Do you need to communicate with a Latin American audience? Are you exporting or selling your products and services to Spanish-speaking countries? Rosario Traducciones y Servicios SA invites you to join us on a virtual linguistic tour through the different Latin America countries, as we explore their diversity and cultural richness. This month's destination is the Republic of Chile: a South American country flanked by the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Andes mountain range to the east. It is the narrowest country in the world (averaging just 110 miles wide), and the second-longest (Brazil is 57 miles longer).
Chile is the second longest country in the world; it is 2,653 miles (4,329 km) long, from north to south, which is one-tenth of the Earth's circumference. It only averages 109 miles (175 km) east to west, extending only 221 miles (356 km) at its broadest point (just north of Antofagasta) and 40 miles (64 km) at its narrowest point.
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2) The most concise word
Los Yaganes, also known as Yámanas, were indigenous to the area and inhabited the southern part of Chile (and part of Argentina). They are known for their ability to hunt, fish, and move around in the icy waters of the Strait of Magellan, as well as for their very concise vocabulary. The word Mamihlapinatapai is listed in The Guinness Book of World Records as the "most concise word" globally. It is also considered one of the most challenging words to translate. It means "A look shared by two people who both want the other person to do something, but neither one is willing to make the first move."
3) The driest desert
With an area of 40,540 square miles (105,000 km2), the Atacama Desert is the most barren place on earth. Located in the northern part of the country, it extends over Arica, Parinacota, Tarapacá, Antofagasta, and part of the Coquimbo region. The average annual rainfall is 0.5 mm.
4) The oldest mummies
Chinchorros mummies were discovered about 100 years ago in the Atacama Desert. According to studies, the bodies were mummified more than 7,000 years ago. Due to the increase in moisture in northern Chile, certain bacteria invaded the the ancient mummies’ remains and degraded their tissue, giving it a blackish appearance.
5) Torres del Paine: the eighth world wonder
Torres del Paine National Park, one of Chile's top tourist destinations, is located in Magallanes, the southernmost region, and spans 448,284 acres (227,298 hectares). The park is named after three granite peaks of the Paine mountain range or Paine Massif. The area also includes a wide variety of natural geographic landmarks, including valleys, the Paine River, the Grey, Pehoé, Nordenskiöld, and Sarmiento lakes, and the Grey, Pingo, and Tyndall glaciers, which belong to the Southern Patagonia Ice Field.
In 1978, the area was incorporated as a biosphere reserve by UNESCO. Its beautiful landscapes were named the Eighth Wonder of the World in 2013, among 300 places in 50 countries.
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6) Large copper producers
Chile is the world's largest copper producer. According to data from the Mineral Commodity Summaries 2019, the country produced 5.8 million tons of copper in 2019, followed far behind by
Peru and China.
It also has the largest underground copper mine in the world, called El Teniente. Located on El Teniente hill, this site features 1,864 miles (3,000 km) of underground galleries.
Furthermore, the world's largest open-pit copper mine is also located in Chile: it is known as Chuquicamata.
7) Earthquake territory
Due to its location in the Pacific Ring of Fire, Chile is considered the most seismically active country in the world and the fourth most exposed to significant damage from natural disasters.
Throughout its history, the country has suffered several earthquakes, including the 1960 Valdivia Earthquake, the world's most massive earthquake recorded to date.
There are more than 2,900 volcanoes in Chile, 80 of which are still active. In total, the number accounts for 15% of all active volcanoes in the world.
8) The deepest lake
Located in the Aysén region on the border with Argentina, Lake O'Higgins has a surface area of 391 square miles (1,013 km2) and is situated at 820 feet (255 m) above sea level. It is the deepest lake in the continent with a depth of 2,743 feet (836 m).
The lake (known as O'Higgins in Chile and San Martín in Argentina) is named after each country's independence heroes. On the Chilean side, it was named after Bernardo O'Higgins, a Chilean soldier and politician recognized as one of the "fathers of the homeland.”
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9) Owners of the Moon
Chilean lawyer, painter, and poet Jenaro Gajardo Vera declared himself the owner of the Moon in 1954. He went to a notary public in the town of Talca to request his claim of ownership of the natural terrestrial satellite. Gajardo described the Moon’s measurements and limits. Per national laws, he filed his claim and published it in the Chilean Official Journal to give anyone possessing any right to ownership of the territory the opportunity to appeal.
Gajardo had two primary goals. The first was to carry out a poetic act of protest, taking the side of the satellite’s various potential inhabitants. The second was to purchase the Moon to have the right to join the Talca Social Club - property ownership was a membership requirement.
The news traveled the world. The most remarkable thing is that before the Apollo 11 lunar mission, Gajardo managed to revalidate his claim of ownership in Washington, DC. In 1969, before the moon landing, U.S President Richard Nixon, in a shocking act of protocol, sent a communiqué to Gajardo through the American embassy in Santiago de Chile, requesting authorization to land.
Without ever making a profit or receiving any money for his alleged ownership, after his death in 1998, Gajardo granted the Moon to the Chilean people in his will, expressing: "I leave the Moon to my people, full of love for their sorrows."
10) The first Spanish-language newspaper
El Mercurio de Valparaíso, in print since September 12, 1827, is the oldest newspaper in circulation in Chile. It is also the oldest newspaper printed in the Castilian language without interruptions.
It was published twice a week on Wednesdays and Saturdays. The newspaper did not have a full-time team of writers, relying on stringers. Since May 5, 1829, El Mercurio de Valparaíso has had daily print editions.
