Chile 2010 in Review

Posted in Modern Culture by www.artourismchile.com on December 26th, 2010

Perhaps no year in recent memory has tested the resolve of the Chilean people than the year 2010. Having long established its preeminent position among Latin American countries in terms of economic potency, transparent government, stability and quality of life for its residents, this year one of unexpected trial and tribulation for many Chileans, but one that has been with a resolve that eludes many nations of the world.Had April closed out the year, it would have already been one full of too many headlines for the Chilean people. On February 27^th, an 8.8 MW earthquake shook the country to its core, among the highest registering quakes in the history of the statistic. In addition to the 500 lives lost, countless buildings were damaged, with estimates putting the total setback from the earthquake s somewhere between 15 and 30 billion dollars. Aftershocks continued on for weeks, the strongest of which occurring on March 11^th, when three earthquakes with magnitudes of 6.9, 6.7 and 6.0 were all recorded within the same hour. By comparison, the devastating earthquake that wreaked catastrophic consequences for the island country of Haiti registered a magnitude of 7.0.Though marred by devastation, the physical and economic recovery since the earth-rattling effects of natural disaster is an inspirational tale of national perseverance. The resilient spirit of the Chilean people was epitomized by a timeless tale unfolding in mid-October, over 2 months after an access tunnel caved in at the San Jose copper-gold mine, cutting off 33 trapped miners from the rest of the world, stranded half a mile beneath the earth’s surface. The mine collapsed on August 5^th with the survivors not discovered until August 22^nd. After laborious efforts to create a rescue path, all 33 miners were finally freed the mine over the course of 24 hours from October 12^th to October 13^th. The miners have since enjoyed global celebrity, even receiving a nomination for Time‘s Person of the Year award.In no way would Chilean nationals look back at 2010 as a year of smiles and contentment, but going forward, Chile learned an awful lot about itself and its inhabitants, bringing together residents as they lifted each other up in the face of adversity. It’s the people that make Chile not only a great place to visit, but a great place to live.