| Chile
is a country in South America occupying a long and narrow
strip between the Andes Mountains and the Pacific Ocean.
The pacific forms the country's entire western border,
with Peru to the north, Bolivia in the north east and
Drake passage to the south.
The population of Chile is made up of Mestizos, persons
of mixed Spanish and Native American ancestry who make
up for 93 percent of the current population. Only 3
percent consists of pure Native American, mainly Araucarians
who are concentrated in the southern region; and the
other 2 percent of the population is made up of unmixed
European race.
The country of Chile has two lively and contrasting
cultures: the cosmopolitan culture of the prosperous
urban population, and the popular culture of the peasants,
which is mainly Spanish but contains traces of Araucanian
heritage. The culture of peasants is heavily reflected
in their music and dance. The country also has a flourishing
literary tradition and has produced two Nobel Prize
winners in literature, Gabriela Mistral and Pablo Neruda,
both poets. The national dance is Ceuca.
Another form of traditional Chilean song is the Tonada.
Arising from music imported by the Spanish colonists,
it is distinguished from the Cueca by an intermediate
melodic section and a more prominent melody.
Chile is one of the leading industrial nations in Latin
America as well as one of its largest mineral producers
and is also known for its fruit and wine production.
Since the early 20th century, production of copper has
dominated the Chilean economy.
Worldtravel4indians.com provides information on Culture
of Chile and different cultural aspects of
Chile.
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