Interesting Facts About Chile - From Politics to Sports

">are a top prospect for the 2010 World Championships
Michael Jackson & Chilein South Africa.
Did you know...On October 18, 1993, Michael JacksonMineral resources
arrived in Chile for a concert at the Estadio NacionalDid you know... The Latin American republic is one of
(several world-famous artists have had concerts there,the world's largest producers of cooper.
including Madonna), located in Santiago, the capital city.Nobel Prize for Literature
It was the first and only visit by Jackson to Chile. OverDid you know...Pablo Neruda (1904-1973) won the
60,000 people, including several foreigners, attendedNobel Prize in the early 1970s; the 3rd overall for Latin
the event. Chile was one of the few Latin AmericanAmerica. It catapulted Neruda to fame. According to
nations visited by Michael Jackson.Federico Garcia Lorca, one of Spain's most famous
Economypoets, "Neruda is a poet closer to death than to
Did you know...In the last decades of the 20th century,philosophy; closer to grief than to intellect; closer to
Chile's economy emerged as one of the world'sblood than to ink. A poet full of mysterious voices that
fastest-growing, along with the People's Republic ofhe himself unfortunately does not know how to
China, Thailand, South Korea, Botswana, anddecipher; a sincere man who knows that reed and
Singapore.swallow are more eternal than the hard cheek of the
The House of the Spiritsstatue". Chile's Neruda, whose hero was Walt
Did you know...Whitman, is known for such works as "Twenty Love
"The House of the Spirits", by Isabel Allende, is one ofPoems and One Song of Despair" (1924) and "Toward
the best novels in Latin America. This novel has beenthe Splendid City" (1961). In addition to his Swedish
translated into English and other languages. In the earlyaward, he has received other honors in his homeland,
1990s, it was made into an European film directed byLatin America and Europe, among them the Premio
Bille August and starring Jeremy Irons, Meryl Streep,Nacional (1945) and the International Peace Prize
Winona Ryder, Antonio Banderas, and Glenn Close. On(1950).
May 12, 1985, Alexander Coleman, wrote in the NewOrganization of American States
York Times Book Review: "The House of the Spirits",Did you know...Chile's José Miguel Insulza is the
with its all-informing, generous and humane sensibility, isSecretary of the Organization of American States
a unique achievement, both personal witness and(OAS), based in Washington, DC.
possible allegory of the past, present and future ofWoman Power
Latin America". Chile's Isabel Allende is considered oneDid you know...In this century Chile got a female leader
of the greatest authors in the Spanish language.when Michelle Bachelet won the presidential in 2006.
Human DevelopmentChile's incumbent Head of State Bachelet has become
Did you know...Chile remains one of Latin America'sa role model for many female leaders in the Third
richest nations. In 2009, the South American nationWorld. America's Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has
was ranked 37th out of 178 countries andsaid of her, "When we met in January 2005 during her
dependencies in the UN' s Human Development Index,campaign, she spoke with deep passion and even
ahead of Costa Rica (47th), Venezuela (75th), anddeeper expertise on the challenges facing her nation,
Peru (79th). In 2006, Chile finished 38th, followed byfrom modernizing the military to modernizing the
Bahrain, Estonia, Lithuania, Slovakia and Uruguay.health-care system. I had been very eager to finally
Thanks to this, it has one of Latin America's largestspeak with her in person. Being a woman in politics can
well-educated workforces.be tough business, and Bachelet made it look
World-famous Womeneffortless. In our meeting, I learned why: because
Did you know...A born author, Gabriela Mistral securedBachelet, 56, speaks and leads from her heart. She
her place in literary history when she won the Nobelwon, of course".
Prize in the mid-1940s. She was picked by a panel ofChile & the United States
European experts. After obtaining her prize, MistralDid you know...America's novelist Loretta L.Wood
became the toast of Chile. Why? Firstly, no LatinMerwin published "Three Years in Chile" in 1863.
novelist had ever won it before; and secondly,likeUnited Nations
Selma Lagerlof (Sweden), Grazia Deledda (Italy), andDid you know...This Latin American nation has had a
Pearl S. Buck (U.S.), Mistral was one of the firstnonpermanent seat on the United Nations Security
women to win the literary award.Council in 1952-53 and 1961-62. On the other hand, in
Football1971, Chile's Felipe Herrera, a UN diplomat, was
Did you know...Without the financial advantages ofconsidered one of the favorites for the post of
several foreign teams,the Chilean soccer squad hasSecretary General of the UN, along with Hamilton
qualified for the 2010 FIFA World Cup, alongside otherShirley Amerasinghe (Sri Lanka), Max Jakobson
teams like Brazil, Italy, Germany, and the Netherlands.(Finland) and Kurt Waldheim (Austria).
The Chilean victory set off a wave of celebrations inSociety & Family
Santiago and other cities. After a hiatus of nearly 12Did you know...The Spanish-speaking nation has one of
years, it will compete in the World Cup. On the otherthe lowest divorce rates on Earth.
hand, Chile secured its place in soccer history when itBasketball
hosted the global competition in 1962. It also has hadDid you know...To the surprise of many critics, the
other achievements: In September 2000, theChilean's women's basketball squad earned the South
Spanish-speaking country, led by Ivan Zamorano,American Tournament in 1960 for the 4th time,
captured the bronze medal in men's soccer in thefollowed by Brazil (4th runner-up at the 1957 World
Olympics in Sydney (Australia). At the U-20 World CupChampionships) and Peru.
in 2007, Chile earned the bronze medal, and now they