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Currently, education is free and mandatory for all children between 6 and 14 years of age.
The school system is administered by the national government through the Ministry of
Education. The literacy rate reaches 94%, one of the highest in Latin America.
Culture
There are two predominant cultures in Chile that are very lively and well differentiated:
the Cosmopolitan one of the wealthy urban population, and the popular one of the peasants or
farmers that presents a large influence of the Spanish culture, even though with Araucan
legacies. It is predominantly seen in the Chilean music and dances. Chile has a rich literary
tradition, and has been cradle of two Literature Nobel Prizes: the poets Gabriela Mistral y Pablo
Neruda.
Economy
Since the beginning of the XX Century, the Chilean economy has been dominated by the
production of copper. From the decade of 1940, the industrial sector has expanded quickly.
Currently, Chile is one of the main industrialized countries in Latin America, as well as one of
the most important mineral producers.
Agriculture
Approximately 15% of the active Chilean population dedicates itself to agriculture, and
the agricultural products represent close to 10% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
The main agricultural products are: wheat, potatoes, sugar beet, corn, rice, tomatoes and
oats. The fruit sector is very important and includes grapes, melons, apples, peaches, apric