Chile
From open-encyclopedia.com - the free encyclopedia.
- The word chile may also refer to Chilli pepper.
The Republic of Chile is a republic located on the southwestern coast of South America. It is a long and narrow piece of land between the Andes mountains and the Pacific Ocean. It shares borders with Argentina, Bolivia and Peru.
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| National motto: | Por la razón o la fuerza ("By reason or by force") | ||||
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| Official language | Spanish | ||||
| Capital | Santiago¹ | ||||
| President | Ricardo Lagos Escobar | ||||
| Area - Total - % water | Ranked 37th 756,950 km² ² 1.07% | ||||
| Population - Total (2002) - Density | Ranked 61st 15,116,435 20/km² | ||||
| Independence - Initiated - Formally declared | From Spain September 18, 1810 February 12, 1818 | ||||
| Currency | Peso | ||||
| Time zone | UTC -4 | ||||
| National anthem | Himno Nacional | ||||
| Internet TLD | .cl | ||||
| Calling Code | 56 | ||||
| (1) Although the Congress is located in Valparaíso (2) Chile claims 1,250,000 km² of Antarctica | |||||
| Contents |
History
Main article: History of Chile
In 1531 the Spanish defeated the Incas in Peru and conquered it. One of the Conquistadors in that voyage was Diego de Almagro. He left in 1535 to the South of Peru after territorial disputes. He is credited with being the first European to explore the coast of Chile. However he did not leave any lasting marks on the territory. It was not until the voyage of Pedro de Valdivia in 1540-41 that a permanent Spanish presence was established. Valdivia founded a string of villages on his way south. Finally, on 12 February 1541 he founded Santiago.
Independence from Spain was achieved in 1810 under Gen. Bernardo O'Higgins who governed until 1823. Though Chile's political history since then has been erratic, the country has enjoyed constitutional rule and a republican form of government throughout much of its history.
In 1973, General Augusto Pinochet ousted elected socialist president Salvador Allende in a bloody coup, and installed a 17-year dictatorship which harshly suppressed internal opposition. Pinochet was voted out in a national plebiscite in 1988, and a freely elected president was installed in 1990. Sound economic policies, maintained consistently since the 1980s, have contributed to steady growth, turning Chile into one of the most prosperous countries in Latin America. Human rights abuses committed under the Pinochet regime continue to be investigated.
Politics
Main article: Politics of Chile
The country's current constitution was adopted in 1980 during the military government led by Augusto Pinochet and increased the power of the president and institutionalized the participation of the commanders in chief of the armed forced. After Pinochet's defeat on the 1988 referendum, several amendments were made, decreasing the power of the president and reducing the influence of the armed forces. As of 2004, discussions about further reforms continue, but have a low priority.
The Executive Branch is headed by the president of the republic. Since March 11, 2000, the President is Ricardo Lagos of the Socialist Party. The President also appoints the cabinet members. The President is chosen for a 6-year term and cannot be immediately re-elected (A recently passed constitutional reform has modified the presidential term in office to 4 years).
The Judicial Branch has the Supreme court as its highest institution. For questions related to the constitution there is the Constitutional Court, which also has the right to veto laws that it considers go against the constitution.
The Legislative Branch is made up of 2 chambers.
- The Senate has 38 members elected by popular vote, nine appointed from various institutions such as the National Security Council and the judicial system and the President of the Republic, and the former presidents of the republic. The elected Senators are chosen for eight year terms in a bi-nominal election system that favors the two largest political blocks.
- The Chamber of Deputies has 120 members, all of whom are universally chosen. Deputies serve 4-year terms.
For any law to be passed, it must pass through both chambers and be approved by the president of the republic (who has a limited veto right). The chambers and the president can all propose new laws, but there are certain matters which only the president can initiate.
Although there are some known cases of corruption in Chile, there is no rampant abuse of power by public officials. It is considered the least corrupt place in Latin America - ranked during the last decade consistently among the top 30 more transparent countries of the world - and not coincidentally, one with a relatively strong rule of law.
Regions
Main article: Regions of Chile
Chile is divided into 13 regions, each of which is headed by an intendente. Every region is further divided into provinces with a Gobernador provincial. Finally each province is divided into various Comunas each with its own mayor. Intendentes and gobernadores are appointed by the president, mayors are elected by popular vote.
Each region is designated by a name and a Roman numeral. Numbers are assigned from north to south. In general the Roman numeral is used, rather than the name. The only exception is the region where Santiago is situated, which is designated RM, that stands for Región Metropolitana, Metropolitan Region.
Geography
Main article: Geography of Chile
A long and narrow coastal region on the west side of the Andes Mountains, Chile stretches over 4,630 km (2,880 miles) north to south, but only 430 km (265 mi) at its widest point east to west.
The climate varies greatly, with subtropical conditions in Rapa Nui Island (Easter Island); extremely arid conditions in the Atacama desert in the northern third of the territory; fertile conditions in middle region valleys; and cold and damp in the south, originally covered by forest. The Mediterranean quality of the central valley made it ideal for the cultivation of table fruits, which are one of Chile's main exports, and the production of wine, also a growing export.
Two interesting geographical facts are that Chile is the longest (N-S) country in the world (over 4,200km), and that it claims a section of Antarctica that is on the same longitudinal lines as itself.
Economy
Main article: Economy of Chile
The economy is mostly export driven. Its main export product still continues to be copper, followed by agribusiness products. However this is not nearly as important (40% of total value exported) as it was 30 years ago (70% of exports). Recently Chile has also started exporting products such as fine wines from various regions, salmon and wood pulp. Though the country is not as industrialized as developed countries, it is one of the most industrialized nations in Latin America.
While the main industry of the northern part of Chile is mostly mining related, the southern half has quite an extensive agricultural and dairy industry. The central zone is dedicated mostly to services and industry, with the main harbor, Valparaíso, also situated in this part of the country.
Chile has a large service sector and has one of the world's most liberalized and modern telecommunications infrastructures. Tourism is also still expanding in Chile. People are attracted to the rugged beauty of the southern woodlands, the emptiness of the northern desert plains and the skiing season in the Andes mountains (May to September).
In the boom years of the 1990s, annual economic growth was in the 7 to 12% range. After the Asian financial crisis in 1997, economic growth has slowed to a steady 3% per year.
Recently, Chile has signed Free Trade Agreements with many countries and trade blocks such as the European Union, EFTA, the USA, Canada, Mexico and South Korea and is currently negotiating more FTAs with countries such as New Zealand and Singapore. During the APEC 2004 Summit held in Santiago this past 20 and 21 November, Chile has signed memoranda of understanding with the People's Republic of China and Japan to begin trade talks leading to Free Trade Agreements.
Demographics
Main article: Demographics of Chile
The population of Chile is mostly white and mestizo, with Pre-Columbian indigenous groups remaining in the south, on Easter Island, and in the mountains in the north. European immigration soared in the 1800's—although not as much as regional neighbors Argentina and Brazil—from mostly Spain, Croatia, Italy, Germany, Palestine and smaller numbers from Eastern Europe and Ireland.
The level of education is high, and Chileans are proud of having two winners of the Nobel Prize in Literature: Gabriela Mistral and Pablo Neruda (both being poets).
Culture
Main article: Culture of Chile
See also: Music of Chile
National symbols
The national flower is the copihue (Lapageria rosea, Chilean bellflower), which grows in the woods of southern Chile.
The coat of arms depicts the two national animals: the condor (Vultur gryphus, a very large bird that lives in the mountains) and the huemul (Hippocamelus bisulcus, an endangered white tail deer). It also has the legend Por la razón o la fuerza (By the reason or by the force).
Miscellaneous topics
- Communications in Chile
- Transportation in Chile
- Military of Chile
- Foreign relations of Chile
- List of Chileans
- Holidays in Chile
- U.S. intervention in Chile
International rankings
- Save the Children: State of the World’s Mothers 2004, Ranked 15 out of 119 countries (third in Latin America after Costa Rica and Cuba)
- Transparency International: Corruption Perceptions Index 2004, Ranked 20 out of 146 countries (first in Latin America)
- World Economic Forum: Global Competitiveness Report 2004-2005 - Growth Competitiveness Index Ranking, Ranked 22 out of 104 countries (first in Latin America)
- IMD International: World Competitiveness Yearbook 2004, Ranked 26 out of 60 economies (countries and regions) (first in Latin America)
- The Economist: The World in 2005 - Worldwide quality-of-life index, 2005, Ranked 31 out of 111 countries (first in Latin America)
- UNDP: Human Development Index 2004, Ranked 43 out of 177 countries (second in Latin America after Argentina)
- Reporters without borders: Third annual worldwide press freedom index (2004), Ranked 42 out of 167 countries (tied with Japan, Namibia and Uruguay) (fourth in Latin America after El Salvador, Dominican Republic and Costa Rica)
External links
- Library of Congress country profile
- Pictures
- South America Pictures
- South America Map
- South America Satellite Images
| Countries in South America |
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| Argentina | Bolivia | Brazil | Chile | Colombia | Ecuador | Guyana | Paraguay | Peru | Suriname | Uruguay | Venezuela |
| Dependencies: Falkland Islands | French Guiana |
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