The multinational state of Chile, stretching in a thin strip along a large part of the eastern coast of South America, is explored by Russian tourists with particular diligence. The reason for this is the unique natural beauty, national parks and excellent ski resorts, where the season continues during the calendar summer in the Northern Hemisphere. Spanish is used as the state language in Chile, but several ancient languages of the indigenous population have survived in the country.
Some statistics and facts
- The colonization of Chilean territory began in the 30s of the 16th century. It was then that the local Indians first heard the Spanish language.
- The name "Chile" is translated from the Quechua language as "cold". More than 8000 inhabitants of the country speak Quechua today.
- The most widespread dialect retained by the indigenous population since pre-colonization is Mapu Dungun. It belongs to the Mapuche tribe and today it is actively used by almost 200 thousand people.
- On the mysterious and distant Easter Island, territorially related to Chile, the Rapanui language is used. In addition to 3,200 Aborigines on the island itself, about 200 Chileans on the mainland communicate in Rapanui.
- Tierra del Fuego is home to a tribe of natives Yamana, but their original language of the same name, unfortunately, could not be preserved. More precisely, it is owned by only one very old woman who sells her own souvenirs to tourists.
Spanish, which is adopted as the official language in Chile, differs significantly from the original version. It contains many slang words called "Chillism", borrowed from the dialects of the indigenous people.
Historically, Chile is a multinational country. There were tens of thousands of Germans who left in the 40s of the last century to the end of the world, and therefore German is very often heard on the streets of Chilean cities. Of the 16 million inhabitants of the country, at least 200 thousand speak it.
Tourist notes
According to those who visited Chile, the country looks very civilized in comparison with other states of Latin America and the percentage of people who speak English, especially in cities, is very high. Hotels and restaurants have staff to help non-Spanish speaking tourists get the information or service they need. In tourist centers, maps and public transport schemes are available in English.
