The 2008 CIA World Factbook. United States. Central Intelligence Agency

coming of the Spanish in the 16th century, northern Chile was under Inca rule while Araucanian Indians (also known as Mapuches) inhabited central and southern Chile. Although Chile declared its independence in 1810, decisive victory over the Spanish was not achieved until 1818. In the War of the Pacific (1879–83), Chile defeated Peru and Bolivia and won its present northern regions. It was not until the 1880s that the Araucanian Indians were completely subjugated. A three-year-old Marxist government of Salvador ALLENDE was overthrown in 1973 by a military coup led by Augusto PINOCHET, who ruled until a freely elected president was installed in 1990. Sound economic policies, maintained consistently since the 1980s, have contributed to steady growth, reduced poverty rates by over half, and have helped secure the country's commitment to democratic and representative government. Chile has increasingly assumed regional and international leadership roles befitting its status as a stable, democratic nation.

      Geography

       Chile

      Location:

      Southern South America, bordering the South Pacific Ocean, between

       Argentina and Peru

      Geographic coordinates:

      30 00 S, 71 00 W

      Map references:

      South America

      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

      Land boundaries:

      total: 6,339 km border countries: Argentina 5,308 km, Bolivia 860 km, Peru 171 km

      Coastline:

      6,435 km

      Maritime claims:

      territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200/350 nm

      Climate:

      temperate; desert in north; Mediterranean in central region; cool and damp in south

      Terrain:

      low coastal mountains; fertile central valley; rugged Andes in east

      Elevation extremes:

      lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m highest point: Nevado Ojos del Salado 6,880 m

      Natural resources:

      copper, timber, iron ore, nitrates, precious metals, molybdenum, hydropower

      Land use:

      arable land: 2.62% permanent crops: 0.43% other: 96.95% (2005)

      Irrigated land:

      19,000 sq km (2003)

      Total renewable water resources:

      922 cu km (2000)

      Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):

      total: 12.55 cu km/yr (11%/25%/64%) per capita: 770 cu m/yr (2000)

      Natural hazards:

      severe earthquakes; active volcanism; tsunamis

      Environment - current issues:

      widespread deforestation and mining threaten natural resources; air pollution from industrial and vehicle emissions; water pollution from raw sewage

      Environment - international agreements:

      party to: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

      Geography - note:

      strategic location relative to sea lanes between Atlantic and Pacific Oceans (Strait of Magellan, Beagle Channel, Drake Passage); Atacama Desert is one of world's driest regions

      People

       Chile

      Population:

      16,454,143 (July 2008 est.)

      Age structure:

      0–14 years: 23.6% (male 1,987,962/female 1,899,489) 15–64 years: 67.6% (male 5,556,867/female 5,563,666) 65 years and over: 8.8% (male 602,789/female 843,370) (2008 est.)

      Median age:

      total: 31.1 years male: 30.1 years female: 32.1 years (2008 est.)

      Population growth rate:

      0.905% (2008 est.)

      Birth rate:

      14.82 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)

      Death rate:

      5.77 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)

      Net migration rate:

      NA (2008 est.)

      Sex ratio:

      at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15–64 years: 1 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.72 male(s)/female total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2008 est.)

      Infant mortality rate:

      total: 7.9 deaths/1,000 live births male: 8.7 deaths/1,000 live births female: 7.06 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.)

      Life expectancy at birth:

      total population: 77.15 years male: 73.88 years female: 80.59 years (2008 est.)

      Total fertility rate:

      1.95 children born/woman (2008 est.)

      HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:

      0.3% (2003 est.)

      HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:

      26,000 (2003 est.)

      HIV/AIDS - deaths:

      1,400 (2003 est.)

      Nationality:

      noun: Chilean(s) adjective: Chilean

      Ethnic groups:

      white and white-Amerindian 95.4%, Mapuche 4%, other indigenous groups 0.6% (2002 census)

      Religions:

      Roman Catholic 70%, Evangelical 15.1%, Jehovah's Witness 1.1%, other

       Christian 1%, other 4.6%, none 8.3% (2002 census)

      Languages:

      Spanish (official), Mapudungun, German, English

      Literacy:

      definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 95.7% male: 95.8% female: 95.6% (2002 census)

      School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):

      total: 14 years male: 14 years female: 14 years (2006)

      Education expenditures:

      3.2% of GDP (2006)

      Government

       Chile

      Country name:

      conventional long form: Republic of Chile

       conventional short form: Chile

       local long form: Republica de Chile

       local short form: Chile

      Government type:

      republic

      Capital:

      name: