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CHILE PROFILE |
Chile is one of South America's most stable and prosperous nations. It has been relatively free of the coups and arbitrary governments that have blighted the continent.
People
Population: 16.5 million.
Annual population growth: 1.0%.
Ethnic groups: Spanish-Native-American (mestizo), European, Native-American.
Religions: Roman Catholic 89%; Protestant 11%.
Language: Spanish.
Cities: Capital--Santiago (metropolitan area est. 6.25 million). Other cities--Concepcion-Talcahuano (840,000), Viña del Mar-Valparaiso (800,000), Antofagasta (245,000), Temuco (230,000).
About 85% of Chile's population lives in urban areas, with 40% living in greater Santiago. Most have Spanish ancestry. A small, yet influential number of Irish and English immigrants came to Chile during the colonial period. German immigration began in 1848 and lasted for 90 years; the southern provinces of Valdivia, Llanquihue, and Osorno show a strong German influence. Other significant immigrant groups are Italian, Croatian, Basque, and Palestinian. About 800,000 Native Americans, mostly of the Mapuche tribe, reside in the south-central area. The Aymara and Diaguita groups can be found mainly in Chile's northern desert valleys.
Economy:
GDP: USD 162.5 billion.
Annual real growth rate: 5.2%.
Per capita GDP (purchasing power parity): USD 13,900.
Chile has one of Latin America's strongest economies; high world prices for its copper have swollen state coffers. Chile has pursued generally sound economic policies for nearly three decades. The 1973-90 military government sold many state-owned companies, and the democratic governments since 1990 have continued privatization, though at a slower pace. The government's role in the economy is mostly limited to regulation, although the state continues to operate copper giant CODELCO and a few other enterprises (there is one state-run bank). Chile is strongly committed to free trade and has welcomed large amounts of foreign investment. Chile has signed trade agreements with 58 countries, including a free trade agreement (FTA) with the United States, which was signed in 2003 and implemented in January 2004. A new FTA with Australia will come into effect in 2009. Over the last several years, Chile has signed FTAs with the European Union, South Korea, New Zealand, Singapore, Brunei, China, and Japan. Chile reached a partial trade agreement with India in 2005 and began negotiations for a full-fledged FTA with India in 2006. It continued negotiations with Malaysia, and Turkey in 2008 and worked with China to expand an existing agreement beyond just trade in goods. As a member of the Trans-Pacific Strategic Economic Partnership Agreement, or P4 (Chile, Singapore, New Zealand, and Brunei), Chile strongly supported the U.S. Trade Representative’s September 2008 announcement that the U.S. will explore joining this agreement in 2009.
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