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Swiss Chileans are
Chile Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in the western part of South America. It is the southernmost country in the world, and the closest to Antarctica, occupying a long and narrow strip of land between the Andes to the east a ...
an citizens of Swiss ancestry. There are currently 15,000 Swiss citizens residing in
Chile Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in the western part of South America. It is the southernmost country in the world, and the closest to Antarctica, occupying a long and narrow strip of land between the Andes to the east a ...
with approximately 90,000 descendants of 19th century immigrants.


Immigration to Chile

Because their linguistic and cultural characteristics were often confused with that of
Germans , native_name_lang = de , region1 = , pop1 = 72,650,269 , region2 = , pop2 = 534,000 , region3 = , pop3 = 157,000 3,322,405 , region4 = , pop4 = ...
,
Italians , flag = , flag_caption = The national flag of Italy , population = , regions = Italy 55,551,000 , region1 = Brazil , pop1 = 25–33 million , ref1 = , region2 ...
, and French, the actual number of immigrants from Switzerland varies from one source to another. In 1881, 28 years after colonization by Germans in southern Chile, special agencies were authorized to recruit Swiss emigrants. These arrived in three key periods: Between April 1876 and May 1877, a contingent received government land grants consisting of hectares of forest, woodland, and scrub land in the
Magallanes Region The Magallanes Region (), officially the Magallanes y la Antártica Chilena Region ( es, Región de Magallanes y de la Antártica Chilena), is one of Chile's 16 first order administrative divisions. It is the southernmost, largest, and second lea ...
(Agua Fresca, next to
Punta Arenas Punta Arenas (; historically Sandy Point in English) is the capital city of Chile's southernmost region, Magallanes and Antarctica Chilena. The city was officially renamed as Magallanes in 1927, but in 1938 it was changed back to "Punta Are ...
). These farmers proceeded to transform the region into agricultural lands suitable for pasture and crop farming. In 1880, Don Francisco De B. Echeverría was appointed to lead the Agency for Colonization and Immigration. Agent General Benjamin Davila Larrain was entrusted with the recruitment of settlers. Following the end of resistance to occupation by indigenous Mapuche in the 1880s, large areas of land were advertised to European settlers, many of whom were experiencing economic hardship and so were open to relocation. The Chilean government invited Swiss emigrants on the condition they settle in Araucanía, to cultivate it and create arable land for crops and cattle. The first contingent departed in November 1883; their success would direct future emigration authorizations.
Land grants A land grant is a gift of real estate—land or its use privileges—made by a government or other authority as an incentive, means of enabling works, or as a reward for services to an individual, especially in return for military service. Grants ...
were awarded to an estimated 8,000+ families . The preparation of the convoys meant the operation of a real network. Starting with the shipping companies, especially the English "Company of the Pacific", which ensured the French port of
Bordeaux Bordeaux ( , ; Gascon oc, Bordèu ; eu, Bordele; it, Bordò; es, Burdeos) is a port city on the river Garonne in the Gironde department, Southwestern France. It is the capital of the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, as well as the prefect ...
, a regular line which had the steamships Valparaíso Cotopaxi, Potosi, Sorata, The Valparaíso, Aconcagua and Britain, among others, as the main boats that sailed Swiss settlers, to ensure reductions in the third class and volume or weight limits for luggage.


Mass immigration

The first large group of immigrants composed of 1,311 families landed in Valparaíso on 19 December 1883. Between 1883 and 1886 they were shipped to the territory of Araucanía; 12,602 Swiss, representing 7% of emigration Switzerland overseas. The operations continued to evolve until 1890, when 22,708 Swiss were spread over the 31 colonies in the heart of the Araucania; 72.7% of emigrants settled in the 7 most important colonies of the time: Victoria, Traiguén, Faja Maisan, Temuco, Quino, Galvarino, Ercilla, and Pitrufquen. The last recorded mass exodus of Swiss to Chile, during 1915 to 1950, recorded 30,000 residents installed in the central region, primarily in
Santiago Santiago (, ; ), also known as Santiago de Chile, is the capital and largest city of Chile as well as one of the largest cities in the Americas. It is the center of Chile's most densely populated region, the Santiago Metropolitan Region, whos ...
and Valparaíso.Suizos en Chile.


Notable Chileans of Swiss descent

*
Hernán Büchi Hernán Alberto Büchi Buc (; born March 6, 1949) is a Chilean economist who served as minister of finance of the Pinochet government. In 1989 he ran unsuccessfully for president with support of Chilean right-wing parties. Early life Büchi wa ...
, economist, politician *
Jean Philippe Cretton Jean Philippe Cretton Vásquez (b. Victoria, 21 January 1985) is a Chilean television presenter and journalist. He was the co-host of ''Televisión Nacional de Chile''s program Calle 7 until 31 August 2010, and main host beginning on 26 October ...
, TV presenter, musician *
Karen Doggenweiler Karen Sylvia Doggenweiler Puente (born August 27, 1969 in Puelche) is a popular Chilean journalist and TV presenter. Doggenweiler is the daughter of Félix Doggenweiler Heim, of Swiss-German descent and Silvia Lapuente, of Spanish- Aragoneseh ...
, journalist, TV hostess * Kristel Köbrich Schimpl, swimmer * Stefan Kramer, actor, comedian *
Eduardo Frei Montalva Eduardo Nicanor Frei Montalva (; 16 January 1911 – 22 January 1982) was a Chilean political leader. In his long political career, he was Minister of Public Works, president of his Christian Democratic Party, senator, President of the ...
, President of Chile (1964–1970) *
Eduardo Frei Ruiz-Tagle Eduardo Alfredo Juan Bernardo Frei Ruiz–Tagle (; born 24 June 1942) is a Chilean politician and civil engineer who served as president of Chile from 1994 to 2000. He was also a Senator, fulfilling the role of President of the Senate from 2006 ...
, President of Chile (1994–2000) *
Fernando Matthei Fernando Matthei Aubel (11 July 1925 – 19 November 2017) was a Chilean Air Force general who was part of the military junta that ruled Chile from 1973 to 1990, replacing the dismissed Gustavo Leigh as commander-in-chief of the Chilean Air ...
, former Commander in Chief of the Chilean Air force *
Evelyn Matthei Evelyn Rose Matthei Fornet (born November 11, 1953) is a Chilean politician who served as Minister of Labor and Social Security under Chilean President Sebastián Piñera until July 2013. She was the Independent Democrat Union Party's nominee fo ...
, minister *
Felipe Seymour Felipe Ignacio Seymour Dobud (born 23 July 1987) is a Chilean professional footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder for Chilean Primera División club Universidad de Chile. Club career Early career Born in Pirque, Santiago, Chile, Seymour ...
, football (soccer) player * Ingrid Wildi Merino, video artist


See also

*
Basque Chilean Many Basques arrived in Chile in the 16th, 17th, 18th, 19th and early 20th century from their homeland in northern Spain (see Basque Provinces) and parts of southwestern France, as conquistadors, soldiers, sailors, merchants, priests and labour ...
* Greeks in Chile * British Chilean *
German Chilean German Chileans ( es, germanochilenos; german: Deutsch-Chilenen) are Chileans descended from German immigrants, about 30,000 of whom arrived in Chile between 1846 and 1914. Most of these were from Bavaria, Baden and the Rhineland, and also from ...
* French Chilean * Italian Chilean


References

{{Swiss diaspora
Chile Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in the western part of South America. It is the southernmost country in the world, and the closest to Antarctica, occupying a long and narrow strip of land between the Andes to the east a ...
European Chilean Chile–Switzerland relations