Chile

republicIndependence 18 September 1810 (from Spain)

Chile as the 1991 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 70 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

13.29 million July 1991 · 13.08m in 1990

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 1991 · 2.5 in 1990

Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births

18 deaths per 1,000 live births 1991 · 18 in 1990

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

11 fields

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

Land boundaries

6,171km total

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

Coastline

6,435 km Contiguous zone: 24 nm;
Continental shelf: 200 nm;
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm

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

Land use

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

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

13,286,620

(July 1991), growth rate 1.5% (1991)

Per 1,000 population(1991)

Birth

21Death

6Net migration

Ethnic divisions

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

Literacy

93%

(male 94%, female 93%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)

Religion

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

Labor force

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

Government

Republic

17 fields

Presidential electionpercent of vote

55.2%

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

Legislature, 120 seatsone dot, one seat

-(120 total) Concertation of Parties for Democracy (PDC 38, PPD 17, PR 5, other 12) 72RN 29UDI 11right-wing independents 8

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

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

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) Chief of State and Head of Government--President Patricio AYLWIN (since 11 March 1990) Concertation of Parties for Democracy now consists mainly of six parties--Christian Democratic Party (PDC), Andres ZALDIVAR;
Party for Democracy (PPD), Erich SCHNAKE;
Radical Party (PR), Mario ASTORGA;
Democratic Socialist Radical Party (PRSD), Jorge IBANEZ;
Social Democratic Party (PSD), Rene ABELIUK;
and Socialist Party, Jorge ARRATE;
National Renovation (RN), Andres ALLAMAND;
Independent Democratic Union (UDI), Joaquin LAVIN;
Communist Party of Chile (PCCh), Volodia TEITELBOIM;
Movement of Revolutionary Left (MIR) is splintered, no single leader

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 (PDC) 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--(46 total, 38 elected) Concertation of Parties for Democracy 22 (PDC 13, PPD 5, PR 2, PSD 1, PRSD 1), RN 6, UDI 2, independents 8;
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 72 (PDC 38, PPD 17, PR 5, other 12), RN 29, UDI 11, right-wing independents 8

Communists

The PCCh is currently in the process of regaining legal party status and has less than 60,000 members

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

CCC, ECLAC, FAO, G-11, G-77, GATT, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, LAES, LAIA, LORCS, OAS, OPANAL, PCA, RG, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMOGIP, UNTSO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation

Ambassador Patricio SILVA Echenique;
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 1990 economic growth slowed from an average of 6.2% for the previous six years to about 1.5% as a result of tight monetary policy aimed at reducing inflation.

16 fields

GDP, purchasing power parity

$26billion

per capita $2,000; real growth rate 2.0% (1990)

Inflation, consumer prices

27.3%

(1990)

Unemployment rate

5.6%

(1990)

External debt

$18.4billion

(February 1991)

Exports $8.3 billion (f.o.b., 1990)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

$6.6 billionExpenditures

$7.1 billion

expenditures, including capital expenditures of $575 million (1990 est.)

Overview

In 1990 economic growth slowed from an average of 6.2% for the previous six years to about 1.5% as a result of tight monetary policy aimed at reducing inflation. Monetary policy was not successful at slowing price increases until the end of the year, however, and inflation, stimulated by higher world oil prices, increased to 27.3% in 1990 from 21.4% in 1989.

Copper prices held strong in 1990, helping to maintain a balance-of-payments surplus and increase international reserves. Most observers expect that inflationary pressures have run their course and price increases will slow during 1991, contributing to growth of 4-5%.

Imports

$7.0 billion (f.o.b., 1990);
commodities--petroleum, wheat, capital goods, spare parts, raw materials;
partners--EC 23%, US 20%, Japan 10%, Brazil 9%

Industrial production

growth rate 0% (1990); accounts for 30% of GDP

Electricity

4,138,000 kW capacity; 17,784 million kWh produced, 1,360 kWh per capita (1990)

Industries

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

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

Economic aid

US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $521 million;
Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $1.4 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--337.24 (January 1991), 305.06 (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, 353 usable

permanent-surface runways

50runways over 3,659 m

nonerunways 2,440-3,659 m

12runways 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, 1,865 km 1.676-meter gauge, 80 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, 1,865 km 1.676-meter gauge, 80 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 485,935 GRT/800,969 DWT;
includes 14 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, 9 bulk;
note--in addition, 2 naval tanker and 2 military transport are sometimes used commercially