Chile Culture, and Chile History
Travel tips for your trip to Chile Hotel Maps Famous Places in Chile helps you to make your trip to Chile in the holiday a Splendid One
Although Chile, today, is a democracy and a stable South American economy mainly thanks to its strong trade ties to the US, its history hasn’t always been that simple. A conquered nation, like its neighbours, Chile went through colonisation in the north at the hands of the Spaniard Pedro de Valdivia, who then founded the capital Santiago in 1541.
Meanwhile, in the south, it took European conquerors more than 300 years to colonise the resisting Mapuche Indians. With a developing civil unrest due to Spain’s firm trade control and domination of farm estates, Chile was finally liberated in 1818 thanks to the Argentinean José de San Martín and Bernarndo O’Higgins, who was a dictator for five years and established Catholicism as the nation’s religion.
The regime seed had been sown, right from Chile’s birth. Generals have led military coups over the years, but the most prominent was General Pinochet’s, which lasted 17 years until 1990. Overthrowing Marxist President Salvador Allende, thousands of Allende’s supporters were killed and tortured while others were forced into exile due to Pinochet’s extreme right-wing policies.
However, Pinochet brought financial stability with a free market economy and in 1989 he stepped down as leader. Patricio Aylwin won with 55% of the votes and so began the slow path to democracy.
Since then, ruling parties have tended to be socialist and Chile voted in its first female president, Michelle Bachelet, in 2006. The country is now in the hands of the candidate she beat back then, Sebastián Piñera, from the right-wing Coalition for Change party.
Although Chile takes hard knocks - an 8.8 earthquake in February 2010 killed around 500 people and damaged thousands of buildings - the successful rescue of 33 miners trapped in the San José copper mine for more than two months was a news story that brought hope and unity not just to Chileans but around the world. And so in the hands of a president whose popularity has soared due to that epic rescue, Chile continues to manage its economy well, and staved off recession in 2009. It became an Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development member that same year and was voted 31st best country in the world in which to live by US Newsweek in August 2010. The picture looks good for Chile.
Meanwhile, in the south, it took European conquerors more than 300 years to colonise the resisting Mapuche Indians. With a developing civil unrest due to Spain’s firm trade control and domination of farm estates, Chile was finally liberated in 1818 thanks to the Argentinean José de San Martín and Bernarndo O’Higgins, who was a dictator for five years and established Catholicism as the nation’s religion.
The regime seed had been sown, right from Chile’s birth. Generals have led military coups over the years, but the most prominent was General Pinochet’s, which lasted 17 years until 1990. Overthrowing Marxist President Salvador Allende, thousands of Allende’s supporters were killed and tortured while others were forced into exile due to Pinochet’s extreme right-wing policies.
However, Pinochet brought financial stability with a free market economy and in 1989 he stepped down as leader. Patricio Aylwin won with 55% of the votes and so began the slow path to democracy.
Since then, ruling parties have tended to be socialist and Chile voted in its first female president, Michelle Bachelet, in 2006. The country is now in the hands of the candidate she beat back then, Sebastián Piñera, from the right-wing Coalition for Change party.
Although Chile takes hard knocks - an 8.8 earthquake in February 2010 killed around 500 people and damaged thousands of buildings - the successful rescue of 33 miners trapped in the San José copper mine for more than two months was a news story that brought hope and unity not just to Chileans but around the world. And so in the hands of a president whose popularity has soared due to that epic rescue, Chile continues to manage its economy well, and staved off recession in 2009. It became an Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development member that same year and was voted 31st best country in the world in which to live by US Newsweek in August 2010. The picture looks good for Chile.
Religion:
Christian (mostly Roman Catholic).
Most Chileans consider themselves Catholic, and undertake baptism and first communion although they may not practise in their adult life. People believe in marriage and even if they are not practising Catholics, a wedding will still take place in a church. Co-habitation does exist between younger couples although it is not very common; however it is accepted. The divorce rate is higher than the marriage rate, although that is probably because Chile was one of the last countries in the world to make divorce legal in 2004. Chileans also adhere to Catholic death rites