ABSTRACT
The Republic of Chile, a long and narrow Spanish-speaking country, hugs south-western South America between the Pacific Ocean and the crest of the Andes Mountains. It is about 4,200 kilometers long and between 87 and 400 kilometers wide. Its terrain is extremely varied, from the driest desert in the world (Atacama Desert, in the Norte Grande) to glacier-filled estuaries and rugged peaks (Tierra del Fuego, south of the Magellan Strait). Because its location and terrain physically isolate it from the rest of South America, it is a rich repository of musical folklore.
