General background: A three-year-old Marxist
government was overthrown in 1973 by a dictatorial military
regime led by Augusto PINOCHET, who ruled until a freely
elected president was installed in 1990. Sound economic
policies, first implemented by the PINOCHET dictatorship,
led to unprecedented growth in 1991-97 and have helped
secure the country's commitment to democratic and representative
government.
Area comparative: Slightly
smaller than twice the size of Montana
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
Population: 15,498,930 (July 2002 est.)
Ethnic groups: White and White-Amerindian
95%, Amerindian 3%, other 2%
Religions: Roman Catholic 89%, Protestant
11%, Jewish NEGL%
Language: Spanish
Government type: Republic
Capital: Santiago
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.
Economic overview: Chile has a market-oriented
economy characterized by a high level of foreign trade.
During the early 1990s, Chile's reputation as a role
model for economic reform was strengthened when the
democratic government of Patricio AYLWIN - which took
over from the military in 1990 - deepened the economic
reform initiated by the military government. Growth
in real GDP averaged 8% during 1991-97, but fell to
half that level in 1998 because of tight monetary
policies implemented to keep the current account deficit
in check and because of lower export earnings - the
latter a product of the global financial crisis. A
severe drought exacerbated the recession in 1999,
reducing crop yields and causing hydroelectric shortfalls
and electricity rationing, and Chile experienced negative
economic growth for the first time in more than 15
years. Despite the effects of the recession, Chile
maintained its reputation for strong financial institutions
and sound policy that have given it the strongest
sovereign bond rating in South America. By the end
of 1999, exports and economic activity had begun to
recover, and growth rebounded to 5.4% in 2000. Unemployment
remains stubbornly high, however, putting pressure
on President LAGOS to improve living standards. The
Argentine financial meltdown has put pressure on the
Chilean peso and is slowing the country's economic
growth. Meanwhile, Chile and the US are conducting
negotiations for a free trade agreement.
Communication/Telephone system: Modern system
based on extensive microwave radio relay facilities,
extensive microwave radio relay links; domestic satellite
system with 3 earth stations. Satellite earth stations
- 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean).
Places of interest: Travelers are drawn to
this string bean of a country because of its spectacular
Pacific coastline and Andean highlands, and because
of the opportunities it offers for adventure sports.
Despite having the most European community in South
America, indigenous traditions persist in the Andean
foothills and in the southern plains, while some of
South America's finest national parks draw trekkers
and guanaco spotters alike.
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