CHILE
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CHILE
@Chile:Geography
Location: Southern South America, bordering the South Atlantic Ocean
and South Pacific Ocean, between Argentina and Peru
Map references: South America
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CHILE - MAJOR CITIES
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Latitude, Internat'l Time
Population Longitude Phone Code Zone
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SANTIAGO 4,858,000 33.30S, 70.40W 56-2 GMT-4
Vina del Mar 297,000 33.02S, 71.35W 56-32 GMT-4
Concepcion 294,000 36.50S, 73.03W 56-41 GMT-4
Valparaiso 279,000 33.05S, 71.40W 56-32 GMT-4
Talcahuano 231,000 36.40S, 73.10W 56-41 GMT-4
Temuco 218,000 38.45S, 72.40W 56-45 GMT-4
Antofagasta 205,000 23.40S, 70.23W 56-83 GMT-4
Rancagua 172,000 34.10S, 70.45W 56-72 GMT-4
Arica 170,000 18.30S, 70.20W 56-80 GMT-4
Talca 164,000 35.28S, 71.40W 56-71 GMT-4
Puerto Montt 113,000 41.28S, 72.57W 56-65 GMT-4
Punta Arenas 112,000 53.09S, 70.55W 56-61 GMT-4
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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, 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
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, Whaling;
signed, but not ratified - Law of the Sea
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
@Chile:People
Population: 14,161,216 (July 1995 est.)
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.)
Population growth rate: 1.49% (1995 est.)
Birth rate: 20.29 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Death rate: 5.42 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 14.3 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 74.88 years
male: 71.89 years
female: 78.01 years (1995 est.)
Total fertility rate: 2.49 children born/woman (1995 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 (1992)
total population: 94%
male: 95%
female: 94%
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)
@Chile:Government
Names:
conventional long form: Republic of Chile
conventional short form: Chile
local long form: Republica de Chile
local short form: Chile
Digraph: CI
Type: 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; has not accepted
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) 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
Legislative branch: bicameral National Congress (Congreso Nacional)
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
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
Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Corte Suprema)
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
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
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
Diplomatic representation in US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Gabriel GUERRA-MONDRAGON
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: Codina Building, 1343 Agustinas, Santiago
mailing address: Unit 4127, Santiago; APO AA 34033
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
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.
National product: GDP - purchasing power parity - $97.7 billion (1994
est.)
National product real growth rate: 4.3% (1994 est.)
National product per capita: $7,010 (1994 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 8.7% (1994 est.)
Unemployment rate: 6% (1994 est.)
Budget:
revenues: $10.9 billion
expenditures: $10.9 billion, including capital expenditures of $1.2
billion (1993)
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)
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)
External debt: $20 billion (1994 est.)
Industrial production: growth rate 4.3% (1993 est.); accounts for 34%
of GDP
Electricity:
capacity: 4,810,000 kW
production: 22 billion kWh
consumption per capita: 1,499 kWh (1993)
Industries: copper, other minerals, foodstuffs, fish processing, iron
and steel, wood and wood products, transport equipment, cement,
textiles
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
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
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), $386 million
Currency: 1 Chilean peso (Ch$) = 100 centavos
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)
Fiscal year: calendar year
@Chile:Transportation
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)
Highways:
total: 79,599 km
paved: 10,984 km
unpaved: gravel or earth 68,615 km (1990)
Inland 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: 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
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
@Chile:Communications
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
Radio:
broadcast stations: AM 159, FM 0, shortwave 11
radios: NA
Television:
broadcast stations: 131
televisions: NA
@Chile:Defense Forces
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 3,758,770; males fit for
military service 2,796,740; males reach military age (19) annually
121,831 (1995 est.)
Defense expenditures: exchange rate conversion - $1 billion, 3.4% of
GDP (1991 est.)
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