Chile

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

agricultural land:

21.1%;

• arable land 1.7%;
• permanent crops 0.6%;
• permanent pasture 18.8%

forest:

21.9%

other:

57% (2011 est.)

• 90% of the population is located in the middle third of the country around the capital of Santiago;
• the far north (anchored by the Atacama Desert) and the extreme south are relatively underpopulated

• 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,
  • Calbuco,
  • Copahue,
  • Guallatiri,
  • Llullaillaco,
  • Nevados de Chillan,
  • Puyehue,
  • San Pedro,
  • and Villarrica

• widespread deforestation and mining threaten natural resources;
• air pollution from industrial and vehicle emissions;
• water pollution from raw sewage

• the longest north-south trending country in the world, extending across 39 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)

noun:

Chilean(s)

adjective:

Chilean

• 90% of the population is located in the middle third of the country around the capital of Santiago;
• the far north (anchored by the Atacama Desert) and the extreme south are relatively underpopulated

at birth:

1.04 male(s)/female

0-14 years:

1.04 male(s)/female

15-24 years:

1.04 male(s)/female

25-54 years:

1 male(s)/female

55-64 years:

0.89 male(s)/female

65 years and over:

0.72 male(s)/female

total population:

0.97 male(s)/female (2016 est.)

total number:

82,882

percentage:

3% (2003 est.)

conventional long form:

Republic of Chile

conventional short form:

Chile

local long form:

Republica de Chile

local short form:

Chile

etymology:

derivation of the name is unclear, but it may come from the Mapuche word "chilli" meaning "limit of the earth" or from the Quechua "chiri" meaning "cold"

name:

Santiago; note - Valparaiso is the seat of the national legislature

geographic coordinates:

33 27 S, 70 40 W

time difference:

UTC-3 (2 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

• 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

note: the US does not recognize claims to Antarctica

• many previous;
• latest adopted 11 September 1980, effective 11 March 1981;
• amended many times, last in 2011;
• note - in late 2015, the Chilean Government initiated a process to reform its constitution (2016)

citizenship by birth:

yes

citizenship by descent:

yes

dual citizenship recognized:

yes

residency requirement for naturalization:

5 years

chief of state:

President Michelle BACHELET Jeria (since 11 March 2014); note - the president is both chief of state and head of government

head of government:

President Michelle BACHELET Jeria (since 11 March 2014)

cabinet:

Cabinet appointed by the president

elections/appointments:

• president directly elected by absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed for a single 4-year term;
• election last held on 17 November 2013 with a runoff 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 (PS) 62.2%;
• Evelyn Rose MATTHEI Fornet (UDI) 37.8%

description:

• bicameral National Congress or Congreso Nacional consists of the Senate or Senado (38 seats; members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by majority vote to serve 8-year terms with one-half of the membership renewed every 4 years) and the Chamber of Deputies or Camara de Diputados (120 seats; members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by majority vote to serve 4-year terms);
• note - in both the Senate and Chamber of Deputies, the party winning at least two-thirds of the votes is entitled to 2 seats in the constituency;
• if it obtains less than two-thirds of the votes, it is entitled to 1 seat with the remaining seat awarded to the next highest winning party

elections:

• Senate - last held on 17 November 2013 (next to be held on 15 November 2017);
• Chamber of Deputies - last held on 17 November 2013 (next to be held on 15 November 2017)

election results:

• Senate - percent of vote by party - NA;
• seats by party - New Majority Coalition (formerly known as Concertacion) 19 (PDC 6, PS 6, PPD 6, MAS 1), Coalition for Change (formerly known as the Alianza coalition) 15 (RN 6, UDI 8, Amplitude Party 1), independents 4;
• Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote by party - NA;
• seats by party - New Majority 68 (PDC 21, PS 16, PPD 14, PC 6, PRSD 6, Citizen Left 1, independents 4), Coalition for Change 47 (UDI 29, RN 14, independents 3, EP 1), Liberal Party 1, independents 4

note: In January 2015, the Chilean Congress voted to end the binomial system that was put in place under Gen. Augusto PINOCHET; the Congress also voted to expand its size and establish rules to ensure that there is equitable gender representation; the new electoral system will be put in place in 2017

highest court(s):

• Supreme Court or Corte Suprema (consists of a court president and 20 members or ministros);
• Constitutional Court (consists of 7 members);
• Elections Qualifying Court (consists of 5 members)

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 membership replacement every 4 years (the court reviews constitutionality of legislation);
• Elections Qualifying Court member appointments - 4 by the Supreme Court and 1 - a former president or vice-president of the Senate or Chamber of Deputies - also selected by the Supreme Court;
• members appointed for 4-year terms

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

APEC, BIS, CAN (associate), CD, CELAC, FAO, G-15, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, 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

chief of mission:

Ambassador Juan Gabriel VALDES Soublette (since 21 May 2014)

chancery:

1732 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036

telephone:

[1] (202) 785-1746

FAX:

[1] (202) 887-5579

consulate(s) general:

Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, San Francisco

chief of mission:

Ambassador Michael HAMMER (since April 2014)

embassy:

Avenida Andres Bello 2800, Las Condes, Santiago

mailing address:

APO AA 34033

telephone:

[56] (2) 2330-3000

FAX:

[56] (2) 2330-3710, 2330-3160

• 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

note: design was influenced by the US flag

• grapes, apples, pears, onions, wheat, corn, oats, peaches, garlic, asparagus, beans;
• beef, poultry, wool;
• fish;
• timber

agriculture:

13.2%

industry:

23%

services:

63.9% (2005)

lowest 10%:

1.5%

highest 10%:

42.8% (2009 est.)

general assessment:

• privatization began in 1988;
• most advanced telecommunications infrastructure in South America;
• modern system based on extensive microwave radio relay facilities;
• domestic satellite system with 3 earth stations

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)

• 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)

number of registered air carriers:

9; inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 173

annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers:

15,006,762

annual freight traffic on registered air carriers:

1,392.236 million mt-km (2015)

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

total:

7,281.5 km

broad gauge:

3,428 km 1.676-m gauge (1,691 km electrified)

narrow gauge:

3,853.5 km 1.000-m gauge (2014)

country comparison to the world: 30

total:

77,764 km

paved:

18,119 km (includes 2,387 km of expressways)

unpaved:

59,645 km (2010)

country comparison to the world: 61

total:

42

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)

country comparison to the world: 74

major seaport(s):

Coronel, Huasco, Lirquen, Puerto Ventanas, San Antonio, San Vicente, Valparaiso

LNG terminal(s) (import):

Mejillones, Quintero

• 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 (2015)

• 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)

• 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)