¿Cuánto sabes de…? CHILE

¿Dónde está Chile?

How large is Chile compared to Illinois?

Chile is more than 5 time larger than Illinois.

How large is Chile’s population compared to that of Illinois?

Chile’s population is about 28% larger (2001 estimate)

What languages are spoken in Chile? Spanish – ~98% (I knew that!!) Other isolated Indian languages – 2% Mapuche -- “Chaltu!”

What is the capital city? Santiago (population 5.7 million) Hey, that’s more people than in Los Angeles!!

Reading tasks Now scan the cultural reading on pp for the answers to the following questions: Is Chile primarily rural or urban? What is the unit of currency? Who are Isabel Allende and Pablo Neruda? What is La Isla de Pascua and why is it mysterious? What role do the Andes Mountains play in science and leisure? What is a primary export of the Chilean economy?

Is Chile primarily rural or urban?

80% of the population lives in cities. This is approximately the same ratio of urban/rural population as in the U.S.

What is the unit of currency?

El Peso Chileno The national currency

Who are Isabel Allende and Pablo Neruda?

Isabel Allende Award-winning novelist and journalist “The House of Spirits” “Eva Luna” Currently living in the U.S.

Pablo Neruda Poet Winner of 1971 Nobel Prize for Literature Diplomat

What is La Isla de Pascua and why is it mysterious?

La Isla de Pascua It’s a 4 hour, 40 minute flight from Santiago to Easter Island. That’s the equivalent of flying from Chicago to Seattle non- stop. The distance between the island and the mainland is 2,300 miles – as far as driving from Chicago to Houston… and back! Only 3,000 people live on the island today.

La Isla de Pascua “When we think of Eastern Island we think of of huge stone carved figures -monoliths- that dot the coastline. They are called Moai and are carved from island rock. The Moai are seen all over the island, and in different shapes, sizes, and stages of completion. Many Moai are left unfinished at the quarry site. No one is sure yet as to what purposes the Moai served, but outside scholarly research together with accumulated local knowledge, shows evidence that the Moai were carved by the ancestors of the present inhabitants. Ron Fisher, in his work Easter Island Brooding Sentinels of Stone, mentions as one explanation for the statues that "two classes of people, the-so-called Long Ears and Short Ears, lived on the island. The Short Ears were enslaved by the Long Ears, who forced the Short Ears to carve the Moai. After many generations and during a rebellion, the Short Ears surprised the Long Ears killing them all, which explains the abrupt end of the statue-carving” ( The weight of the largest moai is about 84 tons!!

What role do the Andes Mountains play in science and leisure?

Los Andes Mountain climbing Visiting volcanoes Skiing Snowboarding

Los Andes Chile is an ideal location for studying the heavens – several observatories have been placed along its long coastline. The skies above the Andean foothills between La Serena and Copiapó are recognized as being the clearest in the southern hemisphere, a fact which has led the world's great astronomical laboratories to construct giant observatories here ( chile.org/activities/astronomy.phtml)La SerenaCopiapó

What is a primary export of the Chilean economy?

Agriculture Located along the southwestern coast of South America, Chile has ideal conditions for growing wine grapes. With the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Andes Mountains towering to the east, Chile remains fairly isolated from the rest of the continent. Fortunately for wine producers, the Andes trap in just enough moisture for proper grape growing and also keep out the pesky phylloxera louse. The predictable long, dry summers and cool winters make ideal growing conditions and provide for consistent vintages from year to year. The major grape-producing areas are located in the Chile's Central Valley ( eature_Basic_Template/0,1197,12,00.html)