Background: Prior to the arrival of the Spanish in the 16th century the Inca ruled northern Chile while the Mapuche inhabited central and southern Chile. Although Chile declared its independence in 1810 decisive victory over the Spanish was not achieved until 1818. In the War of the Pacific (1879-83) Chile defeated Peru and Bolivia and won its present northern regions. It was not until the 1880s that the Mapuche were brought under central government control. After a series of elected governments the three-year-old Marxist government of Salvador ALLENDE was overthrown in 1973 by a military coup led by Augusto PINOCHET who ruled until a freely elected president was inaugurated in 1990. Sound economic policies maintained consistently since the 1980s contributed to steady growth reduced poverty rates by over half and 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. In January 2014 Chile assumed a nonpermanent seat on the UN Security Council for the 2014-15 term.

Geographic coordinates: 30 00 S 71 00 W

Area
Rank: 38
Land: 743,812 km²
Water: 12,290 km²
Comparative: slightly smaller than twice the size of Montana

Land boundaries
Border countries: (3) Argentina 6,691 km; Bolivia 942 km; Peru 168 km

Coastline: 6,435 km

Maritime claims
Contiguous zone: 24 nm
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Continental shelf: 200/350 nm

Climate: temperate; desert in north; Mediterranean in central region; cool and damp in south

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

Elevation
Extremes highest point: Nevado Ojos del Salado 6,880 m

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

Land use
Permanent crops: 0.6%
Other: 97.65% (2011)

Irrigated land: 11,990 km² (2003)

Total renewable water resources: 922 km³ (2011)

Natural hazards: severe earthquakes; active volcanism; tsunamis
Volcanism: significant volcanic activity due to more than three-dozen active volcanoes along the Andes Mountains; Lascar (elev. 5,592 m) which last erupted in 2007 is the most active volcano in the northern Chilean Andes; Llaima (elev. 3,125 m) in central Chile which last erupted in 2009 is another of the country's most active; Chaiten's 2008 eruption forced major evacuations; other notable historically active volcanoes include Cerro Hudson Copahue Guallatiri Llullaillaco Nevados de Chillan Puyehue San Pedro and Villarrica

Geography
Note: the longest north-south trending country in the world extending across 38 degrees of latitude; strategic location relative to sea lanes between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans (Strait of Magellan Beagle Channel Drake Passage); Atacama Desert - the driest desert in the world - spreads across the northern part of the country; the crater lake of Ojos del Salado is the world's highest lake (at 6,390 m)

Population: 17,363,894 (July 2014 est.)
Rank: 65
Growth rate: 0.84% (2014 est.)
Growth rate rank: 131
Below poverty line: 15.1% (2009 est.)

Nationality
Adjective: Chilean

Ethnic groups: white and non-indigenous 88.9% Mapuche 9.1% Aymara 0.7% other indigenous groups 1% (includes Rapa Nui Likan Antai Quechua Colla Diaguita Kawesqar Yagan or Yamana) unspecified 0.3% (2012 est.)

Languages: Spanish 99.5% (official) English 10.2% indigenous 1% (includes Mapudungun Aymara Quechua Rapa Nui) other 2.3% unspecified 0.2%

Religions: Roman Catholic 66.7% Evangelical or Protestant 16.4% Jehovah's Witnesses 1% other 3.4% none 11.5% unspecified 1.1% (2012 est.)

Demographic profile:

Age structure
15-24 years: 16.3% (male 1,442,610/female 1,383,738)
25-54 years: 43.2% (male 3,733,261/female 3,766,912)
55-64 years: 9.9% (male 806,044/female 910,818)
65 years and over: 9.7% (male 720,681/female 1,005,268) (2014 est.)

Dependency ratios
Youth dependency ratio: 30.2 %
Elderly dependency ratio: 14.9 %
Potential support ratio: 6.7 (2014 est.)

Median age
Male: 32.2 years
Female: 34.6 years (2014 est.)

Population growth rate: 0.84% (2014 est.)
Rank: 131

Birth rate: 13.97 births/1000 population (2014 est.)
Rank: 140

Death rate: 5.93 deaths/1000 population (2014 est.)
Rank: 169

Net migration rate: 0.35 migrant(s)/1000 population (2014 est.)
Rank: 74

Urbanization
Rate of urbanization: 1.09% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)

Major urban areas
Population: SANTIAGO (capital) 6.034 million; Valparaiso 883,000; Concepcion 770,000 (2011)

Environment
Current issues: widespread deforestation and mining threaten natural resources; air pollution from industrial and vehicle emissions; water pollution from raw sewage
International agreements signed but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Sex ratio
0-14 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-24 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
25-54 years: 0.99 male(s)/female
55-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.71 male(s)/female
Total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2014 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth: 23.7 (2004 est.)

Infant mortality rate
Rank: 161
Male: 7.51 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 6.52 deaths/1000 live births (2014 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Rank: 52
Male: 75.42 years
Female: 81.59 years (2014 est.)

Total fertility rate: 1.84 children born/woman (2014 est.)
Rank: 148

Contraceptive prevalence rate: 64.2%

Drinking water source:

Physicians density: 1.03 physicians/1000 population (2009)

Hospital bed density: 2 beds/1000 population (2010)

Sanitation facility access:

Hivaids
Adult prevalence rate: 0.4% (2012 est.)
Adult prevalence rate rank: 77
People living with hivaids: 38,700 (2012 est.)
People living with hivaids rank: 68
Deaths: NA

Obesity adult prevalence rate: 29.4% (2008)
Rank: 30

Children under the age of 5 years underweight: 0.5% (2008)
Rank: 135

Education expenditures: 4.5% of GDP (2012)
Rank: 90

Literacy
Total population: 98.6%
Male: 98.6%
Female: 98.5% (2009 est.)

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education
Male: 15 years
Female: 16 years (2012)

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

Government type: republic

Capital
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 under a new pilot program that begins second Sunday in September and ends fourth Sunday in April

Administrative divisions: 15 regions (regiones singular - region); Aysen Antofagasta Araucania Arica y Parinacota Atacama Biobio Coquimbo Libertador General Bernardo O'Higgins Los Lagos Los Rios Magallanes y de la Antartica Chilena Maule Region Metropolitana (Santiago) Tarapaca Valparaiso

Independence: 18 September 1810 (from Spain)

National holiday: Independence Day 18 September (1810)

Constitution: many previous; latest adopted 11 September 1980 effective 11 March 1981; amended many times last in 2011 (2011)

Legal system: civil law system influenced by several West European civil legal systems; judicial review of legislative acts by the Constitutional Tribunal

International law organization participation: has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Head of government: President Michelle BACHELET Jeria (since 11 March 2014)
Cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president
Elections: president elected by popular vote for a single four-year term; election last held on 17 November 2013 with a runoff election held on 15 December 2013 (next to be held on 19 November 2017)
Election results: Michelle BACHELET Jeria elected president; percent of vote - Michelle BACHELET Jeria 62.2%; Evelyn Rose MATTHEI Fornet 37.8%

Legislative branch: bicameral National Congress or Congreso Nacional consists of the Senate or Senado (38 seats; members elected by popular vote to 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 on 13 December 2009 (next to be held in November 2013); Chamber of Deputies - last held on 13 December 2009 (next to be held in November 2013)
Election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - CPD 9 (PDC 4 PPD 3 PS 2) APC 9 (RN 6 UDI 3); Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - APC 58 (UDI 37 RN 18 other 3) CPD 57 (PDC 19 PPD 18 PS 11 PRSD 5 PC 3 other 1) PRI 3 independent 2; note - as of 19 February 2013 the composition of the entire legislature is as follows: Senate - seats by party - CPD 19 (PDC 9 PPD 4 PS 5 PRSD 1) Coalition for Change (former APC) 16 (RN 8 UDI 8) independent 2 MAS 1; Chamber of Deputies - seats by party - Coalition for Change (former APC) 56 (UDI 39 RN 17) CPD 53 (PDC 19 PPD 18 PS 11 PRSD 5) independent 5 PC 3 PRI 2 IC 1

Judicial branch
Judge selection and term of office: Supreme Court judges appointed by the president and ratified by the Senate from lists of candidates provided by the court itself; judges appointed for life with mandatory retirement at age 70; Constitutional Court members appointed - 3 by the Supreme Court 1 by the president of the republic 2 by the National Security Council and 1 by the Senate; members serve 8-year terms with partial court replacement every 4 years (the court reviews constitutionality of legislation); Electoral Court member appointments - 4 by the Supreme Court and 1 a former president or vice-president of the Senate or Chamber of Deputies selected by the Supreme Court; member term NA
Subordinate courts: Courts of Appeal; oral criminal tribunals; military tribunals; local police courts; specialized tribunals and courts in matters such as family labor customs taxes and electoral affairs

Political parties and leaders:

International organization participation: APEC BIS BRICS CAN (associate) CD CELAC FAO G-15 G-77 IADB IAEA IBRD ICAO ICC (national committees) ICRM IDA IFAD IFC IFRCS IHO ILO IMF IMO IMSO Interpol IOC IOM IPU ISO ITSO ITU ITUC (NGOs) LAES LAIA Mercosur (associate) MIGA MINUSTAH NAM OAS OECD (Enhanced Engagement OPANAL OPCW Pacific Alliance PCA SICA (observer) UN UN Security Council (temporary) UNASUR UNCTAD UNESCO UNFICYP UNHCR UNIDO Union Latina UNMOGIP UNTSO UNWTO UPU WCO WFTU (NGOs) WHO WIPO WMO WTO

Diplomatic representation
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 consulate general: Chicago Los Angeles Miami New York Philadelphia San Francisco
From the us embassy: Avenida Andres Bello 2,800 Las Condes Santiago
From the us mailing address: APO AA 34,033
From the us telephone: [56] (2) 330-3,000
From the us FAX: [56] (2) 330-3,710 330-3,160

Flag description: two equal horizontal bands of white (top) and red; 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 represents the blood spilled to achieve independence

National symbols: huemul (mountain deer); Andean condor

National anthem
Lyrics and music: Eusebio LILLO Robles and Bernardo DE VERA y Pintado/Ramon CARNICER y Battle

Economy overview: Chile has a market-oriented economy characterized by a high level of foreign trade and a reputation for strong financial institutions and sound policy that have given it the strongest sovereign bond rating in South America. Exports of goods and services account for approximately one-third of GDP with commodities making up some three-quarters of total exports. Copper alone provides 19% of government revenue. From 2003 through 2013 real growth averaged almost 5% per year despite the slight contraction in 2009 that resulted from the global financial crisis. 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 has 22 trade agreements covering 60 countries including agreements with the European Union Mercosur China India South Korea and Mexico. Chile has joined the United States and nine other countries in negotiating the Trans-Pacific-Partnership trade agreement. The Chilean Government has generally followed a countercyclical fiscal policy accumulating surpluses in sovereign wealth funds during periods of high copper prices and economic growth and generally allowing deficit spending only during periods of low copper prices and growth. As of 31 December 2012 those sovereign wealth funds - kept mostly outside the country and separate from Central Bank reserves - amounted to more than $20.9 billion. Chile used these funds to finance fiscal stimulus packages during the 2009 economic downturn. In May 2010 Chile signed the OECD Convention becoming the first South American country to join the OECD.

Real gdp purchasing power parity:
Rank: 43

Real gdp growth rate:
Rank: 71

Real gdp per capita:
Rank: 73

Gross national saving:
Rank: 78

Gdp composition by end use
Government consumption: 12%
Investment in fixed capital: 25%
Investment in inventories: 0.6%
Exports of goods and services: 32.7%
Imports of goods and services: -33.5%: (2013 est.)

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Industry: 35.4%
Services: 61% (2013 est.)

Agriculture products: grapes apples pears onions wheat corn oats peaches garlic asparagus beans; beef poultry wool; fish; timber

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

Industrial production growth rate: 3% (2013 est.)
Rank: 98

Labor force: 8.367 million (2013 est.)
Rank: 58
By occupation industry: 23%
By occupation services: 63.9% (2005)

Unemployment rate: 6.3% (2012 est.)
Rank: 62

Population below poverty line: 15.1% (2009 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Highest 10: 42.8% (2009 est.)

Distribution of family income gini index: 57.1 (2000)
Rank: 14

Budget
Expenditures: $61.26 billion (2013 est.)
Surplus or deficit: -1% of GDP (2013 est.)
Surplus or deficit rank: 63

Taxes and other revenues: 20.8% of GDP (2013 est.)
Rank: 156

Public debt: 11.9% of GDP (2012 est.)
Rank: 146

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices: 3% (2012 est.)
Rank: 52

Central bank discount rate: 0.5% (31 December 2009 est.)
Rank: 135

Commercial bank prime lending rate: 10.06% (31 December 2012 est.)
Rank: 84

Stock of narrow money: $40.95 billion (31 December 2012 est.)
Rank: 52

Stock of broad money: $150.5 billion (31 December 2012 est.)
Rank: 44

Stock of domestic credit: $202.5 billion (31 December 2012 est.)
Rank: 39

Market value of publicly traded shares:
Rank: 27

Current account balance: -$9.499 billion (2012 est.)
Rank: 178

Exports: $78.28 billion (2012 est.)
Rank: 46
Commodities: copper fruit fish products paper and pulp chemicals wine
Partners: China 23.3% US 12.3% Japan 10.7% South Korea 5.8% Brazil 5.5% (2012)

Imports: $74.86 billion (2012 est.)
Rank: 40
Commodities: petroleum and petroleum products chemicals electrical and telecommunications equipment industrial machinery vehicles natural gas
Partners: US 22.9% China 18.2% Argentina 6.6% Brazil 6.5% (2012)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $41.65 billion (31 December 2012 est.)
Rank: 46

Debt external: $112.7 billion (31 December 2012 est.)
Rank: 44

Stock of direct foreign investment at home: $N/A (31 December 2012 est.)
Rank: 26

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad: $91.3 billion (31 December 2012 est.)
Rank: 29

Exchange rates:

Electricity
Production: 62.86 billion kWh (2011 est.)
Production rank: 43
Consumption: 53.93 billion kWh (2010 est.)
Consumption rank: 44
Exports: 0 kWh (2012 est.)
Exports rank: 118
Imports: 734 million kWh (2011 est.)
Imports rank: 68
Installed generating capacity: 16.21 million kW (2010 est.)
Installed generating capacity rank: 45
Generation sources fossil fuels: 62% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
Generation sources fossil fuels rank: 130
Generation sources nuclear: 0% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
Generation sources nuclear rank: 64
Generation sources hydroelectricity: 33.7% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
Generation sources hydroelectricity rank: 66
Generation sources other renewable sources: 4.3% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
Generation sources other renewable sources rank: 49

Petroleum
Petroleum total petroleum production: 17,340 bbl/day (2012 est.)
Petroleum total petroleum production rank: 81
Crude oil exports: 0 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Crude oil exports rank: 96
Crude oil imports: 169,700 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Crude oil imports rank: 35
Crude oil proven reserves: 150 million bbl (1 January 2013 est.)
Crude oil proven reserves rank: 66

Refined petroleum
Products production: 187,200 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Products production rank: 55
Products consumption: 321,700 bbl/day (2011 est.)
Products consumption rank: 38
Products exports: 13,040 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Products exports rank: 81
Products imports: 154,100 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Products imports rank: 37

Natural gas
Production: 1.144 billion m³ (2012 est.)
Production rank: 63
Consumption: 5.296 billion m³ (2010 est.)
Consumption rank: 60
Exports: 0 m³ (2011 est.)
Exports rank: 79
Imports: 3.83 billion m³ (2012 est.)
Imports rank: 38
Proven reserves: 97.97 billion m³ (1 January 2013 est.)
Proven reserves rank: 55

Carbon dioxide emissions
From consumption of energy: 80.1 million Mt (2011 est.)

Telephones
Main lines in use: 3.276 million (2012)
Main lines in use rank: 48
Mobile cellular: 24.13 million (2012)
Mobile cellular rank: 44

Telephone system
Domestic: number of fixed-line connections have stagnated in recent years as mobile-cellular usage continues to increase reaching 130 telephones per 100 persons
International: country code - 56; landing points for the Pan American South America-1 and South American Crossing/Latin America Nautilus submarine cables providing links to the US and to Central and South America; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2011)

Broadcast media: national and local terrestrial TV channels coupled with extensive cable TV networks; the state-owned Television Nacional de Chile (TVN) network is self financed through commercial advertising revenues and is not under direct government control; large number of privately owned TV stations; about 250 radio stations (2007)

Internet
Country code: .cl
Hosts: 2.152 million (2012)
Hosts rank: 38
Users: 7.009 million (2009)
Users rank: 39

Military expenditures:
Rank: 38

Military service age and obligation: 18-45 years of age for voluntary male and female military service although the right to compulsory recruitment of males 18-45 is retained; service obligation is 12 months for Army and 22 months for Navy and Air Force (2012)

Airports: 481 (2013)
Rank: 15
With paved runways over 3047 m: 5
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 7
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 23
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 31
With paved runways under 914 m: 24 (2013)
With unpaved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 5
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 11
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 56
With unpaved runways: 319 (2013)

Heliports: 1 (2013)

Pipelines: gas 3,160 km; liquid petroleum gas 781 km; oil 985 km; refined products 722 km (2013)

Railways
Rank: 28
Broad gauge: 3,435 km 1.676-m gauge (850 km electrified)
Narrow gauge: 3,647 km 1.000-m gauge (2008)

Roadways
Rank: 61
Paved: 18,119 km (includes 2,387 km of expressways)
Unpaved: 59,645 km (2010)

Merchant marine
Rank: 74
By type: bulk carrier 13 cargo 5 chemical tanker 7 container 2 liquefied gas 1 passenger 3 passenger/cargo 2 petroleum tanker 8 roll on/roll off 1
Foreign owned: 1 (Norway 1)
Registered in other countries: 52 (Argentina 6 Brazil 1 Honduras 1 Isle of Man 9 Liberia 9 Panama 14 Peru 6 Singapore 6) (2010)

Disputes international: Chile and Peru rebuff Bolivia's reactivated claim to restore the Atacama corridor ceded to Chile in 1884 but Chile has offered instead unrestricted but not sovereign maritime access through Chile to Bolivian natural gas; Chile rejects Peru's unilateral legislation to change its latitudinal maritime boundary with Chile to an equidistance line with a southwestern axis favoring Peru; in October 2007 Peru took its maritime complaint with Chile to the ICJ; territorial claim in Antarctica (Chilean Antarctic Territory) partially overlaps Argentine and British claims; the joint boundary commission established by Chile and Argentina in 2001 has yet to map and demarcate the delimited boundary in the inhospitable Andean Southern Ice Field (Campo de Hielo Sur)

Illicit drugs: transshipment country for cocaine destined for Europe and the region; some money laundering activity especially through the Iquique Free Trade Zone; imported precursors passed on to Bolivia; domestic cocaine consumption is rising making Chile a significant consumer of cocaine (2008)