Country Profile: Chile

Last reviewed: 10 July 2008

Country information

Map of Chile

CHILE TODAY

Country Facts

Area: 756,626 sq km; 292,058 sq miles
Population: Total population: 15,116,435 (men: 7,447,695; women: 7,668,740). Two thirds of the population is concentrated in the central zone.
Capital City: Santiago de Chile
People: Many Chileans are descended from those Spaniards and other immigrants, mainly Europeans, who settled in Chile from the 16th century onwards, although a large number are of mixed European and indigenous ancestry. Estimates of the size of the indigenous community vary considerably but according to the results of the 2002 census 692,192 people identified themselves as belonging to an ethnic group (4.6% of the population). The indigenous community is comprised of the following groups: Mapuche (87.3%), Aymara (7.01%), Atacamenos (3.04%), Quechua, Rapa Nui, Colla, Alacalufe and Yamana.
Languages: The official language is Spanish. The indigenous community also speak Mapuche, Aymara and Quechua, amongst others.
Religion(s): Roman Catholic 69.96%, Evangelical 15.14% (officially defined in Chile as all non-Catholic Christian churches except the Orthodox, the Mormons, the Seventh Day Adventists and Jehovah's Witnesses), other Christian churches 2.04%, other religions (including Jews and Muslims) 4.55%, and atheists/indifferent 8.3%.
Currency: Peso
Major Political Parties: Partido Demócrata Cristiano (DC) (Christian Democrats); Partido Socialista (PS) (Socialists); Partido por la Democracia (PPD) (Party for Democracy); Partido Radical Social Democrata (PRSD) (Radical Social Democratic Party); Renovación Nacional (RN) (National Renewal); Unión Demócrata Independiente (UDI) (Independent Democratic Union).
Government: Chile has a republican system of government consisting of 3 separate and independent branches: the Executive Branch, which is headed by the President, who in turn is advised by a Cabinet of (unelected) Ministers; the Legislative Branch, which consists of a bicameral National Congress located in Valparaíso and comprising the Senate and Chamber of Deputies; and the Judicial Branch, headed by the Supreme Court. These institutions are defined in the 1980 Constitution (amended 2005). The President is directly elected for a 4-year term (reduced from 6 years by the new government on 11 March 2006).
Head of State and Government: President Michelle Bachelet Jeria
Foreign Minister: Alejandro Foxley

HEALTH

In the UN Development Programme's Human Development Index for 2007, Chile is ranked 40th among the 177 ranked countries. This is two places higher than in 2005. From 1987 to 1998 the percentage of the population living in poverty fell from 45% to 21.7%. But social pressures remain despite the strong economic growth of recent years. One particular challenge is the unequal structure of income distribution. In 2000 the wealthiest 10% of the population received 42.3% of combined national income, while the poorest 10% received 1.1%.

Life expectancy: 76.0 years;
Infant mortality rate: 10 per 1,000 live births (2002)
People aged 15-49 living with HIV/AIDS: 0.3% (2003)
Population living below the national poverty line (%), 1990-2001:17.0

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