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GOVERNMENT
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ECONOMY AND RESOURCES
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POPULATION AND SOCIETY
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TRANSPORT
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PRACTICAL INFORMATION
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CHRONOLOGY
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GENERAL INFORMATION 756,950 sq km/292,258 sq mi Capital Santiago Major towns/cities Concepción, Via del Mar, Valparaso, Talcahuano, Puente Alto, Temuco, Antofagasta Major ports Valparaso, 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 Fernndez Islands, part of Tierra del Fuego, claim to part of Antarctica GOVERNMENT(Back to Top) Head of state and government Ricardo Lagos Escobar from 2000 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 Armed forces 94,500 (1998) Conscription one year (army) or two years (navy and air force) Death penalty retained and used for ordinary crimes Defence spend ( GDP) 3.7 (1998) Education spend ( GNP) 3.6 (1997) Health spend ( GDP) 6.1 (1997) ECONOMY AND RESOURCES (Back to Top) Currency Chilean peso GDP (US) 71.09 billion (1999) Real GDP growth ( change on previous year) 1.1 (1999) GNP (US) 71.1 billion (1999) GNP per capita (PPP) (US) 8,370 (1999) Consumer price inflation 3.3 (1999) Unemployment 7.2 (1998 est) Foreign debt (US) 37.7 billion (1999 est) Major trading partners USA, Japan, Brazil, Germany, Argentina, UK, Mexico 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 18.6 (1999) Imports machinery and transport equipment, wheat, chemical and mineral products, consumer goods, raw materials. Principal source USA 20.8 (1999) Arable land 4.5 (1996) Agricultural products wheat, sugar beet, potatoes, maize, fruit and vegetables livestock POPULATION AND SOCIETY(Back to Top) Population 15,211,000 (2000 est) Population growth rate 1.4 (19952000) 1.2 (200005) Population density (per sq km) 20 (1999 est) Urban population ( of total) 86 (2000 est) Age distribution ( of total population) 014 28, 1559 62, 60 10 (2000 est) Ethnic groups 65 mestizo (mixed American Indian and Spanish descent), 30 European, remainder mainly American Indian Language Spanish (official) Religion Roman Catholic 80, Protestant 13, atheist and nonreligious 6 Education (compulsory years) 8 Literacy rate 96 (men) 95 (women) (2000 est) Labour force 14.4 agriculture, 27.3 industry, 58.3 services (1997) Life expectancy 72 (men) 78 (women) (19952000) Child mortality rate (under 5, per 1,000 live births) 15 (19952000) Physicians 1 per 942 people (1993 est) Hospital beds 1 per 320 people (1993 est) TV sets (per 1,000 people) 233 (1997) Radios (per 1,000 people) 354 (1997) Internet users (per 10,000 people) 416.6 (1999) Personal computer users (per 100 people) 6.7 (1999) TTRANSPORT(Back to Top) Airports international airports Santiago (Arturo Merino Bentez), Arica (Chacalluta) domestic services to main towns total passenger km 8,597 million (1997 est) Railways total length 6,572 km/4,084 mi total passenger km 816 million (1994) Roads total road network 79,800 km/49,588 mi, of which 13.8 paved (1996 est) passenger cars 70.5 per 1,000 people (1996) PRACTICAL INFORMATION(Back to Top) Visa requirements UK visa not required. USA visa not required Embassy in the UK 12 Devonshire Street, London W1N 2DS. Tel (020) 7580 6392 fax (020) 7436 5204 British embassy Avenida El Bosque Norte (Casilla 16552), Santiago 9. Tel (2) 231 3737 fax (2) 231 9771 Chamber of commerce Cmara de Comercio de Santiago de Chile, AG, Santa Luca 302, 3 , Casilla 1297, Santiago. Tel (2) 632 1232 fax (2) 633 0962 o Office hours 09001830 MonFri Banking hours 09001400 MonFri Time difference GMT 4 Chief tourist attractions beaches Andean skiing resorts lakes, rivers, desert scenery Easter Island Neolithic sites Major holidays 1st of January, 1st and 21st of May, 29th of June, 15th of August, 11th 18th and 19th of September, 12th of October, 1st of November, 8th 25th 31st of December variable Good Friday, Holy Saturday CHRONOLOGY(Back to Top) 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 Jos de San Martin and Bernardo O'Higgins, defeated the Spanish. 1818 Chile achieved independence from Spain with O'Higgins as supreme director. 182330 O'Higgins was forced to resign a civil war between conservative centralists and liberal federalists ended with conservative victory. 1833 An autocratic republican constitution created a unitary Roman Catholic state with a strong president and limited franchise. 185161 President Manuel Montt bowed to pressure to liberalize the constitution and reduce privileges of landowners and the church. 187984 Chile defeated Peru and Bolivia in the War of the Pacific and increased its territory by a third. late 19th century Mining of nitrate and copper became a major industry large-scale European immigration followed the pacification of Araucanian Indians. 1891 A constitutional dispute between president and congress led to civil war congressional victory reduced the president to figurehead status. 1925 A new constitution increased presidential powers, separated church and state, and made primary education compulsory. 1927 A military coup led to the dictatorship of Gen Carlos Ibnez 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. 194858 The Communist Party was banned. 1970 Salvador Allende, leader of the Popular Unity coalition, became the world's first democratically elected Marxist president he embarked on an extensive programme of nationalization and radical social reform. 1973 Allende was killed in a CIA-backed military coup Gen Augusto Pinochet established a dictatorship combining severe political repression with free-market economics. 1981 Pinochet began an eight-year term as president under a new constitution described as a transition to democracy. 1983 Economic recession provoked growing opposition to the governing regime. 1988 A referendum on whether Pinochet should serve a further term resulted in a clear No vote. 1990 The military regime ended, with a Christian Democrat (Patricio Aylwin) as president, with Pinochet as commander in chief of the army. An investigation was launched into over 2,000 political executions during the military regime. 1995 Dante Cordova was appointed prime minister. 1998 Pinochet retired from the army and was made life senator. Pinochet was placed under arrest in the UK proceedings began to extradite him to Spain on murder charges. 1999 The ruling on the extradition of Pinochet to Spain was left to the British government. 2000 Ricardo Lagos was elected president. Pinochet was found unfit for trial by British doctors and allowed to return to Chile. However, in Chile, Pinochet was stripped of immunity from prosecution. 2001 Pinochet was arrested and charged with organizing the killings of left-wing activists and union leaders during his time in power (Back to Top) |