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Communications

Internet country code [time series]

.cl

Internet users (Internet hosts) [time series]

847,215 (2008)

Internet users [time series]

5.57 million (2007)

Broadcast media (Radio broadcast stations) [time series]

AM 180 (8 inactive), FM 64, shortwave 17 (1 inactive) (1998)

Telecommunication systems (Telephone system) [time series]

general assessment: privatization begun in 1988; most advanced telecommunications infrastructure in South America; modern system based on extensive microwave radio relay facilities; fixed-line connections have dropped in recent years as mobile-cellular usage continues to increase, reaching a level of 85 telephones per 100 persons domestic: extensive microwave radio relay links; domestic satellite system with 3 earth stations international: country code - 56; submarine cables provide links to the US and to Central and South America; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2007)

Telephones - fixed lines (Telephones - main lines in use) [time series]

3.379 million (2007)

Telephones - mobile cellular [time series]

13.955 million (2007)

Broadcast media (Television broadcast stations) [time series]

63 (plus 121 repeaters) (1997)

Economy

Agricultural products (Agriculture - products) [time series]

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

Budget [time series]

revenues: $44.96 billion expenditures: $30.51 billion (2007 est.)

Central bank discount rate [time series]

6% (31 December 2007)

Commercial bank prime lending rate [time series]

8.67% (31 December 2007)

Exchange rates (Currency (code)) [time series]

Chilean peso (CLP)

Current account balance [time series]

$7.2 billion (2007 est.)

Debt - external [time series]

$57.6 billion (31 December 2007)

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income (Distribution of family income - Gini index) [time series]

54.9 (2003)

Economic overview (Economy - overview) [time series]

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 2007 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. President BACHELET in 2006 established an Economic and Social Stabilization Fund to hold excess copper revenues so that social spending can be maintained during periods of copper shortfalls. This fund probably surpassed $20 billion at the end of 2007. 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 two years, dropping to 7.8% and 7.0% at the end of 2006 and 2007, respectively. 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 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, China, India, South Korea, and Mexico.

Electricity - consumption [time series]

45.52 billion kWh (2006 est.)

Electricity - exports [time series]

0 kWh (2007 est.)

Electricity - imports [time series]

1.628 billion kWh (2007 est.)

Electricity - production [time series]

50.37 billion kWh (2006 est.)

Exchange rates [time series]

Chilean pesos (CLP) per US dollar - 526.25 (2007), 530.29 (2006), 560.09 (2005), 609.37 (2004), 691.43 (2003)

Exports [time series]

$67.64 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.)

Exports - commodities [time series]

copper, fruit, fish products, paper and pulp, chemicals, wine

Exports - partners [time series]

China 14.8%, US 12.5%, Japan 10.5%, Netherlands 5.8%, South Korea 5.7%, Italy 5.1%, Brazil 5% (2007)

GDP (official exchange rate) [time series]

$163.8 billion (2007 est.)

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

$232.8 billion (2007 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin (GDP - composition by sector) [time series]

agriculture: 4.8% industry: 51.2% services: 44% (2007 est.)

Real GDP per capita (GDP - per capita (PPP)) [time series]

$14,300 (2007 est.)

Real GDP growth rate (GDP - real growth rate) [time series]

5.1% (2007 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share [time series]

lowest 10%: 1.4% highest 10%: 45% (2003)

Imports [time series]

$43.99 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.)

Imports - commodities [time series]

petroleum and petroleum products, chemicals, electrical and telecommunications equipment, industrial machinery, vehicles, natural gas

Imports - partners [time series]

US 16.7%, China 11.2%, Brazil 10.3%, Argentina 9.9% (2007)

Industrial production growth rate [time series]

11.1% (2007 est.)

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]

4.4% (2007 est.)

Investment (gross fixed) [time series]

20.6% of GDP (2007 est.)

Labor force [time series]

7.167 million (2007 est.)

Labor force - by occupation [time series]

agriculture: 13.6% industry: 23.4% services: 63% (2003)

Market value of publicly traded shares [time series]

$174.6 billion (2006)

Natural gas - consumption [time series]

4.2 billion cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - exports [time series]

0 cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - imports [time series]

2.4 billion cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - production [time series]

1.8 billion cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves [time series]

97.97 billion cu m (1 January 2008 est.)

Oil - consumption [time series]

253,000 bbl/day (2006 est.)

Oil - exports [time series]

32,500 bbl/day (2005)

Oil - imports [time series]

222,900 bbl/day (2006 est.)

Oil - production [time series]

11,610 bbl/day (2007 est.)

Oil - proved reserves [time series]

150 million bbl (1 January 2008 est.)

Public debt [time series]

4.1% of GDP (2007 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold [time series]

$16.84 billion (31 December 2007 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad [time series]

$24.68 billion (2007 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment - at home [time series]

$91.49 billion (2007 est.)

Stock of domestic credit [time series]

$127.1 billion (31 December 2007)

Stock of narrow money (Stock of money) [time series]

$16.6 billion (31 December 2007)

Stock of narrow money (Stock of quasi money) [time series]

$80.42 billion (31 December 2007)

Unemployment rate [time series]

7% (2007 est.)

Geography

Area [time series]

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 [time series]

slightly smaller than twice the size of Montana

Climate [time series]

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

Coastline [time series]

6,435 km

Elevation (Elevation extremes) [time series]

lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m highest point: Nevado Ojos del Salado 6,880 m

Environment - current issues [time series]

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

International environmental agreements (Environment - international agreements) [time series]

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

Total water withdrawal (Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural)) [time series]

total: 12.55 cu km/yr (11%/25%/64%) per capita: 770 cu m/yr (2000)

Geographic coordinates [time series]

30 00 S, 71 00 W

Geography - note [time series]

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

Irrigated land [time series]

19,000 sq km (2003)

Land boundaries [time series]

total: 6,339 km border countries: Argentina 5,308 km, Bolivia 860 km, Peru 171 km

Land use [time series]

arable land: 2.62% permanent crops: 0.43% other: 96.95% (2005)

Location [time series]

Southern South America, bordering the South Pacific Ocean, between Argentina and Peru

Map references [time series]

South America

Maritime claims [time series]

territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200/350 nm

Natural hazards [time series]

severe earthquakes; active volcanism; tsunamis

Natural resources [time series]

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

Terrain [time series]

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

Total renewable water resources [time series]

922 cu km (2000)

Government

Administrative divisions [time series]

15 regions (regiones, singular - region); Aisen del General Carlos Ibanez del Campo, 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

Capital [time series]

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

Constitution [time series]

11 September 1980, effective 11 March 1981; amended 1989, 1991, 1997, 1999, 2000, 2003, and 2005

Country name [time series]

conventional long form: Republic of Chile conventional short form: Chile local long form: Republica de Chile local short form: Chile

Diplomatic representation from the US [time series]

chief of mission: Ambassador Paul E. SIMONS embassy: Avenida Andres Bello 2800, Las Condes, Santiago mailing address: APO AA 34033 telephone: [56] (2) 330-3000 FAX: [56] (2) 330-3710, 330-3160

Diplomatic representation in the US [time series]

chief of mission: Ambassador Mariano FERNANDEZ 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, Philadelphia, San Francisco, San Juan (Puerto Rico)

Executive branch [time series]

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%

Flag (Flag description) [time series]

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

Government type [time series]

republic

Independence [time series]

18 September 1810 (from Spain)

International organization participation [time series]

APEC, BIS, CAN (associate), FAO, G-15, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt (signatory), ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, LAES, LAIA, Mercosur (associate), MIGA, MINUSTAH, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, RG, UN, UNASUR, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, Union Latina, UNMOGIP, UNTSO, UNWTO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Judicial branch [time series]

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

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; note - in June 2005, Chile completed overhaul of its criminal justice system to a new, US-style adversarial system

Legislative branch [time series]

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; note - as of 8 January 2008: Senate - seats by party - CPD 18, (PDC 5, PS 8, PPD 2, PRSD 3), APC 16 (UDI 9, RN 7), independent 4; Chamber of Deputies - seats by party - CPD 57 (PDC 16, PPD 19, PS 15, PRSD 7), APC 53 (UDI 33, RN 20), independent 10.

National holiday [time series]

Independence Day, 18 September (1810)

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

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 Medina], Party for Democracy or PPD [Sergio BITAR Chacra], Radical Social Democratic Party or PRSD [Jose Antonio GOMEZ Urrutia]); Communist Party or PC [Guillermo TEILLIER]; Humanist Party [Marilen CABRERA Olmos]

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

Roman Catholic Church; United Labor Central or CUT includes trade unionists from the country's five largest labor confederations other: revitalized university student federations at all major universities

Suffrage [time series]

18 years of age; universal and compulsory

Introduction

Background [time series]

Prior to the coming of the Spanish in the 16th century, northern Chile was under Inca rule while Araucanian Indians (also known as Mapuches) inhabited central and southern Chile. Although Chile declared its independence in 1810, decisive victory over the Spanish was not achieved until 1818. In the War of the Pacific (1879-83), Chile defeated Peru and Bolivia and won its present northern regions. It was not until the 1880s that the Araucanian Indians were completely subjugated. A three-year-old Marxist government of Salvador ALLENDE was overthrown in 1973 by a military coup 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, reduced poverty rates by over half, 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.

Military

Manpower available for military service [time series]

males age 16-49: 4,242,912 females age 16-49: 4,182,509 (2008 est.)

Manpower fit for military service [time series]

males age 16-49: 3,542,448 females age 16-49: 3,500,059 (2008 est.)

Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually [time series]

male: 147,518 female: 141,139 (2008 est.)

Military and security forces (Military branches) [time series]

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), Carabineros Corps (Cuerpo de Carabineros) (2008)

Military expenditures [time series]

2.7% of GDP (2006)

Military service age and obligation [time series]

18-45 years of age for voluntary male and female military service, although the right to compulsory recruitment is retained; service obligation - 12 months for Army, 22 months for Navy and Air Force (2008)

People

Age structure [time series]

0-14 years: 23.6% (male 1,987,962/female 1,899,489) 15-64 years: 67.6% (male 5,556,867/female 5,563,666) 65 years and over: 8.8% (male 602,789/female 843,370) (2008 est.)

Birth rate [time series]

14.82 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Death rate [time series]

5.77 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Education expenditure (Education expenditures) [time series]

3.2% of GDP (2006)

Ethnic groups [time series]

white and white-Amerindian 95.4%, Mapuche 4%, other indigenous groups 0.6% (2002 census)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate [time series]

0.3% (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths [time series]

1,400 (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS [time series]

26,000 (2003 est.)

Infant mortality rate [time series]

total: 7.9 deaths/1,000 live births male: 8.7 deaths/1,000 live births female: 7.06 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.)

Languages [time series]

Spanish (official), Mapudungun, German, English

Life expectancy at birth [time series]

total population: 77.15 years male: 73.88 years female: 80.59 years (2008 est.)

Literacy [time series]

definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 95.7% male: 95.8% female: 95.6% (2002 census)

Median age [time series]

total: 31.1 years male: 30.1 years female: 32.1 years (2008 est.)

Nationality [time series]

noun: Chilean(s) adjective: Chilean

Net migration rate [time series]

NA (2008 est.)

Population [time series]

16,454,143 (July 2008 est.)

Population growth rate [time series]

0.905% (2008 est.)

Religions [time series]

Roman Catholic 70%, Evangelical 15.1%, Jehovah's Witness 1.1%, other Christian 1%, other 4.6%, none 8.3% (2002 census)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education) [time series]

total: 14 years male: 14 years female: 14 years (2006)

Sex ratio [time series]

at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.72 male(s)/female total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2008 est.)

Total fertility rate [time series]

1.95 children born/woman (2008 est.)

Transnational Issues

Disputes - international [time series]

Chile and Peru rebuff Bolivia's reinvigorated 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 gas and other commodities; 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)

Illicit drugs [time series]

transshipment country for cocaine destined for Europe and the region; 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 recent anti-money-laundering law improves controls; imported precursors passed on to Bolivia; domestic cocaine consumption is rising, making Chile a significant consumer of cocaine

Transportation

Airports [time series]

358 (2007)

Airports - with paved runways [time series]

total: 79 over 3,047 m: 5 2,438 to 3,047 m: 8 1,524 to 2,437 m: 22 914 to 1,523 m: 25 under 914 m: 19 (2007)

Airports - with unpaved runways [time series]

total: 279 2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 12 914 to 1,523 m: 49 under 914 m: 216 (2007)

Merchant marine [time series]

total: 44 by type: bulk carrier 9, cargo 7, chemical tanker 8, container 1, liquefied gas 2, passenger 4, passenger/cargo 2, petroleum tanker 7, roll on/roll off 1, vehicle carrier 3 registered in other countries: 40 (Argentina 7, Brazil 1, Cyprus 1, Isle of Man 6, Marshall Islands 4, Norway 2, Panama 12, Singapore 6, Venezuela 1) (2008)

Pipelines [time series]

gas 2,550 km; gas/liquid petroleum gas 42 km; liquid petroleum gas 539 km; oil 1,002 km; refined products 757 km; unknown (oil/water) 97 km (2007)

Ports (Ports and terminals) [time series]

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

Railways [time series]

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 (2006)

Roadways [time series]

total: 80,505 km paved: 16,745 km (includes 2,414 km of expressways) unpaved: 63,760 km (2004)