Map
Location: 30 00 S, 71 00 W -- Southern South America, bordering the South Atlantic Ocean and South Pacific Ocean, between Argentina and Peru
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Flag
Description: 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 US flag
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Geography
Location:
Southern South America, bordering the South Atlantic Ocean and South Pacific Ocean, between Argentina and Peru
Geographic coordinates:
30 00 S, 71 00 W
Map references:
South America
Area:
total area:
756,950 sq km
land area:
748,800 sq km
comparative area:
slightly smaller than twice the size of Montana
note:
includes Isla de Pascua (Easter Island) and Isla Sala y Gomez
Land boundaries:
total:
6,171 km
border countries:
Argentina 5,150 km, Bolivia 861 km, Peru 160 km
Coastline:
6,435 km
Maritime claims:
contiguous zone:
24 nm
continental shelf:
200 nm
exclusive economic zone:
200 nm
territorial sea:
12 nm
International disputes:
short section of the southern boundary 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:
copper, timber, iron ore, nitrates, precious metals, molybdenum
Land use:
arable land:
7%
permanent crops:
0%
meadows and pastures:
16%
forest and woodland:
21%
other:
56%
Irrigated land:
12,650 sq km (1989 est.)
Environment:
current issues:
air pollution from industrial and vehicle emissions; water pollution from raw sewage; deforestation contributing to loss of biodiversity; soil erosion; desertification
natural hazards:
severe earthquakes; active volcanism; tsunamis
international agreements:
party to - Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands; signed, but not ratified - Desertification, Law of the Sea
Geographic 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
People
Population:
14,333,258 (July 1996 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years:
29% (male 2,071,816; female 2,041,417)
15-64 years:
65% (male 4,599,173; female 4,651,030)
65 years and over:
6% (male 403,019; female 566,803) (July 1996 est.)
Population growth rate:
1.24% (1996 est.)
Birth rate:
18.09 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)
Death rate:
5.68 deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.)
Net migration rate:
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 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.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population:
74.49 years
male:
71.26 years
female:
77.72 years (1996 est.)
Total fertility rate:
2.23 children born/woman (1996 est.)
Nationality:
noun:
Chilean(s)
adjective:
Chilean
Ethnic divisions:
European and European-Indian 95%, Indian 3%, other 2%
Religions:
Roman Catholic 89%, Protestant 11%, Jewish
Languages:
Spanish
Literacy:
age 15 and over can read and write (1995 est.)
total population:
95.2%
male:
95.4%
female:
95%
Government
Name of country:
conventional long form:
Republic of Chile
conventional short form:
Chile
local long form:
Republica de Chile
local short form:
Chile
Data code:
CI
Type of government:
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 US 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; does not accept compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal and compulsory
Executive branch:
chief of state and head of government:
President Eduardo FREI Ruiz-Tagle (since 11 March 1994) elected for a four-year term by popular vote; election last held 11 December 1993 (next to be held NA December 1997); results - Eduardo FREI Ruiz-Tagle (PDC) 58%, Arturo ALESSANDRI 24.4%, other 17.6%
cabinet:
Cabinet appointed by the president
Legislative branch:
bicameral National Congress (Congreso Nacional)
Senate (Senado):
election last held 11 December 1993 (next to be held NA December 1997); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (46 total, 38 elected) Coalition 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 NA December 1997); results - Coalition 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) Coalition 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
International organization participation:
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
Diplomatic representation in US:
chief of mission:
Ambassador John BIEHL del Rio
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, and San Juan (Puerto Rico)
US diplomatic representation:
chief of mission:
Ambassador Gabriel GUERRA-MONDRAGON
embassy:
Avenida Andres Bello 2800, Santiago
mailing address:
use street address
telephone:
[56] (2) 232-2600
FAX:
[56] (2) 330-3710
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 US flag
Economy
Economic 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.
GDP:
purchasing power parity - $113.2 billion (1995 est.)
GDP real growth rate:
8.5% (1995 est.)
GDP per capita:
$8,000 (1995 est.)
GDP composition by sector:
agriculture:
7.4%
industry:
36.4%
services:
56.2% (1985)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
8.1% (1995 est.)
Labor force:
4.728 million
by occupation:
services 38.3% (includes government 12%), industry and commerce 33.8%, agriculture, forestry, and fishing 19.2%, mining 2.3%, construction 6.4% (1990)
Unemployment rate:
5.4% (1995 est.)
Budget:
revenues:
$17 billion
expenditures:
$17 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1996 est.)
Industries:
copper, other minerals, foodstuffs, fish processing, iron and steel, wood and wood products, transport equipment, cement, textiles
Industrial production growth rate:
4.3% (1993 est.)
Electricity:
capacity:
4,810,000 kW
production:
22 billion kWh
consumption per capita:
1,499 kWh (1993)
Agriculture:
wheat, corn, grapes, beans, sugar beets, potatoes, fruit; beef, poultry, wool; timber; 1991 fish catch of 6.6 million metric tons
Illicit drugs:
a minor transshipment country for cocaine destined for the US and Europe; booming economy has made it more attractive to traffickers seeking to launder drug profits
Exports:
$15.9 billion (f.o.b., 1995 est.)
commodities:
copper 41%, other metals and minerals 8.7%, wood products 7.1%, fish and fishmeal 9.8%, fruits 8.4% (1991)
partners:
EU 25%, US 15%, Asia 34%, Latin America 20% (1995 est.)
Imports:
$14.3 billion (f.o.b., 1995 est.)
commodities:
capital goods 25.2%, spare parts 24.8%, raw materials 15.4%, petroleum 10%, foodstuffs 5.7%
partners:
EU 18%, US 25%, Asia 16%, Latin America 26% (1995 est.)
External debt:
$21.1 billion (1995 est.)
Economic aid:
recipient:
ODA, $62 million (1993)
Currency:
1 Chilean peso (Ch$) = 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)
Fiscal year:
calendar year
Transportation
Railways:
total:
6,782 km
broad gauge:
3,743 km 1.676-m gauge (1,653 km electrified)
narrow gauge:
116 km 1.067-m gauge; 2,923 km 1.000-m gauge (40 km electrified) (1995)
Highways:
total:
79,593 km
paved:
10,984 km
unpaved:
68,609 km (1991 est.)
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:
total:
37 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 529,512 GRT/925,364 DWT
ships by type:
bulk 11, cargo 8, chemical tanker 4, combination ore/oil 2, container 1, liquefied gas tanker 2, oil tanker 4, roll-on/roll-off cargo 3, vehicle carrier 2 (1995 est.)
Airports:
total:
344
with paved runways over 3 047 m:
5
with paved runways 2 438 to 3 047 m:
5
with paved runways 1 524 to 2 437 m:
17
with paved runways 914 to 1 523 m:
16
with paved runways under 914 m:
220
with unpaved runways 2 438 to 3 047 m:
3
with unpaved runways 1 524 to 2 437 m:
10
with unpaved runways 914 to 1 523 m:
68 (1995 est.)
Communications
Telephones:
1.5 million (1994 est.)
Telephone system:
modern system based on extensive microwave radio relay facilities
domestic:
extensive microwave radio relay links; domestic satellite system with 3 earth stations
international:
satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 159, FM 0, shortwave 11
Radios:
NA
Television broadcast stations:
131
Televisions:
2.85 million (1992 est.)
Defense
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.)
