Chile

• 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 and British claims

• temperate;
• desert in north;
• cool and damp in south

• low coastal mountains;
• fertile central valley;
• rugged Andes in east

lowest point:

Pacific Ocean 0 m

highest point:

Cerro Aconcagua 6,962 m

current issues:

• air pollution from industrial and vehicle emissions;
• water pollution from raw sewage;
• deforestation contributing to loss of biodiversity;
• soil erosion;
• desertification

natural hazards:

• severe earthquakes;
• active volcanism;
• tsunamis

international agreements:

• party to - Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands;
• signed, but not ratified - Desertification, Law of the Sea

• strategic location relative to sea lanes between Atlantic and Pacific Oceans (Strait of Magellan, Beagle Channel, Drake Passage);
• Atacama Desert is one of world's driest regions

0-14 years:

29% (male 2,071,816; female 2,041,417)

15-64 years:

65% (male 4,599,173; female 4,651,030)

65 years and over:

6% (male 403,019; female 566,803) (July 1996 est.)

at birth:

1 male(s)/female

under 15 years:

1.02 male(s)/female

15-64 years:

0.99 male(s)/female

65 years and over:

0.71 male(s)/female

all ages:

0.97 male(s)/female (1996 est.)

noun:

Chilean(s)

adjective:

Chilean

conventional long form:

Republic of Chile

conventional short form:

Chile

local long form:

Republica de Chile

local short form:

Chile

• 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

• 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;
• does not accept compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

chief of state and head of government:

• President Eduardo FREI Ruiz-Tagle (since 11 March 1994) elected for a four-year term by popular vote;
• election last held 11 December 1993 (next to be held NA December 1997);
• results - Eduardo FREI Ruiz-Tagle (PDC) 58%, Arturo ALESSANDRI 24.4%, other 17.6%

cabinet:

Cabinet appointed by the president

• election last held 11 December 1993 (next to be held NA December 1997);
• results - percent of vote by party NA;
• seats - (46 total, 38 elected) Coalition of Parties for Democracy 21 (PDC 13, PS 4, PPD 3, PR 1), Union for the Progress of Chile 15 (RN 11, UDI 3, UCC 1), right-wing independents 10

• election last held 11 December 1993 (next to be held NA December 1997);
• results - Coalition of Parties for Democracy 53.95% (PDC 27.16%, PS 12.01%, PPD 11.82%, PR 2.96%), Union for the Progress of Chile 30.57% (RN 15.25%, UDI 12.13%, UCC 3.19%);
• seats - (120 total) Coalition of Parties for Democracy 70 (PDC 37, PPD 15, PR 2, PS 15, left-wing independent 1), Union for the Progress of Chile 47 (RN 30, UDI 15, UCC 2), right-wing independents 3

• Coalition of Parties for Democracy (CPD) consists mainly of: Christian Democratic Party (PDC), Alejandro FOXLEY;
• Socialist Party (PS), Camilo ESCALONA;
• Party for Democracy (PPD), Jorge SCHAULSOHN, Radical Party (PR);
• Union for the

• National Renewal (RN), Andres ALLAMAND;
• Independent Democratic Union (UDI), Jovino NOVOA;
• Center Center Union (UCCP), Francisco Javier ERRAZURIZ

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

chief of mission:

Ambassador John BIEHL del Rio

chancery:

1732 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036

telephone:

[1] (202) 785-1746

chief of mission:

Ambassador Gabriel GUERRA-MONDRAGON

embassy:

Avenida Andres Bello 2800, Santiago

mailing address:

use street address

telephone:

[56] (2) 232-2600

• 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

• wheat, corn, grapes, beans, sugar beets, potatoes, fruit;
• beef, poultry, wool;
• timber;
• 1991 fish catch of 6.6 million metric tons

• a minor transshipment country for cocaine destined for the US and Europe;
• booming economy has made it more attractive to traffickers seeking to launder drug profits

total:

6,782 km

broad gauge:

3,743 km 1.676-m gauge (1,653 km electrified)

narrow gauge:

116 km 1.067-m gauge; 2,923 km 1.000-m gauge (40 km electrified) (1995)

total:

79,593 km

paved:

10,984 km

unpaved:

68,609 km (1991 est.)

• crude oil 755 km;
• petroleum products 785 km;
• natural gas 320 km

total:

37 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 529,512 GRT/925,364 DWT

ships by type:

bulk 11, cargo 8, chemical tanker 4, combination ore/oil 2, container 1, liquefied gas tanker 2, oil tanker 4, roll-on/roll-off cargo 3, vehicle carrier 2 (1995 est.)

males age 15-49:

3,808,655

males fit for military service:

2,832,198

males reach military age (19) annually:

123,443 (1996 est.)