▁lay ing ▁the ▁foundation ▁for ▁the ▁German - Ch ile an ▁community . ▁Sp ons ored ▁by ▁the ▁Chile an ▁government ▁for ▁the ▁colon ization ▁of ▁the ▁southern ▁region , ▁the ▁Germ ans ▁( including ▁German - spe aking ▁Swiss , ▁S iles ians , ▁Als ati ans ▁and ▁Aust ri ans ), ▁strongly ▁influenced ▁the ▁cultural ▁and ▁ra cial ▁composition ▁of ▁the ▁southern ▁provinces ▁of ▁Chile . ▁It ▁is ▁difficult ▁to ▁count ▁the ▁number ▁of ▁descend ants ▁of ▁Germ ans ▁in ▁Chile , ▁given ▁the ▁great ▁amount ▁of ▁time . ▁Because ▁many ▁areas ▁of ▁southern ▁Chile ▁were ▁sp ars ely ▁populated , ▁the ▁traces ▁of ▁German ▁imm igration ▁that ▁are ▁quite ▁notice able . ▁An ▁independent ▁estimate ▁calcul ates ▁that ▁about ▁ 5 0 0 , 0 0 0 ▁Chile ans ▁could ▁be ▁descend ants ▁of ▁German ▁imm igr ants . ▁ ▁Other ▁histor ically ▁significant ▁imm igr ant ▁groups ▁included ▁Cro ats , ▁whose ▁descend ants ▁today ▁are ▁estimated ▁at ▁ 3 8 0 , 0 0 0 ▁persons , ▁or ▁ 2 . 4 % ▁of ▁the ▁Chile an ▁population . ▁Some ▁authors ▁claim ▁that ▁close ▁to ▁ 4 . 6 % ▁of ▁the ▁Chile an ▁population ▁must ▁have ▁some ▁Cro at ian ▁ancest ry . ▁Over ▁ 7 0 0 , 0 0 0 ▁Chile ans ▁( 4 . 5 % ▁of ▁the ▁Chile an ▁population ) ▁may ▁have ▁British ▁( English , ▁Scottish , ▁Irish ▁or ▁Wel sh ) ▁for eb ears . ▁Chile ans ▁of ▁Greek ▁descent