$7.592 billion (2010 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
2% (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 148 -1.6% (2009 est.)
10.7% (2008 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$1,800 (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 192 $1,800 (2009 est.)
$1,800 (2008 est.)
note: data are in 2010 US dollars
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 50.5%
industry: 7%
services: 42.5% (2010 est.)
Labor force:
4.293 million (2007) country comparison to the world: 83
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 80% (subsistence farming, herding, and fishing)
industry and services: 20% (2006 est.)
Unemployment rate:
NA% est.)
Population below poverty line:
80% (2001 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 2.6%
highest 10%: 30.8% (2003)
Investment (gross fixed):
14.8% of GDP (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 131
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
4% (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 114 10% (2009 est.)
Central bank discount rate:
4.25% (31 December 2009) country comparison to the world: 93 4.75% (31 December 2008)
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
NA% (31 December 2009 est.)
NA% (31 December 2008 est.)
Stock of narrow money:
$920.9 million (31 December 2010 est) country comparison to the world: 139 $937.8 million (31 December 2009 est)
Stock of broad money:
$1.257 billion (31 December 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 154 $1.008 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Stock of domestic credit:
$943.8 million (31 December 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 151 $566.9 million (31 December 2009 est.)
Market value of publicly traded shares:
Agriculture - products:
cotton, sorghum, millet, peanuts, rice, potatoes, manioc (tapioca); cattle, sheep, goats, camels
Industries:
oil, cotton textiles, meatpacking, brewing, natron (sodium carbonate), soap, cigarettes, construction materials
Industrial production growth rate:
3% (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 114
Electricity - production:
100 million kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 190
Electricity - consumption:
93 million kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 191
Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2008 est.)
Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2008 est.)
Oil - production:
115,000 bbl/day (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 51
Oil - consumption:
1,000 bbl/day (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 204
Oil - exports:
157,900 bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 54
Oil - imports:
1,571 bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 179
Oil - proved reserves:
1.5 billion bbl (1 January 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 38
Natural gas - production:
0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 185
Natural gas - consumption:
0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 197
Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 189
Natural gas - imports:
0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 191
Natural gas - proved reserves:
0 cu m (1 January 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 192
Current account balance:
-$2.6 billion (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 163 -$2.305 billion (2009 est.)
Exports:
$3.036 billion (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 123 $2.709 billion (2009 est.)
Exports - commodities:
oil, cattle, cotton, gum arabic
Exports - partners:
US 90.06%, France 4.81%, China 1.6% (2009)
Imports:
$2.631 billion (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 143 $2.539 billion (2009 est.)
Imports - commodities:
machinery and transportation equipment, industrial goods, foodstuffs, textiles
Imports - partners:
France 17.74%, Cameroon 12.7%, China 11.23%, US 7.59%, Italy 6.54%,Ukraine 5.33%, Netherlands 4.37% (2009)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$868 million (31 December 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 112 $685 million (31 December 2009 est.)
Debt - external:
$NA (31 December 2010 est.)
$1.749 billion (31 December 2008 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:
$NA (31 December 2010)
$4.5 billion (2006 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:
Exchange rates:
Cooperation Financiere en Afrique Centrale francs 506.04 (2010), 472.19 (2009), 447.81 (2008), 480.1 (2007), 522.59 (2006)
Communications ::Chad
Telephones - main lines in use:
13,000 (2009) country comparison to the world: 198
Telephones - mobile cellular:
2.686 million (2009) country comparison to the world: 119
Telephone system:
general assessment: inadequate system of radiotelephone communication stations with high costs and low telephone density
domestic: fixed-line connections for only about 1 per 1000 persons coupled with mobile-cellular subscribership base of only about 25 per 100 persons
international: country code - 235; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2009)
Broadcast media:
1 state-owned TV broadcast station; state-owned radio network, Radiodiffusion Nationale Tchadienne (RNT), operates national and regional stations; about 10 private radio stations; some stations rebroadcast programs from international broadcasters (2007)
Internet country code:
.td
Internet hosts:
5 (2010) country comparison to the world: 226
Internet users:
168,100 (2009) country comparison to the world: 145
Transportation ::Chad
Airports:
56 (2010) country comparison to the world: 83
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 8
over 3,047 m: 2
2,438 to 3,047 m: 3
1,524 to 2,437 m: 2
under 914 m: 1 (2010)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 48
2,438 to 3,047 m: 2
1,524 to 2,437 m: 15
914 to 1,523 m: 21
under 914 m: 10 (2010)
Pipelines:
oil 250 km (2009)
Roadways:
total: 33,400 km country comparison to the world: 96 paved: 267 km
unpaved: 33,133 km (2002)
Waterways:
Chari and Legone rivers are navigable only in wet season (2010)
Military ::Chad
Military branches:
Armed Forces: Chadian National Army (Armee Nationale du Tchad, ANT), Chadian Air Force (Force Aerienne Tchadienne, FAT), Gendarmerie (2008)
Military service age and obligation:
20 years of age for conscripts, with 3-year service obligation; 18 years of age for volunteers; no minimum age restriction for volunteers with consent from a guardian; women are subject to 1 year of compulsory military or civic service at age of 21 (2004)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49: 2,025,929
females age 16-49: 2,377,898 (2010 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 1,141,776
females age 16-49: 1,354,111 (2010 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 125,073
female: 125,069 (2010 est.)
Military expenditures:
1.7% of GDP (2009) country comparison to the world: 89
Transnational Issues ::Chad
Disputes - international:
since 2003, Janjawid armed militia and the Sudanese military have driven hundreds of thousands of Darfur residents into Chad; Chad remains an important mediator in the Sudanese civil conflict, reducing tensions with Sudan arising from cross-border banditry; Chadian Aozou rebels reside in southern Libya; only Nigeria and Cameroon have heeded the Lake Chad Commission's admonition to ratify the delimitation treaty, which also includes the Chad-Niger and Niger-Nigeria boundaries
Refugees and internally displaced persons:
refugees (country of origin): 234,000 (Sudan); 54,200 (Central African Republic)
IDPs: 178,918 (2007)
Trafficking in persons:
current situation: Chad is a source, transit, and destination country for children trafficked for the purposes of forced labor and commercial sexual exploitation; the majority of children are trafficked within Chad for involuntary domestic servitude, forced cattle herding, forced begging, forced labor in petty commerce or the fishing industry, or for commercial sexual exploitation; to a lesser extent, Chadian children are also trafficked to Cameroon, the Central African Republic, and Nigeria for cattle herding; children may also be trafficked from Cameroon and the Central African Republic to Chad's oil producing regions for sexual exploitation
tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List - the Government of Chad does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking and is not making any significant efforts to do so; although facing resource constraints, the government has the capacity to conduct basic anti-trafficking law enforcement efforts, yet did not do so during the last year; it showed no results in enforcing government policy prohibiting the recruitment of child soldiers; Chad has not ratified the 2000 UN TIP Protocol (2009)
page last updated on January 12, 2011
======================================================================
@Chile (South America)
Introduction ::Chile
Background:
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.
Geography ::Chile
Location:
Southern South America, bordering the South Pacific Ocean, betweenArgentina and Peru
Geographic coordinates:
Map references:
South America
Area:
total: 756,102 sq km country comparison to the world: 38 land: 743,812 sq km
water: 12,290 sq km
note: includes Easter Island (Isla de Pascua) and Isla Sala y Gomez
Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than twice the size of Montana
Land boundaries:
total: 6,339 km
border countries: Argentina 5,308 km, Bolivia 860 km, Peru 171 km
Coastline:
6,435 km
Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
continental shelf: 200/350 nm
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
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 LivingResources, Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, ClimateChange, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, EndangeredSpecies, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of theSea, 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%, otherChristian 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: 33 27 S, 70 40 W
time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
daylight saving time: +1hr, begins second Sunday in October; ends second Sunday in March
note: the Chilean Government announced on 4 March 2010 that the end of DST would be delayed until 4 April 2010 providing respite to those affected by the 8.8 magnitude earthquake of February 2010
Administrative divisions:
15 regions (regiones, singular - region); Aisen del General CarlosIbanez del Campo, Antofagasta, Araucania, Arica y Parinacota,Atacama, Biobio, Coquimbo, Libertador General Bernardo O'Higgins,Los Lagos, Los Rios, 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 1989, 1991, 1997, 1999, 2000, 2003, and 2005
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 - in June 2005, Chile completed overhaul of its criminal justice system to a US-style adversarial system
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal and compulsory
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Sebastian PINERA Echenique (since 11 March 2010); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government
head of government: President Sebastian PINERA Echenique (since 11 March 2010)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president (For more information visit the World Leaders website ) elections: president elected by popular vote for a single four-year term; election last held on 13 December 2009 with runoff election held on 17 January 2010 (next to be held in December 2013)
election results: Sebastian PINERA Echenique elected president; percent of vote - Sebastian PINERA Echenique 51.6%; Eduardo FREI 48.4%
Legislative branch:
bicameral National Congress or Congreso Nacional consists of the Senate or Senado (38 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve eight-year terms; one-half elected every four years) and the Chamber of Deputies or Camara de Diputados (120 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: Senate - last held on 13 December 2009 (next to be held in December 2013); Chamber of Deputies - last held on 13 December 2009 (next to be held in December 2013)
election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - CPD 9 (PDC 4, PPD 3, PS 2), APC 9 (RN 6, UDI 3); Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - CC 58 (UDI 37, RN 18, other 3), CPD 57 (PDC 19, PPD 18, PS 11, PRSD 5, PC 3, other 1), PRI 3, independent 2
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court or Corte Suprema (judges are appointed by the president and ratified by the Senate from lists of candidates provided by the court itself; the president of the Supreme Court is elected every three years by the 20-member court); Constitutional Tribunal (eight-members - two each from the Senate, Chamber of Deputies, Supreme Court, and National Security Council - review the constitutionality of laws approved by Congress)
Political parties and leaders:
Broad Social Movement or MAS; Clean Chile Vote Happy or CLVF(including Broad Social Movement, Country Force, and RegionalistParty of Independents or PRI); Coalition for Change or CC (formerlyknown as the Alliance for Chile (Alianza) or APC) (includingNational Renewal or RN [Carlos LARRAIN Pena], Independent DemocraticUnion or UDI [Juan Antonio COLOMA Correa], and Chile First [VladoMIROSEVIC]); Coalition of Parties for Democracy (Concertacion) orCPD (including Christian Democratic Party or PDC [Ignacio WALKER],Party for Democracy or PPD [Carolina TOHA Morales], Radical SocialDemocratic Party or PRSD [Jose Antonio GOMEZ Urrutia], and SocialistParty or PS [Osvaldo ANDRADE]); Partido Ecologista del Sur; TogetherWe Can Do More (including Communist Party or PC [Guillermo TEILLIERdel Valle], and Humanist Party or PH [Danilo MONTEVERDE])
Political pressure groups and leaders:
Roman Catholic Church, particularly conservative groups such as Opus Dei; United Labor Central or CUT includes trade unionists from the country's five largest labor confederations
other: revitalized university student federations at all major universities
International organization participation:
APEC, BIS, CAN (associate), CD, FAO, G-15, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD,ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO,IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, LAES, LAIA,Mercosur (associate), MIGA, MINUSTAH, NAM, OAS, OECD, OPANAL, OPCW,PCA, RG, SICA (observer), UN, UNASUR, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNFICYP,UNHCR, UNIDO, Union Latina, UNMOGIP, UNTSO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU,WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Arturo FERNANDOIS Vohringer
chancery: 1732 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036
telephone: [1] (202) 785-1746
consulate(s) general: Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Philadelphia, San Francisco, San Juan (Puerto Rico)
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Alejandro D. WOLFF
embassy: Avenida Andres Bello 2800, Las Condes, Santiago
mailing address: APO AA 34033
telephone: [56] (2) 330-3000
Flag description:
two equal horizontal bands of white (top) and red; a blue square the same height as the white band at the hoist-side end of the white band; the square bears a white five-pointed star in the center representing a guide to progress and honor; blue symbolizes the sky, white is for the snow-covered Andes, and red represents the blood spilled to achieve independence
note: design was influenced by the US flag
National anthem:
name: "Himno Nacional de Chile" (National Anthem of Chile)
lyrics/music: Eusebio LILLO Robles and Bernardo DE VERA y Pintado/Ramon CARNICER y Battle
note: music adopted 1828, original lyrics adopted 1818, adapted lyrics adopted 1847; under Augusto PINOCHET"s military rule, a verse glorifying the army was added; however, as a protest, some citizens refused to sing this verse; it was removed when democracy was restored in 1990
Economy ::Chile
Economy - overview:
Chile has a market-oriented economy characterized by a high level of foreign trade and a reputation for strong financial institutions and sound policy that have given it the strongest sovereign bond rating in South America. Exports account for more than one-fourth of GDP, with commodities making up some three-quarters of total exports. Copper alone provides one-third of government revenue. 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 situation 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. In the years since then, growth has averaged 4% per year. Chile deepened its longstanding commitment to trade liberalization with the signing of a free trade agreement with the US, which took effect on 1 January 2004. Chile claims to have more bilateral or regional trade agreements than any other country. It has 57 such agreements (not all of them full free trade agreements), including with the European Union, Mercosur, China, India, South Korea, and Mexico. Over the past seven years, foreign direct investment inflows have quadrupled to some $15 billion in 2010, but FDI had dropped to about $7 billion in 2009 in the face of diminished investment throughout the world. The Chilean government conducts a rule-based countercyclical fiscal policy, accumulating surpluses in sovereign wealth funds during periods of high copper prices and economic growth, and allowing deficit spending only during periods of low copper prices and growth. As of September 2008, those sovereign wealth funds - kept mostly outside the country and separate from Central Bank reserves - amounted to more than $20 billion. Chile used $4 billion from this fund to finance a fiscal stimulus package to fend off recession. In December 2009, the OECD invited Chile to become a full member, after a two year period of compliance with organization mandates. The economy started to show signs of a rebound in the fourth quarter, 2009, and GDP grew more than 5% in 2010. The magnitude 8.8 earthquake that struck Chile in February 2010 was one of the top ten strongest earthquakes on record. It caused considerable damage near the epicenter, located about 70 miles from Concepcion - and about 200 miles southwest of Santiago.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$260 billion (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 46 $246.9 billion (2009 est.)
$250.6 billion (2008 est.)
note: data are in 2010 US dollars
GDP (official exchange rate):
$199.2 billion (2010 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
5.3% (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 48 -1.5% (2009 est.)
3.7% (2008 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$15,500 (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 72 $14,900 (2009 est.)
$15,200 (2008 est.)
note: data are in 2010 US dollars
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 5.6%
industry: 40.5%
services: 53.9% (2009 est.)
Labor force:
7.58 million (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 61
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 13.2%
industry: 23%
services: 63.9% (2005)
Unemployment rate:
8.7% (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 100 9.6% (2009 est.)
Population below poverty line:
18.2% (2005)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 1.6%
highest 10%: 41.7% (2006)
Distribution of family income - Gini index:
54.9 (2003) country comparison to the world: 14 57.1 (2000)
Investment (gross fixed):
23.5% of GDP (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 52
Public debt:
6.2% of GDP (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 126 6.1% of GDP (2009 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
1.7% (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 45 1.5% (2009 est.)
Central bank discount rate:
0.5% (31 December 2009) country comparison to the world: 52 8.25% (31 December 2008)
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
7.25% (31 December 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 60 13.26% (31 December 2008 est.)
Stock of narrow money:
$29.81 billion (31 December 2010 est) country comparison to the world: 57 $23.68 billion (31 December 2009 est)
Stock of broad money:
$160.3 billion (31 December 2009) country comparison to the world: 45 $127.5 billion (31 December 2008)
Stock of domestic credit:
$153.6 billion (31 December 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 41 $133.7 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Market value of publicly traded shares:
$209.5 billion (31 December 2009) country comparison to the world: 29 $132.4 billion (31 December 2008)
$212.9 billion (31 December 2007)
Agriculture - products:
grapes, apples, pears, onions, wheat, corn, oats, peaches, garlic, asparagus, beans; beef, poultry, wool; fish; timber
Industries:
copper, other minerals, foodstuffs, fish processing, iron and steel, wood and wood products, transport equipment, cement, textiles
Industrial production growth rate:
3.2% (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 97
Electricity - production:
60.6 billion kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 41
Electricity - consumption:
57.29 billion kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 43
Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2008 est.)
Electricity - imports:
1.628 billion kWh (2007 est.)
Oil - production:
10,850 bbl/day (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 84
Oil - consumption:
277,000 bbl/day (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 47
Oil - exports:
49,250 bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 79
Oil - imports:
311,200 bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 36
Oil - proved reserves:
150 million bbl (1 January 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 63
Natural gas - production:
1.65 billion cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 60
Natural gas - consumption:
2.34 billion cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 79
Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 188
Natural gas - imports:
690 million cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 58
Natural gas - proved reserves:
97.97 billion cu m (1 January 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 53
Current account balance:
$1.033 billion (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 45 $4.217 billion (2009 est.)
Exports:
$64.28 billion (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 45 $53.74 billion (2009 est.)
Exports - commodities:
copper, fruit, fish products, paper and pulp, chemicals, wine
Exports - partners:
China 16.46%, US 11.31%, Japan 9.06%, South Korea 6.49%, Brazil 4.64%, Mexico 4.09% (2009)
Imports:
$54.23 billion (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 46 $39.75 billion (2009 est.)
Imports - commodities:
petroleum and petroleum products, chemicals, electrical and telecommunications equipment, industrial machinery, vehicles, natural gas
Imports - partners:
US 21.77%, China 12.76%, Argentina 9.55%, Brazil 6.46%, South Korea 5.35% (2009)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$26.08 billion (31 December 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 37 $25.29 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Debt - external:
$84.51 billion (31 December 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 40 $72.76 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:
$136.3 billion (31 December 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 26 $121.6 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:
$51.15 billion (31 December 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 33 $41.2 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Exchange rates:
Chilean pesos (CLP) per US dollar - 525.34 (2010), 560.86 (2009), 509.02 (2008), 526.25 (2007), 530.29 (2006)
Communications ::Chile
Telephones - main lines in use:
3.575 million (2009) country comparison to the world: 43
Telephones - mobile cellular:
16.45 million (2009) country comparison to the world: 44
Telephone system:
general assessment: privatization begun in 1988; most advanced telecommunications infrastructure in South America; modern system based on extensive microwave radio relay facilities; domestic satellite system with 3 earth stations
domestic: number of fixed-line connections have stagnated in recent years as mobile-cellular usage continues to increase, reaching a level of 100 telephones per 100 persons
international: country code - 56; landing points for the Pan American, South America-1, and South American Crossing/Latin America Nautilius submarine cables providing links to the US and to Central and South America; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2009)
Broadcast media:
national and local terrestrial television channels, coupled with extensive cable TV networks; the state-owned Television Nacional de Chile (TVN) network is self-financed through commercial advertising revenues and is not under direct government control; large number of privately-owned TV stations; about 250 radio stations (2007)
Internet country code:
.cl
Internet hosts:
1.056 million (2010) country comparison to the world: 43
Internet users:
7.009 million (2009) country comparison to the world: 39
Transportation ::Chile
Airports:
366 (2010) country comparison to the world: 22
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 84
over 3,047 m: 5
2,438 to 3,047 m: 8
1,524 to 2,437 m: 23
914 to 1,523 m: 24
under 914 m: 24 (2010)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 282
2,438 to 3,047 m: 3
1,524 to 2,437 m: 12
914 to 1,523 m: 50
under 914 m: 217 (2010)
Pipelines:
gas 2,673 km; liquid petroleum gas 519 km; oil 892 km; refined products 769 km (2009)
Railways:
total: 5,483 km country comparison to the world: 34 broad gauge: 1,706 km 1.676-m gauge (850 km electrified)
narrow gauge: 3,777 km 1.000-m gauge (2008)
Roadways:
total: 80,505 km country comparison to the world: 59 paved: 16,745 km (includes 2,414 km of expressways)
unpaved: 63,760 km (2004)
Merchant marine:
total: 48 country comparison to the world: 71 by type: bulk carrier 11, cargo 10, chemical tanker 8, container 1, liquefied gas 2, passenger 4, passenger/cargo 3, petroleum tanker 8, roll on/roll off 1
foreign-owned: 1 (Norway 1)
registered in other countries: 48 (Argentina 6, Belize 1, Brazil 1, Cyprus 1, Isle of Man 8, Liberia 7, Panama 17, Singapore 7) (2010)
Ports and terminals:
Coronel, Huasco, Lirquen, Puerto Ventanas, San Antonio, San Vicente,Valparaiso
Military ::Chile
Military branches:
Army of the Nation, Chilean Navy (Armada de Chile, includes NavalAviation, Marine Corps, and Maritime Territory and Merchant MarineDirectorate (Directemar)), Chilean Air Force (Fuerza Aerea de Chile,FACh), Carabineros Corps (Cuerpo de Carabineros) (2010)
Military service age and obligation:
18-45 years of age for voluntary male and female military service, although the right to compulsory recruitment is retained; service obligation - 12 months for Army, 22 months for Navy and Air Force (2008)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49: 4,301,900
females age 16-49: 4,232,956 (2010 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 3,599,328
females age 16-49: 3,544,156 (2010 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 143,778
female: 138,058 (2010 est.)
Military expenditures:
2.7% of GDP (2006) country comparison to the world: 52
Transnational Issues ::Chile
Disputes - international:
Chile and Peru rebuff Bolivia's reinvigorated claim to restore the Atacama corridor, ceded to Chile in 1884, but Chile has offered instead unrestricted but not sovereign maritime access through Chile to Bolivian gas and other commodities; Chile rejects Peru's unilateral legislation to change its latitudinal maritime boundary with Chile to an equidistance line with a southwestern axis favoring Peru, in October 2007, Peru took its maritime complaint with Chile to the ICJ; territorial claim in Antarctica (Chilean Antarctic Territory) partially overlaps Argentine and British claims; the joint boundary commission, established by Chile and Argentina in 2001, has yet to map and demarcate the delimited boundary in the inhospitable Andean Southern Ice Field (Campo de Hielo Sur)
Illicit drugs:
transshipment country for cocaine destined for Europe and the region; some money laundering activity, especially through the Iquique Free Trade Zone; imported precursors passed on to Bolivia; domestic cocaine consumption is rising, making Chile a significant consumer of cocaine (2008)
page last updated on January 20, 2011
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@China (East & Southeast Asia)
Introduction ::China
Background:
For centuries China stood as a leading civilization, outpacing the rest of the world in the arts and sciences, but in the 19th and early 20th centuries, the country was beset by civil unrest, major famines, military defeats, and foreign occupation. After World War II, the Communists under MAO Zedong established an autocratic socialist system that, while ensuring China's sovereignty, imposed strict controls over everyday life and cost the lives of tens of millions of people. After 1978, MAO's successor DENG Xiaoping and other leaders focused on market-oriented economic development and by 2000 output had quadrupled. For much of the population, living standards have improved dramatically and the room for personal choice has expanded, yet political controls remain tight. China since the early 1990s has increased its global outreach and participation in international organizations.
Geography ::China
Location:
Eastern Asia, bordering the East China Sea, Korea Bay, Yellow Sea, and South China Sea, between North Korea and Vietnam
Geographic coordinates:
Map references:
Asia
Area:
total: 9,596,961 sq km country comparison to the world: 4 land: 9,569,901 sq km
water: 27,060 sq km
Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than the US
Land boundaries:
total: 22,117 km
border countries: Afghanistan 76 km, Bhutan 470 km, Burma 2,185 km, India 3,380 km, Kazakhstan 1,533 km, North Korea 1,416 km, Kyrgyzstan 858 km, Laos 423 km, Mongolia 4,677 km, Nepal 1,236 km, Pakistan 523 km, Russia (northeast) 3,605 km, Russia (northwest) 40 km, Tajikistan 414 km, Vietnam 1,281 km
regional borders: Hong Kong 30 km, Macau 0.34 km
Coastline:
14,500 km
Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin
Climate:
extremely diverse; tropical in south to subarctic in north
Terrain:
mostly mountains, high plateaus, deserts in west; plains, deltas, and hills in east
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Turpan Pendi -154 m
highest point: Mount Everest 8,850 m
Natural resources:
coal, iron ore, petroleum, natural gas, mercury, tin, tungsten, antimony, manganese, molybdenum, vanadium, magnetite, aluminum, lead, zinc, rare earth elements, uranium, hydropower potential (world's largest)
Land use:
arable land: 14.86%
permanent crops: 1.27%
other: 83.87% (2005)
Irrigated land:
545,960 sq km (2003)
Total renewable water resources:
2,829.6 cu km (1999)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
total: 549.76 cu km/yr (7%/26%/68%)
per capita: 415 cu m/yr (2000)
Natural hazards: