The 2010 CIA World Factbook. United States. Central Intelligence Agency

      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

      volcanism: Chile experiences significant volcanic activity due to the more than three-dozen active volcanoes situated within the Andes Mountains; Lascar (elev. 5,592 m, 18,346 ft), which last erupted in 2007, is the most active volcano in the northern Chilean Andes; Llaima (elev. 3,125 m, 10,253 ft) in central Chile, which last erupted in 2009, is another of the country's most active; Chaiten's 2008 eruption forced major evacuations; other notable historically active volcanoes include Cerro Hudson, Copahue, Guallatiri, Llullaillaco, Nevados de Chillan, San Pedro, and Villarrica

      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:

      16,746,491 (July 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 60

      Age structure:

      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) (2010 est.)

      Median age:

      total: 31.7 years

      male: 30.7 years

      female: 32.8 years (2010 est.)

      Population growth rate:

      0.856% (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 134

      Birth rate:

      14.46 births/1,000 population (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 144

      Death rate:

      5.9 deaths/1,000 population (July 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 169

      Net migration rate:

      0 migrant(s)/1,000 population country comparison to the world: 77

      Urbanization:

      urban population: 88% of total population (2008)

      rate of urbanization: 1.3% annual rate of change (2005–10 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 (2010 est.)

      Infant mortality rate:

      total: 7.52 deaths/1,000 live births country comparison to the world: 164 male: 8.29 deaths/1,000 live births

      female: 6.71 deaths/1,000 live births (2010 est.)

      Life expectancy at birth:

      total population: 77.53 years country comparison to the world: 56 male: 74.26 years

      female: 80.96 years (2010 est.)

      Total fertility rate:

      1.9 children born/woman (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 143

      HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:

      0.3% (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 85

      HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:

      31,000 (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 70

      HIV/AIDS - deaths:

      1,100 (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 72

      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: 15 years

      male: 15 years

      female: 14 years (2007)

      Education expenditures:

      3.4% of GDP (2007) country comparison to the world: 135

      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: Santiago

      geographic coordinates: