Chile is a state located in the southwestern part of South America. The length of the country from north to south is about 4 thousand kilometers, while the greatest width is about 200 kilometers. One of the interesting features associated with the number of inhabitants of Chile: the population of the country is characterized by the smallest increase in the territory of the American continent.
Colonization
As demographic studies show, during the colonial period, according to various sources, from 50 to 75 thousand Europeans arrived in the country. The overwhelming majority of them were Basques and Spaniards. In the middle of the nineteenth century, about 20 thousand Germans landed here. In the twentieth century, more than 100,000 Europeans immigrated to Chile. The population of the country during its colonization increased by 250 thousand foreigners. This is significantly less compared to similar indicators of neighboring South American states. Thus, now there is every reason to assert that the local ethnic group is predominantlyis the result of mixing Aboriginal and Spanish settlers.
National composition
If we talk about the national composition, it is generally accepted that the population of Chile consists of three main groups. The first of these are indigenous peoples. They account for about 7% of the total number of residents living in the state. The most famous natives here are the Araucans, of which there are more than one million people. Other peoples are not so numerous. Moreover, some of them are on the verge of extinction.
The second ethnic group is the Spanish-speaking Chileans, who are the descendants of the first colonizers of the country. Their mixing with the indigenous population has led to the fact that they currently account for about 92% of the country's population.
The third group is the European settlers. As mentioned above, most of them were Spaniards and Basques. At the beginning of the twentieth century, numerous immigrants from Britain, France, Germany, Italy and Croatia also immigrated to Chile. As of today, the diaspora of each of these countries has about half a million people.
It is impossible not to mention the inhabitants of Easter Island, which belongs to Chile. They are represented mainly by Polynesians. In addition, rather influential communities of Swiss, Jews, Dutch and Greeks live on the territory of the state.
Demographic features
The population of Chile, whose number as of today is slightlymore than 17 million people, it is customary to divide into three age categories. Young people account for about a quarter of the population of the country, and the elderly - only 8%. The average life expectancy for women is 80 years, while for men it is 73.3 years. As noted above, the state is characterized by a very low average annual increase in the number of inhabitants, which, since the eighties of the twentieth century, has not risen above 1.7%. At the same time, it is impossible not to mention the significant recent decrease in the level of child mortality.
Resettlement
The rather uneven distribution of residents is another feature of Chile. The population of the country is concentrated mainly in the central regions of the state. About 67% of people live in them. If the average population density in the country is 22 people per square kilometer, then in its capital Santiago it reaches 355 citizens. This is the maximum figure for Chile. In the northern regions, on average, there are up to three people per square kilometer, and in the southern regions - no more than one. Aboriginal people live mainly in the south. Along with this, one cannot fail to note the trend towards the gradual resettlement of Indians in urban areas.
Language
The state language in the country is Spanish. This is not surprising, since for most Chileans it is native. The indigenous people of Chile were able to largely retain many varieties of the dialects of their ancestors. At the same time, Spanish is usedfor teaching in schools, as well as most of the Aboriginal representatives to communicate with each other.
Religion
Most of the locals are Catholic. About 70% of all believing Chileans fall on them. About 15% of local residents identify themselves with various Protestant movements (usually Pentecostals). Indians basically remain true to traditions, therefore they profess their religions. It should be noted that the Roman Catholic Church plays an important role not only in the social but also in the political life of the country. In particular, she actively participates in carrying out various reforms on the territory of the state.
Urbanization and employment
In general, the state is considered one of the most urbanized in all of South America. The urban population of Chile accounts for about 86% of the country's inhabitants, a significant part of which is concentrated in two central regions such as Santiago and Valparaiso. The largest cities of the country were founded in the colonial era, and therefore the ethnic composition of their inhabitants is not surprising. They are mainly descendants of the Spanish conquerors and local natives. The rural population of the country mainly lives in resorts and small towns.
The main occupations of the population of Chile are the service sector, industry and agriculture. Each of these sectors accounts for 63, 23 and 40 percent, respectively, of the total number of able-bodied citizens. As for the unemployment rate in the state, itis at 8.5%.
