LOCATION:

Southern South America, bordering the South Pacific Ocean, between Argentina and Peru

AREA:

total: 756,950 sq km

land: 748,800 sq km
water: 8,150 sq km
 
note: includes Easter Island (Isla de Pascua) and Isla Sala y Gomez

Area - comparative:
  
slightly smaller than twice the size of Montana

POPULATION

Population:
   
15,980,912

(July 2005 est.)

AGE STRUCTURE:

Age structure:
  
0-14 years: 25.2% (male 2,062,735/female 1,970,913) 
15-64 years: 66.7% (male 5,320,870/female 5,342,771) 
65 years and over: 8% (male 534,737/female 748,886)

(2005 est.)

MEDIAN AGE:

Median age:
  
total: 30.07 years
male: 29.17 years
female: 31.05 years

(2005 est.)

POPULATION GROWTH:

Population growth rate:
  
0.97%

(2005 est.)

INFANT MORTALITY RATE:

Infant mortality rate:
   
total: 8.8 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 9.55 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 8.01 deaths/1,000 live births

 (2005 est.)

HIV/AIDS-ADULT PREVALENCE RATE:

HIV/AIDS Adult prevalence rate:

0.3 %

HIV/AIDS- PEOPLE LIVING WITH HIV/AIDS :

ages 15-49
26,000

low estimate:
13,000

high estimate:
43,000

HIV/AIDS-DEATH

Adults and Children deaths:
1,400

low estimate:
700

high estimate:
2,500

ETHNIC GROUPS:

Ethnic groups:
  
white and white-Amerindian 95%, Amerindian 3%,
other 2%

RELIGIONS:

Religions:
  
Roman Catholic 89%,
Protestant 11%,
Jewish NEGL%

LANGUAGES:

Languages:
  
Spanish

LITERACY:

Literacy:
  
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
 
total population: 96.2%
 
male: 96.4%
female: 96.1%

(2003 est.)

GOVERNMENT TYPE:

Government type:
  
republic

CAPITAL:

Capital:
  
Santiago

ADMINISTRATIVE DIVISIONS:

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 (Santiago), Tarapaca, Valparaiso
 
note: the US does not recognize claims to Antarctica

INDEPENDENCE:

Independence:
  
18 September 1810
(from Spain)

ECONOMY:

Economy - overview:
  
Chile has a market-oriented economy characterized by a high level of foreign trade. During the early 1990s, Chile's reputation as a role model for economic reform was strengthened when the democratic government of Patricio AYLWIN - which took over from the military in 1990 - deepened the economic reform initiated by the military government. Growth in real GDP averaged 8% during 1991-97, but fell to half that level in 1998 because of tight monetary policies implemented to keep the current account deficit in check and because of lower export earnings - the latter a product of the global financial crisis. A severe drought exacerbated the recession in 1999, reducing crop yields and causing hydroelectric shortfalls and electricity rationing, and Chile experienced negative economic growth for the first time in more than 15 years. Despite the effects of the recession, Chile maintained its reputation for strong financial institutions and sound policy that have given it the strongest sovereign bond rating in South America. By the end of 1999, exports and economic activity had begun to recover, and growth rebounded to 4.2% in 2000.
 Growth fell back to 3.1% in 2001 and 2.1% in 2002, largely due to lackluster global growth and the devaluation of the Argentine peso. Chile's economy began
a slow recovery in 2003, growing 3.2% and accelerated to 5.8% in 2004.
 GDP growth benefited from high copper prices, solid export earnings
(particularly forestry, fishing, and mining), and stepped-up foreign direct investment. Unemployment, however, remains stubbornly high.
Chile deepened its longstanding commitment to tradeliberalization
 with the signing of a free trade agreement with the US, which took
effect on 1 January 2004.

GDP:

GDP:
   
purchasing power parity - $169.1 billion

(2004 est.)

POPULATION BELOW POVERT LINE:

Population below poverty line:
  
20.6%

(2000)

INFLATION RATE:

Inflation rate
(consumer prices): 2.4%

(2004 est.)

UNEMPLOYMENT:

Unemployment rate: 8.5%

(2004 est.)

EXCHANGE RATES:

Exchange rates:
  
Chilean pesos per US dollar -

618.297 (2004),
 691.433 (2003),
688.936 (2002),
634.938 (2001),
535.466 (2000)

Illicit Drugs:
  
Illicit drugs:
  
important transshipment country for cocaine destined for Europe and the US; economic prosperity and increasing trade have made Chile more attractive to traffickers seeking to launder drug profits, especially through the Iquique Free Trade Zone, but a new anti-money-laundering law improves controls; imported precursors passed on to Bolivia; domestic cocaine consumption is rising.