Long-form name:
Republic of Chile
Type:
republic
Capital:
Santiago
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, Tarapaca, Valparaiso; note - the US does not
recognize claims to Antarctica
Independence:
18 September 1810 (from Spain)
Constitution:
11 September 1980, effective 11 March 1981; amended 30 July 1989
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
National holiday:
Independence Day, 18 September (1810)
Executive branch:
president, Cabinet
Legislative branch:
bicameral National Congress (Congreso Nacional) consisting of an upper house
or Senate (Senado) and a lower house or Chamber of Deputies (Camara de
Diputados)
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court (Corte Suprema)
Leaders:
Chief of State and Head of Government:
President Patricio AYLWIN Azocar (since 11 March 1990)
Political parties and leaders:
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:
universal and compulsory at age 18
Elections:
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
:Chile Government
Communists:
The PCCh has legal party status and has less than 60,000 members
Other political or pressure groups:
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
Member of:
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
Diplomatic representation:
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
Flag:
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
:Chile Economy
Overview:
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%.
GDP:
exchange rate conversion - $30.5 billion, per capita $2,300; real growth
rate 5.5% (1991 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
18.7% (1991)
Unemployment rate:
6.5% (1991)
Budget:
revenues $7.6 billion; expenditures $8.3 billion, including capital
expenditures of $772 million (1991 est.)
Exports:
$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)
Imports:
$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)
External debt:
$16.2 billion (October 1991)
Industrial production:
growth rate 5.9% (1991 est.); accounts for 36% of GDP
Electricity:
5,502,800 kW capacity; 21,470 million kWh produced, 1,616 kWh per capita
(1991)
Industries:
copper, other minerals, foodstuffs, fish processing, iron and steel, wood
and wood products, transport equipment, cement, textiles
Agriculture:
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
Economic aid:
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), $386 million
Currency:
Chilean peso (plural - pesos); 1 Chilean peso (Ch$) = 100 centavos
Exchange rates:
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)
:Chile Economy
Fiscal year: calendar year
:Chile Communications
Railroads:
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
Highways:
79,025 km total; 9,913 km paved, 33,140 km gravel, 35,972 km improved and
unimproved earth (1984)
Inland waterways:
725 km
Pipelines:
crude oil 755 km; petroleum products 785 km; natural gas 320 km
Ports:
Antofagasta, Iquique, Puerto Montt, Punta Arenas, Valparaiso, San Antonio,
Talcahuano, Arica
Merchant marine:
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
Civil air:
29 major transport aircraft
Airports:
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
Telecommunications:
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
:Chile Defense Forces