Chile

Chile

General Information
Geography
Government
Economy
Population
Health
Communications and media
Chronology


GENERAL INFORMATION

National name República de Chile/Republic of Chile Area 756,950 sq km/292,258 sq mi Capital Santiago Language Spanish (official) Religion Roman Catholic 80%, Protestant 13%, atheist and nonreligious 6% Time difference GMT -4 Major holidays 1 January, 1, 21 May, 29 June, 15 August, 11, 18–19 September, 12 October, 1 November, 8, 25, 31, December; variable: Good Friday, Holy Saturday


GEOGRAPHY

Major towns/cities Concepción, Viña del Mar, Valparaíso, Talcahuano, Puente Alto, Temuco, Antofagasta Major ports Valparaíso, Antofagasta, Arica, Iquique, Punta Arenas Physical features Andes mountains along eastern border, Atacama Desert in north, fertile central valley, grazing land and forest in south Territories Easter Island, Juan Fernández Islands, part of Tierra del Fuego, claim to part of Antarctica Airports two principal international airports and over 300 airfields, of which six can handle international traffic; domestic services to main towns; total passengers carried: 5.2 million (2003 est) Railways total length: 7,998 km/4,970 mi; total passenger journeys: 14.4 million (2003) Roads total road network: 79,605 km/49,462 mi, of which 20.2% paved (2001 est); passenger cars: 135 per 1,000 people (2003 est)


GOVERNMENT

Head of state and government Michelle Bachelet Political system emergent democracy Political executive limited presidency Administrative divisions 12 regions and one metropolitan area Political parties Christian Democratic Party (PDC), moderate centrist; National Renewal Party (RN), right wing; Socialist Party of Chile (PS), left wing; Independent Democratic Union (UDI), right wing; Party for Democracy (PPD), left of centre; Union of the Centre-Centre (UCC), right wing; Radical Party (PR), left of centre Death penalty abolished for ordinary crimes in 2001; laws provide for the death penalty for exceptional crimes, such as crimes committed in wartime Armed forces 78,100; plus paramilitary forces of 38,000 (2006 est) Conscription one year (army) or two years (navy and air force); military service to be voluntary from 2005 Defence spend (% GDP) 3.8 (2005 est) Education spend (% GDP) 4.1 (2004 est) Health spend (% GDP) 3 (2004)


ECONOMY

Currency Chilean peso GDP (US$) 115.2 billion (2005 est) Real GDP growth (% change on previous year) 5.2 (2006 est) GNI (US$) 95.6 billion (2005 est) GNI per capita (PPP) (US$) 11,470 (2005 est) Consumer price inflation 3.5% (2006 est) Unemployment 9.8% (2005 est) Labour force 72.4% agriculture, 7.6% industry, 20% services (2004) Foreign debt (US$) 46 billion (2005 est) Major trading partners USA, Argentina, Japan, Brazil, China, South Korea Resources copper (world's largest producer), gold, silver, iron ore, molybdenum, cobalt, iodine, saltpetre, coal, natural gas, petroleum, hydroelectric power Industries nonferrous metals, food processing, petroleum refining, chemicals, paper products (cellulose, newsprint, paper and cardboard), motor tyres, beer, glass sheets, motor vehicles Exports copper, fruits, timber products, fishmeal, vegetables, manufactured foodstuffs and beverages. Principal market: USA 15.4% (2005) Imports machinery and transport equipment, wheat, chemical and mineral products, consumer goods, raw materials. Principal source: Argentina 14.7% (2005) Arable land 2.6% (2006 est) Agricultural products wheat, sugar beet, potatoes, maize, fruit and vegetables; livestock


POPULATION

Population 16,465,400 (2006 est) Population growth rate 1% (2005–10) Population density (per sq km) 22 (2006 est) Urban population (% of total) 88 (2005 est) Age distribution (% of total population) 0–14 25%, 15–59 63%, 60+ 12% (2005 est) Ethnic groups 65% mestizo (mixed American Indian and Spanish descent), 30% European, remainder mainly American Indian Life expectancy 76 (men); 82 (women) (2005–10) Child mortality rate (under 5, per 1,000 live births) 8 (2004) Education (compulsory years) 8 Literacy rate 96% (men); 96% (women) (2004 est)


HEALTH

Physicians (per 10,000 people) 11.1 (2004 est) Hospital beds (per 1,000 people) 2.6 (2003 est) HIV infection (% of population aged 15–49) 0.3 (2005 est) AIDS deaths <500 (2005 est) Access to drinking-water source (% of total population) 100 (urban); 59 (rural) (2002)


COMMUNICATIONS AND MEDIA

Landline telephones (per 100 people) 22 (2005 est) Mobile phone subscribers (per 100 people) 67.8 (2005 est) Radios (per 1,000 people) 759 (2001 est) TV sets (per 1,000 people) 251 (2004 est) Personal computer users (per 100 people) 14.8 (2005 est) Internet users (per 100 people) 18 (2005 est)


CHRONOLOGY

1535 The first Spanish invasion of Chile was abandoned in the face of fierce resistance from indigenous Araucanian Indians. 1541 Pedro de Valdivia began the Spanish conquest and founded Santiago. 1553 Valdivia was captured and killed by Araucanian Indians, led by Chief Lautaro. 17th century The Spanish developed small agricultural settlements ruled by a government subordinate to the viceroy in Lima, Peru. 1778 The king of Spain appointed a captain-general to govern Chile. 1810 A Santiago junta proclaimed Chilean autonomy after Napoleon dethroned the king of Spain. 1814 The Spanish viceroy regained control of Chile. 1817 The Army of the Andes, led by José de San Martín and Bernardo O'Higgins, defeated the Spanish. 1818 Chile achieved independence from Spain with O'Higgins as supreme director. 1823–30 O'Higgins forced to resign; civil war between conservative centralists and liberal federalists ended with conservative victory. 1833 Autocratic republican constitution created a unitary Roman Catholic state with a strong president and limited franchise. 1851–61 President Manuel Montt bowed to pressure to liberalize the constitution and reduce privileges of landowners and the church. 1879–84 Chile defeated Peru and Bolivia in War of the Pacific and increased its territory by a third. late 19th century Mining of nitrate and copper became major industry; large-scale European immigration followed ‘pacification’ of Araucanian Indians. 1891 Constitutional dispute between president and congress led to civil war; congressional victory reduced president to figurehead status. 1925 New constitution increased presidential powers, separated church and state, and made primary education compulsory. 1927 Military coup led to dictatorship of Gen Carlos Ibánez del Campo. 1931 A sharp fall in price of copper and nitrate caused dramatic economic and political collapse. 1938 A Popular Front of Radicals, Socialists, and Communists took power under Pedro Aguirre Cedra, who introduced economic policies based on the US New Deal. 1948–58 Communist Party banned. 1970 Salvador Allende, leader of Popular Unity coalition, became world's first democratically elected Marxist president; he embarked on an extensive programme of nationalization and radical social reform. 1973 Allende was killed in CIA-backed military coup; Gen Augusto Pinochet established dictatorship combining severe political repression with free-market economics. 1981 Pinochet began eight-year term as president under new constitution described as ‘transition to democracy’. 1983 Economic recession provoked growing opposition to governing regime. 1988 Referendum on whether Pinochet should serve a further term resulted in clear ‘No’ vote. 1990 Military regime ended, with Christian Democrat (Patricio Aylwin) as president and Pinochet as commander-in-chief. Investigation launched into over 2,000 political executions during military regime. 1995 Dante Cordova appointed prime minister. 1998 Pinochet retired from the army and was made life senator; placed under arrest in the UK; proceedings began to extradite him to Spain on murder charges. 1999 Ruling on the extradition of Pinochet to Spain was left to British government. 2000 Ricardo Lagos elected president. Pinochet found unfit for trial by British doctors and allowed to return to Chile, where he was stripped of immunity from prosecution. 2001–06 Pinochet arrested and charged with organizing the killings of left-wing activists and union leaders during his time in power; resigned from his post as life senator. Attempts to have Pinochet stand trial failed repeatedly, with judges citing concerns over his health; he died in 2006. 2004 Despite opposition from the Roman Catholic Church, President Lagos signed bill legalizing divorce. 2005 Senate approved changes to constitution, including president's right to dismiss senior military officers. 2006 Socialist Michelle Bachelet won second round of presidential elections, becoming Chile's first woman president. Chile and China signed free-trade deal. 2007 The government announced that it would pay compensation to 12 victims of Pinochet.


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