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Flag Description:
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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Background:
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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. |
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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
water: 8,150 sq km
note: includes Easter Island (Isla de Pascua) and Isla Sala y Gomez
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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: 6,339 km
border countries: Argentina 5,308 km, Bolivia 860 km, Peru 171 km
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Coastline:
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6,435 km |
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Maritime claims:
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territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
continental shelf: 200/350 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: 2.62%
permanent crops: 0.43%
other: 96.95% (2005) |
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Irrigated land:
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19,000 sq km (2003) |
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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, 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 |
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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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16,134,219 (July 2006 est.)
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Age structure:
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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.)
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Median age:
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total: 30.4 years
male: 29.5 years
female: 31.4 years (2006 est.) |
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Population growth rate:
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0.94% (2006 est.) |
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Birth rate:
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15.23 births/1,000 population
(2006 est.) |
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Death rate:
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5.81 deaths/1,000 population
(2006 est.) |
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Net migration rate:
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0 migrant(s)/1,000 population
(2006 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: 1 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.72 male(s)/female
total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2006 est.) |
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Infant mortality rate:
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total: 8.58
deaths/1,000 live births
male: 9.32 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 7.8 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.) |
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Life expectancy at birth:
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total population:
76.77 years
male: 73.49 years
female: 80.21 years (2006 est.) |
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Total fertility rate:
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2 children born/woman (2006
est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
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0.3% (2003 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
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26,000 (2003 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - deaths:
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1,400 (2003 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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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 |
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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 1989, 1991, 1997, 1999, 2000, 2003, and 2005 |
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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 - in June 2005, Chile completed overhaul
of its criminal justice system to a new, US-style adversarial system |
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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 Michelle BACHELET Jeria (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%
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Legislative branch:
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bicameral National Congress
or Congreso Nacional 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 |
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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 every three years by the 20-member court);
Constitutional Tribunal |
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Political parties and leaders:
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Alliance for Chile ("Alianza")
or APC (including National Renewal or RN [Sergio DIEZ Urzia] and 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] |
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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, BIS, CAN (associate),
CSN, 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, 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 |
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Diplomatic representation in the US:
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chief of mission:
Ambassador Mariano FERNANDEZ
chancery: 1732 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 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) |
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Diplomatic representation from the US:
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chief of mission:
Ambassador Craig A. KELLY
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
4.2% 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. |
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GDP (purchasing power parity):
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$189.9 billion (2005 est.)
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GDP (official exchange rate):
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$115.6 billion (2005 est.)
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GDP - real growth rate:
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6.3% (2005 est.) |
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GDP - per capita (PPP):
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$11,900 (2005 est.) |
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GDP - composition by sector:
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agriculture: 6%
industry: 49.3%
services: 44.7% (2005 est.) |
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Labor force:
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6.3 million (2005 est.) |
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Labor force - by occupation:
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agriculture: 13.6%
industry: 23.4%
services: 63% (2003) |
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Unemployment rate:
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8.1% (2005 est.) |
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Population below poverty line:
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18.2% (2005) |
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Household income or consumption by percentage share:
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lowest 10%: 1.2%
highest 10%: 47% (2000) |
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Distribution of family income - Gini index:
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57.1 (2000) |
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Inflation rate (consumer prices):
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3.1% (2005 est.) |
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Investment (gross fixed):
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22.1% of GDP (2005 est.) |
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Budget:
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revenues: $29.2
billion
expenditures: $24.75 billion; including capital expenditures of $3.33
billion (2005 est.) |
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Public debt:
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7.5% of GDP (2005 est.) |
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Agriculture - products:
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grapes, apples, pears,
onions, wheat, corn, oats, peaches, garlic, asparagus, beans; beef, poultry,
wool; fish; timber |
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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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3.4% (2005 est.) |
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Electricity - production:
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45.3 billion kWh (2003) |
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Electricity - production by source:
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fossil fuel: 47%
hydro: 51.5%
nuclear: 0%
other: 1.4% (2001) |
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Electricity - consumption:
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44.13 billion kWh (2003) |
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Electricity - exports:
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0 kWh (2003) |
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Electricity - imports:
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2 billion kWh (2003) |
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Oil - production:
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4,000 bbl/day (2005 est.)
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Oil - consumption:
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228,000 bbl/day (2003 est.)
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Oil - exports:
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0 bbl/day |
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Oil - imports:
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221,500 bbl/day (2003 est.)
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Oil - proved reserves:
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150 million bbl (1 January
2004) |
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Natural gas - production:
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1 billion cu m (2003 est.)
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Natural gas - consumption:
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7.06 billion cu m (2003 est.)
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Natural gas - exports:
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0 cu m (2002) |
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Natural gas - imports:
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5.337 billion cu m (2002
est.) |
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Natural gas - proved reserves:
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97.98 billion cu m (1 January
2004) |
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Current account balance:
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$702.7 million (2005 est.)
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Exports:
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$38.03 billion f.o.b. (2005
est.) |
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Exports - commodities:
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copper, fruit, fish products,
paper and pulp, chemicals, wine |
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Exports - partners:
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US 15.8%, Japan 11.5%, China
11.1%, Netherlands 5.8%, South Korea 5.5%, Brazil 4.4%, Italy 4.2%, Mexico
4% (2005) |
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Imports:
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$30.09 billion f.o.b. (2005
est.) |
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Imports - commodities:
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petroleum and petroleum
products, chemicals, electrical and telecommunications equipment, industrial
machinery, vehicles, natural gas |
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Imports - partners:
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Argentina 14.8%, US 14.6%,
Brazil 11.7%, China 7.8%, South Korea 4.8%, Yemen 4.4% (2005) |
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Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
|
$16.93 billion (2005 est.)
|
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Debt - external:
|
$47.45 billion (2005 est.)
|
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Economic aid - recipient:
|
$0 (2002) |
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Currency (code):
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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 -
560.09 (2005), 609.37 (2004), 691.43 (2003), 688.94 (2002), 634.94 (2001)
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Fiscal year:
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calendar year |
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Telephones - main lines in use:
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3,435,900 (2005) |
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Telephones - mobile cellular:
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10.57 million (2005) |
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Telephone system:
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general assessment:
modern system based on extensive 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) |
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Radio broadcast stations:
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AM 180 (eight inactive), FM
64, shortwave 17 (one inactive) (1998) |
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Radios:
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5.18 million (1997) |
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Television broadcast stations:
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63 (plus 121 repeaters)
(1997) |
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Televisions:
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3.15 million (1997) |
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Internet country code:
|
.cl |
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Internet hosts:
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506,055 (2006) |
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Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
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7 (2000) |
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Internet users:
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6.7 million (2005) |
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Airports:
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363 (2006) |
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Airports - with paved runways:
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total: 73
over 3,047 m: 5
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) |
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Airports - with unpaved runways:
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total: 290
over 3,047 m: 1
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) |
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Pipelines:
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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) |
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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 (2005) |
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Roadways:
|
total: 79,605 km
paved: 16,080 km (including 407 km of expressways)
unpaved: 63,525 km (2001) |
|
Merchant marine:
|
total: 46 ships (1000
GRT or over) 649,091 GRT/898,110 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) |
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Ports and terminals:
|
Antofagasta, Arica, Huasco,
Iquique, Lirquen, San Antonio, San Vicente, Valparaiso |
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Military branches:
|
Army of the Nation, National
Navy (Armada de Chile, 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 service age and obligation:
|
all male citizens 18-45 are
obligated to perform military service; conscript service obligation - 12
months for Army, 24 months for Navy and Air Force (2004) |
|
Manpower available for military service:
|
males age 18-49:
3,815,761
females age 18-49: 3,780,864 (2005 est.) |
|
Manpower fit for military service:
|
males age 18-49:
3,123,281
females age 18-49: 3,128,277 (2005 est.) |
|
Manpower reaching military service age annually:
|
males age 18-49:
140,084
females age 18-49: 134,518 (2005 est.) |
|
Military expenditures - dollar figure:
|
$3.91 billion (2005 est.)
|
|
Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
|
3.5% (2005 est.) |
|
Transnational Issues |
Chile |
|
Disputes - international:
|
Chile rebuffs Bolivia's
reactivated claim to restore 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 |
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This page was last updated on 19 December, 2006
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