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Chile: A Nation Hungering for Prominence

 

            What gives people their own unique and distinct identity? Many sociologists look at languages, common history, or ethnic traits and customs. This is because an identity encompasses all of these things and allows a group of people to stand apart from the masses and celebrate their characteristics. The people of Chile share a rich and thriving cultural identity, although maybe not as prominent as their other Hispanic counterparts.
             Geographically, Chile is a narrow strip of land a little over 3000 miles long. It does not have a defined east or west and could be best described as being at the end of the world. .
             Historically, it was the poorest of the Spanish colonies. Natural disasters are so much a part of their history, that Chileans have encompassed them into part of their cultural tradition. These disasters, cold climate, and lack of natural resources caused the native people to live very simple lives resulting in no major civilization such as their neighbors to the north the Incas or the Mayas. Chile was constantly involved in warfare with the Spanish colonists and soldiers over territory. This warfare was not to be an isolated event in Chilean history. During the 1960's the native population participated in guerilla warfare and the "70's led to leftist socialist experiments.
             Nonetheless, the constant disappointments and frustration would not always continue. Military regimes controlled the government of Chile and the socialist thought that prevailed depended entirely upon the government. From 1984-1985, the government had extremely positive results with its economic policy: inflation decreased and so did unemployment. This economic success brought political democracy in the forms of referendums. The center left coalition took power but did not change the economic system in place because of its effectiveness. In recent years, Chile has become a growing and developing country amid speculation about the lack of wealth in Latin American countries.


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