Legend:  Definition
 Field
Listing  Rank
Order
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Background:
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A three-year-old Marxist government 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, first implemented by the PINOCHET dictatorship, led to
unprecedented growth in 1991-97 and have helped secure the country's
commitment to democratic and representative government. |
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Location:
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Southern South America, bordering the South Pacific Ocean, between
Argentina and Peru |
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Geographic coordinates:
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30 00 S, 71 00 W |
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Map references:
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South
America |
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Area:
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total: 756,950 sq km
land: 748,800 sq km
note: includes Easter Island (Isla de Pascua) and Isla Sala
y Gomez
water: 8,150 sq km |
|
Area - comparative:
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slightly smaller than twice the size of Montana |
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Land boundaries:
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total: 6,171 km
border countries: Argentina 5,150 km, Bolivia 861 km, Peru
160 km |
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Coastline:
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6,435 km |
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Maritime claims:
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contiguous zone: 24 NM
territorial sea: 12 NM
continental shelf: 200/350 NM
exclusive economic zone: 200 NM |
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Climate:
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temperate; desert in north; Mediterranean in central region; cool
and damp in south |
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Terrain:
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low coastal mountains; fertile central valley; rugged Andes in east
|
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Elevation extremes:
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lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Nevado Ojos del Salado 6,880 m |
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Natural resources:
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copper, timber, iron ore, nitrates, precious metals, molybdenum,
hydropower |
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Land use:
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arable land: 2.65%
permanent crops: 0.42%
other: 96.93% (1998 est.) |
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Irrigated land:
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18,000 sq km (1998 est.) |
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Natural hazards:
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severe earthquakes; active volcanism; tsunamis |
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Environment - current issues:
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widespread deforestation and mining threaten natural resources;
air pollution from industrial and vehicle emissions; water pollution
from raw sewage |
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Environment - international agreements:
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party to: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine
Living Resources, Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity,
Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental
Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping,
Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol,
Nuclear Test Ban |
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Geography - note:
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strategic location relative to sea lanes between Atlantic and Pacific
Oceans (Strait of Magellan, Beagle Channel, Drake Passage); Atacama
Desert is one of world's driest regions
|
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Population:
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15,665,216 (July 2003 est.) |
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Age structure:
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0-14 years: 26.4% (male 2,112,251; female 2,018,099)
15-64 years: 66% (male 5,151,551; female 5,180,607)
65 years and over: 7.7% (male 499,441; female 703,267) (2003
est.) |
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Median age:
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total: 29.5 years
male: 28.6 years
female: 30.4 years (2002) |
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Population growth rate:
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1.05% (2003 est.) |
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Birth rate:
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16.1 births/1,000 population (2003 est.) |
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Death rate:
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5.63 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.) |
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Net migration rate:
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0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.) |
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Sex ratio:
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at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.71 male(s)/female
total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2003 est.) |
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Infant mortality rate:
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total: 8.88 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 8.04 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)
male: 9.68 deaths/1,000 live births |
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Life expectancy at birth:
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total population: 76.35 years
male: 73.04 years
female: 79.82 years (2003 est.) |
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Total fertility rate:
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2.09 children born/woman (2003 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
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0.3% (2001 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
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20,000 (2001 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - deaths:
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220 (2001 est.) |
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Nationality:
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noun: Chilean(s)
adjective: Chilean |
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Ethnic groups:
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white and white-Amerindian 95%, Amerindian 3%, other 2% |
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Religions:
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Roman Catholic 89%, Protestant 11%, Jewish NEGL% |
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Languages:
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Spanish |
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Literacy:
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definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 96.2%
male: 96.4%
female: 96.1% (2003 est.)
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Country name:
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conventional long form: Republic of Chile
conventional short form: Chile
local long form: Republica de Chile
local short form: Chile |
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Government type:
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republic |
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Capital:
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Santiago |
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Administrative divisions:
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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 (Santiago), Tarapaca,
Valparaiso
note: the US does not recognize claims to Antarctica |
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Independence:
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18 September 1810 (from Spain) |
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National holiday:
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Independence Day, 18 September (1810) |
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Constitution:
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11 September 1980, effective 11 March 1981, amended 30 July 1989,
1993, and 1997 |
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Legal system:
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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: Chile is in the process of completely overhauling its
criminal justice system; a new, US-style adversarial system is being
gradually implemented throughout the country |
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Suffrage:
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18 years of age; universal and compulsory |
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Executive branch:
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chief of state: President Ricardo LAGOS Escobar (since 11
March 2000); note - the president is both the chief of state and
head of government
head of government: President Ricardo LAGOS Escobar (since
11 March 2000); note - the president is both the chief of state
and head of government
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president
election results: Ricardo LAGOS Escobar elected president;
percent of vote - Ricardo LAGOS Escobar 51.32%, Joaquin LAVIN 48.68%
elections: president elected by popular vote for a six-year
term; election last held 12 December 1999, with runoff election
held 16 January 2000 (next to be held NA December 2005) |
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Legislative branch:
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bicameral National Congress or Congreso Nacional consists of the
Senate or Senado (49 seats, 38 elected by popular vote, 9 designated
members, and 2 former presidents who serve six-year terms and are
senators for life); elected 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)
election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA%;
seats by party - CPD 20 (PDC 12, PS 5, PPD 3), APC 16 (UDI 9, RN
7), independents 2; Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote by party
- NA%; seats by party - CPD 62 (PDC 24, PPD 21, PS 11, PRSD 6),
UDI 35, RN 22, independent 1
elections: Senate - last held 16 December 2001 (next to be
held NA December 2005); Chamber of Deputies - last held 16 December
2001 (next to be held NA December 2005) |
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Judicial branch:
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Supreme Court or Corte Suprema (judges are appointed by the president
and ratified by the Senate from lists of candidates provided by
the court itself; the president of the Supreme Court is elected
by the 21-member court); Constitutional Tribunal |
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Political parties and leaders:
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Alliance for Chile ("Alianza") or APC - including RN and UDI; Christian
Democratic Party or PDC [Adolfo ZALDIVAR]; Coalition of Parties
for Democracy ("Concertacion") or CPD - including PDC, PS, PPD,
PRSD; Communist Party or PC [Gladys MARIN]; Independent Democratic
Union or UDI [Pablo LONGUEIRA]; National Renewal or RN [Sebastian
PINERA]; Party for Democracy or PPD [Guido GIRARDI]; Radical Social
Democratic Party or PRSD [Orlando CANTUARIAS]; Socialist Party or
PS [Camilo ESCALONA] |
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Political pressure groups and leaders:
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revitalized university student federations at all major universities;
Roman Catholic Church; United Labor Central or CUT includes trade
unionists from the country's five largest labor confederations |
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International organization participation:
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APEC, ECLAC, FAO, G-15, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt
(signatory), ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF,
IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, LAES, LAIA, Mercosur (associate),
NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, RG, UN, UN Security Council (temporary),
UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMIBH, UNMIK, UNMOGIP, UNTSO, UNU,
UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO |
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Diplomatic representation in the US:
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chief of mission: Ambassador Andres BIANCHI
chancery: 1732 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036
consulate(s) general: Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami,
New York, Philadelphia, San Francisco, and San Juan (Puerto Rico)
FAX: [1] (202) 887-5579
telephone: [1] (202) 785-1746 |
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Diplomatic representation from the US:
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chief of mission: Ambassador William R. BROWNFIELD
embassy: Avenida Andres Bello 2800, Las Condes, Santiago
mailing address: APO AA 34033
telephone: [56] (2) 232-2600
FAX: [56] (2) 330-3710 |
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Flag description:
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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 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
|
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Economy - overview:
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Chile has a market-oriented economy characterized by a 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 4.4% in 2000. Growth
fell back to 2.8% in 2001 and 1.8% in 2002, largely due to lackluster
global growth and the devaluation of the Argentine peso. Unemployment
remains stubbornly high, putting pressure on President LAGOS to
improve living standards. One bright spot was the signing of a free
trade agreement with the US, which will take effect on 1 January
2004. |
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GDP:
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purchasing power parity - $156.1 billion (2002 est.) |
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GDP - real growth rate:
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2.1% (2002 est.) |
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GDP - per capita:
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purchasing power parity - $10,100 (2002 est.) |
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GDP - composition by sector:
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agriculture: 11%
industry: 34%
services: 56% (2001) |
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Population below poverty line:
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21% (1998 est.) |
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Household income or consumption by percentage
share:
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lowest 10%: 1.3%
highest 10%: 45.6% (1998) |
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Distribution of family income - Gini index:
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56.7 (1998) |
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Inflation rate (consumer prices):
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2.5% (2002 est.) |
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Labor force:
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5.9 million (2000 est.) |
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Labor force - by occupation:
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agriculture 14%, industry 27%, services 59% (1997 est.) |
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Unemployment rate:
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9.2% (2002) |
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Budget:
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revenues: $17 billion
expenditures: $17 billion, including capital expenditures
of $NA (2001 est.) |
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Industries:
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copper, other minerals, foodstuffs, fish processing, iron and steel,
wood and wood products, transport equipment, cement, textiles |
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Industrial production growth rate:
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-1.5% (2002 est.) |
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Electricity - production:
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41.66 billion kWh (2001) |
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Electricity - production by source:
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fossil fuel: 47%
hydro: 51.5%
other: 1.4% (2001)
nuclear: 0% |
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Electricity - consumption:
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40.13 billion kWh (2001) |
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Electricity - exports:
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0 kWh (2001) |
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Electricity - imports:
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1.386 billion kWh (2001) |
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Oil - production:
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13,640 bbl/day (2001 est.) |
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Oil - consumption:
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241,000 bbl/day (2001 est.) |
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Oil - exports:
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NA (2001) |
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Oil - imports:
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NA (2001) |
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Oil - proved reserves:
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81.05 million bbl (37257) |
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Natural gas - production:
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1.2 billion cu m (2001 est.) |
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Natural gas - consumption:
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6.47 billion cu m (2001 est.) |
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Natural gas - exports:
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0 cu m (2001 est.) |
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Natural gas - imports:
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5.27 billion cu m (2001 est.) |
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Natural gas - proved reserves:
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67.78 billion cu m (37257) |
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Agriculture - products:
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wheat, corn, grapes, beans, sugar beets, potatoes, fruit; beef,
poultry, wool; fish; timber |
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Exports:
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$17.8 billion f.o.b. (2002 est.) |
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Exports - commodities:
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copper, fish, fruits, paper and pulp, chemicals |
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Exports - partners:
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US 19.1%, Japan 10.5%, China 6.7%, Mexico 5%, Italy 4.7%, UK 4.4%
(2002) |
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Imports:
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$15.6 billion f.o.b. (2002) |
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Imports - commodities:
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consumer goods, chemicals, motor vehicles, fuels, electrical machinery,
heavy industrial machinery, food |
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Imports - partners:
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Argentina 18%, US 14.9%, Brazil 9.5%, China 6.5%, Germany 4.3% (2002)
|
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Debt - external:
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$40.4 billion (2002) |
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Economic aid - recipient:
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ODA, $40 million (2001 est.) |
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Currency:
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Chilean peso (CLP) |
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Currency code:
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CLP |
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Exchange rates:
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Chilean pesos per US dollar - 688.95 (2002), 634.94 (2001), 535.47
(2000), 508.78 (1999), 460.29 (1998) |
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Fiscal year:
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calendar year
|
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Railways:
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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 (2002) |
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Highways:
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total: 79,814 km
paved: 15,484 km (including 294 km of expressways)
unpaved: 64,330 km (2000) |
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Waterways:
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725 km |
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Pipelines:
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gas 2,267 km; gas/liquid petroleum gas 42 km; liquid petroleum gas
531 km; oil 983 km; refined products 545 km (2003) |
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Ports and harbors:
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Antofagasta, Arica, Chanaral, Coquimbo, Iquique, Puerto Montt, Punta
Arenas, San Antonio, San Vicente, Talcahuano, Valparaiso |
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Merchant marine:
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total: 50 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 696,202 GRT/900,317 DWT
ships by type: bulk 9, cargo 6, chemical tanker 9, container
4, liquefied gas 2, passenger 4, petroleum tanker 6, roll on/roll
off 6, vehicle carrier 4
note: includes a foreign-owned ship registered here as a
flag of convenience: Netherlands 1 (2002 est.) |
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Airports:
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363 (2002) |
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Airports - with paved runways:
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total: 71
over 3,047 m: 6
2,438 to 3,047 m: 6
1,524 to 2,437 m: 21
914 to 1,523 m: 23
under 914 m: 15 (2002) |
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Airports - with unpaved runways:
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total: 292
over 3,047 m: 1
2,438 to 3,047 m: 4
1,524 to 2,437 m: 11
914 to 1,523 m: 60
under 914 m: 216 (2002)
|
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Military branches:
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Army of the Nation, National Navy (including naval air, coast guard,
and marines), Air Force of the Nation, Chilean Carabineros (National
Police), Investigations Police |
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Military manpower - military age:
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19 years of age (2003 est.) |
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Military manpower - availability:
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males age 15-49: 4,154,636 (2003 est.) |
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Military manpower - fit for military service:
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males age 15-49: 3,070,140 (2003 est.) |
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Military manpower - reaching military age annually:
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males: 131,324 (2003 est.) |
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Military expenditures - dollar figure:
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$2.5 billion (FY99) |
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Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
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3.1% (FY99)
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This page was last updated on 18 December,
2003
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