*Chile, People
Population:
13,739,759 (July 1993 est.)
Population growth rate:
1.54% (1993 est.)
Birth rate:
20.9 births/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Death rate:
5.55 deaths/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Net migration rate:
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
15.9 deaths/1,000 live births (1993 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population:
74.15 years
male:
71.16 years
female:
77.29 years (1993 est.)
Total fertility rate:
2.51 children born/woman (1993 est.)
Nationality:
noun:
Chilean(s)
adjective:
Chilean
Ethnic divisions:
European and European-Indian 95%, Indian 3%, other 2%
Religions:
Roman Catholic 89%, Protestant 11%, Jewish
Languages:
Spanish
Literacy:
age 15 and over can read and write (1990)
total population:
93%
male:
94%
female:
93%
Labor force:
4.728 million
by occupation:
services 38.3% (includes government 12%), industry and commerce 33.8%,
agriculture, forestry, and fishing 19.2%, mining 2.3%, construction 6.4%
(1990)
*Chile, Government
Names:
conventional long form:
Republic of Chile
conventional short form:
Chile
local long form:
Republica de Chile
local short form:
Chile
Digraph:
CI
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)
Political parties and leaders:
Concertation of Parties for Democracy consists mainly of four parties: PDC,
PPD, PR, PS; Christian Democratic Party (PDC), Eduardo FREI Ruiz-Tagle;
Party for Democracy (PPD), Sergio BITAR; Radical Party (PR), Carlos GONZALEZ
Marquez; Sociaistl Party (PS), German CORREA; Independent Democratic Union
(UDI), Jovino NOVOA; National Renovation (RN), Andree ALLAMAND;
Center-Center Union (UCC), Francisco Juner ERRAZURIZ; Communist Party of
Chile (PCCh), Volodia TEITELBOIM; Allende Leftist Democratic Movement
(MIDA), Mario PALESTRO
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
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal and compulsory
Elections:
Chamber of Deputies:
last held 14 December 1989 (next to be held December 1993); results -
percent of vote by party NA; seats - (120 total) Concertation of Parties for
Democracy 71 (PDC 38, PPD 17, PR 5, other 11), RN 29, UDI 11, right-wing
independents 9
President:
last held 14 December 1989 (next to be held December 1993); results -
Patricio AYLWIN (PDC) 55.2%, Hernan BUCHI 29.4%, other 15.4%
*Chile, Government
Senate:
last held 14 December 1989 (next to be held December 1993); 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,
right-wing independents 8
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)
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, UNIKOM,
UNMOGIP, UNTAC, UNTSO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in US:
chief of mission:
Ambassador Patricio SILVA Echenique
chancery:
1732 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036
telephone:
(202) 785-1746
consulates general:
Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Philadelphia, and San Francisco
US diplomatic representation:
chief of mission:
Ambassador Curtis W. KAMMAN
embassy:
Codina Building, 1343 Agustinas, Santiago
mailing address:
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, retained the
economic policies of PINOCHET, although the share of spending for social
welfare has risen steadily. In 1991 growth in GDP recovered to 6% (led by
consumer spending) after only 2% growth in 1990. The pace accelerated in
1992 as the result of strong investment and export growth, and GDP rose
10.4%. Nonetheless, inflation fell further, to 12.7%, compared with 27.3% in
1990 and 18.7% in 1991. The buoyant economy spurred a 25% growth in imports,
and the trade surplus fell in 1992, although international reserves
increased. Inflationary pressures are not expected to ease much in 1993, and
economic growth is likely to approach 7%.
National product:
GDP - exchange rate conversion - $34.7 billion (1992 est.)
National product real growth rate: 10.4% (1992)
National product per capita:
$2,550 (1992)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
12.7% (1992)
Unemployment rate:
4.9% (1992)
Budget:
revenues $10.9 billion; expenditures $10.9 billion, including capital
expenditures of $1.2 billion (1993)
Exports:
$10 billion (f.o.b., 1992)
commodities:
copper 41%, other metals and minerals 8.7%, wood products 7.1%, fish and
fishmeal 9.8%, fruits 8.4% (1991)
partners:
EC 32%, US 18%, Japan 18%, Brazil 5% (1991)
Imports:
$9.2 billion (f.o.b., 1992)
commodities:
capital goods 25.2%, spare parts 24.8%, raw materials 15.4%, petroleum 10%,
foodstuffs 5.7%
partners:
US 21%, EC 18%, Brazil 9%, Japan 8% (1991)
External debt:
$16.9 billion (year end 1991)
Industrial production:
growth rate 14.56% (1992); accounts for 34% of GDP
Electricity:
5,769,000 kW capacity; 22,010 million kWh produced, 1,630 kWh per capita
(1992)
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; 1991 fish catch of 6.6
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), $386 million
*Chile, Economy
Currency:
1 Chilean peso (Ch$) = 100 centavos
Exchange rates:
Chilean pesos (Ch$) per US$1 - 384.04 (January 1993), 362.59 (1992), 349.37
(1991), 305.06 (1990), 267.16 (1989), 245.05 (1988)
Fiscal year:
calendar year