FAMOUS CHILEAN

PABLO NERUDA

Pablo Neruda (1904-1973), whose real name is Neftalí Ricardo Reyes Basoalto, was born on 12 July, 1904, in the town of Parral in Chile. His father was a railway employee and his mother, who died shortly after his birth, a teacher. Some years later his father, who had then moved to the town of Temuco, remarried doña Trinidad Candia Malverde. The poet spent his childhood and youth in Temuco, where he also got to know Gabriela Mistral, head of the girls' secondary school, who took a liking to him. At the early age of thirteen he began to contribute some articles to the daily "La Mañana", among them, Entusiasmo y Perseverancia - his first publication - and his first poem. In 1920, he became a contributor to the literary journal "Selva Austral" under the pen name of Pablo Neruda, which he adopted in memory of the Czechoslovak poet Jan Neruda (1834-1891). Some of the poems Neruda wrote at that time are to be found in his first published book: Crepusculario (1923). The following year saw the publication of Veinte poemas de amor y una cancion desesperada, one of his best-known and most translated works. Alongside his literary activities, Neruda studied French and pedagogy at the University of Chile in Santiago.

CHILEAN PEOPLE

In general the chilean people are very friendly and open minded regarding to foreigners. If you have to ask for the way or something else you can be sure to get helped. It´s easy to make new acquaintances and you will really enjoy the affability of the Chileans.
In the following you find a lot of numbers about the chilenien population:

• Population: 14,787,781 (July 1998 est.)




• Age structure: 0-14 years: 28% (male 2,134,701; female 2,043,112) 15-64 years: 65% (male 4,768,366; female 4,811,403) 65 years and over: 7% (male 426,924; female 603,275) (July 1998 est.)




• Population growth rate: 1.27% (1998 est.) Birth rate: 18.28 births/1,000 population (1998 est.) Death rate: 5.55 deaths/1,000 population (1998 est.) Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1998 est.)




• Sex ratio: at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.71 male(s)/female (1998 est.)




• Infant mortality rate: 10.39 deaths/1,000 live births (1998 est.)




• Life expectancy at birth: total population: 75.16 years male: 72.01 years female: 78.48 years (1998 est.)




• Total fertility rate:2.3 children born/woman (1998 est.)




• Nationality: noun: Chilean(s) adjective: Chilean




• Ethnic groups: white and white-Amerindian 95%, Amerindian 3%, other 2%




• Religions: Roman Catholic 89%, Protestant 11%, Jewish




• Languages: Spanish




• Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 95.2% male: 95.4% female: 95% (1995 est.)

FAMOUS PEOPLE

OLGA TAÑON

Olga Tañón was born on April 13, 1967 in Santurce, Puerto Rico, to a middle class family of which she is the youngest child. Her parents, Doña Carmen and Don José, made many sacrifices to raise her and her siblings, Glory, Junior and Marie. Her childhood and teenage years were spent in a simple family lifestyle

LITERATURE

Puerto Rican literature is about as old as the country itself. Early settlers would spend many hours describing their surroundings and experiences in this newly found country with picturesque and flowery language. Spanish writers like Fray Tomas de la Torre and Gonzalo Fernandez are high on the list of noteworthy literates.
The Spanish-American war in 1898 swung the direction of Puerto Rican literature almost 180 degrees. Known as the Generation of '98, many writers in this period chose to record details of the problems that arose when traditional Hispanic inhabitants of Puerto Rico tried to resist the eventual Americanization of the island. Luis Bonafoux and Federico Degetau are two of the many writers that followed this style of literature. Poets like Virgilio Davila and Luis Llorens Torres also put their poetic feelings on paper during this historical period.
Pedro Juan Soto is probably one of the more well known Puerto Rican writers because of his published works like 'Spiks' in 1956. Soto taught English in New York and was a bilingual writer who made a good name for himself during his lifetime.

ARCHITECTURE

It's immediately clear to see that Puerto Rico has had a strong Spanish influence during the course of its history when you examine its architecture. The narrow, winding, cobblestone roads are reminiscent of Andalusia, South of Spain. San Juan is said to be home to over 400 historic sites ranging from examples of classic architecture and old military power.
Puerto Rico houses some of the most interesting 16th and 19th century architecture in the Caribbean and indeed, in the United States. Here you can find Spanish colonial, neo-classical, medieval-style and baroque architecture in close proximity to one another. There is even an example of true Gothic architecture in the San José Church which was built in the 16th century.
Worth seeing is the El Morro Fortress, which has kept an eye on the bay of San Juan since 1973 and which is also a world heritage site. Although more modern the Museum of Puerto Rican Music, restored in 1990, is a beautiful building that pays living tribute to some of Puerto Rico's finest musicians.
Another fine piece of modern architecture is the Plaza del Mercado: an old marketplace that has been restored and made into an artisans' market. Its appeal is undeniable as you watch the constant stream of tourists and natives visiting this beautiful site.
Over the years there have been some major renovations in Old San Juan and Ponce - two of the older and more established parts of Puerto Rico. The government has put a lot of money into restoring their architectural heritage, so visiting these old buildings is well worth the effort.

Puerto Rican Culture

PUERTO RICAN CULTURE

Puerto Rican culture is somewhat complex, - others will call it colorful. Culture is a series of visual manifestations and interactions with the environment that make a region and/or a group of people different from the rest of the world. Puerto Rico, without a doubt has several unique characteristics that distinguish their culture from any other. Lets consider that the people of Puerto Rico represent a cultural and racial mix.

During the early 18-century, the Spaniard in order to populate the country took Taino Indian women as brides. Later on as labor was needed to maintain crops and build roads, African slaves were imported, followed by the importation of Chinese immigrants, then continued with the arrival of Italians, French, German, and even Lebanese people. American expatriates came to the island after 1898. Long after Spain had lost control of Puerto Rico, Spanish immigrants continued to arrive on the island. The most significant new immigrant population arrived in the 1960s, when thousands of Cubans fled from Fidel Castro's Communist state. The latest arrivals to Puerto Rico have come from the economically depressed Dominican Republic.

Personal Presentation

NAME: Karen
LAST NAME: Perdomo
ADRESS: Kra 13 No 18-45
TELPHONE: 3125820901 - 8619077
OCUPATION: Medicine student