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Why Chile?
Information about Chile
| Information about Chile | |
|---|---|
| Capital | Santiago de Chile |
| Population, Capital | 5,428,590 (2002) |
| Official language | Spanish |
| Form of government | Presidential Democratic Republic |
| President | Sebastián Piñera Echenique |
| Total Population | 16,763,470 (2008 est.) |
| GDP (nominal) • Total (2008) • Per capita GDP |
US$ 140,731 US$ 8,377 |
| Human Development Index (HDI) (1) | 0.867 (High) (2) |
| Currency | Chilean peso ($, CLP) |
| Nationality | Chilean |
| Internet suffix | .cl |
| Country long distance telephone code | +56 |
| ISO Code | 152 / CHL / CL |
(1) HDI is a comparative measure of life expectancy, literacy, education and standards of living for countries worldwide. It is used to distinguish whether the country is a developed, a developing or an under-developed country, and also to measure the impact of economic policies on quality of life. |
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Chile covers an area of approximately 756,626 square kilometers (excluding the Antarctic territory, which covers approximately 1,250,000 square kilometers). Continental Chile occupies a narrow strip of land, with an average width of 177 kilometers, extending approximately 4,270 kilometers along South America’s west coast. It borders Peru to the north, the Antarctic territory to the south, Bolivia and Argentina to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. Continental Chile’s geography is dominated by a range of Pacific coastal mountains in the west, the Andes Mountains in the east and a valley that lies between these two ranges. Southern Chile is an archipelago, with Cape Horn at its tip. Chile’s territory also includes several islands, including Easter Island, Juan Fernández Island and Sala y Gómez Island.
Continental Chile has five well defined geographic regions: the northern desert, the high Andean sector, the central valley, the southern lake district and the archipelago region. Approximately 21% of Chile’s land area is forested, while the remaining non-urban areas consist primarily of agricultural areas, deserts and mountains. The northern desert region is rich in mineral resources. The climate is dry and hot in the north, temperate in the central regions and cool and wet in the south.
Chile’s population, industry and arable land are mainly concentrated in the central valley, which includes the nation’s capital and largest city, Santiago, and its two largest ports, San Antonio and Valparaíso. According to the most recent national census, which was conducted in 2002, Chile’s population was approximately 15.7 million, with an annual average growth rate of 1.5% from April 1992 to April 2002. Estimates published by INE (Statistics National Institute) in August 2008, suggest that Chile’s population was 16.8 million with an annual growth rate of 1.3% between 1992-2008. The 2002 census also showed that the population is highly urbanized, with approximately 87% living in cities, with approximately 40% of urban dwellers residing in the Santiago metropolitan area, which includes the city of Santiago and the surrounding region. As of 2008, the Chilean population had a 95.7% literacy rate. Spanish is Chile’s official language.
