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 since 1991 and have helped secure the country's commitment to democratic and representative government.

Map reference: South America, Standard Time Zones of the World

Area
Total: 756,950 km²
Land: 748,800 km²

Land boundaries: total 6,171 km, Argentina 5,150 km, Bolivia 861 km, Peru 160 km

Coastline: 6,435 km
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

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.)

Population: 13,739,759 (July 1993 est.)
Growth rate: 1.54% (1993 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

Population growth rate: 1.54% (1993 est.)

Birth rate: 20.9 births/1000 population (1993 est.)

Death rate: 5.55 deaths/1000 population (1993 est.)

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1000 population (1993 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 15.9 deaths/1000 live births (1993 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 74.15 years
Female: 77.29 years (1993 est.)

Total fertility rate: 2.51 children born/woman (1993 est.)

Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1990)
Total population: 93%
Male: 94%
Female: 93%

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:

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 subsequent codes influenced by French and Austrian law; judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal and compulsory

Executive branch: president, Cabinet

Legislative branch: bicameral National Congress (Congreso Nacional) consisting of an upper house or Senate (Senado) and a lower house or Chamber of Deputies (Camara de Diputados)

Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Corte Suprema)

International organization participation:

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Patricio SILVA Echenique
In the us telephone: (202) 785-1746
In the us consulates general: Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Philadelphia, and San Francisco
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Curtis W. KAMMAN
From the us embassy: Codina Building, 1343 Agustinas, Santiago
From the us mailing address: APO AA 34,033
From the us telephone: 56 (2) 671-0133
From the us fax: 56 (2) 699-1141

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: The government of President AYLWIN, which took power in 1990, retained the economic policies of PINOCHET, although the share of spending for social welfare has risen steadily. In 1991 growth in GDP recovered to 6% (led by consumer spending) after only 2% growth in 1990. The pace accelerated in 1992 as the result of strong investment and export growth, and GDP rose 10.4%. Nonetheless, inflation fell further, to 12.7%, compared with 27.3% in 1990 and 18.7% in 1991. The buoyant economy spurred a 25% growth in imports, and the trade surplus fell in 1992, although international reserves increased. Inflationary pressures are not expected to ease much in 1993, and economic growth is likely to approach 7%.

Real gdp growth rate: 10.4% (1992)

Real gdp per capita: $2,550 (1992)

Agriculture products: accounts for about 9% 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: growth rate 14.56% (1992; 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: 4.9% (1992)

Budget: revenues $10.9 billion; expenditures $10.9 billion, including capital expenditures of $1.2 billion (1993)

Fiscal year: calendar year

Exports: $10 billion (f.o.b., 1992)
Commodoties: copper 41%, other metals and minerals 8.7%, wood products 7.1%, fish and fishmeal 9.8%, fruits 8.4% (1991)
Partners: EC 32%, US 18%, Japan 18%, Brazil 5% (1991)

Imports: $9.2 billion (f.o.b., 1992)
Partners: US 21%, EC 18%, Brazil 9%, Japan 8% (1991)

Exchange rates: Chilean pesos (Ch$) per US$1 - 384.04 (January 1993), 362.59 (1992), 349.37 (1991), 305.06 (1990), 267.16 (1989), 245.05 (1988)

Electricity
Production: 5,769,000 kW capacity; 22,010 million kWh produced, 1,630 kWh per capita (1992)

Military expenditures
Percent of gdp: exchange rate conversion - $1 billion, 3.4% of GDP (1991 est.)

Airports: 396
Usable: 351
With permanentsurface runways: 48
With runways 2440-3659 m: 13
With runways 1220-2439 m: 57

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

Waterways: 725 km

Merchant marine:

Disputes international: