million Chileans having moved out of poverty in the last four years. Copper remains vital to the health of the economy; Chile is the world's largest producer and exporter of copper. Success in meeting the government's goal of sustained annual economic growth of 5% depends on world copper prices, the level of confidence of foreign investors and creditors, and the government's own ability to maintain a conservative fiscal stance.
GDP: purchasing power parity - $113.2 billion (1995 est.)
GDP real growth rate: 8.5% (1995 est.)
GDP per capita: $8,000 (1995 est.)
GDP composition by sector: agriculture: 7.4% industry: 36.4% services: 56.2% (1985)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 8.1% (1995 est.)
Labor force: 4.728 million
by occupation: services 38.3% (includes government 12%), industry
and commerce 33.8%, agriculture, forestry, and fishing 19.2%, mining
2.3%, construction 6.4% (1990)
Unemployment rate: 5.4% (1995 est.)
Budget:
revenues: $17 billion
expenditures: $17 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA
(1996 est.)
Industries: copper, other minerals, foodstuffs, fish processing, iron and steel, wood and wood products, transport equipment, cement, textiles
Industrial production growth rate: 4.3% (1993 est.)
Electricity: capacity: 4,810,000 kW production: 22 billion kWh consumption per capita: 1,499 kWh (1993)
Agriculture: wheat, corn, grapes, beans, sugar beets, potatoes,
fruit; beef, poultry, wool; timber; 1991 fish catch of 6.6 million
metric tons
Illicit drugs: a minor transshipment country for cocaine destined
for the US and Europe; booming economy has made it more attractive
to traffickers seeking to launder drug profits
Exports: $15.9 billion (f.o.b., 1995 est.)
commodities: copper 41%, other metals and minerals 8.7%, wood
products 7.1%, fish and fishmeal 9.8%, fruits 8.4% (1991)
partners: EU 25%, US 15%, Asia 34%, Latin America 20% (1995 est.)
Imports: $14.3 billion (f.o.b., 1995 est.)
commodities: capital goods 25.2%, spare parts 24.8%, raw materials
15.4%, petroleum 10%, foodstuffs 5.7%
partners: EU 18%, US 25%, Asia 16%, Latin America 26% (1995 est.)
External debt: $21.1 billion (1995 est.)
Economic aid: recipient: ODA, $62 million (1993)
Currency: 1 Chilean peso (Ch$) = 100 centavos
Exchange rates: Chilean pesos (Ch$) per US$1 - 408.64 (December 1995), 396.78 (1995), 420.08 (1994), 404.35 (1993), 362.59 (1992), 349.37 (1991)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Transportation———————
Railways:
total: 6,782 km
broad gauge: 3,743 km 1.676-m gauge (1,653 km electrified)
narrow gauge: 116 km 1.067-m gauge; 2,923 km 1.000-m gauge (40 km
electrified) (1995)
Highways: total: 79,593 km paved: 10,984 km unpaved: 68,609 km (1991 est.)
Waterways: 725 km
Pipelines: crude oil 755 km; petroleum products 785 km; natural
gas 320 km
Ports: Antofagasta, Arica, Chanarol, Coquimbo, Iquique, Puerto
Montt, Punta Arenas, San Antonio, San Vicente, Talcahuano, Valparaiso
Merchant marine:
total: 37 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 529,512 GRT/925,364 DWT
ships by type: bulk 11, cargo 8, chemical tanker 4, combination
ore/oil 2, container 1, liquefied gas tanker 2, oil tanker 4,
roll-on/roll-off cargo 3, vehicle carrier 2 (1995 est.)
Airports:
total: 344
with paved runways over 3 047 m: 5
with paved runways 2 438 to 3 047 m: 5
with paved runways 1 524 to 2 437 m: 17
with paved runways 914 to 1 523 m: 16
with paved runways under 914 m: 220
with unpaved runways 2 438 to 3 047 m: 3
with unpaved runways 1 524 to 2 437 m: 10
with unpaved runways 914 to 1 523 m: 68 (1995 est.)
Communications———————
Telephones: 1.5 million (1994 est.)
Telephone system: modern system based on extensive microwave radio
relay facilities
domestic: extensive microwave radio relay links; domestic satellite
system with 3 earth stations
international: satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
Radio broadcast stations: AM 159, FM 0, shortwave 11
Radios: NA
Television broadcast stations: 131
Televisions: 2.85 million (1992 est.)
Defense———
Branches: Army of the Nation, National Navy (includes Naval Air,
Coast Guard, and Marines), Air Force of the Nation, Carabineros of
Chile (National Police), Investigations Police
Manpower availability: males age 15–49: 3,808,655 males fit for military service: 2,832,198 males reach military age (19) annually: 123,443 (1996 est.)
Defense expenditures: exchange rate conversion - $970 million, 2.0% of GDP (1994 est.)
======================================================================
@China——
(also see separate Taiwan entry)
Map—
Location: 35 00 N, 105 00 E—Eastern Asia, bordering the East
China Sea, Korea Bay, Yellow Sea, and South China Sea, between North
Korea and Vietnam
Flag——
Description: red with a large yellow five-pointed star and four smaller yellow five-pointed stars (arranged in a vertical arc toward the middle of the flag) in the upper hoist-side corner
Geography————
Location: Eastern Asia, bordering the East China Sea, Korea Bay,
Yellow Sea, and South China Sea, between North Korea and Vietnam
Geographic coordinates: 35 00 N, 105 00 E
Map references: Asia
Area:
total area: 9,596,960 sq km
land area: 9,326,410 sq km
comparative area: slightly larger than the US
Land boundaries:
total: 22,143.34 km
border countries: Afghanistan 76 km, Bhutan 470 km, Burma 2,185 km,
Hong Kong 30 km, India