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Background: Prior to the coming of the Spanish in the 16th century, northern Chile was under Inca rule while Araucanian Indians inhabited central and southern Chile; the latter were not completely subjugated by Spain until the early 1880s. Although Chile declared its independence in 1810, decisive victory over the Spanish was not achieved until 1818. In the War of the Pacific (1879-84), Chile defeated Peru and Bolivia and won its present northern lands. A three-year-old Marxist government of Salvador ALLENDE was overthrown in 1973 by a dictatorial military regime led by Augusto PINOCHET, who ruled until a freely elected president was installed in 1990. Sound economic policies, maintained consistently since the 1980s, have contributed to steady growth and have 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.
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Common Name: Chile
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Local Official Name: Chile
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Abbreviated Name: Republic of Chile
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Official Name: Republica de Chile
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Official Script Name: Chile
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Local Common Name: Chile
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Former Name: Chile
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Territory of: NA
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Head of State: President Michelle BACHELET Jeria
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Government Type: republic
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Independence: 1810 September 18 (from Spain)
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Constitution: 1980 September 11, effective 1981 March 11, amended 198
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National Holiday: Independence Day, 18 September
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International Organization Participation: APEC, BIS, CAN (associate), CSN, FAO, G-15, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt (signatory), ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, LAES, LAIA, Mercosur (associate), MIGA, MINUSTAH, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, RG, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMOGIP, UNTSO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO
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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 (Santiago), Tarapaca, Valparaiso
note: the US does not recognize claims to Antarctica
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Dependent Areas: NA
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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; note - in June 2005, Chile completed overhau
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Suffrage: 18 years
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Executive, Legislative and Judicial Branches: Executive Branch:
chief of state: President Michelle BACHELET Jeria (since 11 March 2006); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government
head of government: President Michelle BACHELET Jeria (since 11 March 2006)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president
elections: president elected by popular vote for a single four-year term; election last held 11 December 2005, with runoff election held 15 January 2006 (next to be held December 2009)
election results: Michelle BACHELET Jeria elected president; percent of vote - Michelle BACHELET Jeria 53.5%; Sebastian PINERA Echenique 46.5%
Legislative Branch:
bicameral National Congress or Congreso Nacional consists of the Senate or Senado (38 seats elected by popular vote; members 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 11 December 2005 (next to be held December 2009); Chamber of Deputies - last held 11 December 2005 (next to be held December 2009)
election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - CPD 20 (PDC 6, PS 8, PPD 3, PRSD 3), APC 17 (UDI 9, RN 8), independent 1; Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - CPD 65 (PDC 21, PPD 22, PS 15, PRSD 7), APC 54 (UDI 34, RN 20), independent 1
Judicial Branch:
Supreme Court or Corte Suprema (judges are appointed by the president and ratified by the Senate from lists of candidates provided by the court itself; the president of the Supreme Court is elected every three years by the 20-member court); Constitutional Tribunal
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Party Leaders: Alliance for Chile ("Alianza") or APC (including National Renewal or RN [Sergio DIEZ Urzia] and Independent Democratic Union or UDI [Jovino NOVOA Vasquez]); Coalition of Parties for Democracy ("Concertacion") or CPD (including Christian Democratic Party or PDC [Adolfo ZALDIVAR Larrain], Socialist Party or PS [Ricardo NUNEZ], Party for Democracy or PPD [Victor BARRUETO], Radical Social Democratic Party or PRSD [Jose Antonio GOMEZ Urrutia]); Communist Party or PC [Guillermo TEILLIER]
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International Disputes: Chile rebuffs Bolivia's reactivated claim to restore the Atacama corridor, ceded to Chile in 1884, offering instead unrestricted but not sovereign maritime access through Chile to Bolivian gas and other commodities; Peru proposes changing its latitudinal maritime boundary with Chile to an equidistance line with a southwestern axis; territorial claim in Antarctica (Chilean Antarctic Territory) partially overlaps Argentine and British claims; action by the joint boundary commission, established by Chile and Argentina in 2001, for mapping and demarcating the disputed boundary in the Andean Southern Ice Field (Campo de Hielo Sur) remains pending
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Illicit Drugs: important transshipment country for cocaine destined for Europe; economic prosperity and increasing trade have made Chile more attractive to traffickers seeking to launder drug profits, especially through the Iquique Free Trade Zone, but a new anti-money-laundering law improves controls; imported precursors passed on to Bolivia; domestic cocaine consumption is rising
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Location of Chile: Southern South America, bordering the South Atlantic Ocean and South Pacific Ocean, between Argentina and Peru
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Continent: South America
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Land Area Total: 756,950 sq km
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Region: Southern American |
Land Area Land: 748,800 sq km
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Capitol City: Santiago
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Land Area Water: 8,150 sq km
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Current: -4
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Latitude: 030 00 S
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Border Boundary Land: 6,171 km
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Longitude: 071 00 W
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Border Boundary Coastline: 6,435 km
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Arable Land: 2.62 %
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Pastures: 0.00 %
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Crops: 0.43 %
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Woodlands and Forests: 0.00
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Highest Elevation: 6,880 m
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Location: Nevado Ojos del Salado
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Lowest Elevation: 0 m
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Location: Pacific Ocean
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Largest City in Chile: Santiago
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Santiago Largest City Population: 5,440,000
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Threatened Species: 89
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Environmental Issues: widespread deforestation and mining threaten natural resources; air pollution from industrial and vehicle emissions; water pollution from raw sewage
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Environmental Agreements: party to: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Nuclear Test Ban
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Irrigated Land: 19,000
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Bordering Countries: Argentina 5,150 km, Bolivia 861 km, Peru 160 km
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Natural Resources: copper, timber, iron ore, nitrates, precious metals, molybdenum, hydropower
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Geographical Terrain: low coastal mountains; fertile central valley; rugged Andes in east
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Comparative Area of Chile: slightly smaller than twice the size of Montana
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Chile's Geography: 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
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Click Here for detailed information about the weather conditions in Chile.
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General Climate: temperate; desert in north; Mediterranean in central region; cool and damp in south
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Natural Hazards: severe earthquakes; active volcanism; tsunamis
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Economic Overview: Chile has a market-oriented economy characterized by a high level of foreign trade. During the early 1990s, Chile's reputation as a role model for economic reform was strengthened when the democratic government of Patricio AYLWIN - which took over from the military in 1990 - deepened the economic reform initiated by the military government. Growth in real GDP averaged 8% during 1991-97, but fell to half that level in 1998 because of tight monetary policies implemented to keep the current account deficit in check and because of lower export earnings - the latter a product of the global financial crisis. A severe drought exacerbated the recession in 1999, reducing crop yields and causing hydroelectric shortfalls and electricity rationing, and Chile experienced negative economic growth for the first time in more than 15 years. Despite the effects of the recession, Chile maintained its reputation for strong financial institutions and sound policy that have given it the strongest sovereign bond rating in South America. By the end of 1999, exports and economic activity had begun to recover, and growth rebounded to 4.2% in 2000. Growth fell back to 3.1% in 2001 and 2.1% in 2002, largely due to lackluster global growth and the devaluation of the Argentine peso. Chile's economy began a slow recovery in 2003, growing 3.2%, and accelerated to 6.1% in 2004-05, while Chile maintained a low rate of inflation. GDP growth benefited from high copper prices, solid export earnings (particularly forestry, fishing, and mining), and stepped-up foreign direct investment. Unemployment, however, remains stubbornly high. 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 signed a free trade agreement with China in November 2005, and it already has several trade deals signed with other nations and blocs, including the European Union, Mercosur, South Korea, and Mexico. Record-high copper prices helped to strengthen the peso to a 5½-year high, as of December 2005, and will boost GDP in 2006.
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GDP: $189,900,000,000 USD
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Currency: Chilean peso
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GDP per Capita: $11,900 USD
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Currency Code: CLP
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GDP Growth Rate: 6.30 %
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One $USD Equals: %fincurrencyequals% CLP
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Currency Exchange Rate History: Chilean pesos per US dollar - 560.09 (2005), 609.37 (2004), 691.43 (2003), 688.94 (2002), 634.94 (2001)
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GDP of Agriculture: 13.60 %
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GDP of Industry: 23.40 %
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GDP of Services: 63.00 % |
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Inflation Rate: 3.10 % |
Population in Poverty: 18.20 %
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Unemployment Rate: 8.10 %
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Tourism: 1,622,000.00 visitors each year
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Consumption by lowest 10%: 1.20 %
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Budget Revenue in USD: $29,200,000,000 USD
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Consumption by upper 10%: 47.00 %
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Budget Expenditures in USD: $24,750,000,000 USD
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Electricity Production: 45,300,000,000 kWh
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Electricity Exports: 0 kWh
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Electricity Consumption: 44,130,000,000 kWh
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Electricity Imports: 2,000,000,000 kWh
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Electricity Production by Source:
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Fossil Fuel Electricity Production: 51.17%
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Nuclear Electricity Production: 0.00%
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Hydro Electricity Production: 46.36%
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Other Electricity Production: 2.74%
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Oil Production: 4,000 barrels per day
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Natural Gas Production: 1,000,000,000 cu m
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Oil Consumption: 228,000 barrels per day
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Natural Gas Consumption: 7,060,000,000 cu m
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Oil Exports: 0 barrels per day
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Natural Gas Exports: 0 cu m
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Oil Imports: 221,500 barrels per day
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Natural Gas Imports: 5,337,000,000 cu m
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Proven Oil Reserves: 150,000,000 barrels
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Proven Natural Gas Reserves: 97,980,000,000 cu m
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External Debt: $47,450,000,000 USD |
Received in economic aid: $0 USD
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Donated in economic aid: $0 USD
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Agricultural Products: grapes, apples, pears, onions, wheat, corn, oats, peaches, garlic, asparagus, beans; beef, poultry, wool; fish; timber
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Primary Industries: copper, other minerals, foodstuffs, fish processing, iron and steel, wood and wood products, transport equipment, cement, textiles
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Industrial Growth Rate: 3.40 %
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Import Amount in USD: $30,090,000,000 USD - petroleum and petroleum products, chemicals, electrical and telecommunications equipment, industrial machinery, vehicles, natural gas
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Import Partners: Argentina 14.8%, US 14.6%, Brazil 11.7%, China 7.8%, South Korea 4.8%, Yemen 4.4%
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Export Amount in USD: $38,030,000,000 USD - copper, fruit, fish products, paper and pulp, chemicals, wine
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Export Partners: US 15.8%, Japan 11.5%, China 11.1%, Netherlands 5.8%, South Korea 5.5%, Brazil 4.4%, Italy 4.2%, Mexico 4%
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GINI Index: 57.10%
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Labor Force Number of People: 6,300,000
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Labor Force by Occupations: agriculture: 13.6%, industry: 23.4%, services: 63%
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Radio Broadcast Stations: 261 |
Number of People with Radios: 5,180,000 |
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Television Broadcast Stations: 63 |
Number of People with Televisions: 3,150,000 |
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Number of People with Mainline Telephones: 3,435,900 |
Number of People with Mobile Phones: 10,570,000 |
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Internet Service Providers: 506,055 |
Internet Users: 6,700,000 |
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Internet Country Code: .cl |
Newspapers: 98 |
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Two Letter Country Code: CL |
Weights and Measures: |
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Phone Country Code: 56 |
Electricity Voltage: 220 Volts |
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Telephone Systems: general assessment: modern system based on extensive microwave radio relay facilities
domestic: extensive microwave radio relay links; domestic satellite system with three earth stations
international: country code - 56; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
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Highways: 16,080 km |
Railways: 6,585 km
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Gas And Oil Pipelines: 5,005 km |
Waterways: 0 km
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Airports: 73 |
Heliports: 0
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Motor Vehicles: 134 per 1,000 people |
CO2 Emissions: 58,200,000 Metric Tons of CO2 per year |
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Per capita CO2 emissions: 4.00 Metric Tons of CO2 per year |
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Merchant Marines: total: 46 ships (1000 GRT or over) 649,091 GRT/898,110 DWT
by type: bulk carrier 10, cargo 6, chemical tanker 10, container 1, liquefied gas 2, passenger 4, passenger/cargo 2, petroleum tanker 7, roll on/roll off 1, vehicle carrier 3
foreign-owned: 1 (Argentina 1)
registered in other countries: 17 (Argentina 6, Brazil 1, Marshall Islands 1, Panama 9)
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Ports and Harbors: Antofagasta, Arica, Huasco, Iquique, Lirquen, San Antonio, San Vicente, Valparaiso
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Population: 16,134,219 people type - nationality |
Birth Rate: 15.23 births per 1,000 people |
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Population Density: 21.00 people per sq km |
Death Rate: 5.81 deaths per 1,000 people |
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Population Growth: 0.94% per year |
Fertility Rate per Women: 2.00 babies born per woman |
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Population Male 0-14: 2,035,278 |
Population Female 0-14: 1,944,754 |
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Population Male 15-64: 5,403,525 |
Population Female 15-64: 5,420,497 |
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Population Male 65+: 555,075 |
Population Female 65+: 775,090 |
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Population 0-14: 24.70% |
Literacy Rate: 96.20% |
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Population 15-64: 67.10% |
Literacy rate of Males: 96.40% |
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Population 65+: 8.20% |
Literacy rate of Females: 96.10% |
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Population that is Male: 49.00
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Population that is Female: 51.00% |
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Life expectancy at birth in years: 76.77 years |
Infant mortality rate - baby deaths per 1000 births: 8.58 Babies die per 1,000 births |
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Life expectancy at birth for Males: 73.49 years |
Life expectancy at birth for Females: 80.21 years |
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Rate of AIDS/HIV infection: 0.30%
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Number of people living with AIDS or HIV: 26,000
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Number of people who died of AIDS: 1,400 |
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Disease Risk:
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Diseases:
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Net Migration Rate per 1,000 people: 0.00
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Nationality: CHILEAN
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Ethnic Groups: white and white-Amerindian 95%, Amerindian 3%, other 2%
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Primary Language: Spanish
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Other Languages: Spanish
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Primary Religion: Roman Catholic
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Other Religions: Roman Catholic 89%, Protestant 11%, Jewish NEGL%
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Branches: Army of the Nation, National Navy (Armada de Chile, includes naval air, marine corps, and Maritime Territory and Merchant Marine Directorate (Directemar)), Chilean Air Force (Fuerza Aerea de Chile, FACh), Chilean Carabineros (National Police)
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Manpower Fit to Serve: 18 years
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Manpower Available: 7,596,625 People
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Manpower Fit to Serve: 6,251,558 People
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Amount of Manpower Available each Year: 274,602 People per year
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Expenditures: $0 USD per year
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Expenditures as a Percentage of GDP: 3.50
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Note: Phrasebase uses a variety of sources when compiling the facts and information presented above. This information is continually updated throughout the year.
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