Business Culture în Chile

Chile

Chile is a country of startling contrasts and extreme beauty, with attractions ranging from the towering volcanic peaks of the Andes to the ancient forests of the Lake District. There are a multitude of very good parks here, and plenty of opportunities for fine adventure travel. Chile is justly famous as the location of Torres del Paine, considered by many to be the finest nature travel destinations in all of South America.

Chile has a population of nearly 14 million people with almost 5 million located in the capital city, Santiago. It has an ethnic composition of 95 percent mestizo (of mixed European and Indian blood), 3 percent Indian (mostly Araucanian), and less than 2 percent are solely of European descent. Because of the geography of the area, the country has experienced a large degree of isolation and, as a result, is more ethnically homogeneous than most of South America. The Republic of Chile is a multiparty republic with two legislative houses, the 48-seat Senate and the 120-seat Chamber of Deputies. The president is the chief of state as well as the head of government.

The official language is Spanish, although English is spoken by well-educated business people and in tourist centers. There is no official religion, however approximately 78 percent identify themselves as Roman Catholics, and about 13 percent are Protestants. There is a large number of people that consider themselves atheist.

Communications

With first introductions, a handshake is the custom

Male Chileans may greet each other with hearty hugs, with women customarily kissing each other on the cheek

Titles are important and should be included on business cards. Address a person directly by using his or her title only. A Ph.D or a physician is called Doctor. Teachers prefer the title Profesor, engineers go by Ingeniero, architects are Arquitecto, and lawyers are Abogado. Persons who do not have professional titles should be addressed as Mr., Mrs., or Miss, plus their surnames. In Spanish these are

- Mr. = Senor

- Mrs. = Senora

- Miss = Senorita

Most Hispanics have two surnames: one from their father, which is listed first, followed by one from their mother. Only the father’s surname is used when addressing someone