1995 Edition

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

Climate

temperate; desert in north; cool and damp in south

Coastline

6,435 km

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, Whaling; signed, but not ratified - Law of the Sea

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.)

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

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

Map references

South America

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); Atacama Desert one of world's driest regions

Terrain

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

Age structure

0-14 years: 29% (female 2,014,877; male 2,099,450) 15-64 years: 64% (female 4,574,947; male 4,529,251) 65 years and over: 7% (female 549,385; male 393,306) (July 1995 est.)

Birth rate

20.29 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Death rate

5.42 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Ethnic divisions

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

Infant mortality rate

14.3 deaths/1,000 live births (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)

Languages

Spanish

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 74.88 years male: 71.89 years female: 78.01 years (1995 est.)

Literacy

age 15 and over can read and write (1992) total population: 94% male: 95% female: 94%

Nationality

noun: Chilean(s) adjective: Chilean

Net migration rate

0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Population

14,161,216 (July 1995 est.)

Population growth rate

1.49% (1995 est.)

Religions

Roman Catholic 89%, Protestant 11%, Jewish

Total fertility rate

2.49 children born/woman (1995 est.)

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 (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

Constitution

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

Digraph

CI

Diplomatic representation in US

chief of mission: Ambassador Gabriel GUERRA-MONDRAGON chancery: 1732 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036 telephone: [1] (202) 785-1746

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

FAX

[1] (202) 887-5579 consulate(s) general: Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Philadelphia, San Francisco, and San Juan (Puerto Rico)

[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

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)

Member of

APEC, CCC, ECLAC, FAO, G-11, G-77, GATT, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, LAES, LAIA, NAM, OAS, ONUSAL, OPANAL, PCA, RG, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMOGIP, UNTSO, UNU, 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; 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 three parties: 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 consists mainly of three parties

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

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

Type

republic

US diplomatic representation

chief of mission: Ambassador Gabriel GUERRA-MONDRAGON embassy: Codina Building, 1343 Agustinas, Santiago mailing address: Unit 4127, Santiago; APO AA 34033 telephone: [56] (2) 232-2600

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

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

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: 4,810,000 kW production: 22 billion kWh consumption per capita: 1,499 kWh (1993)

Exchange rates

Chilean pesos (Ch$) per US$1 - 408 (January 1995), 420.08 (1994), 404.35 (1993), 362.59 (1992), 349.37 (1991), 305.06 (1990)

Exports

$11.5 billion (f.o.b., 1994) 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

$20 billion (1994 est.)

Fiscal year

calendar year

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

Imports

$10.9 billion (f.o.b., 1994) 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)

Industrial production

growth rate 4.3% (1993 est.); 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)

8.7% (1994 est.)

National product

GDP - purchasing power parity - $97.7 billion (1994 est.)

National product per capita

$7,010 (1994 est.)

National product real growth rate

4.3% (1994 est.)

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 1991-94 has averaged 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 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.

Unemployment rate

6% (1994 est.)

Radio

broadcast stations: AM 159, FM 0, shortwave 11 radios: NA

Telephone system

768,000 telephones; modern telephone system based on extensive microwave radio relay facilities local: NA intercity: extensive microwave radio relay links and 3 domestic satellite stations international: 2 INTELSAT (Atlantic Ocean) earth stations

Television

broadcast stations: 131 televisions: NA

Airports

total: 390 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: 18 with paved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 17 with paved runways under 914 m: 252 with unpaved runways over 3,047 m: 1 with unpaved runways 2,438 to 3,047 m: 3 with unpaved runways 1,524 to 2,438 m: 13 with unpaved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 76

Highways

total: 79,599 km paved: 10,984 km unpaved: gravel or earth 68,615 km (1990)

Inland waterways

725 km

Merchant marine

total: 36 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 510,006 GRT/879,891 DWT ships by type: bulk 13, cargo 7, chemical tanker 3, combination ore/oil 2, liquefied gas tanker 3, oil tanker 3, roll-on/roll-off cargo 3, vehicle carrier 2

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

Railroads

total: 7,766 km broad gauge: 3,974 km 1.676-m gauge (1,865 km electrified) standard gauge: 150 km 1.435-m gauge narrow gauge: 3,642 km 1.000-m gauge (80 km electrified)

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

Defense expenditures

exchange rate conversion - $1 billion, 3.4% of GDP (1991 est.) ________________________________________________________________________ CHINA (also see separate Taiwan entry)

Manpower availability

males age 15-49 3,758,770; males fit for military service 2,796,740; males reach military age (19) annually 121,831 (1995 est.)