Aminet 6/Aminet 6 - June 1995.iso/Aminet/docs/misc/wfbook93_texi.lha/texi/49.data

Text File | 1995-03-27 | 11.5 KB | 396 lines

@node Geography (Chile)
@section Geography (Chile)

@display

Location:
  Western South America, bordering the South Pacific Ocean between Argentina
  and Peru
Map references:
  South America, Standard Time Zones of the World
Area:
 total area:
  756,950 km2
 land area:
  748,800 km2
 comparative area:
  slightly smaller than twice the size of Montana
 note:
  includes Isla de Pascua (Easter Island) and Isla Sala y Gomez
Land boundaries:
  total 6,171 km, Argentina 5,150 km, Bolivia 861 km, Peru 160 km
Coastline:   6,435 km
Maritime claims:
 contiguous zone:
  24 nm
 continental shelf:
  200 nm
 exclusive economic zone:
  200 nm
 territorial sea:
  12 nm
International disputes:
  short section of the southern boundary with Argentina is indefinite; Bolivia
  has wanted a sovereign corridor to the South Pacific Ocean since the Atacama
  area was lost to Chile in 1884; dispute with Bolivia over Rio Lauca water
  rights; territorial claim in Antarctica (Chilean Antarctic Territory)
  partially overlaps Argentine and British claims
Climate:
  temperate; desert in north; cool and damp in south
Terrain:
  low coastal mountains; fertile central valley; rugged Andes in east
Natural resources:
  copper, timber, iron ore, nitrates, precious metals, molybdenum
Land use:
 arable land:
  7%
 permanent crops:
  0%
 meadows and pastures:
  16%
 forest and woodland:
  21%
 other:
  56%
Irrigated land:
  12,650 km2 (1989 est.)
Environment:
  subject to severe earthquakes, active volcanism, tsunami; Atacama Desert one
  of world's driest regions; desertification
Note:
  strategic location relative to sea lanes between Atlantic and Pacific Oceans
  (Strait of Magellan, Beagle Channel, Drake Passage)



@end display

@node People (Chile)
@section People (Chile)

@display

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)



@end display

@node Government (Chile)
@section Government (Chile)

@display

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%



@end display

@node Government (Chile 2. usage)
@section Government (Chile 2. usage)

@display

 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:
  [phone]
 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



@end display

@node Economy (Chile)
@section Economy (Chile)

@display

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



@end display

@node Economy (Chile 2. usage)
@section Economy (Chile 2. usage)

@display

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



@end display

@node Communications (Chile)
@section Communications (Chile)

@display

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; 1,865 km 1.676-meter gauge and 80 km
  1.000-meter gauge electrified
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:
  31 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 445,330 GRT/756,018 DWT; includes 8
  cargo, 1 refrigerated cargo, 3 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 2 oil tanker, 3
  chemical tanker, 3 liquefied gas tanker, 3 combination ore/oil, 8 bulk; note
  - in addition, 1 naval tanker and 1 military transport are sometimes used
  commercially
Airports:
 total:
  396
 usable:
  351
 with permanent-surface runways:
  48
 with runways over 3,659 m:
  0
 with runways 2,440-3,659 m:
  13
 with runways 1,220-2,439 m:
  57
Telecommunications:
  modern telephone system based on extensive microwave radio 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



@end display

@node Defense Forces (Chile)
@section Defense Forces (Chile)

@display

Branches:
  Army of the Nation, National Navy (including Naval Air, Coast Guard, and
  Marines), Air Force of the Nation, Carabineros of Chile (National Police),
  Investigative Police
Manpower availability:
  males age 15-49 3.653 million; fit for military service 2,722,479; reach
  military age (19) annually 119,434 (1993 est.)
Defense expenditures:   exchange rate conversion - $1 billion, 3.4% of GDP (1991 est.)



@end display