Background:
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| Prior to the coming of the Spanish in the 16th century, northern Chile was under Inca rule while the indigenous Mapuche 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 Mapuche Indians were completely subjugated. After a series of elected governments, 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. |
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Location:
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| Southern South America, bordering the South Pacific Ocean, between Argentina and Peru
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Geographic coordinates:
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30 00 S, 71 00 W
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Map references:
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Area:
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total: 756,102 sq km
country comparison to the world: 45
land:
743,812 sq km
water:
12,290 sq km
note:
includes Easter Island (Isla de Pascua) and Isla Sala y Gomez
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Area - comparative:
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slightly smaller than twice the size of Montana
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Land boundaries:
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total: 6,339 km
border countries:
Argentina 5,308 km, Bolivia 860 km, Peru 171 km
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Coastline:
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6,435 km
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Maritime claims:
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territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone:
24 nm
exclusive economic zone:
200 nm
continental shelf:
200/350 nm
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Climate:
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temperate; desert in north; Mediterranean in central region; cool and damp in south
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Terrain:
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low coastal mountains; fertile central valley; rugged Andes in east
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Elevation extremes:
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lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point:
Nevado Ojos del Salado 6,880 m
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Natural resources:
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copper, timber, iron ore, nitrates, precious metals, molybdenum, hydropower
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Land use:
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arable land: 2.62%
permanent crops:
0.43%
other:
96.95% (2005)
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Irrigated land:
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19,000 sq km (2003)
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Total renewable water resources:
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922 cu km (2000)
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Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
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total: 12.55 cu km/yr (11%/25%/64%)
per capita:
770 cu m/yr (2000)
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Natural hazards:
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severe earthquakes; active volcanism; tsunamis
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Environment - current issues:
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widespread deforestation and mining threaten natural resources; air pollution from industrial and vehicle emissions; water pollution from raw sewage
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Environment - international agreements:
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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
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Geography - note:
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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 |
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Population:
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| 16,601,707 (July 2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 61
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Age structure:
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0-14 years: 23.2% (male 1,966,017/female 1,877,963)
15-64 years:
67.8% (male 5,625,963/female 5,628,146)
65 years and over:
9.1% (male 627,746/female 875,872) (2009 est.)
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Median age:
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total: 31.4 years
male:
30.4 years
female:
32.4 years (2009 est.)
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Population growth rate:
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0.881% (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 136
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Birth rate:
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14.64 births/1,000 population (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 143
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Death rate:
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5.84 deaths/1,000 population (July 2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 168
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Net migration rate:
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NA (2009 est.)
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Urbanization:
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urban population: 88% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization:
1.3% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)
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Sex ratio:
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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 (2009 est.)
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Infant mortality rate:
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total: 7.71 deaths/1,000 live births
country comparison to the world: 164
male:
8.49 deaths/1,000 live births
female:
6.88 deaths/1,000 live births (2009 est.)
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Life expectancy at birth:
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total population: 77.34 years
country comparison to the world: 56
male:
74.07 years
female:
80.77 years (2009 est.)
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Total fertility rate:
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1.92 children born/woman (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 139
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HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
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0.3% (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 85
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HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
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31,000 (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 70
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HIV/AIDS - deaths:
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1,100 (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 72
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Nationality:
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noun: Chilean(s)
adjective:
Chilean
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Ethnic groups:
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white and white-Amerindian 95.4%, Mapuche 4%, other indigenous groups 0.6% (2002 census)
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Religions:
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Roman Catholic 70%, Evangelical 15.1%, Jehovah's Witness 1.1%, other Christian 1%, other 4.6%, none 8.3% (2002 census)
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Languages:
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Spanish (official), Mapudungun, German, English
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Literacy:
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definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population:
95.7%
male:
95.8%
female:
95.6% (2002 census)
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School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
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total: 14 years
male:
14 years
female:
14 years (2006)
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Education expenditures:
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3.2% of GDP (2006)
country comparison to the world: 141
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