Bienvenidos a

Map Chile is in South America. Chile is long and narrow. It has mountains on one side and a beach on the other.

Flag It was designed in The red stands for all the blood shed in the struggle for independence. The white stands for the snow of the Andes Mountains. The star is the guiding star on the path of progress and honor.

Animals Guanacos, llamas alpacas, and vicunas live in the northern Andes. Other mountain animals include deer, wolves, pumas, wildcats, rodents, and condors. The southern forests are home to foxes, small deer, and marsupials. Check out our animals we have made around the room: Andean Flamingo & Alpaca

Celebrations Each year the city of Chile has a colorful celebration to observe the founding of Chile on February 14 with masks and costumes.

Celebrations They do not have Santa Claus, but there is a man like him. They leave their shoes out and their shoes get filled with candy.

Clothing They dress like Europeans and us here in the U.S., unless it is a celebration. On celebrations, they may wear traditional clothing like in the picture above. To many Chileans, if you are not clean or neatly dressed, they think you have bad taste.

Dance The national dance in Chile is the cueca. It is a dance of flirtation. The people in the dance shuffle their feet and stamp around in circles, twirling with a handkerchief held high, mimicking each other. It is the music that you will hear repeatedly for the two weeks leading up to September 18, the national holiday. Check out our traditional clothing in the classroom that men and women wear when doing the cueca.

Food This is a picture of some of the food served in Chile. Many of the national dishes are served with fish. When families are at the table, both hands are kept above the table at all times.

Food This is an empanada. It is a traditional food to Chileans. It is a bread that is stuffed with things like steak, chicken, or vegetables in the middle. An interesting fact about Chilean food is that while you were walking out on the streets or around others, it was considered bad manners to eat anything but ice cream.

Click the picture to watch a short video about Chile.

Landmarks This is El Volcan Villarica. This is also on the cover of our door with facts about Villarica. It is a volcano in Chile.

Villarrica Villarrica is one of Chile’s most active volcanoes. The volcano is also known as Rucapillán, a Mapuche word meaning "House of the Pillán". It is the westernmost of three large stratovolcanoes. Villarrica, along with Quetrupillán and the Chilean portion of Lanín, are protected within Villarrica National Park. Villarrica is one of only four volcanoes worldwide known to have an active lava lake within its crater. It is one of the world's most climbed stratovolcanoes. Guided hikes to the crater are offered from the town of Pucón. Helicopter sightseeing services offer flights over the crater as well. In the winter (July-September) a ski resort operates on the northern slopes.

Landmarks This is the Atacama Desert. It is the driest desert in the entire world. The desert is full of natural resources like copper. The daytime temperatures range from 77-86°F in the summer (December to February) and °F in the winter (June to August). The winters there are like our Spring here during the day in Alabama. Usually, nighttime temperatures can reach as low as 14°F in the winter.

Landmarks Copper Mines are found in Chile. Here, miners get a natural resource, Copper, from the ground. You may have seen Chile in the news recently and it’s copper mines. Some Chileans were stuck underground for 69 days in the mine, but made it out safely.

Music This is an organ grinder in Chile. He plays the organ, which is like a piano, and sells pinwheels, slinkies, glow-lights, and souvenirs at celebrations.

Schools The students go to school during the day at times that are similar to our school day. They go to school at eight in the morning and ends at four. They wear uniforms to school there also.

Transportation Most people get around in Chile as we do here in the U.S. They have public transportation and take trolleys and buses also. In the northern part of Chile are the Andes Mountains. Since the mountains are so high, Chileans have to travel by water in order to go to Argentina.

Click the picture to watch a short video on Chilean Culture

Hope you enjoyed visiting Chile. Adios