Chile (continued)
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 1989 the economy grew at
the rate of 9.9%, reflecting substantial
growth in industry, agriculture, and
construction. Copper accounts for nearly 50%
of export revenues; Chile's economic
well-being thus remains highly dependent on
international copper prices. Unemployment
and inflation rates have declined
from their peaks in 1982 to 5.3% and
21.4%, respectively, in 1989. The major
long-term economic problem is how to
sustain growth in the face of political
uncertainties.
GDP: $25.3 billion, per capita $1,970; real growth rate 9.9% (1989)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 21.4% (1989)
Unemployment rate: 5.3% (1989)
Budget: revenues $4.9 billion; expenditures $5.1 billion, including capital expenditures of $0.6 billion (1986)
Exports: $7.0 billion (f.o.b., 1988); commodities—copper 48%, industrial products 33%, molybdenum, iron ore, wood pulp, fishmeal, fruits; partners—EC 34%, US 22%, Japan 10%, Brazil 7%
Imports: $4.7 billion (f.o.b., 1988); commodities—petroleum, wheat, capital goods, spare parts, raw materials; partners—EC 23%, US 20%, Japan 10%, Brazil 9%
External debt: $16.3 billion (December 1989)
Industrial production: growth rate 7.4% (1989)
Electricity: 4,044,000 kW capacity; 17,710 million kWh produced, 1,380 kWh per capita (1989)
Industries: copper, other minerals, foodstuffs, fish processing, iron and steel, wood and wood products
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 tons net agricultural importer
Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-88), $521 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $1.3 billion; Communist countries (1970-88), $386 million
Currency: Chilean peso (plural—pesos); 1 Chilean peso (Ch$) = 100 centavos
Exchange rates: Chilean pesos (Ch$) per US$1—296.68 (January 1990), 267.16 (1989), 245.05 (1988), 219.54 (1987), 193.02 (1986), 161.08 (1985)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications
Railroads: 8,613 km total; 4,257 km
1.676-meter gauge, 135 km 1.435-meter
standard gauge, 4,221 km 1.000-meter
gauge; electrification, 1,578 km 1.676-meter
gauge, 76 km 1.000-meter gauge
Highways: 79,025 km total; 9,913 km paved, 33,140 km gravel, 35,972 km improved and unimproved earth (1984)
Inland waterways: 725 km
Pipelines: crude oil, 755 km; refined products, 785 km; natural gas, 320 km
Ports: Antofagasta, Iquique, Puerto Montt, Punta Arenas, Valparaiso, San Antonio, Talcahuano, Arica
Merchant marine: 35 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 498,354 GRT/804,809 DWT; includes 13 cargo, 1 refrigerated cargo, 3 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 2 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 1 chemical tanker, 2 liquefied gas, 3 combination ore/oil, 10 bulk; note—in addition, 1 naval tanker and 1 military transport are sometimes used commercially
Civil air: 22 major transport aircraft
Airports: 392 total, 352 usable; 49 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 11 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 57 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: modern telephone system based on extensive radio relay facilities; 768,000 telephones; stations—159 AM, no FM, 131 TV, 11 shortwave; satellite stations—2 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT and 3 domestic
Defense Forces
Branches: Army of the Nation, National
Navy, Air Force of the Nation, Carabineros
of Chile
Military manpower: males 15-49, 3,491,854; 2,610,048 fit for military service; 118,569 reach military age (19) annually
Defense expenditures: 4.0% of GDP (1987)
China
(also see separate Taiwan entry)
_China.jpg)
See regional map VIII
Geography
Total area: 9,596,960 km²; land area:
9,326,410 km²
Comparative area: slightly larger than the US
Land boundaries: 23,213.34 km total; Afghanistan 76 km, Bhutan 470 km, Burma 2,185 km, Hong Kong 30 km, India 3,380 km, North Korea 1,416 km, Laos 423 km, Macau 0.34 km, Mongolia 4,673 km, Nepal 1,236 km, Pakistan 523 km, USSR 7,520 km, Vietnam 1,281 km
Coastline: 14,500 km
Maritime claims:
- Territorial sea: 12 nm
Disputes: boundary with India; bilateral negotiations are under way to resolve four disputed sections of the boundary with the USSR (Pamir, Argun, Amur, and Khabarovsk areas); a short section of the boundary with North Korea is indefinite; Hong Kong is scheduled to become a Special Administrative Region in 1997; Portuguese territory of Macau is scheduled to become a Special Administrative Region in 1999; sporadic border clashes with Vietnam; involved in a complex dispute over the Spratly Islands with Malaysia, Philippines, Taiwan, and Vietnam; maritime boundary dispute with Vietnam in the Gulf of Tonkin; Paracel Islands occupied by China, but claimed by Vietnam and Taiwan; claims Japanese-administered Senkaku-shotō (Senkaku Islands)
Climate: extremely diverse; tropical in south to subarctic in north
Terrain: mostly mountains, high plateaus, deserts in west; plains, deltas, and hills in east
Natural resources: coal, iron ore, crude oil, mercury, tin, tungsten, antimony, manganese, molybdenum, vanadium, magnetite, aluminum, lead, zinc, uranium, world's largest hydropower potential
