1 Chilean peso (Ch$) = 100 centavos
Exchange rates: Chilean pesos (Ch$) per US$1—475.68 (January 1999), 460.29 (1998), 419.30 (1997), 412.27 (1996), 396.78 (1995), 420.08 (1994)
Fiscal year: calendar year
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 180 (eight inactive), FM 64, shortwave 17 (one inactive) (1998)
Radios: NA
Television broadcast stations: 63 (in addition, there are 121 repeaters) (1997)
Televisions: 2.85 million (1992 est.)
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: 79,800 km paved: 11,012 km unpaved: 68,788 km (1996 est.)
Waterways: 725 km
Pipelines: crude oil 755 km; petroleum products 785 km; natural
gas 320 km
Ports and harbors: Antofagasta, Arica, Chanaral, Coquimbo,
Iquique, Puerto Montt, Punta Arenas, San Antonio, San Vicente,
Talcahuano, Valparaiso
Merchant marine:
total: 42 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 527,201 GRT/787,719 DWT
ships by type: bulk 11, cargo 10, chemical tanker 5, container 2,
liquefied gas tanker 1, oil tanker 4, passenger 3, roll-on/roll-off
cargo 4, vehicle carrier 2 (1998 est.)
Airports: 378 (1998 est.)
Airports—with paved runways:
total: 58
over 3,047 m: 5
2,438 to 3,047 m: 6
1,524 to 2,437 m: 19
914 to 1,523 m: 19
under 914 m: 9 (1998 est.)
Airports—with unpaved runways:
total: 320
over 3,047 m: 1
2,438 to 3,047 m: 4
1,524 to 2,437 m: 13
914 to 1,523 m: 73
under 914 m: 229 (1998 est.)
Military
Military 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
Military manpower—military age: 19 years of age
Military manpower—availability:
males age 15–49: 3,968,176 (1999 est.)
Military manpower—fit for military service:
males age 15–49: 2,943,206 (1999 est.)
Military manpower—reaching military age annually:
males: 132,202 (1999 est.)
Military expenditures—dollar figure: $2.12 billion (1998); note—includes earnings from CODELCO Company and costs of pensions; does not include funding for the National Police (Carabineros) and Investigations Police
Military expenditures—percent of GDP: 2.79% (1998)
Transnational Issues
Disputes—international: short section of the southwestern boundary with Argentina is indefinite—process to resolve boundary issues is underway; Bolivia has wanted a sovereign corridor to the South Pacific Ocean since the Atacama area was lost to Chile in 1884; dispute with Bolivia over Rio Lauca water rights; territorial claim in Antarctica (Chilean Antarctic Territory) partially overlaps Argentine and British claims
Illicit drugs: a growing transshipment country for cocaine destined for the US and Europe; economic prosperity has made Chile more attractive to traffickers seeking to launder drug profits; imported precursors pass on to Bolivia
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@China——
Introduction
Background: For most of its 3,500 years of history, China led the world in agriculture, crafts, and science, then fell behind in the 19th century when the Industrial Revolution gave the West clear superiority in military and economic affairs. In the first half of the 20th century, China continued to suffer from major famines, civil unrest, military defeat, and foreign occupation. After World War II, the Communists under MAO Zedong established a dictatorship that, while ensuring China's autonomy, imposed strict controls over all aspects of life and cost the lives of tens of millions of people. After 1978, his successor DENG Xiaoping decentralized economic decision making; output quadrupled in the next 20 years. Political controls remain tight at the same time economic controls have been weakening. Present issues are: incorporating Hong Kong into the Chinese system; closing down inefficient state-owned enterprises; modernizing the military; fighting corruption; and providing support to tens of millions of displaced workers.
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: 9,596,960 sq km
land: 9,326,410 sq km
water: 270,550 sq km
Area—comparative: slightly smaller than the US
Land boundaries:
total: 22,143.34 km
border
