The cueca has been the official national dance of Chile since September 18 1979.

While its origins are not clearly defined, it is considered to have Spanish, African and Peruvian influences, amongst others. The most widespread version of its origins relates it with the zamacueca which arose in Peru as a variantion of Spanish dancing with Creole and African influences. The dance is then thought to have passed to Chile where its name was shortened and where it continued to evolve. The Chilean cueca spread to various regions, including Peru itself where it was called the chilena until the War of the Pacific, after which its name was changed to the marinera in that country.

The usual interpretation of this courting dance is zoomorphic: it tries to reenact the courting ritual of a rooster and a hen. The male displays a quite enthusiastic and at times even aggressive attitude while attempting to court the female, who is elusive, defensive and demure.

Some differences can be noticed depending on geographical location and there are two distinct variants in addition to the traditional cueca:

• The Northern Cueca: The main difference with this version is that there is no singing in the accompanying music which is played with only trumpets, tubas and drums.

• The Chiloé Cueca: The main difference is that the steps are shorter and that the singer has a more important role than the instruments.

Cueca is also a term for men's underwear in Portuguese.