1982 Edition
CIA World Factbook 1982 (Wikisource)
Geography
Area
756,626 km2 ; 2% cultivated, 7% other arable, 15% permanent pasture, grazing, 29% forest, 47% barren mountains, deserts, and cities
Coastline
6,435 km
Land boundaries
6,325 km WATER
Limits of territorial waters (claimed)
3 nm (fishing 200 nm)
People and Society
Ethnic divisions
95% European stock and mixed European with some Indian admixture, 3% Indian, 2% other
Labor force
3.0 million total employment (1979); 20% agricultural, 22% industry and construction, 22% services, 15% commerce, 3% mining, 6% transportation, 12% other (1979)
Language
Spanish
Literacy
90% (1977)
Nationality
noun—Chilean(s); adjective—Chilean
Organized labor
25% of labor force (1973)
Population
11,323,000 (July 1982), average annual growth rate 1.4%
Religion
89% Roman Catholic, 11% Protestant
Government
Branches
four-man Military-Police Junta, which exercises constituent and legislative powers and has delegated executive powers to President of Junta; the President has announced a plan for transition from military to civilian rule by 1989; Congress dissolved; civilian judiciary remains
Capital
Santiago
Communists
248,000 when PCCh was legal in 1973; active militants now estimated at about 20,000
Elections
prohibited by decree; all electoral registers were destroyed in 1974 Political parties and leaders: Christian Democratic Party (PDC), Andres Zaldivar; National Party (PN), Sergio Onofre Jarpa; PDC and PN are officially recessed; Popular Unity coalition parties (outlawed)—Communist Party (PCCh), Luis Corvaldn (in exile); Socialist Party (PS), Clodomiro Almeyda and Carlos Altamirano (both in exile); Radical Party (PR); Christian Left (IC); United Popular Action Movement (MAPU); Independent Popular Action (API) Voting strength (1970 presidential election): 36.6% Popular Unity coalition, 35.3% conservative independent, 28.1% Christian Democrat; (1973 congressional election) 44% Popular Unity coalition, 56% Democratic Confederation (PDC and PN)
Government leaders
President Gen. Augusto PINOCHET Ugarte; Junta members, Adm. José Toribio MERINO Castro, Air Force Maj. Gen. Fernando MATTHEI Aubel, Carabinero Gen. César MENDOZA Durán, Army Lt. Gen. Cesar BENAVIDES Escobar
Legal system
based on Code 1857 derived from Spanish law and subsequent codes influenced by French and Austrian law; current constitution came into effect in March 1981; the constitution provides for continued direct rule until 1989, with a phased return to full civilian rule by 1997; judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court; legal education at University of Chile, Catholic University, and several others; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Member of
CIPEC, ECOSOC, FAO, G-77, GATT, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IHO, ILO, IMCO, IMF, IPU, ITU, LAFTA, OAS, SELA, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WSG, WTO
National holiday
Independence Day, 18 September
Official name
Republic of Chile
Other political or pressure groups
organized labor; business organizations; landowners' associations (SNA—Sociedad Nacional de Agricultura); Catholic church; extreme leftist Movement of Revolutionary Left (MIR) outlawed; rightist Patria y Libertad (PyL) outlawed
Political subdivisions
12 regions plus one metropolitan district, 41 provincial subdivisions
Suffrage
none
Type
republic
Economy
Agriculture
main crops—wheat, potatoes, corn, sugar beets, onions, beans, fruits; net agricultural importer; 2,279 calories per day per capita (1978 est.)
Budget
$7.3 billion revenues, $6.9 billion expenditures (1980)
Crude steel
765,000 million metric tons capacity (1980); 715,600 metric tons produced (1980)
Electric power
3,100,000 kW capacity (1981); 12.0 billion kWh produced (1981), 1,050 kWh per capita
Exports
$4.7 billion (f.o.b., 1980); copper, molybdenum, iron ore, paper products, fishmeal, fruits, wood products
Fiscal year
calendar year
Fishing
catch 2.8 million metric tons (1980); exports $339 million (1979)
GDP
$20.0 billion (1980), $1,800 per capita; 72% private consumption, 11% government consumption; 18% gross investment, —4% change in inventory, —5% net foreign balance; real growth rate (1980), 6.5%
Imports
$5.8 billion (c.i.f., 1980); petroleum, sugar, wheat, capita] goods, vehicles
Major industries
copper, other minerals, foodstuffs, fish processing, iron and steel, pulp, paper, and forestry products
Major trade partners
exports—12% US, 12% FRG, 10% Japan; 9% Brazil, 6% UK (1980); imports—27% US, 10% Japan, 8% Brazil, 5% FRG, 5% Venezuela (1980)
Monetary conversion rate
39 pesos=US$1, fixed since 30 June 1979
Communications
Airfields
397 total, 343 usable; 44 with permanent-surface runways; 10 with runways 2,440-3,659 m, 48 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Civil air
27 major transport aircraft, including 2 leased in
Highways
79,870 km total; 9,840 km paved, 37,930 km gravel, 32,100 km improved and unimproved earth
Inland waterways
725 km
Pipelines
crude oil, 755 km; refined products, 785 km; natural gas, 320 km
Ports
10 major, 20 minor
Railroads
8,293 km total; 3,979 km 1.676-meter gauge, 135 km standard gauge (1.435 m), 3,903 km meter gauge (1.00 m), 95 km 0.600-meter gauge, 68 km 0.762-meter gauge, 113 km combined 1.435- and 1.00-meter gauge
Telecommunications
modern telephone system based on extensive radio-relay facilities; 553,800 telephones -(4.9 per 100 popl.); 1 Atlantic Ocean satellite station; 2 domestic satellite stations; 180 AM, 30 FM, and 88 TV stations
Military and Security
Military manpower
males 15-49, 2,947,000; 2,219,000 fit for military service; about 118,000 reach military age (19) annually