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| Interesting Facts in Chile |
| Chile
may derive its name from the indigenous Mapuche word chilli, which
may mean “where the land ends.” Another meaning attributed
to Chile’s name is the onomatopoeic “cheele-cheele”—the
Mapuche imitation of a bird call. The Spanish heard about “Chilli”
from the Incas in Peru, who had failed to conquer the land inhabited
by the Araucanians, of which the Mapuche were the most warlike group.
The survivors of Diego de Almagro’s first Spanish expedition
south from Peru in 1535-1537 called themselves “Men of Chilli. Chile has the largest annual fireworks show in all of South America in the city of Valparaiso during its famed New Year’s Pyrotechnic Festival. In 2007, Valparaiso shot for the Guinness Book of World Records with the largest amount of fireworks exploded in one evening: 16,000. With over 100 wineries in the country, Chile is now the 5th largest exporter of wine in the world. The official and unusual name for the Chilean soccer team is the “O’Higgins a Patriot of Chilean Rule. Chile is the longest country in the world from north to south Chile is the longest country in the world from north to south at 2,647 miles (4,620 km) long and extends across 38 degrees of latitude. The Andes Mountain Range extends the entire length of the country north to south. Chile is one of the few countries on earth that has a government-supported UFO research organization. Chile’s Central District has had so many reported UFO sightings over the past 20 years that in 2008, the town of San Clemente opened a 19-mile UFO trail that winds through the Andes Mountains, whose plateaus apparently make great landing pads for the UFOs. Chilean husbands and wives have different last names because women keep their maiden names. If they have the same last names, they are often considered brother and sister. Divorce in Chile was legalized only in 2005, and the country has one of the lowest divorce rates globally. |