Chile is a country with a vast cultural history. Chilean culture begins in pre-Columbian times with the arrival of the first humans to the current Chilean territory, about 13,000 years ago. Repeating waves of invading peoples (Mapuche and later the Incas) shaped the ancestral and original culture that the first Spanish Conquerors met upon their arrival. As a relic of their existence, you can find numerous archaeological sites that are part of the current cultural heritage of Chile. Many of the current inhabitants of Chile are descendants of these first settlers.
After the arrival of the Spanish conquers, which was the most important cultural change and influence in Chile, writing was introduced. There was a move from an animistic and polytheistic religion to a monotheistic one and the mixture beliefs shaped a Chilean mythology. In addition, a wide disruption in the economic structure of the era occurred, changes were made in land ownership and land use, in basic alimentation – replacing the corn with wheat and vegetables, poultry, pork and cattle. The introduction of the horse and its use for all economic, military and recreational activities laid the base for the birth of the huasa culture and the Chilean Creole culture. During the nineteenth century, after the independence of Chile, Chilean culture was enriched following the setting of the borders, which left inside the Chilean territory cultures of Huasa, Aymara, Chiloe, Mapuche, Rapa Nui and Patagonia.
Nowadays, Chilean culture is an integration of traditions, values and human expressions, which create the identity of the Chilean people. It is reflected in the customs of the Chileans and in such diverse activities such as typical dances, movies, preservation of archaeological monuments, festivals, literature, etc. The appreciation for the Chilean culture and the will to preserve it made the Congress approve the creation of the National Council for Culture and the Arts.
According to popular tradition, Chile is a country of poets. This is due to the importance that various writers have throughout history, especially in the lyric genre, the most prominent of which are Pablo de Rokha, Vicente Huidobro, Nicanor Parra, Gonzalo Rojas and Nobel Prize winners Gabriela Mistral and Pablo Neruda. Other important writers are Isabel Allende, Alberto Blest Gana, Jorge Edwards, José Donoso and Marcela Paz, known for her typical character called "Papelucho".
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