Santiago
_#_Administrative divisions: 13 regions (regiones, singular—region); Aisen del General Carlos Ibanez del Campo, Antofagasta, Araucania, Atacama, Bio-Bio, Coquimbo, Libertador General Bernardo O'Higgins, Los Lagos, Magallanes y de la Antartica Chilena, Maule, Region Metropolitana, Tarapaca, Valparaiso; note—the US does not recognize claims to Antarctica
_#_Independence: 18 September 1810 (from Spain)
_#_Constitution: 11 September 1980, effective 11 March 1981; amended 30 July 1989
_#_Legal system: based on Code of 1857 derived from Spanish law and subsequent codes influenced by French and Austrian law; judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
_#_National holiday: Independence Day, 18 September (1810)
_#_Executive branch: president, Cabinet
_#_Legislative branch: bicameral National Congress (Congreso Nacional) consisting of an upper house or Senate (Senado) and a lower house or Chamber of Deputies (Camara de Diputados)
_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Corte Suprema)
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State and Head of Government—President Patricio
AYLWIN (since 11 March 1990)
_#_Political parties and leaders:
Concertation of Parties for Democracy now consists mainly of six
parties—Christian Democratic Party (PDC), Andres ZALDIVAR;
Party for Democracy (PPD), Erich SCHNAKE;
Radical Party (PR), Mario ASTORGA;
Democratic Socialist Radical Party (PRSD), Jorge IBANEZ;
Social Democratic Party (PSD), Rene ABELIUK; and
Socialist Party, Jorge ARRATE;
National Renovation (RN), Andres ALLAMAND;
Independent Democratic Union (UDI), Joaquin LAVIN;
Communist Party of Chile (PCCh), Volodia TEITELBOIM;
Movement of Revolutionary Left (MIR) is splintered, no single
leader
_#_Suffrage: universal and compulsory at age 18
_#_Elections:
President—last held 14 December 1989 (next to be held December 1993 or January 1994); results—Patricio AYLWIN (PDC) 55.2%, Hernan BUCHI 29.4%, other 15.4%;
Senate—last held 14 December 1989 (next to be held December
1993 or January 1994); seats—(46 total, 38 elected)
Concertation of Parties for Democracy 22 (PDC 13, PPD 5, PR 2, PSD 1,
PRSD 1), RN 6, UDI 2, independents 8;
Chamber of Deputies—last held 14 December 1989 (next to be held
December 1993 or January 1994); seats—(120 total)
Concertation of Parties for Democracy 72 (PDC 38, PPD 17, PR 5, other
12), RN 29, UDI 11, right-wing independents 8
_#_Communists: The PCCh is currently in the process of regaining legal party status and has less than 60,000 members
_#_Other political or pressure groups: revitalized university student federations at all major universities dominated by opposition political groups; labor—United Labor Central (CUT) includes trade unionists from the country's five-largest labor confederations; Roman Catholic Church
_#_Member of: CCC, ECLAC, FAO, G-11, G-77, GATT, IADB, IAEA, IBRD,
ICAO, ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL,
IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, LAES, LAIA, LORCS, OAS, OPANAL, PCA, RG, UN,
UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMOGIP, UNTSO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Patricio SILVA Echenique; Chancery at 1732 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington DC 20036; telephone (202) 785–1746; there are Chilean Consulates General in Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, and San Francisco;
US—Ambassador Charles A. GILLESPIE, Jr.; Embassy at Codina Building, 1343 Agustinas, Santiago (mailing address is APO Miami 34033); telephone [56] (2) 710133 or 710190, 710326, 710375
_#_Flag: 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; design was based on the US flag
_*Economy #_Overview: In 1990 economic growth slowed from an average of 6.2% for the previous six years to about 1.5% as a result of tight monetary policy aimed at reducing inflation. Monetary policy was not successful at slowing price increases until the end of the year, however, and inflation, stimulated by higher world oil prices, increased to 27.3% in 1990 from 21.4% in 1989. Copper prices held strong in 1990, helping to maintain a balance-of-payments surplus and increase international reserves. Most observers expect that inflationary pressures have run their course and price increases will slow during 1991, contributing to growth of 4–5%.
_#_GDP: $26 billion, per capita $2,000; real growth rate 2.0% (1990)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 27.3% (1990)
_#_Unemployment rate: 5.6% (1990)
_#_Budget: revenues $6.6 billion; expenditures $7.1 billion, including capital expenditures of $575 million (1990 est.)
_#_Exports: $8.3 billion (f.o.b., 1990);
commodities—copper 48%, industrial products 33%, molybdenum, iron ore, wood pulp, fishmeal, fruits;
partners—EC 34%, US 22%, Japan 10%, Brazil 7%
_#_Imports: $7.0 billion (f.o.b., 1990);
commodities—petroleum, wheat, capital goods, spare parts, raw materials;
partners—EC 23%, US 20%, Japan 10%, Brazil 9%
_#_External debt: $18.4 billion (February 1991)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate 0% (1990); accounts for 30% of GDP
_#_Electricity: 4,138,000 kW capacity; 17,784 million kWh produced, 1,360 kWh per capita (1990)
_#_Industries: copper, other minerals, foodstuffs, fish processing, iron and steel, wood and wood products, transport equipment, cement, textiles
_#_Agriculture: accounts for about 8% of GDP (including fishing and forestry); major exporter of fruit, fish, and timber products; major crops—wheat, corn, grapes, beans, sugar beets, potatoes, deciduous fruit; livestock products—beef, poultry, wool; self-sufficient in most foods; 1986 fish catch of 5.6 million metric
