Exports and Imports
When it comes to exports and imports, Chile ranks highly as one of the best countries in the international market trade. Chile has several trade agreements with big countries such as the USA, Canada, and others in the European Union. Chile’s ability to perform well in the international trade is favored by its ranking as one of the least corrupt countries in South America.
Chile main export products include fruits, pulp, copper, paper fish, wine and chemicals (Morrison, 200). Most of these goods are exported to the United States of America. Additionally, exports to China, especially for copper, have increased steadily over the years as China’s need for copper continues to grow tremendously. There was an increase in the copper exported from Chile in 2015. According to Assalve (2016), Chile experienced an increase of 1.3 percent in copper exports. Asia accounts for about a third of Chile’s total exports while the United States accounts for about a fifth of all the exports from Chile. China also is one of the major wine importers for Chile. According to Smith (2016), the majority of the wine from Chile is exported to China. In 2015, the amount of wine exported to China was about 107 million liters (Smith, 2015). Some of the products Chile imports include motor vehicles, heavy industry machinery, electrical machinery and fuels.
Tourism
According to Morrison (2005), tourism in Chile is greatly influenced by the weather. It is normally in the summer months when the traffic of tourists in Chile increases significantly. Most of the places that are known for tourist attractions include Patagonia and the Lake District (Morrison, 2005). Activities included in these areas that suit tourists include kayaking, volcano climbing, white-water rafting and trekking through the forested areas (Morrison, 2005). Skiing is also another tourist activity that attracts tourists, and this is located in the Portillo resort. The resort is about 120km from Santiago, which is the capital city. Tourists from Europe and the USA like to visit the fine beaches, in Atacama region. Additionally, this region has rare plant and animal species that are intriguing to visitors (Morrison, 2005).
There is the prevalence of street art in Chile. According to Palmer (2008), the street art has been greatly influenced by hip-hop but continues to be used to showcase the political atmosphere in the country. The street art helps to indicate historical memories and try to show the state of the country.
Social Customs, Traditions, and Religion
In Chile, the majority of the individuals are Roman Catholics. According to the Chile Country Review (2011), Roman Catholics make about 89% of the Chilean population. Protestants account for the remaining 11%. Religion has greatly shaped the social and political scene. The education system religion is based on Roman Catholicism.
Every July 16th Chileans in La Tirana usually celebrate Our Lady of Mount Carmel (donquijote.org). Chile independence is normally celebrated on the 18th and 19th September every year. Food is an important tradition in Chile. According to don Quijote .org, seafood is common along the coastal regions whereas meat is a common delicacy in the inland areas of the country. In the southern regions, the barbecue traditions have been greatly influenced by Mapuche (donquijote.org). Most of the barbeque traditions go hand in hand with the wine harvest. Horse riding is common in Chile. There is an abundance of rodeos where Chileans perform and show their riding skills with such events attracting more people than soccer tournaments.
Reference
Assalve, D. (2016). Chile's copper export volumes grow by modest 1.3% in 2015; revenues fall 18%. Metal Bulletin Daily, 1.
Customs of Chile - Chile Traditions | don Quijote. (n.d.). Retrieved July 04, 2016, from http://www.donquijote.org/culture/chile/society/customs/
Key Data. (2011). Chile Country Review, 1-4.
Morrison, M. (2005). Chile. London: Evans.
Palmer, R. (2008). Street art Chile. London: 8 Books.
Smith, E. (2016). China comes good for wine. Harpers Wine & Spirit, (141), 16.
