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|
Background: |
Prior to the coming of the
Spanish in the 16th century, northern Chile was under Inca rule while
Araucanian Indians (also known as Mapuches) inhabited central and southern
Chile. Although Chile declared its independence in 1810, decisive victory
over the Spanish was not achieved until 1818. In the War of the Pacific
(1879-83), Chile defeated Peru and Bolivia and won its present northern
regions. It was not until the 1880s that the Araucanian Indians were
completely subjugated. A three-year-old Marxist government of Salvador
ALLENDE was overthrown in 1973 by a military coup led by Augusto PINOCHET,
who ruled until a freely elected president was installed in 1990. Sound
economic policies, maintained consistently since the 1980s, have
contributed to steady growth, reduced poverty rates by over half, and have
helped secure the country's commitment to democratic and representative
government. Chile has increasingly assumed regional and international
leadership roles befitting its status as a stable, democratic nation.
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|
Location: |
Southern South America,
bordering the South Pacific Ocean, between Argentina and Peru |
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Geographic coordinates: |
30 00 S, 71 00 W |
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Map references: |
South America |
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Area: |
total: 756,950 sq km
land: 748,800 sq km
water: 8,150 sq km
note: includes Easter Island (Isla de Pascua) and Isla Sala y
Gomez |
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Area - comparative: |
slightly smaller than twice the
size of Montana |
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Land boundaries: |
total: 6,339 km
border countries: Argentina 5,308 km, Bolivia 860 km, Peru 171
km |
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Coastline: |
6,435 km |
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Maritime claims: |
territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200
nm
continental shelf: 200/350 nm |
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Climate: |
temperate; desert in north;
Mediterranean in central region; cool and damp in south |
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Terrain: |
low coastal mountains; fertile
central valley; rugged Andes in east |
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Elevation extremes: |
lowest point: Pacific
Ocean 0 m
highest point: Nevado Ojos del Salado 6,880 m |
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Natural resources: |
copper, timber, iron ore,
nitrates, precious metals, molybdenum, hydropower |
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Land use: |
arable land: 2.62%
permanent crops: 0.43%
other: 96.95% (2005) |
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Irrigated land: |
19,000 sq km (2003) |
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Total renewable water resources: |
922 cu km (2000) |
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Freshwater withdrawal
(domestic/industrial/agricultural): |
total: 12.55 cu km/yr
(11%/25%/64%)
per capita: 770 cu m/yr (2000) |
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Natural hazards: |
severe earthquakes; active
volcanism; tsunamis |
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Environment - current issues: |
widespread deforestation and
mining threaten natural resources; air pollution from industrial and
vehicle emissions; water pollution from raw sewage |
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Environment - international agreements: |
party to:
Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources,
Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate
Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental
Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone
Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not
ratified: none of the selected agreements |
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Geography - note: |
strategic location relative to
sea lanes between Atlantic and Pacific Oceans (Strait of Magellan, Beagle
Channel, Drake Passage); Atacama Desert is one of world's driest regions
|
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Population: |
16,454,143 (July 2008 est.)
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Age structure: |
0-14 years: 23.6% (male
1,987,962/female 1,899,489)
15-64 years: 67.6% (male
5,556,867/female 5,563,666)
65 years and over: 8.8% (male
602,789/female 843,370) (2008 est.) |
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Median age: |
total: 31.1 years
male: 30.1 years
female: 32.1 years (2008 est.)
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Population growth rate: |
0.905% (2008 est.) |
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Birth rate: |
14.82 births/1,000 population
(2008 est.) |
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Death rate: |
5.77 deaths/1,000 population
(2008 est.) |
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Net migration rate: |
NA |
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Sex ratio: |
at birth: 1.05
male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64
years: 1 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.71
male(s)/female
total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2008
est.) |
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Infant mortality rate: |
total: 7.9 deaths/1,000
live births
male: 8.7 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 7.06 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.) |
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Life expectancy at birth: |
total population: 77.15
years
male: 73.88 years
female: 80.59 years (2008
est.) |
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Total fertility rate: |
1.95 children born/woman (2008
est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: |
0.3% (2003 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: |
26,000 (2003 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - deaths: |
1,400 (2003 est.) |
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Nationality: |
noun: Chilean(s)
adjective: Chilean |
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Ethnic groups: |
white and white-Amerindian 95%,
Amerindian 3%, other 2% |
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Religions: |
Roman Catholic 70%, Evangelical
15.1%, Jehovah's Witness 1.1%, other Christian 1%, other 4.6%, none 8.3%
(2002 census) |
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Languages: |
Spanish (official), Mapudungun,
German, English |
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Literacy: |
definition: age 15 and
over can read and write
total population: 95.7%
male: 95.8%
female: 95.6% (2002 census)
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Country name: |
conventional long form:
Republic of Chile
conventional short form: Chile
local
long form: Republica de Chile
local short form: Chile
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Government type: |
republic |
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Capital: |
name: Santiago
geographic coordinates: 33 27 S, 70 40 W
time
difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC during Standard
Time)
daylight saving time: +1hr, begins second Sunday in
October; ends second Sunday in March |
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Administrative divisions: |
15 regions (regiones, singular
- region); Aisen del General Carlos Ibanez del Campo, Antofagasta,
Araucania, Arica y Parinacota, Atacama, Biobio, Coquimbo, Libertador
General Bernardo O'Higgins, Los Lagos, Los Rios, Magallanes y de la
Antartica Chilena, Maule, Region Metropolitana (Santiago), Tarapaca,
Valparaiso
note: the US does not recognize claims to Antarctica
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Independence: |
18 September 1810 (from Spain)
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National holiday: |
Independence Day, 18 September
(1810) |
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Constitution: |
11 September 1980, effective 11
March 1981; amended 1989, 1991, 1997, 1999, 2000, 2003, and 2005 |
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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; note - in June 2005, Chile completed
overhaul of its criminal justice system to a new, US-style adversarial
system |
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Suffrage: |
18 years of age; universal and
compulsory |
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Executive branch: |
chief of state:
President Michelle BACHELET Jeria (since 11 March 2006); note - the
president is both the chief of state and head of government
head of
government: President Michelle BACHELET Jeria (since 11 March 2006)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president
elections: president elected by popular vote for a single
four-year term; election last held 11 December 2005, with runoff election
held 15 January 2006 (next to be held in December 2009)
election
results: Michelle BACHELET Jeria elected president; percent of vote -
Michelle BACHELET Jeria 53.5%; Sebastian PINERA Echenique 46.5% |
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Legislative branch: |
bicameral National Congress or
Congreso Nacional consists of the Senate or Senado (38 seats; members
elected by popular vote to serve eight-year terms; one-half elected every
four years) and the Chamber of Deputies or Camara de Diputados (120 seats;
members are elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: Senate - last held 11 December 2005 (next to be held
in December 2009); Chamber of Deputies - last held 11 December 2005 (next
to be held in December 2009)
election results: Senate - percent
of vote by party - NA; seats by party - CPD 20 (PDC 6, PS 8, PPD 3, PRSD
3), APC 17 (UDI 9, RN 8), independent 1; Chamber of Deputies - percent of
vote by party - NA; seats by party - CPD 65 (PDC 21, PPD 22, PS 15, PRSD
7), APC 54 (UDI 34, RN 20), independent 1; note - as of 8 January 2008:
Senate - seats by party - CPD 18, (PDC 5, PS 8, PPD 2, PRSD 3), APC 16
(UDI 9, RN 7), independent 4; Chamber of Deputies - seats by party - CPD
57 (PDC 16, PPD 19, PS 15, PRSD 7), APC 53 (UDI 33, RN 20), independent
10. |
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Judicial branch: |
Supreme Court or Corte Suprema
(judges are appointed by the president and ratified by the Senate from
lists of candidates provided by the court itself; the president of the
Supreme Court is elected every three years by the 20-member court);
Constitutional Tribunal |
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Political parties and leaders: |
Alliance for Chile (Alianza) or
APC (including National Renewal or RN [Carlos LARRAIN Pena] and
Independent Democratic Union or UDI [Hernan LARRAIN Fernandez]); Coalition
of Parties for Democracy (Concertacion) or CPD (including Christian
Democratic Party or PDC [Soledad ALVEAR], Socialist Party or PS [Camilo
ESCALONA Medina], Party for Democracy or PPD [Sergio BITAR Chacra],
Radical Social Democratic Party or PRSD [Jose Antonio GOMEZ Urrutia]);
Communist Party or PC [Guillermo TEILLIER]; Humanist Party [Marilen
CABRERA Olmos] |
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Political pressure groups and leaders: |
revitalized university student
federations at all major universities; Roman Catholic Church; United Labor
Central or CUT includes trade unionists from the country's five largest
labor confederations |
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International organization participation: |
ABEDA, APEC, BIS, CAN
(associate), CSN, FAO, G-15, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt
(signatory), ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO,
Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, LAES, LAIA, Mercosur
(associate), MIGA, MINUSTAH, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, RG, UN, UNCTAD,
UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNHCR, UNIDO, Union Latina, UNMOGIP, UNTSO, UNWTO, UPU,
WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO |
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Diplomatic representation in the US: |
chief of mission:
Ambassador Mariano FERNANDEZ
chancery: 1732 Massachusetts
Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036
telephone: [1] (202) 785-1746
FAX: [1] (202) 887-5579
consulate(s) general:
Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Philadelphia, San
Francisco, San Juan (Puerto Rico) |
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Diplomatic representation from the US: |
chief of mission:
Ambassador Paul E. SIMONS
embassy: Avenida Andres Bello 2800,
Las Condes, Santiago
mailing address: APO AA 34033
telephone: [56] (2) 232-2600
FAX: [56] (2) 330-3710,
330-3160 |
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Flag description: |
two equal horizontal bands of
white (top) and red; 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 representing a guide to progress and
honor; blue symbolizes the sky, white is for the snow-covered Andes, and
red represents the blood spilled to achieve independence
note:
design was influenced by the US flag |
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Economy - overview: |
Chile has a market-oriented
economy characterized by a high level of foreign trade. During the early
1990s, Chile's reputation as a role model for economic reform was
strengthened when the democratic government of Patricio AYLWIN - which
took over from the military in 1990 - deepened the economic reform
initiated by the military government. Growth in real GDP averaged 8%
during 1991-97, but fell to half that level in 1998 because of tight
monetary policies implemented to keep the current account deficit in check
and because of lower export earnings - the latter a product of the global
financial crisis. A severe drought exacerbated the recession in 1999,
reducing crop yields and causing hydroelectric shortfalls and electricity
rationing, and Chile experienced negative economic growth for the first
time in more than 15 years. Despite the effects of the recession, Chile
maintained its reputation for strong financial institutions and sound
policy that have given it the strongest sovereign bond rating in South
America. Between 2000 and 2007 growth ranged between 2%-6%. Throughout
these years Chile maintained a low rate of inflation with GDP growth
coming from high copper prices, solid export earnings (particularly
forestry, fishing, and mining), and growing domestic consumption.
President BACHELET in 2006 established an Economic and Social
Stabilization Fund to hold excess copper revenues so that social spending
can be maintained during periods of copper shortfalls. This fund probably
surpassed $20 billion at the end of 2007. Chile continues to attract
foreign direct investment, but most foreign investment goes into gas,
water, electricity and mining. Unemployment has exhibited a downward trend
over the past two years, dropping to 7.8% and 7.0% at the end of 2006 and
2007, respectively. Chile deepened its longstanding commitment to trade
liberalization with the signing of a free trade agreement with the US,
which took effect on 1 January 2004. Chile claims to have more bilateral
or regional trade agreements than any other country. It has 57 such
agreements (not all of them full free trade agreements), including with
the European Union, Mercosur, China, India, South Korea, and Mexico.
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GDP (purchasing power parity): |
$234.4 billion (2007 est.)
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GDP (official exchange rate): |
$160.8 billion (2007 est.)
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GDP - real growth rate: |
5.2% (2007 est.) |
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GDP - per capita (PPP): |
$14,400 (2007 est.) |
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GDP - composition by sector: |
agriculture: 4.9%
industry: 49.7%
services: 45.4% (2007 est.) |
|
Labor force: |
6.97 million (2007 est.) |
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Labor force - by occupation: |
agriculture: 13.6%
industry: 23.4%
services: 63% (2003) |
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Unemployment rate: |
7% (2007 est.) |
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Population below poverty line: |
18.2% (2005) |
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Household income or consumption by percentage
share: |
lowest 10%: 1.4%
highest 10%: 45% (2003) |
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Distribution of family income - Gini index: |
54.9 (2003) |
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Inflation rate (consumer prices): |
6.5% (2007 est.) |
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Investment (gross fixed): |
21% of GDP (2007 est.) |
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Budget: |
revenues: $44.44 billion
expenditures: $31.36 billion (2007 est.) |
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Public debt: |
3.6% of GDP (2007 est.) |
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Agriculture - products: |
grapes, apples, pears, onions,
wheat, corn, oats, peaches, garlic, asparagus, beans; beef, poultry, wool;
fish; timber |
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Industries: |
copper, other minerals,
foodstuffs, fish processing, iron and steel, wood and wood products,
transport equipment, cement, textiles |
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Industrial production growth rate: |
5.6% (2007 est.) |
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Electricity - production: |
47.6 billion kWh (2006) |
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Electricity - production by source: |
fossil fuel: 47%
hydro: 51.5%
nuclear: 0%
other: 1.4%
(2001) |
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Electricity - consumption: |
48.31 billion kWh (2005) |
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Electricity - exports: |
0 kWh (2005) |
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Electricity - imports: |
2.152 billion kWh (2005) |
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Oil - production: |
15,100 bbl/day (2006 est.)
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Oil - consumption: |
238,000 bbl/day (2006 est.)
|
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Oil - exports: |
31,510 bbl/day (2004) |
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Oil - imports: |
222,900 bbl/day (2006 est.)
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Oil - proved reserves: |
150 million bbl (1 January 2006
est.) |
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Natural gas - production: |
1.957 billion cu m (2005 est.)
|
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Natural gas - consumption: |
8.191 billion cu m (2005 est.)
|
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Natural gas - exports: |
0 cu m (2005 est.) |
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Natural gas - imports: |
6.234 billion cu m (2005)
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Natural gas - proved reserves: |
93.97 billion cu m (1 January
2006 est.) |
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Current account balance: |
$8.184 billion (2007 est.)
|
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Exports: |
$66.43 billion f.o.b. (2007
est.) |
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Exports - commodities: |
copper, fruit, fish products,
paper and pulp, chemicals, wine |
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Exports - partners: |
US 15.6%, Japan 10.5%, China
8.6%, Netherlands 6.7%, South Korea 5.9%, Italy 4.9%, Brazil 4.8%, France
4.2% (2006) |
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Imports: |
$41.8 billion f.o.b. (2007
est.) |
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Imports - commodities: |
petroleum and petroleum
products, chemicals, electrical and telecommunications equipment,
industrial machinery, vehicles, natural gas |
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Imports - partners: |
US 15.6%, Argentina 12.6%,
Brazil 11.8%, China 9.7% (2006) |
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Economic aid - recipient: |
$0 (2006) |
|
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: |
$22.24 billion (31 December
2007 est.) |
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Debt - external: |
$49.18 billion (30 June 2007)
|
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Stock of direct foreign investment - at home: |
$84.07 billion (2006 est.)
|
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Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad: |
$28.5 billion (2006 est.)
|
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Market value of publicly traded shares: |
$174.6 billion (2006) |
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Currency (code): |
Chilean peso (CLP) |
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Currency code: |
CLP |
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Exchange rates: |
Chilean pesos per US dollar -
526.25 (2007), 530.29 (2006), 560.09 (2005), 609.37 (2004), 691.43 (2003)
|
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Fiscal year: |
calendar year |
|
Telephones - main lines in use: |
3.326 million (2006) |
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Telephones - mobile cellular: |
12.451 million (2006) |
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Telephone system: |
general assessment:
privatization began in 1988; advanced telecommunications infrastructure;
modern system based on extensive microwave radio relay facilities;
fixed-line connections have dropped in recent years as mobile-cellular
usage continues to increase, reaching a level of 75 telephones per 100
persons
domestic: extensive microwave radio relay links;
domestic satellite system with 3 earth stations
international:
country code - 56; submarine cables provide links to the US and to Central
and South America; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
(2007) |
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Radio broadcast stations: |
AM 180 (8 inactive), FM 64,
shortwave 17 (1 inactive) (1998) |
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Radios: |
5.18 million (1997) |
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Television broadcast stations: |
63 (plus 121 repeaters) (1997)
|
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Televisions: |
3.15 million (1997) |
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Internet country code: |
.cl |
|
Internet hosts: |
745,375 (2007) |
|
Internet Service Providers (ISPs): |
7 (2000) |
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Internet users: |
4.156 million (2006)
|
|
Airports: |
358 (2007) |
|
Airports - with paved runways: |
total: 79
over
3,047 m: 5
2,438 to 3,047 m: 8
1,524 to 2,437 m:
22
914 to 1,523 m: 25
under 914 m: 19 (2007) |
|
Airports - with unpaved runways: |
total: 279
2,438
to 3,047 m: 2
1,524 to 2,437 m: 12
914 to 1,523
m: 49
under 914 m: 216 (2007) |
|
Pipelines: |
gas 2,550 km; gas/liquid
petroleum gas 42 km; liquid petroleum gas 539 km; oil 1,002 km; refined
products 757 km; unknown (oil/water) 97 km (2007) |
|
Railways: |
total: 6,585 km
broad gauge: 2,831 km 1.676-m gauge (1,317 km electrified)
narrow gauge: 3,754 km 1.000-m gauge (2006) |
|
Roadways: |
total: 79,605 km
paved: 16,080 km (includes 407 km of expressways)
unpaved: 63,525 km (2001) |
|
Merchant marine: |
total: 48 ships (1000
GRT or over) 719,668 GRT/1,016,892 DWT
by type: bulk carrier
10, cargo 6, chemical tanker 11, container 1, liquefied gas 2, passenger
4, passenger/cargo 2, petroleum tanker 8, roll on/roll off 1, vehicle
carrier 3
foreign-owned: 1 (Argentina 1)
registered in
other countries: 20 (Argentina 7, Brazil 1, Marshall Islands 4, Panama
8) (2007) |
|
Ports and terminals: |
Coronel, Huasco, Lirquen,
Puerto Ventanas, San Antonio, San Vicente, Valparaiso |
|
Military branches: |
Army of the Nation, Chilean
Navy (Armada de Chile, includes naval air, marine corps, and Maritime
Territory and Merchant Marine Directorate (Directemar)), Chilean Air Force
(Fuerza Aerea de Chile, FACh), Carabineros Corps (Cuerpo de Carabineros)
(2008) |
|
Military service age and obligation: |
18-45 years of age for
voluntary male and female military service, although the right to
compulsory recruitment is retained; service obligation - 12 months for
Army, 22 months for Navy and Air Force (2008) |
|
Manpower available for military service: |
males age 16-49:
4,242,912
females age 16-49: 4,182,509 (2008 est.) |
|
Manpower fit for military service: |
males age 16-49:
3,542,448
females age 16-49: 3,500,059 (2008 est.) |
|
Manpower reaching military service age annually: |
males age 16-49: 147,518
females age 16-49: 141,139 (2008 est.) |
|
Military expenditures - percent of GDP: |
2.7% (2006) |
| Transnational Issues |
Chile |
|
Disputes - international: |
Chile rebuffs Bolivia's
reactivated claim to restore the Atacama corridor, ceded to Chile in 1884,
offering instead unrestricted but not sovereign maritime access through
Chile to Bolivian gas and other commodities; Chile rejects Peru's
unilateral legislation to change its latitudinal maritime boundary with
Chile to an equidistance line with a southwestern axis favoring Peru;
territorial claim in Antarctica (Chilean Antarctic Territory) partially
overlaps Argentine and British claims; the joint boundary commission,
established by Chile and Argentina in 2001, has yet to map and demarcate
the delimited boundary in the inhospitable Andean Southern Ice Field
(Campo de Hielo Sur) |
|
Illicit drugs: |
important transshipment country
for cocaine destined for Europe; economic prosperity and increasing trade
have made Chile more attractive to traffickers seeking to launder drug
profits, especially through the Iquique Free Trade Zone, but a new
anti-money-laundering law improves controls; imported precursors passed on
to Bolivia; domestic cocaine consumption is rising; significant consumer
of cocaine |
|
