1993 Edition
CIA World Factbook 1993 (Project Gutenberg)
Geography
Area
total area: 756,950 km2 land area: 748,800 km2 comparative area: slightly smaller than twice the size of Montana note: includes Isla de Pascua (Easter Island) and Isla Sala y Gomez
Climate
temperate; desert in north; cool and damp in south
Coastline
6,435 km
Environment
subject to severe earthquakes, active volcanism, tsunami; Atacama Desert one of world's driest regions; desertification
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
Irrigated land
12,650 km2 (1989 est.)
Land boundaries
total 6,171 km, Argentina 5,150 km, Bolivia 861 km, Peru 160 km
Land use
arable land: 7% permanent crops: 0% meadows and pastures: 16% forest and woodland: 21% other: 56%
Location
Western South America, bordering the South Pacific Ocean between Argentina and Peru
Map references
South America, Standard Time Zones of the World
Maritime claims
contiguous zone: 24 nm continental shelf: 200 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 12 nm
Natural resources
copper, timber, iron ore, nitrates, precious metals, molybdenum
Note
strategic location relative to sea lanes between Atlantic and Pacific Oceans (Strait of Magellan, Beagle Channel, Drake Passage)
Terrain
low coastal mountains; fertile central valley; rugged Andes in east
People and Society
Birth rate
20.9 births/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Death rate
5.55 deaths/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Ethnic divisions
European and European-Indian 95%, Indian 3%, other 2%
Infant mortality rate
15.9 deaths/1,000 live births (1993 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)
Languages
Spanish
Life expectancy at birth
total population: 74.15 years male: 71.16 years female: 77.29 years (1993 est.)
Literacy
age 15 and over can read and write (1990) total population: 93% male: 94% female: 93%
Nationality
noun: Chilean(s) adjective: Chilean
Net migration rate
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Population
13,739,759 (July 1993 est.)
Population growth rate
1.54% (1993 est.)
Religions
Roman Catholic 89%, Protestant 11%, Jewish
Total fertility rate
2.51 children born/woman (1993 est.)
Government
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
Capital
Santiago
Chamber of Deputies
last held 14 December 1989 (next to be held December 1993); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (120 total) Concertation of Parties for Democracy 71 (PDC 38, PPD 17, PR 5, other 11), RN 29, UDI 11, right-wing independents 9
Chief of State and Head of Government
President Patricio AYLWIN Azocar (since 11 March 1990)
Constitution
11 September 1980, effective 11 March 1981; amended 30 July 1989
Digraph
CI
Diplomatic representation in US
chief of mission: Ambassador Patricio SILVA Echenique chancery: 1732 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036 telephone: (202) 785-1746 consulates general: Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Philadelphia, and San Francisco
Executive branch
president, Cabinet
FAX
[56] (2) 699-1141
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
Independence
18 September 1810 (from Spain)
Judicial branch
Supreme Court (Corte Suprema)
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
Legislative branch
bicameral National Congress (Congreso Nacional) consisting of an upper house or Senate (Senado) and a lower house or Chamber of Deputies (Camara de Diputados)
Member of
CCC, ECLAC, FAO, G-11, G-77, GATT, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, LAES, LAIA, LORCS, OAS, OPANAL, PCA, RG, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNIKOM, UNMOGIP, UNTAC, UNTSO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Names
conventional long form: Republic of Chile conventional short form: Chile local long form: Republica de Chile local short form: Chile
National holiday
Independence Day, 18 September (1810)
Other political or pressure groups
revitalized university student federations at all major universities dominated by opposition political groups; labor - United Labor Central (CUT) includes trade unionists from the country's five largest labor confederations; Roman Catholic Church
Political parties and leaders
Concertation of Parties for Democracy consists mainly of four parties: PDC, PPD, PR, PS; Christian Democratic Party (PDC), Eduardo FREI Ruiz-Tagle; Party for Democracy (PPD), Sergio BITAR; Radical Party (PR), Carlos GONZALEZ Marquez; Sociaistl Party (PS), German CORREA; Independent Democratic Union (UDI), Jovino NOVOA; National Renovation (RN), Andree ALLAMAND; Center-Center Union (UCC), Francisco Juner ERRAZURIZ; Communist Party of Chile (PCCh), Volodia TEITELBOIM; Allende Leftist Democratic Movement (MIDA), Mario PALESTRO
President
last held 14 December 1989 (next to be held December 1993); results - Patricio AYLWIN (PDC) 55.2%, Hernan BUCHI 29.4%, other 15.4%
Senate
last held 14 December 1989 (next to be held December 1993); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (46 total, 38 elected) Concertation of Parties for Democracy 22 (PDC 13, PPD 5, PR 2, PSD 1, PRSD 1), RN 6, UDI 2, right-wing independents 8
Suffrage
18 years of age; universal and compulsory
Type
republic
US diplomatic representation
chief of mission: Ambassador Curtis W. KAMMAN embassy: Codina Building, 1343 Agustinas, Santiago mailing address: APO AA 34033 telephone: [56] (2) 671-0133
Economy
Agriculture
accounts for about 9% 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
Budget
revenues $10.9 billion; expenditures $10.9 billion, including capital expenditures of $1.2 billion (1993)
Currency
1 Chilean peso (Ch$) = 100 centavos
Economic aid
US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $521 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $1.6 billion; Communist countries (1970-89), $386 million
Electricity
5,769,000 kW capacity; 22,010 million kWh produced, 1,630 kWh per capita (1992)
Exchange rates
Chilean pesos (Ch$) per US$1 - 384.04 (January 1993), 362.59 (1992), 349.37 (1991), 305.06 (1990), 267.16 (1989), 245.05 (1988)
Exports
$10 billion (f.o.b., 1992) commodities: copper 41%, other metals and minerals 8.7%, wood products 7.1%, fish and fishmeal 9.8%, fruits 8.4% (1991) partners: EC 32%, US 18%, Japan 18%, Brazil 5% (1991)
External debt
$16.9 billion (year end 1991)
Fiscal year
calendar year
Imports
$9.2 billion (f.o.b., 1992) commodities: capital goods 25.2%, spare parts 24.8%, raw materials 15.4%, petroleum 10%, foodstuffs 5.7% partners: US 21%, EC 18%, Brazil 9%, Japan 8% (1991)
Industrial production
growth rate 14.56% (1992); accounts for 34% of GDP
Industries
copper, other minerals, foodstuffs, fish processing, iron and steel, wood and wood products, transport equipment, cement, textiles
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
12.7% (1992)
National product
GDP - exchange rate conversion - $34.7 billion (1992 est.)
National product per capita
$2,550 (1992)
National product real growth rate
10.4% (1992)
Overview
The government of President AYLWIN, which took power in 1990, retained the economic policies of PINOCHET, although the share of spending for social welfare has risen steadily. In 1991 growth in GDP recovered to 6% (led by consumer spending) after only 2% growth in 1990. The pace accelerated in 1992 as the result of strong investment and export growth, and GDP rose 10.4%. Nonetheless, inflation fell further, to 12.7%, compared with 27.3% in 1990 and 18.7% in 1991. The buoyant economy spurred a 25% growth in imports, and the trade surplus fell in 1992, although international reserves increased. Inflationary pressures are not expected to ease much in 1993, and economic growth is likely to approach 7%.
Unemployment rate
4.9% (1992)
Communications
Airports
total: 396 usable: 351 with permanent-surface runways: 48 with runways over 3,659 m: with runways 2,440-3,659 m: 13 with runways 1,220-2,439 m: 57
Highways
79,025 km total; 9,913 km paved, 33,140 km gravel, 35,972 km improved and unimproved earth (1984)
Inland waterways
725 km
Merchant marine
31 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 445,330 GRT/756,018 DWT; includes 8 cargo, 1 refrigerated cargo, 3 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 2 oil tanker, 3 chemical tanker, 3 liquefied gas tanker, 3 combination ore/oil, 8 bulk; note - in addition, 1 naval tanker and 1 military transport are sometimes used commercially
Pipelines
crude oil 755 km; petroleum products 785 km; natural gas 320 km
Ports
Antofagasta, Iquique, Puerto Montt, Punta Arenas, Valparaiso, San Antonio, Talcahuano, Arica
Railroads
7,766 km total; 3,974 km 1.676-meter gauge, 150 km 1.435-meter standard gauge, 3,642 km 1.000-meter gauge; 1,865 km 1.676-meter gauge and 80 km 1.000-meter gauge electrified
Telecommunications
modern telephone system based on extensive microwave radio relay facilities; 768,000 telephones; broadcast stations - 159 AM, no FM, 131 TV, 11 shortwave; satellite ground stations - 2 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT and 3 domestic
Military and Security
Branches
Army of the Nation, National Navy (including Naval Air, Coast Guard, and Marines), Air Force of the Nation, Carabineros of Chile (National Police), Investigative Police
Defense expenditures
exchange rate conversion - $1 billion, 3.4% of GDP (1991 est.)
Manpower availability
males age 15-49 3.653 million; fit for military service 2,722,479; reach military age (19) annually 119,434 (1993 est.)