1994 Edition

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

Agriculture

accounts for about 7% 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

Airports

total: 392 usable: 349 with permanent-surface runways: 47 with runways over 3,659 m: with runways 2,440-3,659 m: 13 with runways 1,220-2,439 m: 58

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

Birth rate

20.59 births/1,000 population (1994 est.)

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

Budget

revenues: $10.9 billion expenditures: $10.9 billion, including capital expenditures of $1.2 billion (1993)

Capital

Santiago

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

Climate

temperate; desert in north; cool and damp in south

Coastline

6,435 km

Constitution

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

Currency

1 Chilean peso (Ch$) = 100 centavos

Death rate

5.49 deaths/1,000 population (1994 est.)

Defense expenditures

exchange rate conversion - $1 billion, 3.4% of GDP (1991 est.)

Digraph

CI

Diplomatic representation in US

chief of mission: Ambassador John BIEHL del Rio chancery: 1732 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036 telephone: (202) 785-1746

Economic aid

recipient: 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

capacity: 5,769,000 kW production: 22.01 billion kWh consumption per capita: 1,630 kWh (1992)

Environment

current issues: air pollution from industrial and vehicle emissions; water pollution from untreated sewage; deforestation contributing to loss of biodiversity; soil erosion; desertification natural hazards: subject to severe earthquakes; active volcanism; tsunamis international agreements: party to - Antarctic Treaty, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands, Whaling; signed, but not ratified - Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Law of the Sea

Ethnic divisions

European and European-Indian 95%, Indian 3%, other 2%

Exchange rates

Chilean pesos (Ch$) per US$1 - 430.57 (January 1994), 404.35 (1993), 362.59 (1992), 349.37 (1991), 305.06 (1990), 267.16 (1989)

Executive branch

chief of state and head of government: President Eduardo FREI Ruiz-Tagle (since 11 March 1994) election last held 11 December 1993 (next to be held December 1999); results - Eduardo FREI Ruiz-Tagle (PDC) 58%, Arturo ALESSANDRI 24.4%, other 17.6% cabinet: Cabinet; appointed by the president

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 29%, Japan 17%, US 16%, Argentina 5%, Brazil 5% (1992)

External debt

$19.7 billion (1993 est.)

FAX

(202) 887-5579 consulate(s) general: Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Philadelphia, San Francisco, and San Juan (Puerto Rico)

[56] (2) 699-1141

Fiscal year

calendar year

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

Highways

total: 79,993 km paved: 10,984 km unpaved: gravel or earth 68,615 km (1990)

Illicit drugs

a minor transshipment country for cocaine destined for the US and Europe

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: EC 24%, US 21%, Brazil 10%, Japan 10% (1992)

Independence

18 September 1810 (from Spain)

Industrial production

growth rate 9.3% (1992 est.); accounts for 34% of GDP

Industries

copper, other minerals, foodstuffs, fish processing, iron and steel, wood and wood products, transport equipment, cement, textiles

Infant mortality rate

15.1 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

12.3% (1993 est.)

Inland waterways

725 km

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 sq km (1989 est.)

Judicial branch

Supreme Court (Corte Suprema)

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)

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%

Languages

Spanish

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)

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 74.51 years male: 71.52 years female: 77.65 years (1994 est.)

Literacy

age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.) total population: 93% male: 94% female: 93%

Location

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

Manpower availability

males age 15-49 3,705,321; fit for military service 2,759,130; reach military age (19) annually 120,512 (1994 est.)

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

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, NAM, OAS, ONUSAL, OPANAL, PCA, RG, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMOGIP, UNTAC, UNTSO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Merchant marine

31 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 449,253 GRT/755,821 DWT, bulk 10, cargo 7, chemical tanker 3, combination ore/oil 3, liquefied gas tanker 3, oil tanker 2, roll-on/roll-off cargo 3 note: in addition, 1 naval tanker and 1 military transport are sometimes used commercially

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)

National product

GDP - purchasing power equivalent - $96 billion (1993 est.)

National product per capita

$7,000 (1993 est.)

National product real growth rate

5.8% (1993 est.)

Nationality

noun: Chilean(s) adjective: Chilean

Natural resources

copper, timber, iron ore, nitrates, precious metals, molybdenum

Net migration rate

0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1994 est.)

Note

strategic location relative to sea lanes between Atlantic and Pacific Oceans (Strait of Magellan, Beagle Channel, Drake Passage); Atacama Desert one of world's driest regions

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

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 has risen steadily. At the same time business investment, exports and consumer spending have also grown substantially. The new president, FREI, who takes office in March 1994, is expected to emphasize social spending even more. Growth in 1991-93 has averaged 8% 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.

Pipelines

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

Political parties and leaders

Concertation of Parties for Democracy consists mainly of four parties: Christian Democratic Party (PDC), Gutenberg MARTINEZ; Socialist Party (PS), Camilo ESCALONA; Party for Democracy (PPD), Victor Manuel REBOLLEDO; Radical Party (PR), Carlos GONZALEZ Marquez; Union for the

Population

13,950,557 (July 1994 est.)

Population growth rate

1.51% (1994 est.)

Ports

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

Progress of Chile consists mainly of three parties

National Renewal (RN), Andres ALLAMAND; Independent Democratic Union (UDI), Jovino NOVOA; Center Center Union (UCC), Francisco Javier ERRAZURIZ

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

Religions

Roman Catholic 89%, Protestant 11%, Jewish

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

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal and compulsory

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

Terrain

low coastal mountains; fertile central valley; rugged Andes in east

Total fertility rate

2.5 children born/woman (1994 est.)

Type

republic

Unemployment rate

5.1% (1993 est.)

US diplomatic representation

chief of mission: Ambassador Curtis W. KAMMAN embassy: Codina Building, 1343 Agustinas, Santiago mailing address: Unit 4127, Santiago; APO AA 34033 telephone: [56] (2) 671-0133