Southern South America, bordering the South Pacific Ocean, between Argentina and Peru
Geographic coordinates
30 00 S, 71 00 W
Map references
South America
Area
total
756,950 sq km
land
748,800 sq km
water
8,150 sq km
note
includes Easter Island (Isla de Pascua) and Isla Sala y Gomez
Area - comparative
slightly smaller than twice the size of Montana
Land boundaries
total
6,339 km
border countries
Argentina 5,308 km, Bolivia 860 km, Peru 171 km
Coastline
6,435 km
Maritime claims
territorial sea
12 nm
contiguous zone
24 nm
exclusive economic zone
200 nm
continental shelf
200/350 nm
Climate
temperate; desert in north; Mediterranean in central region; cool and damp in south
Terrain
low coastal mountains; fertile central valley; rugged Andes in east
Elevation extremes
lowest point
Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point
Nevado Ojos del Salado 6,880 m
Natural resources
copper, timber, iron ore, nitrates, precious metals, molybdenum, hydropower
Land use
arable land
2.62%
permanent crops
0.43%
other
96.95% (2005)
Irrigated land
19,000 sq km (2003)
Natural hazards
severe earthquakes; active volcanism; tsunamis
Environment - current issues
widespread deforestation and mining threaten natural resources; air pollution from industrial and vehicle emissions; water pollution from raw sewage
Environment - international agreements
party to
Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified
none of the selected agreements
Geography - note
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
Population
16,284,741 (July 2007 est.)
Age structure
0-14 years
24.1% (male 2,010,576/female 1,920,951)
15-64 years
67.4% (male 5,480,703/female 5,492,988)
65 years and over
8.5% (male 576,698/female 802,825) (2007 est.)
Median age
total
30.7 years
male
29.8 years
female
31.7 years (2007 est.)
Population growth rate
0.916% (2007 est.)
Birth rate
15.03 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Death rate
5.87 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Net migration rate
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Sex ratio
at birth
1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years
1.047 male(s)/female
15-64 years
0.998 male(s)/female
65 years and over
0.718 male(s)/female
total population
0.982 male(s)/female (2007 est.)
Infant mortality rate
total
8.36 deaths/1,000 live births
male
9.09 deaths/1,000 live births
female
7.59 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)
Life expectancy at birth
total population
76.96 years
male
73.69 years
female
80.4 years (2007 est.)
Total fertility rate
1.97 children born/woman (2007 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate
0.3% (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS
26,000 (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths
1,400 (2003 est.)
Nationality
noun
Chilean(s)
adjective
Chilean
Ethnic groups
white and white-Amerindian 95%, Amerindian 3%, other 2%
Religions
Roman Catholic 70%, Evangelical 15.1%, Jehovah's Witness 1.1%, other Christian 1%, other 4.6%, none 8.3% (2002 census)
Languages
Spanish
Literacy
definition
age 15 and over can read and write
total population
95.7%
male
95.8%
female
95.6% (2002 census)
Country name
conventional long form
Republic of Chile
conventional short form
Chile
local long form
Republica de Chile
local short form
Chile
Government type
republic
Capital
name
Santiago
geographic coordinates
33 27 S, 70 40 W
time difference
UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
daylight saving time
+1hr, begins second Sunday in October; ends second Sunday in March
Administrative divisions
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 de la Antartica Chilena, Maule, Region Metropolitana (Santiago), Tarapaca, Valparaiso
note: the US does not recognize claims to Antarctica
Independence
18 September 1810 (from Spain)
National holiday
Independence Day, 18 September (1810)
Constitution
11 September 1980, effective 11 March 1981; amended 1989, 1991, 1997, 1999, 2000, 2003, and 2005
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 overhaul of its criminal justice system to a new, US-style adversarial system
Suffrage
18 years of age; universal and compulsory
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 in 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; members elected by popular vote to 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 in December 2009); Chamber of Deputies - last held 11 December 2005 (next to be held in 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
Political parties and leaders
Alliance for Chile ("Alianza") or APC (including National Renewal or RN [Carlos LARRAIN Pena] and Independent Democratic Union or UDI [Hernan LARRAIN Fernandez]); Coalition of Parties for Democracy ("Concertacion") or CPD (including Christian Democratic Party or PDC [Soledad ALVEAR], Socialist Party or PS [Camilo ESCALONA], Party for Democracy or PPD [Sergio BITAR Chacra], Radical Social Democratic Party or PRSD [Jose Antonio GOMEZ Urrutia]); Communist Party or PC [Guillermo TEILLIER]
Political pressure groups and leaders
revitalized university student federations at all major universities; Roman Catholic Church; United Labor Central or CUT includes trade unionists from the country's five largest labor confederations
1732 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036
telephone
[1] (202) 530-4104, 530-4106, 530-4107
FAX
[1] (202) 887-5579
consulate(s) general
Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Philadelphia, San Francisco, San Juan (Puerto Rico)
Diplomatic representation from the US
chief of mission
Ambassador Craig A. KELLY
embassy
Avenida Andres Bello 2800, Las Condes, Santiago
mailing address
APO AA 34033
telephone
[56] (2) 232-2600
FAX
[56] (2) 330-3710
Flag description
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 representing a guide to progress and honor; blue symbolizes the sky, white is for the snow-covered Andes, and red stands for the blood spilled to achieve independence; design was influenced by the US flag
Economy - 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. Between 2000 and 2006 growth ranged between 2%-6%. Throughout these years Chile maintained a low rate of inflation with GDP growth coming from high copper prices, solid export earnings (particularly forestry, fishing, and mining), and growing domestic consumption. Chile continues to attract foreign direct investment, but most foreign investment goes into gas, water, electricity and mining. Unemployment has exhibited a downward trend over the past year, dropping to 7.8% at the end of 2006. 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 or ratified a number of trade agreements in 2006, including with China and India. Chile claims to have more bilateral or regional trade agreements than any other country. It has 57 such agreements (not all of them full free trade agreements), including with the European Union, Mercosur, South Korea, and Mexico.
GDP (purchasing power parity)
$202.7 billion (2006 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate)
$111.8 billion (2006)
GDP - real growth rate
4.2% (2006 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP)
$12,700 (2006 est.)
GDP - composition by sector
agriculture
5.9%
industry
49.3%
services
44.7% (2006 est.)
Labor force
6.94 million (2006 est.)
Labor force - by occupation
agriculture
13.6%
industry
23.4%
services
63% (2003)
Unemployment rate
7.8% (2006)
Population below poverty line
18.2% (2005)
Household income or consumption by percentage share
lowest 10%
1.2%
highest 10%
47% (2000)
Distribution of family income - Gini index
53.8 (2003)
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
2.6% (2006)
Investment (gross fixed)
21% of GDP (2006 est.)
Budget
revenues
$36.71 billion
expenditures
$26.68 billion; including capital expenditures of $3.33 billion (2006 est.)
AM 180 (8 inactive), FM 64, shortwave 17 (1 inactive) (1998)
Radios
5.18 million (1997)
Television broadcast stations
63 (plus 121 repeaters) (1997)
Televisions
3.15 million (1997)
Internet country code
.cl
Internet hosts
506,055 (2006)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs)
7 (2000)
Internet users
6.7 million (2005)
Airports
363 (2006)
Airports - with paved runways
total
73
over 3,047 m
5
2,438 to 3,047 m
7
1,524 to 2,437 m
22
914 to 1,523 m
22
under 914 m
17 (2006)
Airports - with unpaved runways
total
290
over 3,047 m
1
2,438 to 3,047 m
4
1,524 to 2,437 m
11
914 to 1,523 m
58
under 914 m
216 (2006)
Pipelines
gas 2,567 km; gas/liquid petroleum gas 42 km; liquid petroleum gas 539 km; oil 1,003 km; refined products 757 km; unknown (oil/water) 97 km (2006)
Railways
total
6,585 km
broad gauge
2,831 km 1.676-m gauge (1,317 km electrified)
narrow gauge
3,754 km 1.000-m gauge (2005)
Roadways
total
79,605 km
paved
16,080 km (includes 407 km of expressways)
unpaved
63,525 km (2001)
Merchant marine
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) (2006)
Ports and terminals
Antofagasta, Arica, Huasco, Iquique, Lirquen, San Antonio, San Vicente, Valparaiso
Military branches
Army of the Nation, Chilean 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) (2007)
Military service age and obligation
all male citizens 18-45 are obligated to perform military service; conscript service obligation - 12 months for Army, 24 months for Navy and Air Force (2004)
Manpower available for military service
males age 18-49
3,815,761
females age 18-49
3,780,864 (2005 est.)
Manpower fit for military service
males age 18-49
3,123,281
females age 18-49
3,128,277 (2005 est.)
Manpower reaching military service age annually
males age 18-49
140,084
females age 18-49
134,518 (2005 est.)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP
2.7% (2006)
Disputes - international
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; significant consumer of cocaine
