ternational popularity, and in the late 20th century the novels of Isabel Allende became highly acclaimed not only in Latin America but also, in translation, in Europe and North America.
Much of the fine and performing arts of Chile is centred in Santiago, and the main season for cultural events is between March and November. One of the most-famed Chilean musicians was pianist Claudio Arrau. Composers such as Enrique Soro and Juan Orrego are noted in the Latin American world of music, but they never achieved world recognition. The Chilean National Symphony Orchestra and several chamber music ensembles keep European musical culture alive in Chile. Dance and opera are highlighted by the Municipal Ballet and Opera and the National Ballet of the University of Chile. Contemporary folk music, particularly tonadas (poetic tunes accompanied by guitar), had its halcyon days in the 1960s and early 1970s, when protest and social-content songs were fashionable. Violeta Parra, who died in 1967, excelled in that style.
Santiago in particular is a hub of art galleries where the works of Chile’s artists are displayed and sold. The country, however, has produced few artists of high acclaim. The painter Roberto Matta Echaurren and the sculptor Marta Colvin are among those of significance.
The country, and Santiago in particular, is rich in museums of fine arts; modern, folk, colonial, and pre-Columbian art; natural history; and Chilean national history. The Museum of National History is of particular note, and others include the Museum of Fine Arts, the Museum of Contemporary Art, and the Museum of Natural Science, all in Santiago. The main library, the National Library of Chile, ranks among the largest in Latin America.
1Legislative bodies meet in Valparaíso.
|Official name||República de Chile (Republic of Chile)|
|Form of government||multiparty republic with two legislative houses (Senate ; Chamber of Deputies )|
|Head of state and government||President: Michelle Bachelet|
|Monetary unit||peso (Ch$)|
|Population||(2014 est.) 16,640,000|
|Total area (sq mi)||291,930|
|Total area (sq km)||756,096|
|Urban-rural population||Urban: (2011) 89.2%|
Rural: (2011) 10.8%
|Life expectancy at birth||Male: (2011) 74.9 years|
Female: (2011) 81.1 years
|Literacy: percentage of population age 15 and over literate||Male: (2002) 95.8%|
Female: (2002) 95.6%
|GNI per capita (U.S.$)||(2013) 15,230|