branch:
bicameral National Congress or Congreso Nacional consists of the
Senate or Senado (48 seats, 38 elected by popular vote, 9 designated
members, and 1 former president who has served a full six-year term
and is senator for life); elected members 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 16 December 2001 (next to be held
December 2005); Chamber of Deputies - last held 16 December 2001
(next to be held December 2005)
election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by
party - CPD 20 (PDC 12, PS 5, PPD 3), APC 16 (UDI 9, RN 7),
independents 2; Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote by party -
NA%; seats by party - CPD 62 (PDC 24, PPD 21, PS 11, PRSD 6), UDI
35, RN 22, independent 1
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 by the 21-member court); Constitutional Tribunal
Political parties and leaders:
Alliance for Chile ("Alianza") or APC (including National Renewal
or RN [Sebastian PINERA] and Independent Democratic Union or UDI
[Pablo LONGUEIRA]); Coalition of Parties for Democracy
("Concertacion") or CPD (including Christian Democratic Party or PDC
[Adolfo ZALDIVAR], Socialist Party or PS [Gonzalo MARTNER], Party
for Democracy or PPD [Victor BARRUETO], Radical Social Democratic
Party or PRSD [Orlando CANTUARIAS]); Communist Party or PC [Gladys
MARIN]
Political pressure groups and leaders: revitalized university student federations at all major universities; Roman Catholic Church; United Labor Central or CUT includes trade unionists from the country's five largest labor confederations
International organization participation:
APEC, BIS, CSN, FAO, G-15, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt
(signatory), ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO,
Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, LAES, LAIA, Mercosur (associate),
MIGA, MINUSTAH, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, RG, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO,
UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMIK, UNMOGIP, UNTSO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO,
WMO, WToO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Andres BIANCHI
chancery: 1732 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036
telephone: [1] (202) 785–1746
FAX: [1] (202) 887–5579
consulate(s) general: Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New
York, Philadelphia, San Francisco, and San Juan (Puerto Rico)
Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Craig A. KELLY embassy: Avenida Andres Bello 2800, Las Condes, Santiago mailing address: APO AA 34033 telephone: [56] (2) 232–2600 FAX: [56] (2) 330–3710
Flag description:
two equal horizontal bands of white (top) and red; there is 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 stands for the
blood spilled to achieve independence; design was influenced by the
US flag
Economy Chile
Economy - 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 4.2% in 2000. Growth fell back to 3.1% in 2001 and 2.1% in 2002, largely due to lackluster global growth and the devaluation of the Argentine peso. Chile's economy began a slow recovery in 2003, growing 3.2% and accelerated to 5.8% in 2004. GDP growth benefited from high copper prices, solid export earnings (particularly forestry, fishing, and mining), and stepped-up foreign direct investment. Unemployment, however, remains stubbornly high. 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.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$169.1 billion (2004 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
5.8% (2004 est.)
GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $10,700 (2004 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 6.3% industry: 38.2% services: 55.5% (2004 est.)
Labor force:
6.2 million (2004 est.)
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture 13.6%, industry 23.4%, services 63% (2003)
Unemployment rate:
8.5% (2004 est.)
Population below poverty line:
20.6% (2000)
Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 1.2% highest 10%: 47% (2000)
Distribution of family income - Gini index:
57.1 (2000)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
2.4% (2004 est.)
Investment (gross fixed):
23.9% of GDP (2004 est.)
Budget:
revenues: $21.53 billion
expenditures: $19.95 billion, including capital expenditures of
$3.33 billion (2004 est.)
Public debt:
12.8% of GDP (2004 est.)
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,