Chile

Chile 

Geography                 Economy                 Defense Forces
 

People                    Transportation          Government



Communications            History      	          Travel

GEOGRAPHY

Location

Southern South America, bordering the South Atlantic Ocean and South Pacific Ocean, between Argentina and Peru

Area

Note: Includes Isla de Pascua (Easter Island) and Isla Sala y Gomez

Land Boundaries

Total 6,171 km, Argentina 5,150 km, Bolivia 861 km, Peru 160 km

Coastline

6,435 km

Maritime Claims

International Disputes

Short section of the sout.htmboundary with Argentina is indefinite; Bolivia has wanted a sovereign corridor to the South Pacific Ocean since the Atacama area was lost to Chile in 1884; dispute with Bolivia over Rio Lauca water rights; territorial claim in Antarctica (Chilean Antarctic Territory) partially overlaps Argentine and British claims

Climate

Temperate; desert in north; cool and damp in south

Terrain

Low coastal mountains; fertile central valley; rugged Andes in east
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Cerro Aconcagua 6,962 m

Natural Resources

Land Use

Irrigated Land

12,650 sq km (1989 est.)

Environment

Note: Strategic location relative to sea lanes between Atlantic and Pacific Oceans (Strait of Magellan, Beagle Channel, Drake Passage);

PEOPLE

Population

14,333,258 (July 1996 est.)
14,161,216 (July 1995 est.)

Age Structure

0-14 Years

29% (male 2,071,816; female 2,041,417) (July 1996 est.)
29% (male 2,099,450; female 2,014,877) (July 1995 est.)

15-64 Years

65% (male 4,599,173; female 4,651,030) (July 1996 est.)
64% (male 4,529,251; female 4,574,947) (July 1995 est.)

65 Years and Over

6% (male 403,019; female 566,803) (July 1996 est.)
7% (male 393,306; female 549,385) (July 1995 est.)

Population Growth Rate

1.24% (1996 est.)
1.49% (1995 est.)

Birth Rate

18.09 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)
20.29 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Death Rate

5.68 deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.)
5.42 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Net Migration Rate

0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 est.)
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Sex ratio

at birth: 1 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.71 male(s)/female
all ages: 0.97 male(s)/female (1996 est.)

Infant Mortality Rate

13.6 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)
14.3 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)

Life Expectancy at Birth

Total Fertility Rate

2.23 children born/woman (1996 est.)
2.49 children born/woman (1995 est.)

Nationality

Ethnic Divisions

Religions

Languages

Spanish

Literacy

Age 15 and over that can read and write (1995 est.)

Labor Force

4.728 million

By occupation:

GOVERNMENT

Names

Digraph

CI

Type

Republic

Capital

Santiago

Administrative Divisions

13 regions (regiones, singular - region); Aisen del General Carlos Ibanez del Campo, Antofagasta, Araucania, Atacama, Bio-Bio, Coquimbo, Libertador General Bernardo O'Higgins, Los Lagos, Magallanes y de la Antartica Chilena, Maule, Region Metropolitana, Tarapaca, Valparaiso

Note: The U.S. does not recognize claims to Antarctica

Independence

18 September 1810 (from Spain)

National Holiday

Independence Day, 18 September (1810)

Constitution

11 September 1980, effective 11 March 1981; amended 30 July 1989

Legal System

Based on Code of 1857 derived from Spanish law and subsequent codes influenced by French and Austrian law; judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal and compulsory

Executive Branch

Legislative Branch

Bicameral National Congress (Congreso Nacional)

Senate (Senado)

Election last held 11 December 1993 (next to be held December 1997); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (46 total, 38 elected) Concertation of Parties for Democracy 21 (PDC 13, PS 4, PPD 3, PR 1), Union for the Progress of Chile 15 (RN 11, UDI 3, UCC 1), right-wing independents 10

Chamber of Deputies (Camara De Diputados)

Election last held 11 December 1993 (next to be held December 1997); results - Concertation of Parties for Democracy 53.95% (PDC 27.16%, PS 12.01%, PPD 11.82%, PR 2.96%,); Union for the Progress of Chile 30.57% (RN 15.25%, UDI 12.13%, UCC 3.19%); seats - (120 total) Concertation of Parties for Democracy 70 (PDC 37, PPD 15, PR 2, PS 15, left-wing independent 1), Union for the Progress of Chile 47 (RN 30, UDI 15, UCC 2), right-wing independents 3

Judicial Branch

Supreme Court (Corte Suprema), judges are appointed by the president, the president of the Supreme Court is elected by the 17-member court

Political Parties and Leaders

Coalition of Parties for Democracy (CPD) consists mainly of: Christian Democratic Party (PDC), Alejandro FOXLEY; Socialist Party (PS), Camilo ESCALONA; Party for Democracy (PPD), Jorge SCHAULSOHN, Radical Party (PR); Union for the Progress of Chile (UPP) consists mainly of three parties: National Renewal (RN), Andres ALLAMAND; Independent Democratic Union (UDI), Jovino NOVOA; Center Center Union (UCCP), Francisco Javier ERRAZURIZ

Other Political or Pressure Groups

Revitalized university student federations at all major universities; labor - United Labor Central (CUT) includes trade unionists from the country's five largest labor confederations; Roman Catholic Church

Member of

APEC, CCC, ECLAC, FAO, G-11, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, LAES, LAIA, Mercosur (associate member), NAM, OAS, OPANAL, PCA, RG, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMOGIP, UNTSO, UNU, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO

National Anthem

Flag

Two equal horizontal bands of white (top) and red; there is a blue square the same height as the white band at the hoist-side end of the white band; the square bears a white five-pointed star in the center; design was based on the U.S. flag

ECONOMY

Overview

Chile has a prosperous, essentially free market economy, with the degree of government intervention varying according to the philosophy of the different regimes. Under the center-left government of President AYLWIN, which took power in March 1990, spending on social welfare rose steadily. At the same time business investment, exports, and consumer spending also grew substantially. The new president, FREI, who took office in March 1994, has emphasized social spending even more. Growth in real GDP in 1991-95 has averaged more than 6.5% annually, with an estimated one million Chileans having moved out of poverty in the last four years. Copper remains vital to the health of the economy; Chile is the world's largest producer and exporter of copper. Success in meeting the government's goal of sustained annual economic growth of 5% depends on world copper prices, the level of confidence of foreign investors and creditors, and the government's own ability to maintain a conservative fiscal stance.

National Product

GDP - purchasing power parity - $113.2 billion (1995 est.); $97.7 billion (1994 est.)

National Product Real Growth Rate

8.5% (1995 est.)
4.3% (1994 est.)

National Product Per Capita

$8,000 (1995 est.)
$7,010 (1994 est.)

Inflation Rate (consumer Prices)

8.1% (1995 est.)
8.7% (1994 est.)

Unemployment Rate

5.4% (1995 est.)
6% (1994 est.)

Budget

Exports

$15.9 billion (f.o.b., 1995 est.)
$11.5 billion (f.o.b., 1994)

Commodities:

Partners:

Imports

$14.3 billion (f.o.b., 1995 est.)
$10.9 billion (f.o.b., 1994)

Commodities:

Partners:

External Debt

$21.1 billion (1995 est.)
$20 billion (1994 est.)

Industrial Production

Growth rate 4.3% (1993 est.); accounts for 36.4% of GDP

Electricity

Industries

Agriculture

Accounts for 7.4% of GDP (including fishing and forestry); major exporter of fruit, fish, and timber products; major crops - wheat, corn, grapes, beans, sugar beets, potatoes, deciduous fruit; livestock products - beef, poultry, wool; self-sufficient in most foods; 1991 fish catch of 6.6 million metric tons; net agricultural importer

Illicit Drugs

A minor transshipment country for cocaine destined for the U.S. and Europe; booming economy has made it more attractive to traffickers seeking to launder drug profits

Economic Aid

Currency

1 Chilean peso (Ch$) = 100 centavos

Exchange Rates

Chilean pesos (Ch$) per US$1 - 408.64 (December 1995), 396.78 (1995), 420.08 (1994), 404.35 (1993), 362.59 (1992), 349.37 (1991), 305.06 (1990)

Fiscal Year

Calendar year

TRANSPORTATION

Railroads

Highways

Inland Waterways

725 km

Pipelines

Crude oil 755 km; petroleum products 785 km; natural gas 320 km

Ports

Antofagasta, Arica, Chanarol, Coquimbo, Iquique, Puerto Montt, Punta Arenas, San Antonio, San Vicente, Talcahuano, Valparaiso

Merchant Marine

Airports

COMMUNICATIONS

Telephone System

1.5 million telephones (1994 est.); modern telephone system based on extensive microwave radio relay facilities

Radio

Television

DEFENSE FORCES

Branches

Army of the Nation, National Navy (includes Naval Air, Coast Guard, and Marines), Air Force of the Nation, Carabineros of Chile (National Police), Investigations Police

Manpower Availability

Males age 15-49 3,808,655; males fit for military service 2,832,198; males reach military age (19) annually 123,443 (1996 est.)

Defense Expenditures

Exchange rate conversion - $970 million, 2.0% of GDP (1994 est.); $1 billion, 3.4% of GDP (1991 est.)

History
World Atlas