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Communications

Airports [time series]

392 total, 353 usable; 50 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 12 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 55 with runways 1,220-2,439 m

Civil air [time series]

22 major transport aircraft

Roadways (Highways) [time series]

79,025 km total; 9,913 km paved, 33,140 km gravel, 35,972 km improved and unimproved earth (1984)

Waterways (Inland waterways) [time series]

725 km

Merchant marine [time series]

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

Pipelines [time series]

crude oil, 755 km; refined products, 785 km; natural gas, 320 km

Ports [time series]

Antofagasta, Iquique, Puerto Montt, Punta Arenas, Valparaiso, San Antonio, Talcahuano, Arica

Railways (Railroads) [time series]

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

Telecommunication systems (Telecommunications) [time series]

modern telephone system based on extensive radio relay facilities; 768,000 telephones; stations--159 AM, no FM, 131 TV, 11 shortwave; satellite stations--2 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT and 3 domestic

Defense Forces

Military and security forces (Branches) [time series]

Army of the Nation, National Navy (including Naval Air and Marines), Air Force of the Nation, Carabineros of Chile (National Police)

Military expenditures (Defense expenditures) [time series]

$737 million, 3% of GNP (1991 est.)

Manpower availability [time series]

males 15-49, 3,544,962; 2,647,148 fit for military service; 119,511 reach military age (19) annually

Economy

Agricultural products (Agriculture) [time series]

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

Budget [time series]

revenues $6.6 billion; expenditures $7.1 billion, including capital expenditures of $575 million (1990 est.)

Exchange rates (Currency) [time series]

Chilean peso (plural--pesos); 1 Chilean peso (Ch$) = 100 centavos

Economic aid [time series]

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

Electricity [time series]

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

Exchange rates [time series]

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)

Exports [time series]

$8.3 billion (f.o.b., 1990); commodities--copper 48%, industrial products 33%, molybdenum, iron ore, wood pulp, fishmeal, fruits; partners--EC 34%, US 22%, Japan 10%, Brazil 7%

Debt - external (External debt) [time series]

$18.4 billion (February 1991)

Fiscal year [time series]

calendar year

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) (GDP) [time series]

$26 billion, per capita $2,000; real growth rate 2.0% (1990)

Imports [time series]

$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 (Industrial production) [time series]

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

Industries [time series]

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices) [time series]

27.3% (1990)

Economic overview (Overview) [time series]

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%.

Unemployment rate [time series]

5.6% (1990)

Geography

Climate [time series]

temperate; desert in north; cool and damp in south

Coastline [time series]

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

Area - comparative (Comparative area) [time series]

slightly smaller than twice the size of Montana

Disputes - international (Disputes) [time series]

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

Environment - current issues (Environment) [time series]

subject to severe earthquakes, active volcanism, tsunami; Atacama Desert one of world's driest regions; desertification

Land boundaries [time series]

6,171 km total; Argentina 5,150 km, Bolivia 861 km, Peru 160 km

Land use [time series]

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

Natural resources [time series]

copper, timber, iron ore, nitrates, precious metals, molybdenum

Note [time series]

strategic location relative to sea lanes between Atlantic and Pacific Oceans (Strait of Magellan, Beagle Channel, Drake Passage)

Terrain [time series]

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

Area (Total area) [time series]

756,950 km2; land area: 748,800 km2; includes Isla de Pascua (Easter Island) and Isla Sala y Gomez

Government

Administrative divisions [time series]

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

Capital [time series]

Santiago

Political parties (Communists) [time series]

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

Constitution [time series]

11 September 1980, effective 11 March 1981; amended 30 July 1989

Diplomatic representation in the US (Diplomatic representation) [time series]

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

Executive branch [time series]

president, Cabinet

Flag [time series]

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

Independence [time series]

18 September 1810 (from Spain)

Judicial branch [time series]

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

Legal system [time series]

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 [time series]

bicameral National Congress (Congreso Nacional) consisting of an upper house or Senate (Senado) and a lower house or Chamber of Deputies (Camara de Diputados)

Country name (Long-form name) [time series]

Republic of Chile

International organization participation (Member of) [time series]

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

National holiday [time series]

Independence Day, 18 September (1810)

Political parties (Other political or pressure groups) [time series]

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

Suffrage [time series]

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

Government type (Type) [time series]

republic

People

Birth rate [time series]

21 births/1,000 population (1991)

Death rate [time series]

6 deaths/1,000 population (1991)

Ethnic groups (Ethnic divisions) [time series]

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

Infant mortality rate [time series]

18 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)

Labor force [time series]

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)

Languages (Language) [time series]

Spanish

Life expectancy at birth [time series]

70 years male, 77 years female (1991)

Literacy [time series]

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

Nationality [time series]

noun--Chilean(s); adjective--Chilean

Net migration rate [time series]

0 migrants/1,000 population (1991)

Organized labor [time series]

11% of labor force (1990)

Population [time series]

13,286,620 (July 1991), growth rate 1.5% (1991)

Religions (Religion) [time series]

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

Total fertility rate [time series]

2.5 children born/woman (1991)