Chile
Jewel of South America
Learn About Chile, Its Economic
Produce/Food and Wine
Chile
About Chile, Produce & Wine
Learn about Chile, one of the most
progressive countries in South
America.
The People, Government,
Industries, Key Exports, Foods and
the Wine that now rivals the
traditional wine regions of the world.
Make a selection
from the flag and
enjoy your trip!
Wine
Produce/Food
About Chile
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About Chile
Brief History
■ Before the Spanish arrived in the 16th century,
northern Chile was under Inca rule while the
indigenous Mapuche inhabited central and southern
Chile.
■ Chile declared its independence in 1810. In the 187983 War of the Pacific, Chile defeated Peru and Bolivia
and won its present northern regions.
■ After a series of elected governments, a three-year-old
Marxist government of Salvador ALLENDE was
overthrown in 1973 by a military coup led by Augusto
Pinochet, who ruled until a freely elected president
was installed in 1990.
■ Sound economic policies, since the 1980s, have
contributed to steady growth.
■ Chile has increasingly assumed regional and
international leadership roles befitting its status as a
stable, democratic nation.
About Chile
Geography
■ Location:
► Southern South America, bordering the South Pacific
Ocean, between Argentina and Peru
■ Area:
► Total: 756,102 sq km
► Note: includes Easter Island (Isla de Pascua) and Isla Sala
y Gomez
■ Area - comparative:
► Slightly smaller than twice the size of Montana
■ Land boundaries:
► Total: 6,339 km border countries: Argentina 5,308 km,
Bolivia 860 km, Peru 171 km
■ Coastline:
► 6,435 km
■ Climate:
► Temperate; desert in north; Mediterranean in central
region; cool and damp in south
About Chile
Geography
■ Terrain:
► Low coastal mountains; fertile central valley; rugged Andes in
east
■ Elevation Extremes:
► Lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
► Highest point: Nevado Ojos del Salado 6,880 m
■ Natural Resources:
► Copper, timber, iron ore, nitrates, precious metals, molybdenum,
hydropower
■ Land Use:
► Arable land: 2.62% permanent crops: 0.43% other: 96.95%
(2005)
■ Irrigated land:
► 19,000 sq km (2003)
■ Total Renewable Water Resources:
► 922 cu km (2000)
■ Natural Hazards:
► Severe earthquakes; active volcanism; tsunamis
About Chile
People
■ Population:
► 16,746,491 (July 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 60
■ Age Structure:
► 0-14 years: 22.7%
► 15-64 years: 67.9%
► 65 years and over: 9.3% (2010 est.)
■ Population Growth Rate:
► 0.856% (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 135
■ Urbanization:
► Urban population: 88% of total population (2008)
► Rate of urbanization: 1.3% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)
■ Infant mortality rate:
► Total: 7.52 deaths/1,000 live births country comparison to the world: 166
■ Life Expectancy at Birth:
► Total population: 77.53 years country comparison to the world: 57
About Chile
People
■ Total fertility rate:
► 1.9 children born/woman (2010 est.) country comparison to the
world: 141
■ Ethnic groups:
► White and white-Amerindian 95.4%,
► Mapuche 4%,
■ Religions:
► Roman Catholic 70%, Evangelical 15.1%, Jehovah's Witness
1.1%, other Christian 1%, other 4.6%, none 8.3% (2002 census)
■ Languages:
► Spanish (official), Mapudungun, German, English
■ Literacy:
► Total population: 95.7%
About Chile
Economy
■ Chile has a market-oriented economy.
■ A high level of foreign trade and a reputation for strong financial
institutions.
■ Exports account for more than one-fourth of Gross Domestic
Product.
■ Copper alone provides one-third of government revenue.
■ During the early 1990s, Chile's economic reform was
strengthened when the democratic government of Patricio Aylwin
deepened the economic reform.
■ A severe drought in 1999, caused, for the first time in more than
15 years, a negative economic growth. In the years since then,
growth has averaged 4% per year.
About Chile
Government
■
Government type:
►
Republic
■
Capital:
■
Administrative divisions:
►
►
■
Chief of state: President Sebastian PINERA Echenique (since 11 March 2010); note - the
president is both the chief of state and head of government
Legislative branch:
►
■
Derived from Spanish law and subsequent codes influenced by French and Austrian law
Note - in June 2005, Chile completed overhaul of its criminal justice system to a US-style
adversarial system
Executive branch:
►
■
Independence Day, 18 September (1810)
Legal system:
►
►
■
15 regions including Antarctica Note: the United States does not recognize claims to Antarctica
National holiday:
►
■
Name: Santiago
Bicameral National Congress or Congreso Nacional consists of the Senate or Senado (38 seats;
members elected by popular vote to serve eight-year terms; one-half elected every four years)
and the Chamber of Deputies or Camara de Diputados (120 seats; members are elected by
popular vote to serve four-year terms)
Flag description:
►
►
Two bands of white (top) and red; a blue square with a white star at the hoist-side end of the white
band; the star represents a guide to progress and honor; blue symbolizes the sky, white is for the
snow-covered Andes, and red represents the blood spilled to achieve independence
Note: design was influenced by the US flag
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Chilean
Fruit Exports
■ Chile accounts for almost 50%
of the Southern Hemisphere
fruit exports specializing in
grapes, apples, kiwis,
avocados, plums, nectarines,
peaches and pears.
■ 37% of the exports go to the
United States and are a main
source of fruits during the
winter months
Chilean
Exports
■ Produce is three of the top ten products
exported to the United States:
►#2 - Fruits & preparations (e.g. frozen juices); $1.3
billion (14%, up 17.9%)
►#3 - Fish & shellfish; $957 million (10%, up 26.1%)
►#9 - Wine & related products; $170.4 million (1.8%,
up 2.5%) The fifth largest exporter of wine in the
world
Chilean Food
Overview
■ The Spanish came to Chile in 1541 and they brought grapes, olives,
walnuts, chestnuts, rice, wheat, citrus fruits, sugar, garlic, and
spices. They also brought chicken, beef, sheep, pigs, rabbits, milk,
cheeses, and sausages.
■ The native Amerindians used corn in many of their dishes. The
combination of the Spanish and Amerindians' foods formed popular
corn-based dishes that are still part of the diet in the twenty-first
century.
■ Popular dishes include empanadas (a meat and vegetable turnover)
and pastel de choclo (a corn and meat pie).
■ Fresh seafood of all kinds is in abundance and eaten regularly.
Chilean Food
Overview
■ Chile has many German, Italian and Arab
immigrants.
■ Each group brought its style of cooking to Chile.
The Germans brought pastries, Italians brought
ices and flavored them with Chilean fruits.
■ The Arab immigrants brought their use of certain
spices and herbs, and the combination of sweet
and salty tastes.
■ Between 1880 and 1900, British immigrants
brought tea to Chile. Teatime continues to be
enjoyed in modern Chile.
Chilean Food
Traditional Dish
■ Chilean Empanadas are a typical
dish combining the influences of all
immigrant cultures.
■ Empanadas are a pastry pouch
filled with ground beef, raisins,
chopped hard boiled egg, onions,
olives and spices.
■ Its traditional to serve Empanadas
on Sept 18th, Chilean
Independence Day.
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Chilean Wine
Wine Producing Regions
■ Chile has a diverse
geography with many
regions well suited to
grapes production.
■ A history of wine making
which improves with each
year.
Chilean Wine
Wine Producing Regions
■ Atacama
► The region is known primarily for its
Pisco production. Atacama is also an important
source of table grapes.
■ Coquimbo
► Like the Atacama this region is primarily known for
Pisco and table grapes.
■ Aconcagua
► Casablanca is one of Chile's cooler wine regions
and grows grape varietals like Chardonnay and
Pinot Noir.
► Casablanca's growing seasons last up to a month
longer than other regions, typically harvesting in
April.
► The northern region of Aconcagua is Chile's
warmest wine region and is primarily planted with
Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot.
► The soil of this region is composed mainly of alluvial
deposits left over from ancient river beds.
Chilean Wine
Wine Producing Regions
■ Valle Central
► This is Chile's most productive and internationally
known wine region, due in large part to its close
proximately to the country's capital Santiago.
► The Maipo Valley is the most widely cultivated valley
and is known for Cabernet Sauvignon.
► The Rapel wine region in the Colchagua Province is
also known for it Cabernet. Curicó has both red and
white wine varieties planted but is most widely known
for it Chardonnay.
► The Maule Valley still has large plantings of the local
Pais but is gradually being planted with better red
wine varieties.
■ Southern Chile
► The region is primarily known for its mass produce
Pais box and jug wines though Concha y Toro
Winery has experimented with Gewürztraminer from
this region.
► The southern regions have more rainfall, lower
average temperatures and fewer hours of sunlight
than the northern wine regions.
Chilean Wine
Wine Making
■ Financial investment by European and American
winemakers included opening up their own wineries or
collaborating with existing Chilean wineries to produce
new brands. These include:
► Robert Mondavi, collaboration with Viña Errázuriz to
produce Sena
► Miguel A. Torres, Catalan winemaker opened Miguel
Torres Chile in 1979
► Kendall-Jackson, opened Viña Calina
► Château Lafite Rothschild, collaboration with Los
Vascos
► Bruno Prats, Owner of Château Cos d'Estournel, and
Paul Pontallier, technical director of Chateau Margaux,
opened Domaine Paul Bruno
► Château Mouton Rothschild, collaboration with Concha
y Toro Winery to produce Almaviva
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