from
CIA World Factbook 2006
Chile
Introduction
Background: Prior to the coming of the Spanish in the 16th century,
northern Chile was under Inca rule while Araucanian
Indians inhabited central and southern Chile; the
latter were not completely subjugated by Spain until
the early 1880s. Although Chile declared its
independence in 1810, decisive victory over the Spanish
was not achieved until 1818. In the War of the Pacific
(1879-84), Chile defeated Peru and Bolivia and won its
present northern lands. A three-year-old Marxist
government of Salvador ALLENDE was overthrown in 1973
by a dictatorial military regime led by Augusto
PINOCHET, who ruled until a freely elected president
was installed in 1990. Sound economic policies,
maintained consistently since the 1980s, have
contributed to steady growth and have helped secure the
country's commitment to democratic and representative
government. Chile has increasingly assumed regional and
international leadership roles befitting its status as
a stable, democratic nation.
Geography
Location: Southern South America, bordering the South Pacific
Ocean, between Argentina and Peru
Geographic 30 00 S, 71 00 W
coordinates:
Map South America
references:
Area: total: 756,950 sq km
land: 748,800 sq km
water: 8,150 sq km
note: includes Easter Island (Isla de Pascua) and Isla
Sala y Gomez
Area - slightly smaller than twice the size of Montana
comparative:
Land total: 6,339 km
boundaries: border countries: Argentina 5,308 km, Bolivia 860 km,
Peru 171 km
Coastline: 6,435 km
Maritime territorial sea: 12 nm
claims: contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
continental shelf: 200/350 nm
Climate: temperate; desert in north; Mediterranean in central
region; cool and damp in south
Terrain: low coastal mountains; fertile central valley; rugged
Andes in east
Elevation lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
extremes: highest point: Nevado Ojos del Salado 6,880 m
Natural copper, timber, iron ore, nitrates, precious metals,
resources: molybdenum, hydropower
Land use: arable land: 2.62%
permanent crops: 0.43%
other: 96.95% (2005)
Irrigated 19,000 sq km (2003)
land:
Natural severe earthquakes; active volcanism; tsunamis
hazards:
Environment - widespread deforestation and mining threaten natural
current resources; air pollution from industrial and vehicle
issues: emissions; water pollution from raw sewage
Environment - party to: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol,
international Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Seals,
agreements: Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate
Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered
Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes,
Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection,
Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected
agreements
Geography - strategic location relative to sea lanes between
note: Atlantic and Pacific Oceans (Strait of Magellan, Beagle
Channel, Drake Passage); Atacama Desert is one of
world's driest regions
People
Population: 16,134,219 (July 2006 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 24.7% (male 2,035,278/female 1,944,754)
15-64 years: 67.1% (male 5,403,525/female 5,420,497)
65 years and over: 8.2% (male 555,075/female 775,090)
(2006 est.)
Median age: total: 30.4 years
male: 29.5 years
female: 31.4 years (2006 est.)
Population 0.94% (2006 est.)
growth rate:
Birth rate: 15.23 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Death rate: 5.81 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Net migration 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)
rate:
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.72 male(s)/female
total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2006 est.)
Infant total: 8.58 deaths/1,000 live births
mortality male: 9.32 deaths/1,000 live births
rate: female: 7.8 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)
Life total population: 76.77 years
expectancy at male: 73.49 years
birth: female: 80.21 years (2006 est.)
Total 2 children born/woman (2006 est.)
fertility
rate:
HIV/AIDS - 0.3% (2003 est.)
adult
prevalence
rate:
HIV/AIDS - 26,000 (2003 est.)
people living
with HIV/AIDS:
HIV/AIDS - 1,400 (2003 est.)
deaths:
Nationality: noun: Chilean(s)
adjective: Chilean
Ethnic groups: white and white-Amerindian 95%, Amerindian 3%, other 2%
Religions: Roman Catholic 89%, Protestant 11%, Jewish NEGL%
Languages: Spanish
Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 96.2%
male: 96.4%
female: 96.1% (2003 est.)
Government
Country name: conventional long form: Republic of Chile
conventional short form: Chile
local long form: Republica de Chile
local short form: Chile
Government republic
type:
Capital: name: Santiago
geographic coordinates: 33 27 S, 70 40 W
time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC
during Standard Time)
daylight saving time: +1hr, begins second Sunday in
October; ends second Sunday in March
Administrative 13 regions (regiones, singular - region); Aisen del
divisions: 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
(Santiago), Tarapaca, Valparaiso
note: the US does not recognize claims to Antarctica
Independence: 18 September 1810 (from Spain)
National Independence Day, 18 September (1810)
holiday:
Constitution: 11 September 1980, effective 11 March 1981; amended
1989, 1991, 1997, 1999, 2000, 2003, and 2005
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;
note - in June 2005, Chile completed overhaul of its
criminal justice system to a new, US-style adversarial
system
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal and compulsory
Executive chief of state: President Michelle BACHELET Jeria
branch: (since 11 March 2006); note - the president is both the
chief of state and head of government
head of government: President Michelle BACHELET Jeria
(since 11 March 2006)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president
elections: president elected by popular vote for a
single four-year term; election last held 11 December
2005, with runoff election held 15 January 2006 (next
to be held December 2009)
election results: Michelle BACHELET Jeria elected
president; percent of vote - Michelle BACHELET Jeria
53.5%; Sebastian PINERA Echenique 46.5%
Legislative bicameral National Congress or Congreso Nacional
branch: consists of the Senate or Senado (38 seats elected by
popular vote; members serve eight-year terms - one-half
elected every four years) and the Chamber of Deputies
or Camara de Diputados (120 seats; members are elected
by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: Senate - last held 11 December 2005 (next to
be held December 2009); Chamber of Deputies - last held
11 December 2005 (next to be held December 2009)
election results: Senate - percent of vote by party -
NA; seats by party - CPD 20 (PDC 6, PS 8, PPD 3, PRSD
3), APC 17 (UDI 9, RN 8), independent 1; Chamber of
Deputies - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by
party - CPD 65 (PDC 21, PPD 22, PS 15, PRSD 7), APC 54
(UDI 34, RN 20), independent 1
Judicial Supreme Court or Corte Suprema (judges are appointed by
branch: the president and ratified by the Senate from lists of
candidates provided by the court itself; the president
of the Supreme Court is elected every three years by
the 20-member court); Constitutional Tribunal
Political Alliance for Chile ("Alianza") or APC (including
parties and National Renewal or RN [Sergio DIEZ Urzia] and
leaders: Independent Democratic Union or UDI [Jovino NOVOA
Vasquez]); Coalition of Parties for Democracy
("Concertacion") or CPD (including Christian Democratic
Party or PDC [Adolfo ZALDIVAR Larrain], Socialist Party
or PS [Ricardo NUNEZ], Party for Democracy or PPD
[Victor BARRUETO], Radical Social Democratic Party or
PRSD [Jose Antonio GOMEZ Urrutia]); Communist Party or
PC [Guillermo TEILLIER]
Political revitalized university student federations at all major
pressure universities; Roman Catholic Church; United Labor
groups and Central or CUT includes trade unionists from the
leaders: country's five largest labor confederations
International APEC, BIS, CAN (associate), CSN, FAO, G-15, G-77, IADB,
organization IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt (signatory), ICFTU, ICRM,
participation: IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol,
IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, LAES, LAIA, Mercosur
(associate), MIGA, MINUSTAH, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW,
PCA, RG, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMOGIP,
UNTSO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO
Diplomatic chief of mission: Ambassador Mariano FERNANDEZ
representation chancery: 1732 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC
in the US: 20036
telephone: [1] (202) 530-4104, 530-4106, 530-4107
FAX: [1] (202) 887-5579
consulate(s) general: Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles,
Miami, New York, Philadelphia, San Francisco, San Juan
(Puerto Rico)
Diplomatic chief of mission: Ambassador Craig A. KELLY
representation embassy: Avenida Andres Bello 2800, Las Condes,
from the US: Santiago
mailing address: APO AA 34033
telephone: [56] (2) 232-2600
FAX: [56] (2) 330-3710
Flag two equal horizontal bands of white (top) and red;
description: 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
representing a guide to progress and honor; blue
symbolizes the sky, white is for the snow-covered
Andes, and red stands for the blood spilled to achieve
independence; design was influenced by the US flag
Economy
Economy - Chile has a market-oriented economy characterized by a
overview: high level of foreign trade. During the early 1990s,
Chile's reputation as a role model for economic reform
was strengthened when the democratic government of
Patricio AYLWIN - which took over from the military in
1990 - deepened the economic reform initiated by the
military government. Growth in real GDP averaged 8%
during 1991-97, but fell to half that level in 1998
because of tight monetary policies implemented to keep
the current account deficit in check and because of
lower export earnings - the latter a product of the
global financial crisis. A severe drought exacerbated
the recession in 1999, reducing crop yields and causing
hydroelectric shortfalls and electricity rationing, and
Chile experienced negative economic growth for the
first time in more than 15 years. Despite the effects
of the recession, Chile maintained its reputation for
strong financial institutions and sound policy that
have given it the strongest sovereign bond rating in
South America. By the end of 1999, exports and economic
activity had begun to recover, and growth rebounded to
4.2% in 2000. Growth fell back to 3.1% in 2001 and 2.1%
in 2002, largely due to lackluster global growth and
the devaluation of the Argentine peso. Chile's economy
began a slow recovery in 2003, growing 3.2%, and
accelerated to 6.1% in 2004-05, while Chile maintained
a low rate of inflation. GDP growth benefited from high
copper prices, solid export earnings (particularly
forestry, fishing, and mining), and stepped-up foreign
direct investment. Unemployment, however, remains
stubbornly high. Chile deepened its longstanding
commitment to trade liberalization with the signing of
a free trade agreement with the US, which took effect
on 1 January 2004. Chile signed a free trade agreement
with China in November 2005, and it already has several
trade deals signed with other nations and blocs,
including the European Union, Mercosur, South Korea,
and Mexico. Record-high copper prices helped to
strengthen the peso to a 5½-year high, as of December
2005, and will boost GDP in 2006.
GDP $189.9 billion (2005 est.)
(purchasing
power parity):
GDP (official $115.6 billion (2005 est.)
exchange
rate):
GDP - real 6.3% (2005 est.)
growth rate:
GDP - per $11,900 (2005 est.)
capita (PPP):
GDP - agriculture: 6%
composition by industry: 49.3%
sector: services: 44.7% (2005 est.)
Labor force: 6.3 million (2005 est.)
Labor force - agriculture: 13.6%
by occupation: industry: 23.4%
services: 63% (2003)
Unemployment 8.1% (2005 est.)
rate:
Population 18.2% (2005)
below poverty
line:
Household lowest 10%: 1.2%
income or highest 10%: 47% (2000)
consumption by
percentage
share:
Distribution 57.1 (2000)
of family
income - Gini
index:
Inflation rate 3.1% (2005 est.)
(consumer
prices):
Investment 22.1% of GDP (2005 est.)
(gross fixed):
Budget: revenues: $29.2 billion
expenditures: $24.75 billion; including capital
expenditures of $3.33 billion (2005 est.)
Public debt: 7.5% of GDP (2005 est.)
Agriculture - grapes, apples, pears, onions, wheat, corn, oats,
products: peaches, garlic, asparagus, beans; beef, poultry, wool;
fish; timber
Industries: copper, other minerals, foodstuffs, fish processing,
iron and steel, wood and wood products, transport
equipment, cement, textiles
Industrial 3.4% (2005 est.)
production
growth rate:
Electricity - 45.3 billion kWh (2003)
production:
Electricity - fossil fuel: 47%
production by hydro: 51.5%
source: nuclear: 0%
other: 1.4% (2001)
Electricity - 44.13 billion kWh (2003)
consumption:
Electricity - 0 kWh (2003)
exports:
Electricity - 2 billion kWh (2003)
imports:
Oil - 4,000 bbl/day (2005 est.)
production:
Oil - 228,000 bbl/day (2003 est.)
consumption:
Oil - exports: 0 bbl/day
Oil - imports: 221,500 bbl/day (2003 est.)
Oil - proved 150 million bbl (1 January 2004)
reserves:
Natural gas - 1 billion cu m (2003 est.)
production:
Natural gas - 7.06 billion cu m (2003 est.)
consumption:
Natural gas - 0 cu m (2002)
exports:
Natural gas - 5.337 billion cu m (2002 est.)
imports:
Natural gas - 97.98 billion cu m (1 January 2004)
proved
reserves:
Current $702.7 million (2005 est.)
account
balance:
Exports: $38.03 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)
Exports - copper, fruit, fish products, paper and pulp,
commodities: chemicals, wine
Exports - US 15.8%, Japan 11.5%, China 11.1%, Netherlands 5.8%,
partners: South Korea 5.5%, Brazil 4.4%, Italy 4.2%, Mexico 4%
(2005)
Imports: $30.09 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)
Imports - petroleum and petroleum products, chemicals, electrical
commodities: and telecommunications equipment, industrial machinery,
vehicles, natural gas
Imports - Argentina 14.8%, US 14.6%, Brazil 11.7%, China 7.8%,
partners: South Korea 4.8%, Yemen 4.4% (2005)
Reserves of $16.93 billion (2005 est.)
foreign
exchange and
gold:
Debt - $47.45 billion (2005 est.)
external:
Economic aid - $0 (2002)
recipient:
Currency Chilean peso (CLP)
(code):
Currency code: CLP
Exchange Chilean pesos per US dollar - 560.09 (2005), 609.37
rates: (2004), 691.43 (2003), 688.94 (2002), 634.94 (2001)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications
Telephones - 3,435,900 (2005)
main lines in
use:
Telephones - 10.57 million (2005)
mobile
cellular:
Telephone general assessment: modern system based on extensive
system: microwave radio relay facilities
domestic: extensive microwave radio relay links;
domestic satellite system with three earth stations
international: country code - 56; satellite earth
stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
Radio AM 180 (eight inactive), FM 64, shortwave 17 (one
broadcast inactive) (1998)
stations:
Radios: 5.18 million (1997)
Television 63 (plus 121 repeaters) (1997)
broadcast
stations:
Televisions: 3.15 million (1997)
Internet .cl
country code:
Internet 506,055 (2006)
hosts:
Internet 7 (2000)
Service
Providers
(ISPs):
Internet 6.7 million (2005)
users:
Transportation
Airports: 363 (2006)
Airports - total: 73
with paved over 3,047 m: 5
runways: 2,438 to 3,047 m: 7
1,524 to 2,437 m: 22
914 to 1,523 m: 22
under 914 m: 17 (2006)
Airports - total: 290
with unpaved over 3,047 m: 1
runways: 2,438 to 3,047 m: 4
1,524 to 2,437 m: 11
914 to 1,523 m: 58
under 914 m: 216 (2006)
Pipelines: gas 2,567 km; gas/lpg 42 km; liquid petroleum gas 539
km; oil 1,003 km; refined products 757 km; unknown (oil
/water) 97 km (2006)
Railways: total: 6,585 km
broad gauge: 2,831 km 1.676-m gauge (1,317 km
electrified)
narrow gauge: 3,754 km 1.000-m gauge (2005)
Roadways: total: 79,605 km
paved: 16,080 km (including 407 km of expressways)
unpaved: 63,525 km (2001)
Merchant total: 46 ships (1000 GRT or over) 649,091 GRT/898,110
marine: DWT
by type: bulk carrier 10, cargo 6, chemical tanker 10,
container 1, liquefied gas 2, passenger 4, passenger/
cargo 2, petroleum tanker 7, roll on/roll off 1,
vehicle carrier 3
foreign-owned: 1 (Argentina 1)
registered in other countries: 17 (Argentina 6, Brazil
1, Marshall Islands 1, Panama 9) (2006)
Ports and Antofagasta, Arica, Huasco, Iquique, Lirquen, San
terminals: Antonio, San Vicente, Valparaiso
Military
Military Army of the Nation, National Navy (Armada de Chile,
branches: includes naval air, marine corps, and Maritime
Territory and Merchant Marine Directorate
(Directemar)), Chilean Air Force (Fuerza Aerea de
Chile, FACh), Chilean Carabineros (National Police)
(2006)
Military all male citizens 18-45 are obligated to perform
service age military service; conscript service obligation - 12
and months for Army, 24 months for Navy and Air Force
obligation: (2004)
Manpower males age 18-49: 3,815,761
available for females age 18-49: 3,780,864 (2005 est.)
military
service:
Manpower fit males age 18-49: 3,123,281
for military females age 18-49: 3,128,277 (2005 est.)
service:
Manpower males age 18-49: 140,084
reaching females age 18-49: 134,518 (2005 est.)
military
service age
annually:
Military $3.91 billion (2005 est.)
expenditures -
dollar figure:
Military 3.5% (2005 est.)
expenditures -
percent of
GDP:
Transnational
Issues
Disputes - Chile rebuffs Bolivia's reactivated claim to restore
international: the Atacama corridor, ceded to Chile in 1884, offering
instead unrestricted but not sovereign maritime access
through Chile to Bolivian gas and other commodities;
Peru proposes changing its latitudinal maritime
boundary with Chile to an equidistance line with a
southwestern axis; territorial claim in Antarctica
(Chilean Antarctic Territory) partially overlaps
Argentine and British claims; action by the joint
boundary commission, established by Chile and Argentina
in 2001, for mapping and demarcating the disputed
boundary in the Andean Southern Ice Field (Campo de
Hielo Sur) remains pending
Illicit drugs: important transshipment country for cocaine destined
for Europe; economic prosperity and increasing trade
have made Chile more attractive to traffickers seeking
to launder drug profits, especially through the Iquique
Free Trade Zone, but a new anti-money-laundering law
improves controls; imported precursors passed on to
Bolivia; domestic cocaine consumption is rising