Map of Chile | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide19891990199119921993199419951996199719981999200020012002200320042005200620072008200920102011201220132014201520162017201820192020202120222023 | More stats

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Background: A three-year-old Marxist government was overthrown in 1973 by a dictatorial military regime led by Augusto PINOCHET which ruled until a freely elected president was installed in 1990. Sound economic policies first implemented by the PINOCHET dictatorship led to unprecedented growth in 1991-95 and have helped secure the country's commitment to democratic and representative government.


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

Geographic coordinates

Map reference: South America

Area
Total area total: 756,950 km²
Land: 748,800 km²
Comparative: 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

Climate: temperate; desert in north; cool and damp in south

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

Elevation

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 km² (1989 est.)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards

Geography
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


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Population: 14,161,216 (July 1995 est.)
Growth rate: 1.49% (1995 est.)

Nationality
Noun: Chilean(s)
Adjective: Chilean

Ethnic groups: European and European-Indian 95%, Indian 3%, other 2%

Languages: Spanish

Religions: Roman Catholic 89%, Protestant 11%, Jewish

Demographic profile

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.)

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate: 1.49% (1995 est.)

Birth rate: 20.29 births/1000 population (1995 est.)

Death rate: 5.42 deaths/1000 population (1995 est.)

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1000 population (1995 est.)

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: air pollution from industrial and vehicle emissions; water pollution from raw sewage; deforestation contributing to loss of biodiversity; soil erosion; desertification
Current issues natural hazards: severe earthquakes; active volcanism; tsunamis
Current issues 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

Air pollutants

Sex ratio

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate: 14.3 deaths/1000 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.)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access

Hiv/Aids

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures

Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1992)
Total population: 94%
Male: 95%
Female: 94%

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


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Country name
Conventional long form: Republic of Chile
Conventional short form: Chile
Local long form: Republica de Chile
Local short form: Chile

Government 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

Dependent areas

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

International law organization participation

Citizenship

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

International organization participation: 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 the us chief of mission: Ambassador Gabriel GUERRA-MONDRAGON
In the us chancery: 1732 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20,036
In the us telephone: [1] (202) 785-1746
In the us FAX: [1] (202) 887-5,579
In the us consulates general: Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Philadelphia, San Francisco, and San Juan (Puerto Rico)
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Gabriel GUERRA-MONDRAGON
From the us embassy: Codina Building, 1343 Agustinas, Santiago
From the us mailing address: Unit 4,127, Santiago; APO AA 34,033
From the us telephone: [56] (2) 232-2,600
From the us FAX: [56] (2) 330-3,710

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; design was based on the US flag

National symbols

National anthem

National heritage


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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.

Real gdp purchasing power parity

Real gdp growth rate: 4.3% (1994 est.)

Real gdp per capita ppp

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin

Agriculture products: 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

Industries: copper, other minerals, foodstuffs, fish processing, iron and steel, wood and wood products, transport equipment, cement, textiles

Industrial production growth rate: 4.3% (1993 est.), accounts for 34% of GDP

Labor force: 4.728 million
By occupation services: 38.3% (includes government 12%)
By occupation industry and commerce: 33.8%
By occupation agriculture forestry and fishing: 19.2%
By occupation mining: 2.3%
By occupation construction: 6.4% (1990)

Unemployment rate: 6% (1994 est.)

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget
Revenues: $10.9 billion
Expenditures: $10.9 billion, including capital expenditures of $1.2 billion (1993)

Public debt

Taxes and other revenues

Revenue

Fiscal year: calendar year

Current account balance

Inflation rate consumer prices

Central bank discount rate

Commercial bank prime lending rate

Stock of narrow money

Stock of broad money

Stock of domestic credit

Market value of publicly traded shares

Current account balance

Exports: $11.5 billion (f.o.b., 1994)
Commodoties: 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)
Commodoties: 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)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external: $20 billion (1994 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

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)


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Electricity access

Electricity production: 22 billion kWh
Consumption per capita: 1,499 kWh (1993)

Electricity consumption

Electricity exports

Electricity imports

Electricity installed generating capacity

Electricity transmission distribution losses

Electricity generation sources

Petroleum

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones fixed lines

Telephones mobile cellular

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

Broadcast media

Internet country code

Internet users

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures
Dollar figure: $1 billion, 3.4% of GDP (1991 est.)

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 390
With paved runways over 3047 m: 5
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 5
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 18
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 17
With paved runways under 914 m: 252
With unpaved runways over 3047 m: 1
With unpaved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 3
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2438 m: 13
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 76

Airports with paved runways
Over 3047 m: 5
2438 to 3047 m: 5
15-24 to 2437 m: 18
914 to 1523 m: 17
Under 914 m: 252

Airports with unpaved runways
Over 3047 m: 1
2438 to 3047 m: 3
15-24 to 2438 m: 13
914 to 1523 m: 76

Heliports

Pipelines: crude oil 755 km; petroleum products 785 km; natural gas 320 km

Railways

Roadways

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

Ports and terminals


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Disputes international: 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

Refugees and internally displaced persons

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