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Communications

Airports [time series]

390 total, 349 usable; 48 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 12 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 58 with runways 1,220-2,439 m

Civil air [time series]

29 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]

33 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 468,873 GRT/780,932 DWT; includes 11 cargo, 1 refrigerated cargo, 3 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 2 petroleum tanker, 1 chemical tanker, 3 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; petroleum 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]

7,766 km total; 3,974 km 1.676-meter gauge, 150 km 1.435-meter standard gauge, 3,642 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 microwave relay facilities; 768,000 telephones; broadcast stations - 159 AM, no FM, 131 TV, 11 shortwave; satellite ground 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, Coast Guard, and Marines), Air Force of the Nation, Carabineros of Chile (National Police), Investigative Police

Military expenditures (Defense expenditures) [time series]

exchange rate conversion - $1 billion, 3.4% of GDP (1991 est.)

Manpower availability [time series]

males 15-49, 3,600,654; 2,685,924 fit for military service; 118,480 reach military age (19) annually

Economy

Agricultural products (Agriculture) [time series]

accounts for about 9% 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; 1989 fish catch of 6.1 million metric tons; net agricultural importer

Budget [time series]

revenues $7.6 billion; expenditures $8.3 billion, including capital expenditures of $772 million (1991 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 (1970-89), $1.6 billion; Communist countries (1970-89), $386 million

Electricity [time series]

5,502,800 kW capacity; 21,470 million kWh produced, 1,616 kWh per capita (1991)

Exchange rates [time series]

Chilean pesos (Ch$) per US$1 - 368.66 (January 1992), 349.37 (1991), 305.06 (1990), 267.16 (1989), 245.05 (1988), 219.54 (1987)

Exports [time series]

$8.9 billion (f.o.b., 1991) commodities: copper 50%, other metals and minerals 7%, wood products 6.5%, fish and fishmeal 9%, fruits 5% (1989) partners: EC 36%, US 18%, Japan 14%, Brazil 6% (1989)

Debt - external (External debt) [time series]

$16.2 billion (October 1991)

Fiscal year [time series]

calendar year

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

exchange rate conversion - $30.5 billion, per capita $2,300; real growth rate 5.5% (1991 est.)

Imports [time series]

$7.4 billion (f.o.b., 1991) commodities: petroleum, wheat, capital goods, spare parts, raw materials partners: EC 20%, US 20%, Japan 11%, Brazil 10% (1989)

Industrial production growth rate (Industrial production) [time series]

growth rate 5.9% (1991 est.); accounts for 36% 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]

18.7% (1991)

Economic overview (Overview) [time series]

The government of President Aylwin, which took power in 1990, has opted to retain the orthodox economic policies of Pinochet, although the share of spending for social welfare has risen slightly. In 1991 growth in GDP recovered to 5.5% (led by consumer spending) after only 2.1% growth in 1990. The tight monetary policy of 1990 helped cut the rate of inflation from 27.3% in 1990 to 18.7% in 1991. Despite a 12% drop in copper prices, the trade surplus rose in 1991, and international reserves increased. Inflationary pressures are not expected to ease much in 1992, and economic growth is likely to approach 7%.

Unemployment rate [time series]

6.5% (1991)

Geography

Climate [time series]

temperate; desert in north; cool and damp in south

Coastline [time series]

6,435 km

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

Area (Land area) [time series]

748,800 km2; includes Isla de Pascua (Easter Island) and Isla Sala y Gomez

Land boundaries [time series]

6,171 km; 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%

Maritime claims [time series]

Contiguous zone: 24 nm Continental shelf: 200 nm Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm Territorial sea: 12 nm

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

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 has 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 Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Philadelphia, and San Francisco US: Ambassador Curtis KAMMAN; Embassy at Codina Building, 1343 Agustinas, Santiago (mailing address is APO AA 34033); telephone [56] (2) 671-0133; FAX [56] (2) 699-1141

Executive branch (Elections) [time series]

Chamber of Deputies: last held 14 December 1989 (next to be held December 1993 or January 1994); results - percent of vote by party NA; 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 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); results - percent of vote by party NA; 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

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)

Executive branch (Leaders) [time series]

Chief of State and Head of Government: President Patricio AYLWIN Azocar (since 11 March 1990)

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, WFTV, 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

Political parties (Political parties and leaders) [time series]

Concertation of Parties for Democracy now consists mainly of five parties - Christian Democratic Party (PDC), Eduardo FREI Ruiz-Tagle; Party for Democracy (PPD), Erich SCHNAKE; Radical Party (PR), Carlos GONZALEZ Marquez; Social Democratic Party (PSP), Roberto MUNOZ Barros; Socialist Party (PS), Ricardo NUNEZ; National Renovation (RN), Andres ALLAMAND; Independent Democratic Union (UDI), Julio DITTBORN; Center-Center Union (UCC), Francisco Juner ERRAZURIZA; Communist Party of Chile (PCCh), Volodia TEITELBOIM; Movement of Revolutionary Left (MIR) is splintered, no single leader

Suffrage [time series]

universal and compulsory at age 18

Government type (Type) [time series]

republic

People

Birth rate [time series]

21 births/1,000 population (1992)

Death rate [time series]

6 deaths/1,000 population (1992)

Ethnic groups (Ethnic divisions) [time series]

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

Infant mortality rate [time series]

17 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)

Labor force [time series]

4,728,000; services 38.3% (includes government 12%); industry and commerce 33.8%; agriculture, forestry, and fishing 19.2%; mining 2.3%; construction 6.4% (1990)

Languages [time series]

Spanish

Life expectancy at birth [time series]

71 years male, 77 years female (1992)

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 (1992)

Organized labor [time series]

13% of labor force (1990)

Population [time series]

13,528,945 (July 1992), growth rate 1.6% (1992)

Religions [time series]

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

Total fertility rate [time series]

2.5 children born/woman (1992)