The 2005 CIA World Factbook. United States. Central Intelligence Agency

resources:

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

       hydropower

      Land use: arable land: 2.65% permanent crops: 0.42% other: 96.93% (2001)

      Irrigated land:

       18,000 sq km (1998 est.)

      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:

       15,980,912 (July 2005 est.)

      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:

       total: 30.07 years

       male: 29.17 years

       female: 31.05 years (2005 est.)

      Population growth rate:

       0.97% (2005 est.)

      Birth rate:

       15.44 births/1,000 population (2005 est.)

      Death rate:

       5.76 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.)

      Net migration rate:

       0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 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: 0.71 male(s)/female

       total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2005 est.)

      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.)

      Life expectancy at birth:

       total population: 76.58 years

       male: 73.3 years

       female: 80.03 years (2005 est.)

      Total fertility rate:

       2.02 children born/woman (2005 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%, Amerindian 3%, other 2%

      Religions:

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

      Languages:

       Spanish

      Literacy:

       definition: age 15 and over can read and write

       total population: 96.2%

       male: 96.4%

       female: 96.1% (2003 est.)

      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:

       Santiago

      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:

       18 September 1810 (from Spain)

      National holiday:

       Independence Day, 18 September (1810)

      Constitution:

       11 September 1980, effective 11 March 1981; amended 30 July 1989,

       1993, and 1997

      Legal system:

       based on Code of 1857 derived from Spanish law and subsequent codes

       influenced by French and Austrian law; judicial review of

       legislative acts in the Supreme Court; has not accepted compulsory

       ICJ jurisdiction

       note: Chile is in the process of completely overhauling its criminal

       justice system; a new, US-style adversarial system is being

       gradually implemented throughout the country with the final stage of

       implementation in the Santiago metropolitan region expected in June

       2005

      Suffrage:

       18 years of age; universal and compulsory

      Executive branch:

       chief of state: President Ricardo LAGOS Escobar (since 11 March

       2000); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of

       government

       head of government: President Ricardo LAGOS Escobar (since 11 March

       2000); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of

       government

       cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president

       elections: president elected by popular vote for a six-year term;

       election last held 12 December 1999, with runoff election held 16

       January 2000 (next to be held December 2005)

       election results: Ricardo LAGOS Escobar elected president; percent

       of vote - Ricardo LAGOS Escobar 51.32%, Joaquin LAVIN 48.68%

      Legislative