The 1997 CIA World Factbook. United States. Central Intelligence Agency
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)
National holiday: Independence Day, 18 September (1810)
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; does not accept compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal and compulsory
Executive branch: chief of state: President Eduardo FREI Ruiz-Tagle (since 11 March 1994); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government head of government : President Eduardo FREI Ruiz-Tagle (since 11 March 1994); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president elections: president elected by popular vote for a six-year term; election last held 11 December 1993 (next to be held NA December 1999) election results: Eduardo FREI Ruiz-Tagle elected president; percent of vote - Eduardo FREI Ruiz-Tagle (PDC) 58%, Arturo ALESSANDRI 24.4%, other 17.6%
Legislative branch: bicameral National Congress or Congreso Nacional consists of the Senate or Senado (46 seats, 38 elected by popular vote; members 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 1993 (next to be held NA December 1997); Chamber of Deputies - last held 11 December 1993 (next to be held NA December 1997) election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - Coalition of Parties for Democracy 21 (PDC 13, PS 4, PPD 3, PR 1), Union for the Progress of Chile 15 (RN 11, UDI 3, UCC 1), right-wing independents 2; Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote by party - Coalition of Parties for Democracy 53.95% (PDC 27.16%, PS 12.01%, PPD 11.82%, PR 2.96%), Union for the Progress of Chile 30.57% (RN 15.25%, UDI 12.13%, UCC 3.19%); seats by party - Coalition of Parties for Democracy 70 (PDC 37, PPD 15, PR 2, PS 15, left-wing independent 1), Union for the Progress of Chile 47 (RN 30, UDI 15, UCC 2), right-wing independents 3; note - subsequent to the election, the Radical Party (PR) became the Radical Social Democratic Party (PRSD)
Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Corte Suprema), judges are appointed by the president, the president of the Supreme Court is elected by the 17-member court
Political parties and leaders: Coalition of Parties for Democracy or
CPD consists mainly of: Christian Democratic Party or PDC [Enrique
KRAUSS]; Socialist Party or PS [Camilo ESCALONA]; Party for Democracy
or PPD [Sergio BITAR]; Radical Social Democratic Party or PRSD
[Anselmo SULE]; Union for the Progress of Chile or UPP consists mainly
of three parties: National Renewal or RN [Alberto ESPINA]; Independent
Democratic Union or UDI [Jovino NOVOA]; Center Center Union or UCC
[Francisco Javier ERRAZURIZ]
Political pressure groups and leaders: revitalized university student federations at all major universities; labor - United Labor Central or CUT includes trade unionists from the country's five largest labor confederations; Roman Catholic Church
International organization participation: APEC, CCC, ECLAC, FAO, G-11,
G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS,
IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU,
LAES, LAIA, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, PCA, RG, UN, UN Security Council
(temporary), UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNITAR, UNMOGIP, UNTSO, UNU, UPU,
WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador John BIEHL Del Rios chancery: 1732 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036 telephone: [1] (202) 785–1746 FAX: [1] (202) 887–5579 consulate(s) general : Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Philadelphia, San Francisco, and San Juan (Puerto Rico)
Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Gabriel GUERRA-MONDRAGON embassy: Avenida Andres Bello 2800, Santiago mailing address : APO AA 34033 telephone: [56] (2) 232–2600 FAX: [56] (2) 330–3710
Flag description: 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
Economy
Economy - overview: Chile has a prosperous, essentially free market economy. Civilian governments - which took over from the military in March 1990 - have continued to reduce the government's role in the economy while shifting the emphasis of public spending toward social programs. Growth in real GDP averaged more than 6.5% in 1991–1996, and inflation is nearing a 40-year low. Chile's currency and foreign reserves also are strong, as sustained foreign capital inflows - driven in part by state privatizations - have more than offset occasional current account deficits and public debt buybacks. President FREI, who took office in March 1994, has placed improving Chile's education system and developing foreign export markets at the top of his economic agenda. Despite this progress, the Chilean economy remains largely dependent on a few sectors - particularly copper mining, fishing, and forestry. Success in meeting the government's goal of sustained annual economic growth of 5% depends largely on world prices for these commodities, continued foreign investor confidence, and the government's ability to maintain a conservative fiscal stance. In 1996, Chile became an associate member of Mercosur and concluded a Free Trade Agreement with Canada.
GDP: purchasing power parity - $120.6 billion (1996 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 6.5% (1996 est.)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $8,400 (1996 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture : 8% industry: 33% services: 59% (1995 est.)
Inflation rate - consumer price index: 6.7% (1996 est.)
Labor force: total: 5.5 million (1996 est.) 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)
Unemployment rate: 6.5% (1996 est.)
Budget: revenues: $17 billion expenditures: $17 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1996 est.)
Industries: copper, other minerals, foodstuffs, fish processing, iron and steel, wood and wood products, transport equipment, cement, textiles
Industrial production growth rate: 4.8% (1995)
Electricity - capacity: 5.964 million kW (1995)
Electricity - production: 27.908 billion kWh (1995)
Electricity - consumption per capita: 1,662 kWh (1995 est.)
Agriculture - products: wheat, corn, grapes, beans, sugar beets, potatoes, fruit; beef, poultry, wool; timber; 1991 fish catch of 6.6 million metric tons
Exports: total value: $15.2 billion (f.o.b., 1996 est.) commodities: copper 37%, other metals and minerals 8.2%, wood products 7.1%, fish and fishmeal 9.8%, fruits 8.4% (1994) partners: EU 25%, US 15%, Asia 34%, Latin America 20% (1995 est.)
Imports: total value : $16.5 billion (f.o.b., 1996 est.) commodities: capital goods 25.2%, spare parts 24.8%, raw materials 15.4%, petroleum 10%, foodstuffs 5.7% (1994) partners: EU 18%, US 25%, Asia 16%, Latin America 26% (1995 est.)
Debt - external: $22.3 billion (1995 est.)
Economic aid: recipient: ODA, $50.3 million (1996 est.)
Currency: 1 Chilean