Republic of Chile

National name: República de Chile

President: Ricardo Lagos (2000)

Area: 292,258 sq mi (756,950 sq km)

Population (2005 est.): 15,980,912 (growth rate: 1.0%); birth rate: 15.4/1000; infant mortality rate: 8.8/1000; life expectancy: 76.6; density per sq mi: 55

Capital and largest city (2003 est.): Santiago, 5,333,100 (metro.area), 4,372,800 (city proper)

Other large cities: Viña del Mar, 303,100; Valparaíso, 274,100; Talcahuano, 252,800; Temuco, 247,200; Concepción, 217,600

Monetary unit: Chilean Peso

Language: Spanish

Ethnicity/race: white and white-Amerindian 95%, Amerindian 3%, other 2%

Religions: Roman Catholic 89%, Protestant 11%, small Jewish and Muslim populations

Literacy rate: 96% (2003 est.)

Economic summary: GDP/PPP (2004 est.): $169.1 billion; per capita $10,700. Real growth rate: 5.8%. Inflation: 2.4%. Unemployment: 8.5%. Arable land: 3%. Agriculture: grapes, apples, pears, onions, wheat, corn, oats, peaches, garlic, asparagus, beans, beef, poultry, wool; fish; timber. Labor force: 6.2 million; agriculture 13.6%, industry 23.4%, services 63% (2003). Industries: copper, other minerals, foodstuffs, fish processing, iron and steel, wood and wood products, transport equipment, cement, textiles. Natural resources: copper, timber, iron ore, nitrates, precious metals, molybdenum, hydropower. Exports: $29.2 billion (f.o.b., 2004 est.): copper, fruit, fish products, paper and pulp, chemicals, wine. Imports: $22.53 billion (f.o.b., 2004 est.): petroleum and petroleum products, chemicals, electrical and telecommunications equipment, industrial machinery, vehicles, natural gas. Major trading partners: U.S., Japan, China, South Korea, Mexico, Italy, Argentina, Brazil (2003).

Communications: Telephones: main lines in use: 2.603 million (1998); mobile cellular: 944,225 (1998). Radio broadcast stations: AM 180 (eight inactive), FM 64, shortwave 17 (one inactive) (1998). Radios: 5.18 million (1997). Television broadcast stations: 63 (plus 121 repeaters) (1997). Televisions: 3.15 million (1997). Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 7 (2000). Internet users: 3.1 million (2002).

Transportation: Railways: total: 6,585 km (2002). Highways: total: 79,814 km; paved: 15,484 km; unpaved: 64,330 km (2000). Waterways: 725 km. Ports and harbors: Antofagasta, Arica, Chanaral, Coquimbo, Iquique, Puerto Montt, Punta Arenas, San Antonio, San Vicente, Talcahuano, Valparaiso. Airports: 363 (2002).

International disputes: Bolivia continues to press Chile and Peru to restore the Atacama corridor ceded to Chile in 1884; dispute with Peru over the economic zone delimited by the maritime boundary; Chile demands water rights to Bolivia's Rio Lauca and Silala Spring; Beagle Channel islands dispute resolved through Papal mediation in 1984, but armed incidents persist since 1992 oil discovery; territorial claim in Antarctica (Chilean Antarctic Territory) partially overlaps Argentine and British claims.