16.75 million people
 Growing at nearly .9% a year
 89% lives in urban areas
 About 1 of 3 Chileans live in the Santiago
metropolitan area
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Around 95% have either European heritage or
mixed European-indigenous descent
 Many groups came from Middle Easter
immigrants
 Numerous Chileans have ancestry from Spain,
Italy, Russia, Syria, Lebanon, Croatia, France
Germany or Switzerland

Castellano is the official language
 Chileans commonly add suffix –ito to words
and names to show affection
 English is taught in numerous schools in Chile
 Some in southern Chile speak German and
Mapuche

87% profess a Christian faith
 About 70% belongs to the Roman Catholic
Church
 Others are in protestant groups
 There’s also a small Jewish minority
 Church and state are separate
 Religious freedom is guaranteed

They stress that one is welcomed and
recognized
 Abrazo is the most common among friends &
relatives
 It is a handshake & hug with a kiss to the right
cheek for women and family
 Eye contact is essential when greeting

They’re naturally friendly & warm, though
they can be shy when first meeting someone
 They have a sharp, witty [and a little cynical]
sense of humor
 Chileans are patriotic
 Large middle class
 Encourage education
 They believe in progress

 New Year’s Day
 Easter
 Labor Day (May
1)
 Naval Battle of
Iquique (May 21
 Independence
Day (Sept. 18)
All Saints’ Day (Nov.
1)
 Christmas (in
summer)
 Dia de la Raza (Oct.
12
 Armed Forces Day
(Sept. 19)

Independence Day they eat empanadas, drink
chicha and dance the cueca at parks
 Christmas Day they barbecue the day before
and open their gifts at midnight
 Chileans consider Ney Year’s the most
important time for family gatherings

Begin dating around 16
 Group dates happen often
 Men marry at about 22 & Women marry
between 18 & 23
 Often date from 1-3 years before getting
engaged
 Important to finish education before marriage
 Divorce legal in 2004
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Many national dishes include fish, seafood,
chicken, beef, beans, eggs, and corn
Favorites: empanadas de horno, pastel de choclo,
cazuela de ave, ensalada chilena, and seafood
casseroles & stews. (described on last page)
Children love eating sopapillas
Manjar is a favorite bread spread & baking
ingredient
Chile’s well known for it’s wines
Pisco is the national drink
Fashions are like European styles & are
sophisticated in urban area
 American fashions are popular, mostly among
the teens
 Many employees wear uniforms (stylish suit
or dress)
 Even if they’re not wealthy they’re neatly
dressed

Fútbol is a very popular sport with basketball
getting more popular
 They also enjoy swimming, playing at parks &
watching movies at home
 During summer they’ll take vacations to the
coast or countryside
 Chileans enjoy fishing, surfing, barbecuing,
rodeos & more
 Hausos guide their horses to trap a steer
against the wall
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Empanadas de horno—meat turnovers with beef,
hard-boiled eggs, onions, olives & raisins
Pastel de choclo—Baked meal of beef, chicken,
onions, corn, eggs & spices
Cazuela de ave—Chicken soup
Ensalada chilena—cold tomato & onion salad
Sopaipillas—made from deep-fried pumpkin
dough sprinkled with sugar
Manjar—made by boiling an unopened can of
sweetened condensed milk for hours
Pisco—Grape Brandy