Italian-Chilean

Infobox Ethnic group
group = flagicon|Italy Italian Chilean flagicon|Chile
"Italochileno"


caption = |poptime = 150,000
popplace = Chile
langs = Chilean Spanish, Italian
rels = Roman Catholicism
related = Italians

Italian Chileans ("Italochileno") are Chileans of Italian descent. The Chilean census officially stated 150,000 Chileans of Italian descent, but could be 3 to 4 times the number or above 600,000, due to the census used Italian surnames to identify those of Italian descent. There is a notable Italian influence in Chile for example in people's surnames, a large porportion of politics, business and culture in the country are from persons and families of Italian descent, mostly intermarried into the "Castillian" Spanish elites. Italian Chileans along with French Chileans contributed to the development, cultivation and ownership of the world-famous Chilean wines from haciendas in the Central Valley ever since the first wave of Italians arrived from Italy to colonial Chile in the early 19th century.