Background: A three-year-old Marxist government was overthrown in 1973 by a dictatorial military regime led by Augusto PINOCHET.

Land boundaries:

Coastline: 6,435 km

Maritime claims
Contiguous zone: 24 nm Continental shelf:200 nm
Exclusive fishing 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

Natural resources: copper, timber, iron ore, nitrates, precious metals, molybdenum

Land use: 7% arable land; NEGL% permanent crops; 16% meadows and pastures; 21% forest and woodland; 56% other; includes 2% irrigated

Geography
Note: strategic location relative to sea lanes between Atlantic and Pacific Oceans (Strait of Magellan, Beagle Channel, Drake Passage)

Population: 12,827,411 (July 1989), growth rate 1.5% (1989)

Nationality: noun - Chilean(s; adjective - Chilean

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

Languages: Spanish

Religions: 89% Roman Catholic, 11% Protestant, and small Jewish population

Birth rate: 21 births/1000 population (1989)

Death rate: 6 deaths/1000 population (1989)

Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1000 population (1989)

Environment
Current issues: subject to severe earthquakes, active volcanism, tsunami; Atacama Desert one of world's driest regions; desertification

Infant mortality rate: 18 deaths/1000 live births (1989)

Life expectancy at birth: 68 years male, 75 years female (1989)

Total fertility rate: 2.5 children born/woman (1989)

Literacy: 94%

Country name: conventional long form: Republic of Chile

Government type: republic

Capital: Santiago

Administrative divisions: 13 regions (regiones, singular - region; Aisen del General Carlos Ibanez del Campo, Antofagasta, Araucania, Atacama, Biobio, Coquimbo, Libertador General Bernardo O'Higgins, Los Lagos, Magallanes y Antartica Chilena, Maule, Region Metropolitana, Tarapaca, Valparaiso

Independence: 18 September 1810 (from Spain)

National holiday: Independence Day, 18 September (1810)

Constitution: 11 September 1980, effective 11 March 1981; provides for continued rule of current regime until March 1990, with direct presidential and congressional elections scheduled for 14 December 1989

Legal system: based on Code of 1857 derived from Spanish law and subsequent codes influenced by French and Austrian law; judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage: universal over age 18

Executive branch: Chief of State and Head of Government - President (Gen.) Augusto PINOCHET Ugarte (since September 1973; other junta members - (Navy) Adm. Jose Toribio MERINO Castro (since September 1973), (Air Force) Gen. Fernando MATTHEI Aubel (since July 1978), (Army) Lt. Gen. Santiago SINCLAIR Oyaneder (since November 1988), (Police) Gen. Rodolfo STANGE Oelckers (since August 1985)

Legislative branch: Army of the Nation, National Navy, Air Force of the Nation, Carabineros of Chile

International organization participation: CCC, CIPEC, ECOSOC, FAO, G-77, GATT, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IDB - Inter-American Development Bank, IFAD, IFC, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IPU, ITU, LAIA, OAS, PAHO, SELA, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WSG, WTO

Diplomatic representation
In the us: Ambassador Octavio ERRAZURIZ; Chancery at 1732 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington DC 20,036; telephone (202) 785-1746; there are Chilean Consulates General in Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, and San Francisco; US - Ambassador Charles A. GILLESPIE, Jr.; Embassy at Codina Building, 1343 Agustinas, Santiago (mailing address is APO Miami 34,033; telephone Õ56å (2) 710,133 or 710,190, 710,326, 710,375

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

Economy overview: In 1988 the economy grew at the rate of 6.8%, reflecting higher growth in the fishing, agricultural, and manufacturing sectors, which together account for over a third of GDP. Despite a slowdown in the mining industry, copper remains Chile's principal export and accounts for nearly 50% of export revenues. Rates for unemployment and inflation have decreased from their peaks of 1982 to 7.1% and 12.7%, respectively, in 1988. The major problem facing the economy is how to sustain growth in the face of political uncertainties.

Agriculture products: wheat, potatoes, corn, sugar beets, onions, beans, fruits; net agricultural importer

Industries: copper, other minerals, foodstuffs, fish processing, iron and steel, wood and wood products

Industrial production growth rate: 8.5% (1988 est.)

Labor force:

Unemployment rate: 7.1% (1988 est.)

Budget: revenues $4.9 billion; expenditures $5.1 billion, including capital expenditures of $0.6 billion (1986)

Fiscal year: calendar year

Exports: $6.9 billion (f.o.b., 1988)
Commodities: copper 48%, industrial products 33%, molybdenum, iron ore, wood pulp, fishmeal, fruits
Partners: EC 34%, US 22%, Japan 10%, Brazil 7%

Imports: $4.8 billion (f.o.b., 1988)
Commodities: petroleum, wheat, capital goods, spare parts, raw materials
Partners: EC 23%, US 20%, Japan 10%, Brazil 9%

Debt external: $17.8 billion (December 1988)

Exchange rates: Chilean pesos (Ch$) per US$1 - 247.04 (January 1989), 245.05 (1988), 219.54 (1987), 193.02 (1986), 161.08 (1985)

Electricity
Capacity: 3,987,000 kW capacity; 15,577 million kWh produced, 1,230 kWh per capita (1988)

Military expenditures
Dollar figure: $769 million, 13.0% of central government budget (1988)

Airports: 393 total, 353 usable; 47 with permanent-surface runways; 13 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 54 with runways 1,220-2,439 m

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

Waterways: 725 km

Merchant marine: 38 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 541,358 GRT/843,088 DWT; includes 15 cargo, 1 refrigerated cargo, 3 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 1 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 1 chemical tanker, 2 liquefied gas, 3 combination ore/oil, 11 bulk, 1 vehicle transport; note - in addition, 2 naval tankers and 2 military transports are sometimes used commercially

Disputes international: short section of the 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)