CHILE
LA HISTORIA
Diego de Almargo arrived in 1536 and
settled the country for Spain. Chileans
formed a government independent from
Spain in 1812, but true independence was
won in 1820. In 1973, Augusto Pinochet
took control in a brutal coup d’état. In
1988, Chile returned to its democratic
traditions.
LA COSTA PACÍFICA: ONLY 180
KM WIDE THE CHILEAN
BEACHES TAKE UP MORE
THAN 6, 000 KM OF THE
PACIFIC COAST.
SANTIAGO: THE CAPITAL
DE CHILE, WAS FOUNDED
IN 1541 BY THE SPANISH
EXPLORER, PEDRO DE
VALDIVÍA. TODAY THE
CITY IS VERY MODERN.
EASTER ISLAND, LA ISLA
DE RAPA NUI: CONTAINS
STONE STATUES THAT
WERE CREATED IN THE
XII AND XVII CENTURIES.
SEE PICTURES IN BOOK
ON PAGE 152
LA CUECA: THE
NATIONAL DANCE OF
CHILE AND REPRESENTS
THE COURTING PERIOD
BETWEEN EL NOVIO Y LA
NOVIA
EL DESIERTO DE
ATACAMA: THE DRIEST
DESERT IN THE WORLD
IS LOCATED IN THE
NORTH OF CHILE.
EL ALTIPLANO DE LOS ANDES: IN
THE NORTH OF CHILE, AT A
HEIGHT OF MORE THAN 4, 500
METERS, IT IS THE REGION
WHERE LLAMAS, VICUÑAS,
GUANACOS AND ALPACAS LIVE.
THESE TYPES OF ANIMALS ARE
WELL ADAPTED TO EXTREME
CONDITIONS.
EL PARQUE NACIONAL LAGUNA SAN RAFAEL:
IN THE SOUTHERN PART OF CHILE, IT HAS A
SPECTACULAR GLACIER THE COLOR OF SEA
GREEN.
LAS TORRES Y LOS CUERNOS DEL
PAINE: THE HIGH PEAKS OF THE
MOUNTAINS REACH MORE THAN
2, 000 KM SOUTH OF SANTIAGO.
LA ISLA CHILOÉ
Vivid colors and wooden designs characterize the
houses on this southern island
IQUIQUE
This city in northern Chile has examples of
mudejar architecture, an Arabic style introduced
by Spaniards
LO MODERNO Y LO
ANTIGUO
Colonial architecture contrasts with modern
architecture in the capital city of Santiago, giving it
a European feel.
PLATOS CON MARISCOS
Chileans eat a great variety of seafood from the
Pacific Ocean. This dish is called curanto.
EL PASTEL DE CHOCLO
EL PASTEL DE
CHOCLO
Is a meat pie topped with mashed
corn
LA FIESTA DE LA TIRANA
LA FIESTA DE LA
TIRANA:
The town of La Tirana near Iquique hodls
this major festival each July. The festival
has its roots in Incan ceremonies, Chinese
carnivals, and Spanish fiestas.
LOS MAPUCHES
THE PEOPLE IN SOUTHERN CHILE CAN BE SEEN IN
THEIR CUSTOMS, HANDICRAFTS, TRADITIONAL
DRESS, AND FESTIVALS.
PABLO NERUDA AND
GABRIEL MISTRAL
Thes two famous Chilean poets each
won a Nobel Prize in Literature.
PEDRO LIRA
Gained international fame for this
painting, The Founding of Santiago.
VÍCTOR JARA
VÍCTOR JARA
On September 11, 1973, the Chilean
army under Augusto Pinochet toppled
the elected government of Salvador
Allende. Chile was ruled by a
dictatorship until 1990. The politically
inspired music known as la nueva
cancion chilena lost one of its best
known representatives, Victor Jara, in
the rperession following the coup.
VÍCTOR JARA
This mural in Santiago is about Jara’s
music. In your library or on the
Internet, try to find a Victor Jara song.
How does it compare to the political
songs in the USA?
1. WHAT DOES ONE FIND
ON THE ISLAND OF RAPA
NUI?
More than 600 stone structures of
Moais
2. WHEN WAS THE CITY
OF SANTIAGO FOUNDED?
In 1541, by the Spanish explorer
Pedro de Valdivia.
3. WHAT IS THE
NATIONAL DANCE OF
CHILE?
La cueca
WHAT IS THE DRIEST
DESERT IN THE WORLD?
The Atacama desert in northern
Chile.
WHAT ARE THE NAMES
OF THE PEAKS THAT
RISE UP VERTICALLY?
Las Torres y los Cuernos del Paine
WHAT ARE THE HOUSES
LIKE ON THE ISLA DE
CHILOÉ?
They have vivid colors and wooden
designs.
WHAT IS THE
ARCHITECTURE
MUDÉJAR?
Mudéjar is an Arabic style of
architecture introduced by the
Spaniards.
WHAT ARE THE ROOTS
OF LA FIESTA DE LA
TIRANA?
The festival has its roots in Incan
ceremonies, Chinese carnivals, and
Spanish fiestas.
HOW DO THE MAPUCHE
PRESERVE THEIR
CUSTOMS?
In their customs, handicrafts,
traditional dress, and festivals.