Chile

republicIndependence 18 September 1810 (from Spain)

Chile as the 1990 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 75 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.

field in that editiontext changed from the edition beforenot in that editionthe open editionEach field below ends in its editions, 1990 to 2025. Point at a year above to follow it down.

CapitalSantiago

Area756,950 km2

Populationas each edition published it

13.08 million July 1990 · 19.09m in 2025

Population growth% a year

Not in this edition 1.54% in 1993

Median ageyears

Not in this edition 29.5 yrs in 2003

Life expectancyyears at birth

Not in this edition 74.15 yrs in 1993

Fertility ratechildren per woman

2.5 children per woman 1990 · 1.25 in 2025

Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births

18 deaths per 1,000 live births 1990 · 4.5 in 2025

GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars

Not in this edition $2,550 in 1993

GDP real growth% a year

Not in this edition 10.4% in 1993

Geography

15 fields

Land useshare of 756,950 km2

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

Total area

756,950km2

land area: 748,800 km2; includes Isla de Pascua (Easter Island) and Isla Sala y GomezComparative area: slightly smaller than twice the size of Montana

Coastline

6,435km

Territorial sea: 12 nm

Land boundaries

6,171km total

Argentina 5,150 km, Bolivia 861 km, Peru 160 km

Disputes

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 claim

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

Environment

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

Note

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

People

14 fields

Population

13,082,842

(July 1990), growth rate 1.6% (1990)

Per 1,000 population(1990)

Birth

21Death

6Net migration

Ethnic divisions

European and European-Indian 95%Indian 3%other 2%

Religion

Roman Catholic 89%Protestant 11%and small Jewish population

Literacy

94%

Labor force

3,840,000;
38.6% services (including 12% government), 31.3% industry and commerce;
15.9% agriculture, forestry, and fishing;
8.7% mining;
4.4% construction (1985)

Government

Republic

18 fields

Presidential electionpercent of vote

55.2%

Patricio Aylwin 55.2%Hernan Buchi 29.4%other 15.4%14 December 1989 (next to be held December 1993 or January 1994)

Legislature, 69 seatsone dot, one seat

-(120 total) Concertation of Parties for Democracy 69

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)

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

National holiday

Independence Day, 18 September (1810)

Executive branch

president, Cabinet

Legislative branch

bicameral National Congress (Congreso Nacional) consisting of an upper house or Senate and a lower house or Chamber of Deputies

Judicial branch

Supreme Court (Corte Suprema) Chief of State and Head of Government--President Patricio AYLWIN (since 11 March 1990)

Political parties and leaders

National Renovation (RN), Sergio Jarpa, president;
Radical Party (PR), Enrique Silva Cimma;
Social Democratic Party (PSD), Eugenio Velasco;
Christian Democratic Party (PDC), Andres Zaldivar;
Party for Democracy, Ricardo Lagos;
Socialist Party, Clodomiro Almeyda;
other parties are Movement of United Popular Action (MAPU), Victor Barrueto;
Christian Left (IC), Luis Maira;
Communist Party of Chile (PCCh), Volodia Teitelboim;
Movement of the Revolutionary Left (MIR) is splintered, no single leader;
several leftist and far left parties formed a new coalition in November 1988 with Luis Maira as president;
the 17-party Concertation of Parties for Democracy backed Patricio Aylwin's presidential candidacy in December 1989

Suffrage

universal and compulsory at age 18 President--last held 14 December 1989 (next to be held December 1993 or January 1994);
results--Patricio Aylwin 55.2%, Hernan Buchi 29.4%, other 15.4%;
Senate--last held 14 December 1989 (next to be held December 1993 or January 1994);
seats--(47 total, 38 elected) 17-party Concertation of Parties for Democracy 22;
Chamber of Deputies--last held 14 December 1989 (next to be held December 1993 or January 1994);
seats--(120 total) Concertation of Parties for Democracy 69

Communists

120,000 when PCCh was legal in 1973; 50,000 (est.) active militants

Other political or pressure groups

revitalized university student federations at all major universities dominated by opposition political groups;
labor--United Labor Central (CUT) includes trade unionists from the country's five-largest labor confederations;
Roman Catholic Church

Member of

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

Ambassador Octavio ERRAZURIZ;
Chancery at 1732 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington DC 20036;
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 34033);
telephone [56] (2) 710133 or 710190, 710326, 710375

Flag

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

In 1989 the economy grew at the rate of 9.9%, reflecting substantial growth in industry, agriculture, and construction.

16 fields

GDP, purchasing power parity

$25.3billion

per capita $1,970; real growth rate 9.9% (1989)

Inflation, consumer prices

21.4%

(1989)

Unemployment rate

5.3%

(1989)

External debt

$16.3billion

(December 1989)

Exports $7.0 billion (f.o.b., 1988)commodities, where a share is given

copper

48%industrial products

33%

also molybdenum, iron ore, wood pulp, fishmeal, fruits; partners--EC 34%, US 22%, Japan 10%, Brazil 7%

Budget

Revenues

$4.9 billionExpenditures

$5.1 billion

expenditures, including capital expenditures of $0.6 billion (1986)

Overview

In 1989 the economy grew at the rate of 9.9%, reflecting substantial growth in industry, agriculture, and construction. Copper accounts for nearly 50% of export revenues; Chile's economic well-being thus remains highly dependent on international copper prices. Unemployment and inflation rates have declined from their peaks in 1982 to 5.3% and 21.4%, respectively, in 1989. The major long-term economic problem is how to sustain growth in the face of political uncertainties.

Imports

$4.7 billion (f.o.b., 1988);
commodities--petroleum, wheat, capital goods, spare parts, raw materials;
partners--EC 23%, US 20%, Japan 10%, Brazil 9%

Industrial production

growth rate 7.4% (1989)

Electricity

4,044,000 kW capacity; 17,710 million kWh produced, 1,380 kWh per capita (1989)

Industries

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

Agriculture

accounts for about 8% 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;
1986 fish catch of 5.6 million metric tons net agricultural importer

Aid

US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-88), $521 million;
Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $1.3 billion;
Communist countries (1970-88), $386 million

Currency

Chilean peso (plural--pesos); 1 Chilean peso (Ch$) = 100 centavos

Exchange rates

Chilean pesos (Ch$) per US$1--296.68 (January 1990), 267.16 (1989), 245.05 (1988), 219.54 (1987), 193.02 (1986), 161.08 (1985)

Fiscal year

calendar year

Communications

9 fields

Airports, 392 total, 352 usable

permanent-surface runways

49runways over 3,659 m

nonerunways 2,440-3,659 m

11runways 1,220-2,439 m

Networkskm

Highways

79,025 (1984)Railroads

8,613Inland waterways

725

Highways: ; 9,913 km paved, 33,140 km gravel, 35,972 km improved and unimproved earth · Railroads: ; 4,257 km 1.676-meter gauge, 135 km 1.435-meter standard gauge, 4,221 km 1.000-meter gauge; electrification, 1,578 km 1.676-meter gauge, 76 km 1.000-meter gauge

Railroads

8,613 km total;
4,257 km 1.676-meter gauge, 135 km 1.435-meter standard gauge, 4,221 km 1.000-meter gauge;
electrification, 1,578 km 1.676-meter gauge, 76 km 1.000-meter gauge

Highways

79,025 km total; 9,913 km paved, 33,140 km gravel, 35,972 km improved and unimproved earth (1984)

Pipelines

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

Ports

Antofagasta, Iquique, Puerto Montt, Punta Arenas, Valparaiso, San Antonio, Talcahuano, Arica

Merchant marine

35 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 498,354 GRT/804,809 DWT;
includes 13 cargo, 1 refrigerated cargo, 3 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 2 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 1 chemical tanker, 2 liquefied gas, 3 combination ore/oil, 10 bulk;
note--in addition, 1 naval tanker and 1 military transport are sometimes used commercially