile s capital, Chilean National Symphony Orchestra performs from March to November. Ballet and Opera at a Chile University also have performances during these months. Chile has one of the largest libraries in Latin America. There are also museums of science, fine arts, and a cultural center.
The New Song movement was a big protest movement that Chileans are proud of. Violetta Parra was a singer who was the main figure of this movement. Her children continued what she was doing after she died. Chileans are also to say they have two Nobel-Prize winners that originated there.
There is a big gap between the rich and the poor Chileans, one of the largest in Latin America. The urban poor people don t have a lot of work. Unemployment is between 8 and 10 percent. Most people have no type of benefits.
Chile s indigenous people face discrimination daily. Children get bullied for their facial features and names. Parents face prejudice at work. They make up a big part of unemployment. They earn half of what other people earn at their jobs. The government is trying to give back indigenous lands and get social programs in their areas.
This is an example of a Chilean Indigenous women. She is one of many people that have to face discrimination.
Air and water pollution is a major problem in Chile. The capital, Santiago, is where 40 percent of Chileans live. When pollution becomes too high, there is an alert and 60 percent of vehicles are not permitted to ride on the roads. Chile s copper mining industry causes a lot of pollution, but that s how a lot of Chileans make a living.
Women were never given the same rights in school that men were. Women usually stayed at home and very few had jobs. When debt started rising, more women joined the labor force and worked men s jobs. Women were still paid less than men.
Michelle Bachelet was Chile s first female president. She won presidency in 2006. This was a turning point for Chilean s political system. She stopped the idea of men having to be the leaders. She has expanded health care coverage for Chileans. She has improved women s lives dramatically.
Many Chileans grow crops for export. They will grow fruit and wines. Other Chileans mine copper. Working conditions are different with each social class. Poor people usually just work in the markets and they are usually ignored. Many people can t find secure employment.
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