| zhì lì Chile shǒudōu:shèng dì yà gē guógūdàimǎ: cl |
 智利yīng wén suō xiě héng héng CHI guó qí： yóu lán、 bái、 hóng sān sè gòu chéng。 kào qí gān yī biān shàng fāng de qí jiǎo wéi lán sè zhèng fāng xíng， qí zhōng yāng huì yòu yī kē bái sè wǔ jiǎo xīng。 qí dì yóu bái、 hóng liǎng gè píng xíng cháng fāng xíng gòu chéng。 bái sè zài shàng， hóng sè zài xià。 bái sè bù fēn děng yú hóng sè bù fēn de sān fēn zhī 'èr。 hóng sè xiàng zhēng wèile zhì lì de dú lì hé zì yóu， wèile fǎn kàng xī bān yá zhí mín jūn de tǒng zhì， zài lán kǎ guā yīng yǒng xī xìng de liè shì xiān xuè。 bái sè xiàng zhēng 'ān dì sī shān gāo fēng de bái xuě。 lán sè xiàng zhēng hǎi yáng。 guó huī： dùn miàn lái zì guó qí tú 'àn。 dùn huī zuǒ cè shì 'ān dì sī lù， yòu cè shì měi zhōu dà wù yīng， shàng fāng shì yǔ guó qí yán sè xiāng tóng de měi zhōu tuó niǎo yǔ máo。 dǐ bù de zhì lì guó huā “ gē bǐ 'ài ” yě bǎi hé huā shì dú lì zì yóu de xiàng zhēng。 shòu dài yòng xī bān yá wén xiě zhe“ yǐ kào gōng lǐ hé wǔ lì jìn xíng dǒu zhēng”。 guó shù： ā láo wū kǎ lì yà sōng。 shì shì jiè xī yòu shù zhǒng。 yòu“ hēi sè jīn zì tǎ” zhī chēng。 guó huā：“ gē bǐ 'ài” yě bǎi hé huā（ kē bì wéi） shì lá bà téng kē zhí wù。 huā hóng sè， ǒu 'ěr yě kāi bái huā， cháng dù ３ héng ４ cùn， huā bàn jiān tǐng hǎo xiàng tú là。 jié jiāo xíng xiǎo guǒ。 huā kāi téng shàng， téng pān yuán zài shùgàn shàng。 yǐ zhì lì nán fāng duō jiàn。 guó shí： qīng jīn shí guó wǔ： kūn kǎ huò bì： zhì lì bǐ suǒ dú lì rì： ９ yuè １ ８ rì（１８１ ０ nián） guó qìng rì：９ yuè１８ rì（１８１０ nián） guó jiā zhèng yào： zǒng tǒng mǐ xiē 'ěr · bā qiē lāi tè · hè lǐ yà (MichelleBACHELETJeria)， ２００ ６ nián１ yuè dāng xuǎn， 2006 nián 3 yuè 11 rì jiù zhí， rèn qī 4 nián。 shì zhì lì lì shǐ shàng dì yī wèi nǚ zǒng tǒng。 【 zì rán dì lǐ】 miàn jī ７ ５６６２６ píng fāng gōng lǐ（ qí zhōng lù dì miàn jī７５６２５３ píng fāng gōng lǐ， dǎo yǔ miàn jī３７３ píng fāng gōng lǐ）。 wèi yú nán měi zhōu xī nán bù， ān dì sī shān mài xī lù。 dōng tóng 'ā gēn tíng wéi lín， běi yǔ bìlǔ、 bō lì wéi yà jiē rǎng， xī lín tài píng yáng， nán yǔ nán jí zhōu gé hǎi xiāng wàng。 hǎi 'àn xiàn zǒng cháng yuē１ wàn gōng lǐ， nán běi cháng４３５２ gōng lǐ， dōng xī zuì zhǎi９６ ．８ gōng lǐ、 zuì kuān３６２．３ gōng lǐ， shì shì jiè shàng dì xíng zuì xiá cháng de guó jiā。 dōng wéi 'ān dì sī shān mài de xī pō， yuē zhàn quán jìng dōng xī kuān dù de１ ／３； xī wéi hǎi bá３００ héng２０００ mǐ de hǎi 'àn shān mài， dà bù fēn dì dài yán hǎi 'àn shēn zhǎn， xiàng nán rù hǎi， xíng chéng zhòng duō de yán hǎi dǎo yǔ； zhōng bù shì yóu chōng jī wù suǒ tián chōng de xiàn luò gǔ dì， hǎi bá１２００ mǐ zuǒ yòu。 jìng nèi duō huǒ shān， dì zhèn pín fán。 wèi yú zhì lì、 ā gēn tíng biān jìng shàng de 'ào huò sī － dé 'ěr sà lā duō fēng hǎi bá６８８５ mǐ， wéi quán guó zuì gāo diǎn。 quán guó yòu hé liú３０ yú tiáo， jiào zhòng yào de yòu bǐ 'ào bǐ 'ào hé děng。 zhù yào dǎo yǔ yòu huǒ dì dǎo、 qí luò 'āi dǎo、 huì líng dùn dǎo děng， qì hòu kě fēn wéi běi、 zhōng、 nán sān gè míng xiǎn bù tóng de dì duàn： běi duàn zhù yào shì shā mò qì hòu； zhōng duàn shì dōng jì duō yǔ、 xià jì gān zào de yà rè dài dì zhōng hǎi xíng qì hòu； nán wéi duō yǔ de wēn dài kuò yè lín qì hòu。 yóu yú dì chù měi zhōu dà lù de zuì nán duān， yǔ nán jí zhōu gé hǎi xiāng wàng， zhì lì rén cháng chēng zì jǐ de guó jiā wéi“ tiān yá zhī guó”。 rén kǒu 1609.34 wàn（ 2004 nián）。 qí zhōng chéng shì rén kǒu zhàn 86.8 ％。 yìn 'ōu hùn xuè zhǒng rén zhàn 75%， bái rén 20%， yìn dì 'ān rén 4.6%。 guān fāng yǔ yán wéi xī bān yá yǔ。 zài yìn dì 'ān rén jù jū qū shǐ yòng mǎ pǔ qiē yǔ。 15 suì yǐ shàng rén kǒu zhōng xìn yǎng tiān zhù jiào de zhàn 69.90%， xìn yǎng fú yīn jiào de zhàn 15.14%。 shǒu dū： shèng dì yà gē (Santiago)， wèi yú zhì lì zhōng bù， rén kǒu６０６ wàn（２００２ nián）。 xíng zhèng qū huá： quán guó fēn wéi１３ gè dà qū， xià shè５０ gè shěng hé３４１ gè shì。 gè dà qū míng chēng rú xià： tǎ lā pà kǎ， ān tuō fǎ jiā sī tǎ， ā tǎ kǎ mǎ， kē jīn bó， wǎ 'ěr pà lāi suǒ， jiě fàng zhě 'ào xī jīn sī jiāng jūn， mǎ wū lāi， bǐ 'ào bǐ 'ào， ā láo kǎ ní yà， luò sī · lā gē sī， yī wǎ niè sī jiāng jūn de 'ài sēn， mài zhé lún， shèng dì yà gē shǒu dū qū。 zhòng yào chéng shì shǒu dū： shèng dì yà gē（ Santiago）， zhì lì shǒu dū， nán měi zhōu dì sì dà chéng shì， wèi yú guó jìng zhōng bù， zuò luò zài mǎ bō qiáo hé pàn， dōng yǐ 'ān dì sī shān， xī jù wǎ 'ěr pà lái suǒ gǎng yuē 100 gōng lǐ， xià jì gān zào wēn hé， dōng jì liáng shuǎng duō yǔ wù， bì bō lín lín de mǎ bō qiáo hé cóng chéng biān huǎn huǎn liú guò， zhōng nián jī xuě de 'ān dì sī shān fǎng fó yī dǐng shǎn shǎn fā guāng de yín guān， tiān rán shān shuǐ gěi shèng dì yà gē zēng tiān liǎo dòng rén de fēng yùn。 shèng dì yà gē shì yī zuò yōng yòu 400 duō nián lì shǐ de gǔ chéng。 1541 nián， xī bān yá zhí mín zhě wǎ 'ěr dí wéi yà shuài lǐng 150 míng qí bīng lái dào zhè lǐ， zài wèi yú xiàn zài chéng shì zhōng xīn de shèng lú xī yà shān shàng xiū zhù liǎo xī bān yá zài nán měi zhōu dà lù shàng de dì yī zuò pào tái， bìng zài shān xià yòng ní zhuān hé cǎo mù jiàn zhù liǎo yī pī yuán shǐ de zhù zhái qū， zhè jiù shì shèng dì yà gē chéng de chú xíng。 1818 nián 4 yuè 5 rì， jīng guò zhì lì zhēng qǔ dú lì zhàn zhēng zhōng yīcháng jué dìng xìng zhàn yì héng héng mài pǔ zhī zhàn hòu， shèng dì yà gē chéng wéi zhì lì de shǒu dū。 gōng yuán 19 shì jì yīn zhì lì fā xiàn tóng kuàng bìng zhú jiàn dà guī mó kāi cǎi， chéng shì xùn sù dé dào fā zhǎn。 zài suí hòu de nián yuè lǐ， shù cì zāo shòu dì zhèn、 hóng shuǐ děng zì rán zāi hài de pò huài， shì qū lì shǐ xìng jiàn zhù wù shòu dào yán zhòng huǐ huài。 jīn tiān de shèng dì yà gē shì yī zuò xiàn dài huà de chéng shì， miàn jī 100 duō píng fāng gōng lǐ， rén kǒu 534 wàn， shì zhì lì zuì dà chéng shì， quán guó zhèng zhì、 jīng jì、 wén huà hé jiāo tōng zhōng xīn。 shèng dì yà gē shì suǒ zài de dì qū xià jì（ 10 yuè zhì cì nián 3 yuè） qì wēn bìng bù tài rè， zuì rè de 1 yuè fèn píng jūn wēn dù shì 20 ℃ zuǒ yòu； dōng tiān yě bù tài lěng， zuì lěng de 7 yuè fèn píng jūn wēn dù yě yòu 8℃ zuǒ yòu。 yí rén de qì hòu shǐ shèng dì yà gē chéng fēng guāng qǐ lì、 ē'nuó duō zī。 zhè lǐ yī nián sì jì， zōng lǘ pó suō， lǜ cǎo rú yīn， gè zhǒng xiān huā zhēng xiāng tù yàn。 shèng dì yà gē de měi lì de chéng shì bèi jǐng gèng shì lìng rén zàn tàn bù yǐ。 cóng shì qū kě yǐ tiào wàng yuǎn chù bái xuě 'ái 'ái de 'ān dì sī shān dǐng fēng。 qīng chén， xuě fēng sì zhōu yún wù liáo rào； zhōng wǔ， yáng guāng pǔ zhào， guāng máng sì shè； bàng wǎn， duǒ duǒ bái yún piāo dàng zài shān yāo。 suí zhe fēng、 yún、 yǔ、 wù de tiān qì biàn huàn hé cháo yáng、 xī zhào bǐ wǎng cǐ zhì， xuě fēng bù shí dì chū xiàn yín huī、 yín bái、 dàn qīng、 qiǎn zǐ huò shēn hóng de sè cǎi， yòu shí jǐ zhǒng sè cǎi jiāo xiāng huī yìng， xíng chéng yī fú mí rén de huà miàn。 zhì lì shì shì jiè shàng dì sān dà chǎn tóng guó， yě shì shì jiè shàng chū kǒu tóng zuì duō de guó jiā zhī yī。 zài shèng dì yà gē shì， rén men chù chù dōunéng gǎn shòu dào tóng de cún zài， dào chù dōukě yǐ kàn dào tóng de guāng huī。 màn bù shì qū， měi gé bù yuǎn yǎn qián jiù huì chū xiàn yī zuò jīng gōng xì zhuó de jì niàn tóng xiàng， zhè xiē tóng diāo kè dà xiǎo gè yì， qiān zī bǎi tài， xǔ xǔ rú shēng。 gé wài yǐn rén zhù mù de shì sǒng lì zài shì qū“ xiàn fǎ guǎng chǎng” shàng zhì lì mín zú jiě fàng yùn dòng xiān qū wò yī jīn sī jiāng jūn de tóng xiàng diāo kè， héng dāo yuè mǎ， qì zhuàng shān hé。 nà yī zuò zuò tóng xiàng diāo kè， ràng rén mù bù xiá jiē， zǎi xì guān shǎng， fǎng fó zhì shēn yú tóng xiàng de shì jiè， zhēn shì bié yòu yī fān qíng qù。 bù lùn zài shāng diàn de chú chuāng lǐ， hái shì zài zhì lì péng yǒu de jiā zhōng， jǔ mù biàn shì shǎn shǎn fā guāng de gè zhǒng tóng zhì qì mǐn： tóng wǎn、 tóng pén、 tóng hú、 tóng bēi、 tóng yān jù …… bìng qiě měi jiàn qì mǐn shàng miàn diāo yòu rén wù、 fēng jǐng、 huā cǎo yǐ jí shòu lèi děng。 shāng diàn lǐ de tóng zhì shǒu gōng yì pǐn， gèng shì xīn yíng bié zhì， shǒu gōng jīng xì， lìng rén 'ài bù shì shǒu。 bīn guǎn、 fàn diàn yǐ jí jū mín jiā tíng de mén chuāng、 zhuō zǐ děngdōu shì tóng xiāng biān， huò zhě yòu tóng de zhuāng shì。 qīn péng zì yuǎn fāng lái， yě zǒng shì yǐ tóng zhì yì shù pǐn xiāng zèng sòng。 shèng dì yà gē de shì qū zài lì shǐ shàng shì yǐ shèng lú xī yà shān wéi zhōng xīn fā zhǎn qǐ lái de。 shèng lú xī yà shān gāo 230 mǐ， shì zhù míng de fēng jǐng yóu lǎn qū。 yī tiáo wān wān qū qū de shān lù pán xuán 'ér shàng， zhí tōng shān dǐng。 shān shàng yòu gǔ xī là yǎ diǎn shì de bái shí mén láng， mén láng liǎng cè shì gǔ pǔ、 cāng jìn de jù xíng bì huà。 mǎn shān dōushì jīng gān féi shuò、 xíng tài gè yì de xiān rén zhǎng， sè cǎi yàn lì de huā cǎo diǎn zhuì qí jiān。 shān yāo yòu yī chù“ shí quán”， quán shuǐ huǎn huǎn cóng zào xíng yōu měi de shí diāo wán tóng huái bào de guàn zǐ zhōng liú tǎng chū lái， zài yù yù cōng cōng de lín mù zhōng xíng chéng yī tán bì shuǐ。 shān gǎng shàng de gǔ bǎo、 zhì dié hé tóng pào nián dài jiǔ yuǎn， qì jīn bǎo cún wán hǎo。 zhàn zài gǔ bǎo qián fǔ shì quán shì， cháng 3 gōng lǐ、 kuān 100 mǐ de 'ào xī jīn sī dà jiē héng guàn quán chéng， gōng lù shàng qì chē chuān liú bù xī， liǎng cè gāo lóu dà shà lín lì； jiě fàng guǎng chǎng、 xiàn fǎ guǎng chǎng、 bā gé dá nuò guǎng chǎng děng lì lì zài mù； shì qū hé jìn jiāo de tiān zhù jiào táng、 zhù jiào táng、 shì zhèng tīng、 yóu zhèng dà lóu、 zhì lì dà xué、 tiān zhù jiào dà xué、 guó mín xué yuàn、 guó jiā tú shū guǎn、 lì shǐ bó wù guǎn、 měi shù guǎn děng， yī lǎn wú yú。 shì qū dōng běi bù de shèng kè lǐ sī tuō wǎ shān， hǎi bá 1000 mǐ， shān shàng yòu yòng dà lǐ shí diāo chéng de jù xíng shèng mǔ xiàng， shān pō huā cǎo lín mù zhī zhōng jiàn yòu tiān wén tái hé dòng wù yuán， bèi chēng wéi“ shǒu dū gōng yuán”， shì shèng dì yà gē shì de lǚ yóu zhōng xīn。 wǎ 'ěr pà lāi suǒ (Valparaiso) nán měi zhōu tài píng yáng 'àn zhòng yào hǎi gǎng， zhì lì 'ā kōng jiā guā qū hé wǎ 'ěr pà lāi suǒ shěng shǒu fǔ。 wèi yú wǎ 'ěr pà lāi suǒ wān nán 'àn， dōng nán jù shèng dì yà gē yuē 130 gōng lǐ。 rén kǒu 27.6 wàn（ 1982）。 shǐ jiàn yú 1536 nián。 lǚ zāo hǎi dào、 fēng bào、 dà huǒ、 dì zhèn huǐ huài， xiàn shì qū dà duō wéi 1906 nián dì zhèn hòu zhòng jiàn； 1971 nián yòu zāo dì zhèn pò huài。 gǎng wān kāi kuò， zhù yòu jiān gù de fáng bō dī yǐ jí xiàn dài huà de gǎng kǒu shè shī。 zhì lì zuì dà mào yì gǎng， qí zhōng shū rù zhàn quán guó jìn kǒu zǒng zhí de bàn shù yǐ shàng。 gōng yè yuē zhàn quán guó de wǔ fēn zhī yī， yòu fǎng zhì、 jīn shǔ jiā gōng、 huà gōng、 liàn yóu、 zhì táng、 fú zhuāng、 zhì gé、 yóu qī děng。 qì hòu yí rén， fēng jǐng xiù lì， wéi lǚ yóu shèng dì。 shè yòu dà xué hé bó wù guǎn。 héng guàn 'ān dì sī shān guó jì tiě lù de xī bù zhōng duān zhàn， yǔ shǒu dū yòu diàn qì huǒ chē xiāng tōng。 wǎ 'ěr pà lāi suǒ shì（ Valparaíso） shì zhì lì yì huì suǒ zài dì， yě shì dì wǔ dà qū（ pà lāi suǒ dì qū） de shǒu fǔ hé wǎ 'ěr pà lāi suǒ shěng shěng huì、 zhì lì dì 'èr dà chéng shì hé nán měi tài píng yáng yán 'àn zuì dà de shēn shuǐ gǎng， wǎ shì yě shì zhì lì zuì dà de duì wài mào yì gǎng。 wèi yú tài píng yáng wǎ 'ěr pà lāi suǒ hǎi wān nán duān， jù shǒu dū shèng dì yà gē 119 gōng lǐ。 mù qián， gāi shì rén kǒu yòu 28 wàn duō， miàn jī 402 píng fāng gōng lǐ。 gāi shì dōng bù hé nán bù wéi hǎi 'àn shān mài。 chéng shì wǎn rú yī lún míng yuè xiāng qiàn zài dà hǎi yǔ gāo shān jiān bā píng fāng gōng lǐ de xiá cháng dì dài shàng。 wǎ shì dì lǐ wèi zhì yōu yuè， shì zhì lì zuì zǎo de mào yì gǎng kǒu。 bā ná mǎ yùn hé kāi tōng zhī qián， wǎ shì shì yòu“ zhì lì mén hù” zhī chēng。 mù qián， wǎ shì réng shì quán guó zhòng yào de gǎng kǒu zhī yī， yòu 2000 duō mǐ cháng de bó wèi， yòu xiàn dài huà de zhuāng xiè shè bèi。 fán máng de mǎ tóu jǐng xiàng， shì zhì lì duì wài jīng jì fā zhǎn de xiàng zhēng。 gōng shāng yè fā dá， yòu zhù zào、 jī xiè、 liàn yóu、 huà gōng、 fǎng zhì、 huà xiān、 zhì gé、 yào pǐn、 xiāng yān、 zhà táng、 shí pǐn、 táng cí、 zào chuán hé jīn shǔ jiā gōng děng， shēng chǎn yóu qī、 fú zhuāng děng。 wǎ 'ěr pà lāi suǒ yě shì jiāo tōng zhōng xīn， yǔ shǒu dū shèng dì yà gē tōng diàn qì huà tiě lù。 hái yòu tiě lù tōng wǎng gè dà chéng shì hé gǎng kǒu。 wǎ 'ěr pà lāi suǒ shì shì zhì lì tōng xiàng tài píng yáng zhī chuāng hé zhì lì yǔ shì jiè gè guó mào yì jiāo liú de zhù yào tōng dào， duì wài mào yì shū rù zǒng liàng zhàn quán guó bàn shù yǐ shàng。 fú wù yè hé lǚ yóu yè yě hěn fā dá。 2003 nián， lián hé guó jiào kē wén zǔ zhì shòu yú zhì lì wǎ 'ěr pà lāi suǒ shì“ rén lèi yí chǎn” chēng hào。 wǎ 'ěr pà lāi suǒ zài xī bān yá wén zhōng yì sī shì“ tiān táng gǔ”。 yóu xī bān yá zhí mín zhě xiū jiàn de， zhì jīn yǐ yòu 350 duō nián de lì shǐ， chéng nèi de jiàn zhù、 jiē dào yǐ rán yí liú zhe zhí mín shí qī de hén jì。 chéng zhōng de qí zhōng tè sè zhī yī zài yú yī zhǒng tè bié de tōng gōng jù： lǎn chē。 wèile rén men píng shí shàng xià shān de fāng biàn， tā jīhū quán tiān yùn zuò zhe。 zài wǎ shì màn cháng de lì shǐ zhōng yě jìzǎi liǎo xǔ duō tòng kǔ de jīng lì， tè bié shì 1905 nián de dì zhèn jīhū jiāng wǎ shì yí wéi píng dì。 1996 nián 8 yuè 2 rì -4 rì， shàng hǎi shì dài biǎo tuán fǎng wèn wǎ 'ěr pà lāi suǒ , shuāng fāng qiān shǔ liǎo liǎng shì jié hǎo yì xiàng shū。 2001 nián 7 yuè 10 rì zhì 11 rì， shàng hǎi shì zhèng xié zhù xí、 shàng hǎi shì shì cháng dài biǎo wáng lì píng shuài lǐng shàng hǎi shì dài biǎo tuán yīháng 5 rén yìng wǎ 'ěr pà lāi suǒ shì shì cháng 'āi 'ěr nán · píng tuō · mǐ lǎng dá yāo qǐng fǎng wèn liǎo wǎ 'ěr pà lāi suǒ shì。 7 yuè 10 rì wáng lì píng dài biǎo xú kuāng dí shì cháng yǔ píng tuō shì cháng gòng tóng qiān shǔ liǎo dì jié yǒu hǎo chéng shì xié yì shū。 kāng sài pǔ xī wēng Concepcion zhì lì zhōng bù chéng shì， bǐ 'ào bǐ 'ào qū kāng sài pǔ xī wēng shěng shǒu fǔ。 wèi yú zhì lì zhōng nán bù。 bǐ 'ào bǐ 'ào hé bàng chéng 'ér guò， xī jù hé kǒu 10 gōng lǐ。 rén kǒu yuē 30.3 wàn。 zuì rè yuè píng jūn qì wēn 20℃， zuì lěng yuè píng jūn qì wēn（ 7 yuè） 10℃， nián píng jūn jiàng shuǐ liàng 1000 háo mǐ zuǒ yòu。 xī jù hǎi 'àn gǎng kǒu chéng shì tǎ 'ěr kǎ wǎ nuò 10 qiān mǐ。 shǐ jiàn yú 1550 nián。 lǚ zāo dì zhèn、 hǎi xiào pò huài， lǚ qiān chéng zhǐ， 1754 nián qiān xiàn zhǐ。 zhōu wéi nóng chǎn fēng fù， shuǐ lì zī yuán chōng zú。 fù jìn chǎn méi， méi kuàng zhàn quán guó de 90％ yǐ shàng， wèiguó jiā zhòng yào gōng shāng yè zhōng xīn zhī yī。 nóng yè fā dá， shì pú táo jiǔ hé gǔ wù de mào yì zhōng xīn。 gōng yè yòu fǎng zhì、 miàn fěn、 zhì gé、 bō lí、 táo cí、 zhì táng、 gāng tiě、 zào zhǐ、 liàn yóu děng。 yòu tiě lù tōng shèng dì yà gē。 shè yòu kāng sài pǔ xī wēng dà xué。 xī běi 13 gōng lǐ de wài gǎng tǎ 'ěr kǎ wǎ nuò， gǎng wān yōu liáng， yòu tiě lù tōng lián。 【 jiǎn shǐ】 zǎo qī jìng nèi jū zhù zhe 'ā láo gànrén、 huǒ dì rén děng yìn dì 'ān mín zú。１６ shì jì chū yǐ qián shǔ yú yìn jiā dì guó。１５３５ nián， xī bān yá zhí mín zhě cóng bìlǔ qīn rù zhì lì běi bù。１５４１ nián jiàn lì shèng dì yà gē chéng hòu， zhì lì lún wéi xī bān yá zhí mín dì， bìng shòu qí tǒng zhì jìn３００ nián。１８１０ nián９ yuè１８ rì， zhì lì chéng lì zhí zhèng wěi yuán huì， shí xíng zì zhì。１８１７ nián２ yuè yǔ 'ā gēn tíng lián jūn jī bài xī bān yá zhí mín jūn。１８１８ nián２ yuè１２ rì zhèng shì xuān bù dú lì， chéng lì zhì lì gòng hé guó。 zài shèng dì yà gē jǔ xíng de guó jì tú shū jié。 zhì lì shì nán měi de tú shū chū bǎn dà guó， nián jūn chū bǎn tú shū 2500 duō zhǒng。 xiàn fǎ ２００５ nián９ yuè， zhì lì bān bù xiàn fǎ xīn wén běn， zhèng shì qǔ dài liǎo pí nuò qiē tè jūn zhèng fǔ shí qī bān bù de xiàn fǎ wén běn， zhè shì zhì lì duì wán shàn běn guó mín zhù zhì dù suǒ shí xiàn de zhòng dà gǎi gé chéng nuò hé lì shǐ xìng bù zhòu。 xīn xiàn fǎ duì１９８０ nián xiàn fǎ zuò liǎo５８ chù shí zhì xìng xiū gǎi。 gòng hé guó zǒng tǒng rèn qī jiāng yóu６ nián jiǎn zhì４ nián， qǔ xiāo yì huì zhōng zhōng shēn cān yì yuán hé zhǐ dìng cān yì yuán de shè zhì， suǒ yòu cān yì yuán jiāng yǔ zhòng yì yuán yī yàng jūn yóu mín zhù xuǎn jǔ chǎn shēng。 cǐ wài， xiū gǎi hòu de xiàn fǎ jiāng fù yú gòng hé guó zǒng tǒng duì jūn duì hé jǐng chá yōng yòu jué duì de lǐng dǎo quán hé zhǐ huī quán， guī dìng zǒng tǒng yòu quán chè huàn wǔ zhuāng bù duì gè jūn zhǒng hé jǐng chá bù duì de zǒng sī lìng， gǎi biàn guò qù xiàn fǎ zhōng guān yú zhè xiē zhí wù bù kě bà miǎn de xiàn zhì。 guó jiā 'ān quán wěi yuán huì jiāng bù zài kě yǐ kuà yuè zǒng tǒng de quán lì， ér shǐ zhī zhuǎn biàn chéng wéi lì shǔ zǒng tǒng lǐng dǎo xià de guó jiā 'ān quán gù wèn jī gòu。 jīng jì zhì lì shǔ yú zhōng děng fā zhǎn shuǐ píng guó jiā。 kuàng yè、 lín yè、 yú yè hé nóng yè zī yuán fēng fù， shì guó mín jīng jì sì dà zhī zhù。 kuàng cáng、 sēn lín hé shuǐ chǎn zī yuán fēng fù， yǐ shèng chǎn tóng wén míng yú shì， sù chēng“ tóng kuàng zhī guó”。 yǐ tàn míng de tóng yùn cáng liàng dá２ yì dūn yǐ shàng， jū shì jiè dì yī wèi， yuē zhàn shì jiè chǔ cáng liàng de１ /３。 tóng de chǎn liàng hé chū kǒu liàng yě jūn wéi shì jiè dì yī。 tiě yùn cáng liàng yuē１２ yì dūn， méi yuē５０ yì dūn。 cǐ wài， hái yòu xiāo shí、 mù、 jīn、 yín、 lǚ、 xīn、 diǎn、 shí yóu、 tiān rán qì děng。 shèng chǎn wēn dài lín mù， mù zhì yōu liáng， shì lā měi dì yī dà lín chǎn pǐn chū kǒu guó。 yú yè zī yuán fēng fù， shì shì jiè dì wǔ dà yú yè guó。 gōng kuàng yè shì zhì guó mín jīng jì de mìng mài。２００１ nián， gōng yè zǒng chǎn zhí wéi５７２２０ .５６ yì bǐ suǒ， kuàng yè zǒng chǎn zhí３０５０７ .２７ yì bǐ suǒ。 gōng kuàng yè cóng yè rén kǒu wéi８２ .９ wàn rén， zhàn zǒng láo dòng lì de１４％。２００１ nián， nóng、 lín yè chǎn zhí１５２４３ .５１ yì bǐ suǒ , nóng yè láo dòng lì７０ .４ wàn rén， zhàn zǒng láo dòng lì de１２％。 gēng dì miàn jī１ .６６ wàn píng fāng gōng lǐ。 quán guó sēn lín fù gài miàn jī１５６４ .９ wàn gōng qǐng， zhàn quán guó tǔ dì miàn jī de２０ .８％。 zhù yào lín chǎn pǐn wéi mù cái、 zhǐ jiāng、 zhǐ zhāng děng。 zhì lì shì shì yǐ jīng jì kāi fàng 'ér zhù chēng yú shì de mào yì guó jiā。２００３ nián chū kǒu 'é shǒu cì tū pò２００ yì měi yuán dà guān， dá dào２１０．４６ yì měi yuán。 xīn wén chū bǎn quán guó yòu bào shè８７ jiā。 zhù yào bào zhǐ yòu《 xìn shǐ bào》，１８２７ nián chuàng kān；《 mín zú bào》，１９８０ nián chuàng kān；《 sān diǎn zhōng bào》，１９５０ nián chuàng kān；《 èr diǎn zhōng bào》（ wǎn bào），１９３１ nián chuàng kān；《 zuì hòu xiāo xī bào》，１９０２ nián chuàng kān； zhù yào zá zhì yòu《 shì jiàn》，１９７１ nián chuàng kān；《 xīn qíng kuàng》，１９７６ nián chuàng kān；《 jīn rì》，１９７７ nián chuàng kān。 zhù yào tōng xùn shè wéi huán qiú tōng xùn shè。 quán guó yòu diàn tái１０９５ jiā， zhù yào yòu guó jiā diàn tái、 hé zuò diàn shì tái、 bō tǎ lāi sī diàn tái、 nóng yè diàn tái hé kuàng yè diàn tái。 diàn shì tái９ jiā， qí zhōng yǐng xiǎng jiào dà de shì guó jiā diàn shì tái（７ tái）、 zhì lì dà xué diàn shì tái（ 11 tái）、 tiān zhù jiào dà xué diàn shì tái（１３ tái）、 dà shì yě diàn shì tái（９ tái） hé wǎ 'ěr pà lāi suǒ tiān zhù jiào dà xué diàn shì tái（５ tái）。 【 wén huà yì shù】 shì lā měi wén huà yì shù shuǐ zhǔn jiào gāo de guó jiā zhī yī。 quán guó yòu tú shū guǎn１９９９ jiā， zǒng cáng shū liàng wéi１７９０ .７ wàn cè。 yòu diàn yǐng yuàn２６０ jiā。 shǒu dū shèng dì yà gē shì quán guó wén huà huó dòng zhōng xīn， yòu２５ gè měi shù guǎn。 shī rén jiā fū liè lā · mǐ sī tè lā 'ěr huò１９４５ nián nuò bèi 'ěr wén xué jiǎng， chéng wéi dì yī gè huò cǐ jiǎng de nán měi zhōu zuò jiā。 shī rén bā bó luó · niè lǔ dá huò１９７１ nián nuò bèi 'ěr wén xué jiǎng。 zhì lì de fù huó jié dǎo wèi yú tài píng yáng dōng nán bù， yǐ shén mì jù xiàng míng wén xiá 'ěr。 dǎo shàng yòu６００ duō zūn miàn duì dà hǎi de gǔ dài jù dà bàn shēn shí diāo xiàng。１９９６ nián２ yuè， gāi dǎo bèi lián hé guó jiào kē wén zǔ zhì xuān bù wéi shì jiè wén huà yí chǎn。 wài jiāo： fèng xíng dú lì zì zhù de mín zú zhù yì wài jiāo zhèng cè， zūn xún bù gān shè nèi zhèng hé rén mín zì jué de yuán zé。 【 yǔ zhōng guó guān xì】 １９７０ nián１２ yuè１５ rì， zhì lì chéng wéi nán měi zhōu dì yī gè tóng zhōng guó jiàn jiāo de guó jiā， zhì lì yě shì zuì zǎo tóng zhōng guó wán chéng rù shì tán pàn de lā měi guó jiā。１９７０ nián zhōng zhì jiàn jiāo yǐ lái， liǎng guó guān xì wěn bù fā zhǎn。２００１ nián， jiāng zé mín zhù xí duì zhì lì jìn xíng guó shì fǎng wèn， yǔ lā gē sī zǒng tǒng jiù fā zhǎn liǎng guó miàn xiàng２１ shì jì cháng qī wěn dìng、 píng děng hù lì de quán miàn hé zuò huǒ bàn guān xì dá chéng gòng shí。２００４ nián１１ yuè， hú jǐn tāo zhù xí duì zhì lì jìn xíng guó shì fǎng wèn。 2004 nián 11 yuè， hú jǐn tāo zhù xí duì zhì lì jìn xíng guó shì fǎng wèn bìng chū xí zài zhì shǒu dū jǔ xíng de yà tài jīng hé zǔ zhì lǐng dǎo rén dì 12 cì fēi zhèng shì huì yì。 fǎng wèn qī jiān， liǎng guó yuán shǒu yī zhì tóng yì què lì liǎng guó quán miàn hé zuò huǒ bàn guān xì， bìng xuān bù qǐ dòng shuāng biān zì yóu mào yì xié dìng tán pàn。 zhì fāng xuān bù chéng rèn zhōng guó de wán quán shì chǎng jīng jì dì wèi。 2005 nián 11 yuè， hú jǐn tāo zhù xí zài hán guó APEC lǐng dǎo rén fēi zhèng shì huì yì qī jiān yǔ lā gē sī zǒng tǒng huì wù， bìng gòng tóng chū xí liǎo zhōng zhì zì yóu mào yì xié dìng qiān zì yí shì。 2006 nián 9 yuè， wú bāng guó wěi yuán cháng fǎng zhì， yǔ bā qiē lāi tè zǒng tǒng gòng tóng xuān bù shí shī zhōng zhì zì yóu mào yì xié dìng hé qǐ dòng zhōng zhì zì mào xié dìng fú wù mào yì hé tóu zī tán pàn。 2006 nián 11 yuè， hú jǐn tāo zhù xí zài hé nèi yà tài jīng hé zǔ zhì lǐng dǎo rén fēi zhèng shì huì yì qī jiān huì wù bā qiē lāi tè zǒng tǒng。 2007 nián 4 yuè， zhōng gòng zhōng yāng zhèng zhì jú cháng wěi wú guān zhèng tóng zhì fǎng zhì。 zhōng fāng zhòng yào qù fǎng hái yòu（ zhí wù jūn wéi shí rèn）： wú xué qiān guó wù wěi yuán jiān wài cháng（ 1987 nián）、 yáng shàng kūn zhù xí（ 1990 nián）、 qián qí chēn guó wù wěi yuán jiān wài cháng（ 1993 nián）、 zhèng xié zhù xí lǐ ruì huán（ 1995 nián）、 zhū róng jī fù zǒng lǐ（ 1996 nián）、 lǐ péng zǒng lǐ（ 1996 nián）、 lǐ lán qīng fù zǒng lǐ（ 1997 nián）、 tián jì yún fù wěi yuán cháng（ 1998、 2002 nián）、 táng jiā xuán wài cháng（ 2000 nián）、 chéng sī wēi fù wěi yuán cháng（ 2001 nián）、 zhōng gòng zhōng yāng zhèng zhì jú wěi yuán、 guǎng dōng shěng wěi shū jì zhāng dé jiāng（ 2003 nián）、 guó wù yuàn fù zǒng lǐ huí liáng yù（ 2004 nián）。 zhì zhòng yào lái fǎng hái yòu： wài cháng 'ā 'ěr méi dá（ 1973 nián）、 wài cháng kù wéi lüè sī（ 1978 nián）、 wài cháng dé 'ěr wǎ liè（ 1984 nián）、 zhòng yì cháng bǐ 'āi lā - jiā lüè（ 1991 nián）、 zǒng tǒng 'ài 'ěr wén（ 1992 nián）、 zǒng tǒng fú léi（ 1995 nián）、 cān yì cháng dié sī（ 1996 nián）、 wài cháng yīn sū 'ěr sà（ 1997、 1998、 1999 nián）、 zhòng yì cháng mǎ dīng nèi sī（ 1999 nián）、 wài cháng 'ā 'ěr wéi yà 'ěr（ 2000 nián）、 zǒng tǒng lā gē sī（ 2001 nián）、 cān yì cháng sà 'ěr dí wǎ（ 2001 nián）、 wài cháng wǎ 'ěr kè、 cān yì cháng luó méi luó（ 2005 nián）、 cān yì cháng fú léi（ 2006 nián）、 zhòng yì cháng lāi yà 'ěr（ 2007 nián 1 yuè）。 shuāng fāng zài guó jì shì wù zhōng kāi zhǎn liǎo liáng hǎo hé zuò。 1999 nián， zhì lì zài lā měi guó jiā zhōng shuài xiān tóng zhōng guó qiān shǔ“ guān yú zhōng guó jiā rù WTO de shuāng biān xié yì”。 2002 nián， zhōng guó zhī chí zhì lì jìng xuǎn lián hé guó 'ān lǐ huì 2003-2004 nián dù fēi cháng rèn lǐ shì guó。 2004 nián， zhì lì zhī chí zhōng guó chéng wéi měi zhōu guó jiā zǔ zhì cháng zhù guān chá yuán hé lā měi yì huì guān chá yuán。 zài tái wān wèn tí shàng， zhì lì jiè zhèng fǔ jūn fèng xíng yī gè zhōng guó zhèng cè。 liǎng guó wài jiāo bù yú 1988 nián jiàn lì zhèng zhì cuō shāng zhì dù， qì jīn yǐ jǔ xíng 10 cì cuō shāng。 mù qián liǎng guó jiān jiàn yòu 6 duì yǒu hǎo shěng shì guān xì。 Chile's unusual, ribbon-like shape —4,300 km long and on average 175 km wide— has given it a hugely varied climate, ranging from the world's driest desert - the Atacama - in the north, through a Mediterranean climate in the centre, to a snow-prone Alpine climate in the south, with glaciers, fjords and lakes. The northern Chilean desert contains great mineral wealth, principally copper. The relatively small central area dominates the country in terms of population and agricultural resources. This area also is the cultural and political center from which Chile expanded in the late 19th century, when it incorporated its northern and southern regions. Southern Chile is rich in forests and grazing lands and features a string of volcanoes and lakes. The southern coast is a labyrinth of fjords, inlets, canals, twisting peninsulas, and islands. The Andes Mountains are located on the eastern border. Prior to the coming of the Spanish in the 16th century, northern Chile was under Inca rule while Araucanian Indians (also known as Mapuches) inhabited central and southern Chile. Although Chile declared its independence in 1810, decisive victory over the Spanish was not achieved until 1818. In the War of the Pacific (1879-83), Chile defeated Peru and Bolivia and won its present northern regions. It was not until the 1880s that the Araucanian Indians were completely subjugated. The country, which had been relatively free of the coups and arbitrary governments that blighted the South American continent, endured a 17 year military dictatorship (1973-1990), one of the bloodiest in 20th-century Latin America that left more than 3,000 people dead and missing. Currently, Chile is one of South America's most stable and prosperous nations. Within the greater Latin American context it leads in terms of competitiveness, quality of life, political stability, globalization, economic freedom, low perception of corruption and comparatively low poverty rates. It also ranks high regionally in freedom of the press, human development and democratic development. Its status as the region's richest country in terms of gross domestic product per capita (at market prices and purchasing power parity) is countered by its high level of income inequality, as measured by the Gini index. There are various theories about the origin of the word Chile. According to one theory the Incas of Peru, who had failed to conquer the Araucanians, called the valley of the Aconcagua "Chili" by corruption of the name of a tribal chief ("cacique") called Tili, who ruled the area at the time of the Incan conquest. Another theory points to the similarity of the valley of the Aconcagua with that of the Casma Valley in Peru, where there was a town and valley named Chili. Other theories say Chile may derive its name from the indigenous Mapuche word chilli, which may mean "where the land ends," "the deepest point of the Earth," or "sea gulls;" or from the Quechua chin, "cold," or the Aymara tchili, meaning "snow." Another meaning attributed to chilli is the onomatopoeic cheele-cheele—the Mapuche imitation of a bird call. The Spanish conquistadors heard about this name from the Incas and the few survivors of Diego de Almagro's first Spanish expedition south from Peru in 1535-36 called themselves the "men of Chilli." History The Mapuche were the original inhabitants of central and southern Chile.About 10,000 years ago, migrating Native Americans settled in fertile valleys and along the coast of what is now Chile. The Incas briefly extended their empire into what is now northern Chile, but the area's barrenness prevented extensive settlement. In 1520, while attempting to circumnavigate the earth, the Portuguese Ferdinand Magellan, discovered the southern passage now named after him, the Strait of Magellan. The next Europeans to reach Chile were Diego de Almagro and his band of Spanish conquistadors, who came from Peru in 1535 seeking gold. The Spanish encountered hundreds of thousands of Native Americans from various cultures in the area that modern Chile now occupies. These cultures supported themselves principally through slash-and-burn agriculture and hunting. The conquest of Chile began in earnest in 1540 and was carried out by Pedro de Valdivia, one of Francisco Pizarro's lieutenants, who founded the city of Santiago on February 12, 1541. Although the Spanish did not find the extensive gold and silver they sought, they recognized the agricultural potential of Chile's central valley, and Chile became part of the Viceroyalty of Peru. Pedro de Valdivia.Conquest of the land that is today called Chile took place only gradually, and the Europeans suffered repeated setbacks at the hands of the local population. A massive Mapuche insurrection that began in 1553 resulted in Valdivia's death and the destruction of many of the colony's principal settlements. Subsequent major insurrections took place in 1598 and in 1655. Each time the Mapuche and other native groups revolted, the southern border of the colony was driven northward. The abolition of slavery in 1683 defused tensions on the frontier between the colony and the Mapuche land to the south, and permitted increased trade between colonists and the Mapuche. The drive for independence from Spain was precipitated by usurpation of the Spanish throne by Napoleon's brother Joseph in 1808. A national junta in the name of Ferdinand—heir to the deposed king—was formed on September 18, 1810. The junta proclaimed Chile an autonomous republic within the Spanish monarchy. A movement for total independence soon won a wide following. Spanish attempts to re-impose arbitrary rule during what was called the "Reconquista" led to a prolonged struggle. Bernardo O'Higgins.Intermittent warfare continued until 1817, when an army led by Bernardo O'Higgins, Chile's most renowned patriot, and José de San Martín, hero of the Argentine War of Independence, crossed the Andes into Chile and defeated the royalists. On February 12, 1818, Chile was proclaimed an independent republic under O'Higgins' leadership. The political revolt brought little social change, however, and 19th century Chilean society preserved the essence of the stratified colonial social structure, which was greatly influenced by family politics and the Roman Catholic Church. A strong presidency eventually emerged, but wealthy landowners remained extremely powerful. War of the Pacific: The Battle of Iquique on May 21, 1879.Toward the end of the nineteenth century, the government in Santiago consolidated its position in the south by ruthlessly suppressing the Mapuche during the Occupation of Araucanía. In 1881, it signed a treaty with Argentina confirming Chilean sovereignty over the Strait of Magellan. As a result of the War of the Pacific with Peru and Bolivia (1879–83), Chile expanded its territory northward by almost one-third, eliminating Bolivia's access to the Pacific, and acquired valuable nitrate deposits, the exploitation of which led to an era of national affluence. The Chilean Civil War in 1891 brought about a redistribution of power between the President and Congress, and Chile established a parliamentary style democracy. However, the Civil War had also been a contest between those who favored the development of local industries and powerful Chilean banking interests, particularly the House of Edwards who had strong ties to foreign investors. Hence the Chilean economy partially degenerated into a system protecting the interests of a ruling oligarchy. By the 1920s, the emerging middle and working classes were powerful enough to elect a reformist president, Arturo Alessandri Palma, whose program was frustrated by a conservative congress. Alessandri Palma's reformist tendencies were partly tempered later by an admiration for some elements of Mussolini's Italian Corporate State. In the 1920s, Marxist groups with strong popular support arose. Diego Portales (1793-1837), Founder of the Chilean State and creator of the Constitution of 1833.A military coup led by General Luis Altamirano in 1924 set off a period of great political instability that lasted until 1932. The longest lasting of the ten governments between those years was that of General Carlos Ibáñez del Campo, who briefly held power in 1925 and then again between 1927 and 1931 in what was a de facto dictatorship, although not really comparable in harshness or corruption to the type of military dictatorship that has often bedeviled the rest of Latin America, and certainly not comparable to the violent and repressive regime of Augusto Pinochet decades later. By relinquishing power to a democratically elected successor, Ibáñez del Campo retained the respect of a large enough segment of the population to remain a viable politician for more than thirty years, in spite of the vague and shifting nature of his ideology. When constitutional rule was restored in 1932, a strong middle-class party, the Radicals, emerged. It became the key force in coalition governments for the next 20 years. During the period of Radical Party dominance (1932–52), the state increased its role in the economy. In 1952, voters returned Ibáñez del Campo, now reincarnated as a sort of Chilean Perón, to office for another six years. Jorge Alessandri succeeded Ibáñez del Campo in 1958, bringing Chilean conservatism back into power democratically for another term. The 1964 presidential election of Christian Democrat Eduardo Frei Montalva by an absolute majority initiated a period of major reform. Under the slogan "Revolution in Liberty", the Frei administration embarked on far-reaching social and economic programs, particularly in education, housing, and agrarian reform, including rural unionization of agricultural workers. By 1967, however, Frei encountered increasing opposition from leftists, who charged that his reforms were inadequate, and from conservatives, who found them excessive. At the end of his term, Frei had accomplished many noteworthy objectives, but he had not fully achieved his party's ambitious goals. In 1970, Senator Salvador Allende Gossens, a Marxist physician and member of Chile's Socialist Party, who headed the "Popular Unity" (UP or "Unidad Popular") coalition of the Socialist, Communist, Radical, and Social-Democratic Parties, along with dissident Christian Democrats, the Popular Unitary Action Movement (MAPU), and the Independent Popular Action, won a plurality of votes in a three-way contest. Despite pressure from the government of the United States, the Chilean Congress, keeping with tradition, conducted a runoff vote between the leading candidates, Allende and former president Jorge Alessandri and chose Allende by a vote of 153 to 35. Frei refused to form an alliance with Alessandri to oppose Allende, on the grounds that the Christian Democrats were a workers party and could not make common cause with the oligarchs. Allende's program included advancement of workers' interests; a thoroughgoing implementation of agrarian reform; the reorganization of the national economy into socialized, mixed, and private sectors; a foreign policy of "international solidarity" and national independence; and a new institutional order (the "people's state" or "poder popular"), including the institution of a unicameral congress. The Popular Unity platform also called for nationalization of foreign (U.S.) ownership of Chile's major copper mines. La Moneda Presidential Palace being bombed during the coup (1973).An economic depression that began in 1967 peaked in 1970, exacerbated by capital flight, plummeting private investment, and withdrawal of bank deposits by those opposed to Allende's socialist program. Production fell and unemployment rose. Allende adopted measures including price freezes, wage increases, and tax reforms, which had the effect of increasing consumer spending and redistributing income downward. Joint public-private public works projects helped reduce unemployment. Much of the banking sector was nationalized. Many enterprises within the copper, coal, iron, nitrate, and steel industries were expropriated, nationalized, or subjected to state intervention. Industrial output increased sharply and unemployment fell during the Allende administration's first year. Other reforms undertaken during the early Allende period included redistribution of millions of hectares of land to landless agricultural workers as part of the agrarian reform program, giving the armed forces an overdue pay increase, and providing free milk to children. The Indian Peoples Development Corporation and the Mapuche Vocational Institute were founded to address the needs of Chile's indigenous population. The nationalization of U.S. and other foreign-owned companies led to increased tensions with the United States. The Nixon administration brought international financial pressure to bear in order to restrict economic credit to Chile. Simultaneously, the CIA funded opposition media, politicians, and organizations, helping to accelerate a campaign of domestic destabilization. By 1972, the economic progress of Allende's first year had been reversed and the economy was in crisis. Political polarization increased, and large mobilizations of both pro- and anti-government groups became frequent, often leading to clashes. By early 1973, inflation was out of control. The crippled economy was further battered by prolonged and sometimes simultaneous strikes by physicians, teachers, students, truck owners, copper workers, and the small business class. A US-backed military coup overthrew Allende on September 11, 1973. As the armed forces bombarded the presidential palace (Palacio de La Moneda), Allende reportedly committed suicide. A military government, led by General Augusto Pinochet Ugarte, took over control of the country. The first years of the regime were marked by serious human rights violations. On October 1973, at least 72 people were murdered by the Caravan of Death. At least a thousand people were executed during the first six months of Pinochet in office, and at least two thousand more were killed during the next sixteen years, as reported by the Rettig Report. Some 30,000 were forced to flee the country, and tens of thousands of people were detained and tortured, as investigated by the 2004 Valech Commission. A new Constitution was approved by a highly irregular and undemocratic plebiscite characterized by the absence of registration lists, on September 11, 1980, and General Pinochet became President of the Republic for an 8-year term. The four Concertación presidents (left to right): Patricio Aylwin, Michelle Bachelet, Eduardo Frei Ruiz-Tagle and Ricardo Lagos.In the late 1980s, the regime gradually permitted greater freedom of assembly, speech, and association, to include trade union and limited political activity. The right-wing military government pursued free market economic policies. During Pinochet's nearly 17 years in power, Chile moved away from state involvement, toward a largely free market economy that saw an increase in domestic and foreign private investment, although the copper industry and other important mineral resources were not returned to foreign ownership. In a plebiscite on October 5, 1988, General Pinochet was denied a second 8-year term as president (56% against 44%). Chileans elected a new president and the majority of members of a two-chamber congress on December 14, 1989. Christian Democrat Patricio Aylwin, the candidate of a coalition of 17 political parties called the Concertación, received an absolute majority of votes (55%).. President Aylwin served from 1990 to 1994, in what was considered a transition period. In December 1993, Christian Democrat Eduardo Frei Ruiz-Tagle, the son of previous president Eduardo Frei Montalva, led the Concertación coalition to victory with an absolute majority of votes (58%). Frei Ruiz-Tagle was succeeded in 2000 by Socialist Ricardo Lagos, who won the presidency in an unprecedented runoff election against Joaquín Lavín of the rightist Alliance for Chile. In January 2006 Chileans elected their first woman president, Michelle Bachelet Jeria, of the Socialist Party. She was sworn in on March 11, 2006, extending the Concertación coalition governance for another four years. Politics Palacio de La Moneda in downtown Santiago.Chile's Constitution was approved in a highly irregular national plebiscite in September 1980, under the military government of Augusto Pinochet. It entered into force in March 1981. After Pinochet's defeat in the 1988 plebiscite, the Constitution was amended to ease provisions for future amendments to the Constitution. In September 2005, President Ricardo Lagos signed into law several constitutional amendments passed by Congress. These include eliminating the positions of appointed senators and senators for life, granting the President authority to remove the commanders-in-chief of the armed forces, and reducing the presidential term from six to four years. Chileans voted in the first round of presidential elections on December 11, 2005. None of the four presidential candidates won more than 50% of the vote. As a result, the top two vote-getters—center-left Concertación coalition's Michelle Bachelet and center-right Alianza coalition's Sebastián Piñera—competed in a run-off election on January 15, 2006, which Michelle Bachelet won. She was sworn in on March 11, 2006. This was Chile's fourth presidential election since the end of the Pinochet era. All four have been judged free and fair. The President is constitutionally barred from serving consecutive terms. Chile's bicameral Congress has a 38-seat Senate and a 120-member Chamber of Deputies. Senators serve for 8 years with staggered terms, while Deputies are elected every 4 years. The current Senate has a 20-18 split in favor of pro-government Senators. The last congressional elections were held in December 11, 2005, concurrently with the presidential election. The current lower house—the Chamber of Deputies—contains 63 members of the governing center-left coalition and 57 from the center-right opposition. The Congress is located in the port city of Valparaíso, about 140 kilometers (84 mi.) west of the capital, Santiago. Chile's congressional elections are governed by a binomial system that rewards large representations. Therefore, there are only two Senate and two Deputy seats apportioned to each electoral district, parties are forced to form wide coalitions and, historically, the two largest coalitions (Concertación and Alianza) split most of the seats in a district. Only if the leading coalition ticket out-polls the second-place coalition by a margin of more than 2-to-1 does the winning coalition gain both seats. In the 2001 congressional elections, the conservative Independent Democratic Union surpassed the Christian Democrats for the first time to become the largest party in the lower house. In 2005, both leading parties, the Christian Democrats and the UDI lost representation in favor of their respective allies Socialist Party (which became the biggest party in the Concertación block) and National Renewal in the right-wing alliance. The Communist Party again failed to gain any seats in the election. (See Chilean parliamentary election, 2005.) Chile's judiciary is independent and includes a court of appeal, a system of military courts, a constitutional tribunal, and the Supreme Court. In June 2005, Chile completed a nation-wide overhaul of its criminal justice system. The reform has replaced inquisitorial proceedings with an adversarial system more similar to that of the United States. Administrative division Chile is divided into 15 regions, each of which is headed by an intendant appointed by the President. Every region is further divided into provinces, with a provincial governor also appointed by the President. Finally each province is divided into communes which are administered by municipalities, each with its own mayor and councilmen elected by their inhabitants for four years. Each region is designated by a name and a Roman numeral, assigned from north to south. The only exception is the region housing the nation's capital, which is designated RM, that stands for Región Metropolitana (Metropolitan Region). Two new regions were created in 2006: Arica and Parinacota in the north, and Los Ríos in the south. Both became operative in October 2007. Key Name Spanish Capital XV Arica and Parinacota Región de Arica y Parinacota Arica I Tarapacá Región de Tarapacá Iquique II Antofagasta Región de Antofagasta Antofagasta III Atacama Región de Atacama Copiapo IV Coquimbo Región de Coquimbo La Serena V Valparaíso Región de Valparaíso Valparaiso VI O'Higgins Región del Libertador General Bernardo O'Higgins Rancagua VII Maule Región del Maule Talca VIII Biobío Región del Biobío Concepción IX Araucanía Región de la Araucanía Temuco XIV Los Ríos Región de Los Ríos Valdivia X Los Lagos Región de Los Lagos Puerto Montt XI Aisén Región Aisén del General Carlos Ibáñez del Campo Coihaique XII Magallanes Región de Magallanes y de la Antártica Chilena Punta Arenas RM Santiago Región Metropolitana de Santiago Santiago Geography Parinacota Volcano in northern Chile. Elqui Valley in north-central Chile. Conguillío National Park in south-central Chile. Grey Glacier in southern Chile.A long and narrow coastal Southern Cone country on the west side of the Andes Mountains, Chile stretches over 4,630 kilometers (2,880 mi) north to south, but only 430 kilometers (265 mi) at its widest point east to west. This encompasses a remarkable variety of landscapes. At 756,950 km² (292,260 sq mi), Chile is the world's 38th-largest country. It is comparable in size to Zambia, and is about twice the size of Japan. The northern Atacama Desert contains great mineral wealth, primarily copper and nitrates. The relatively small Central Valley, which includes Santiago, dominates the country in terms of population and agricultural resources. This area also is the historical center from which Chile expanded in the late nineteenth century, when it integrated the northern and southern regions. Southern Chile is rich in forests, grazing lands, and features a string of volcanoes and lakes. The southern coast is a labyrinth of fjords, inlets, canals, twisting peninsulas, and islands. The Andes Mountains are located on the eastern border. Chile is the longest (N-S) country in the world (over 4,200 km (2,610 mi)), and also claims 1,250,000 km² (482,628 sq mi) of Antarctica as part of its territory. However, this latter claim is suspended under the terms of the Antarctic Treaty, of which Chile is signatory. Chile controls Easter Island and Sala y Gómez Island, the easternmost islands of Polynesia, which it incorporated to its territory in 1888, and Robinson Crusoe Island, more than 600 km (373 mi) from the mainland, in the Juan Fernández archipelago. Easter Island is nowadays a province of Chile. Also controlled but only temporally inhabited (by some local fishermen) are the small islands of Sala y Gómez, San Ambrosio and San Felix, these islands are notable because they extend Chile's claim to territorial waters out from its coast into the Pacific. Climate The climate of Chile comprises a wide range of weather conditions across a large geographic scale, extending across 38 degrees in latitude, making generalisations difficult. According to the Köppen system, Chile within its borders hosts at least seven major climatic subtypes, ranging from desert in the north, to alpine tundra and glaciers in the east and south east, humid subtropical in Easter Island, Oceanic in the south and mediterranean climate in central Chile. There are four seasons in most of the country: summer (December to February), autumn (March to May), winter (June to August), and spring (September to November). Time zones Because of the distance between the mainland and Easter Island, Chile uses 4 different UTC offsets: The mainland uses UTC-4, and in summer as daylight saving time UTC-3. Easter Island uses UTC-6, and in summer as daylight saving time UTC-5. Economy Chilean notes currently in circulation.After a decade of impressive growth rates, Chile began to experience a moderate economic downturn in 1999, brought on by unfavorable global economic conditions related to the Asian financial crisis, which began in 1997. The economy remained sluggish until 2003, when it began to show clear signs of recovery, achieving 4.0% real GDP growth. The Chilean economy finished 2004 with growth of 6.0%. Real GDP growth reached 5.7% in 2005 before falling back to 4.0% growth in 2006. Higher energy prices as well as lagging consumer demand were drags on the economy in 2006. Higher Chilean Government spending and favorable external conditions (including record copper prices for much of 2006) were not enough to offset these drags. For the first time in many years, Chilean economic growth in 2006 was among the weakest in Latin America. GDP expanded 5.1% in 2007. Chile has pursued generally sound economic policies for nearly three decades. The 1973-90 military government sold many state-owned companies, and the three 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 free trade agreements (FTAs) with a whole network of countries, including an FTA with the United States, which was signed in 2003 and implemented in January 2004. Over the last several years, Chile has signed FTAs with the European Union, South Korea, New Zealand, Singapore, Brunei, China, and Japan. It reached a partial trade agreement with India in 2005 and began negotiations for a full-fledged FTA with India in 2006. Chile conducted trade negotiations in 2007 with Australia, Malaysia, and Thailand, as well as with China to expand an existing agreement beyond just trade in goods. Chile hopes to conclude FTA negotiations with Australia and the expanded agreement with China in 2008. Negotiations with Malaysia and Thailand are scheduled to continue throughout 2008. The members of the P4 (Chile, Singapore, New Zealand, and Brunei) also plan to conclude a chapter on finance and investment in 2008. The economic international organization the OECD agreed to invite Chile to be among four countries to open discussions in becoming an official member. High domestic savings and investment rates helped propel Chile's economy to average growth rates of 8% during the 1990s. The privatized national pension system (AFP) has encouraged domestic investment and contributed to an estimated total domestic savings rate of approximately 21% of GDP. However, the AFP is not without its critics, who cite low participation rates (only 55% of the working population is covered), with groups such as the self-employed outside the system. There has also been criticism of the inefficiency and high costs due to a lack of competition among pension funds. Critics cite loopholes in the use of pension savings through lump sum withdraws for the purchase of a second home or payment of university fees as fundamental weaknesses of the AFP. The Bachelet administration plans substantial reform, but not an overhaul, of the AFP during the next several years. Chile GDP growth since 1961.Unemployment stubbornly hovered in the 9%-10% range after the start of the economic slowdown in 1999, above the 7% average for the 1990s. Unemployment finally dipped to 7.8% for 2006, and has kept falling in 2007, averaging 6.8% monthly (up to August). Wages have risen faster than inflation as a result of higher productivity, boosting national living standards. The percentage of Chileans with household incomes below the poverty line—defined as twice the cost of satisfying a person's minimal nutritional needs—fell from 45.1% in 1987 to 13.7% in 2006, according to government polls. Critics in Chile, however, argue true poverty figures are considerably higher than those officially published, due to the government's use of an outdated 1987 household budget poll, updated every 10 years. According to these critics, using the 1997 household budget data, the poverty rate rises to 29%. Using the relative yardstick favoured in many European countries, 27% of Chileans would be poor, according to Juan Carlos Feres of the ECLAC. Despite enjoying a comparatively higher GDP and more robust economy compared to most other countries of Latin America, Chile also suffers from one of the most uneven distributions of wealth in the world, ahead only of Brazil in the Latin American region and lagging behind even of most developing sub-Saharan African nations. Chile's top 10 richest percentile possesses 47 percent of the country's wealth. In relation to income distribution, some 6.2% of the country populates the upper economic income bracket, 15% the middle bracket, 21% the lower middle, 38% the lower bracket, and 20% the extreme poor. Airbus A340 of Chile's LAN Airlines.Chile's independent Central Bank pursues an inflation target of between 2% and 4%. Inflation has not exceeded 5% since 1998. Chile registered an inflation rate of 3.2% in 2006. The Chilean peso's rapid appreciation against the U.S. dollar in recent years has helped dampen inflation. Most wage settlements and loans are indexed, reducing inflation's volatility. Under the compulsory private pension system, most formal sector employees pay 10% of their salaries into privately managed funds. Total foreign direct investment (FDI) was only $3.4 billion in 2006, up 52% from a poor performance in 2005. However, 80% of FDI continues to go to only four sectors: electricity, gas, water and mining. Much of the jump in FDI in 2006 was also the result of acquisitions and mergers and has done little to create new employment in Chile. The Chilean Government has formed a Council on Innovation and Competition, which is tasked with identifying new sectors and industries to promote. It is hoped that this, combined with some tax reforms to encourage domestic and foreign investment in research and development, will bring in additional FDI and to new parts of the economy. As of 2006, Chile invested only 0.6% of its annual GDP in research and development (R&D). Even then, two-thirds of that was government spending. The fact that domestic and foreign companies spend almost nothing on R&D does not bode well for the Government of Chile's efforts to develop innovative, knowledge-based sectors. Beyond its general economic and political stability, the government also has encouraged the use of Chile as an "investment platform" for multinational corporations planning to operate in the region, but this will have limited value given the developing business climate in Chile itself. Chile's approach to foreign direct investment is codified in the country's Foreign Investment Law, which gives foreign investors the same treatment as Chileans. Registration is simple and transparent, and foreign investors are guaranteed access to the official foreign exchange market to repatriate their profits and capital. Foreign trade Chile is responsible for over a third of world's copper production.2006 was a record year for Chilean trade. Total trade registered a 31% increase over 2005. During 2006, exports of goods and services totaled U.S. $58 billion, an increase of 41%. This figure was somewhat distorted by the skyrocketing price of copper. In 2006, copper exports reached a historical high of U.S. $33.3 billion. Imports totaled U.S. $35 billion, an increase of 17% compared to the previous year. Chile thus recorded a positive trade balance of U.S. $23 billion in 2006. The main destinations for Chilean exports were the Americas (U.S. $39 billion), Asia (U.S. $27.8 billion) and Europe (U.S. $22.2 billion). Seen as shares of Chile's export markets, 42% of exports went to the Americas, 30% to Asia and 24% to Europe. Within Chile's diversified network of trade relationships, its most important partner remained the United States. Total trade with the U.S. was U.S. $14.8 billion in 2006. Since the U.S.-Chile Free Trade Agreement went into effect on January 1, 2004, U.S.-Chilean trade has increased by 154%. Internal Government of Chile figures show that even when factoring out inflation and the recent high price of copper, bilateral trade between the U.S. and Chile has grown over 60% since then. Total trade with Europe also grew in 2006, expanding by 42%. The Netherlands and Italy were Chile's main European trading partners. Total trade with Asia also grew significantly at nearly 31%. Trade with Korea and Japan grew significantly, but China remained Chile's most important trading partner in Asia. Chile's total trade with China reached U.S. $8.8 billion in 2006, representing nearly 66% of the value of its trade relationship with Asia. Chile is the world's fifth largest exporter of wine.The growth of exports in 2006 was due mainly to a strong increase in sales to the United States, the Netherlands, and Japan. These three markets alone accounted for an additional U.S. $5.5 billion worth of Chilean exports. Chilean exports to the United States totaled U.S. $9.3 billion, representing a 37.7% increase compared to 2005 (U.S. $6.7 billion). Exports to the European Union were U.S. $15.4 billion, a 63.7% increased compared to 2005 (U.S. $9.4 billion). Exports to Asia increased from U.S. $15.2 billion in 2005 to U.S. $19.7 billion in 2006, a 29.9% increase. During 2006, Chile imported U.S. $26 billion from the Americas, representing 54% of total imports, followed by Asia at 22%, and Europe at 16%. Mercosur members were the main suppliers of imports to Chile at U.S. $9.1 billion, followed by the United States with U.S. $5.5 billion and the European Union with U.S. $5.2 billion. From Asia, China was the most important exporter to Chile, with goods valued at U.S. $3.6 billion. Year-on-year growth in imports was especially strong from a number of countries—Ecuador (123.9%), Thailand (72.1%), Korea (52.6%), and China (36.9%). Chile's overall trade profile has traditionally been dependent upon copper exports. The state-owned firm CODELCO is the world's largest copper-producing company, with recorded copper reserves of 200 years. Chile has made an effort to expand nontraditional exports. The most important non-mineral exports are forestry and wood products, fresh fruit and processed food, fishmeal and seafood, and wine. Successive Chilean governments have actively pursued trade-liberalizing agreements. During the 1990s, Chile signed free trade agreements (FTA) with Canada, Mexico, and Central America. Chile also concluded preferential trade agreements with Venezuela, Colombia, and Ecuador. An association agreement with Mercosur—Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguay—went into effect in October 1996. Continuing its export-oriented development strategy, Chile completed landmark free trade agreements in 2002 with the European Union and South Korea. Chile, as a member of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) organization, is seeking to boost commercial ties to Asian markets. To that end, it has signed trade agreements in recent years with New Zealand, Singapore, Brunei, India, China, and most recently Japan. In 2007, Chile held trade negotiations with Australia, Thailand, Malaysia, and China. In 2008, Chile hopes to conclude an FTA with Australia, and finalize an expanded agreement (covering trade in services and investment) with China. The P4 (Chile, Singapore, New Zealand, and Brunei) also plan to expand ties through adding a finance and investment chapter to the existing P4 agreement. Chile's trade talks with Malaysia and Thailand are also scheduled to continue in 2008. San Antonio port in Chile.After two years of negotiations, the United States and Chile signed an agreement in June 2003 that will lead to completely duty-free bilateral trade within 12 years. The U.S.-Chile FTA entered into force January 1, 2004 following approval by the U.S. and Chilean congresses. The bilateral FTA has inaugurated greatly expanded U.S.-Chilean trade ties, with total bilateral trade jumping by 154% during the FTA's first three years. Chile unilaterally lowered its across-the-board import tariff for all countries with which it does not have a trade agreement to 6% in 2003. Higher effective tariffs are charged only on imports of wheat, wheat flour, and sugar as a result of a system of import price bands. The price bands were ruled inconsistent with Chile's World Trade Organization (WTO) obligations in 2002, and the government has introduced legislation to modify them. Under the terms of the U.S.-Chile FTA, the price bands will be completely phased out for U.S. imports of wheat, wheat flour, and sugar within 12 years. Chile is a strong proponent of pressing ahead on negotiations for a Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA) and is active in the WTO's Doha round of negotiations, principally through its membership in the G-20 and Cairns Group. Finance Skyline of Santiago's Financial District.Chile's financial sector has grown quickly in recent years, with a banking reform law approved in 1997 that broadened the scope of permissible foreign activity for Chilean banks. The Chilean Government implemented a further liberalization of capital markets in 2001, and there is further pending legislation proposing further liberalization. Over the last ten years, Chileans have enjoyed the introduction of new financial tools such as home equity loans, currency futures and options, factoring, leasing, and debit cards. The introduction of these new products has also been accompanied by an increased use of traditional instruments such as loans and credit cards. Chile's private pension system, with assets worth roughly $70 billion at the end of 2006, has been an important source of investment capital for the capital market. Chile maintains one of the best credit ratings (S&P A+) in Latin America. There are three main ways for Chilean firms to raise funds abroad: bank loans, issuance of bonds, and the selling of stocks on U.S. markets through American Depository Receipts (ADRs). Nearly all of the funds raised through these means go to finance domestic Chilean investment. The government is required by law to run a fiscal surplus of at least 1% of GDP. In 2006, the Government of Chile ran a surplus of $11.3 billion, equal to almost 8% of GDP. The Government of Chile continues to pay down its foreign debt, with public debt only 3.9% of GDP at the end of 2006. Defense Leopard 2A4 of the Chilean army in Fidae 2008.Chile's Armed Forces are subject to civilian control exercised by the President through the Minister of Defense. The President has the authority to remove the commanders-in-chief of the armed forces. Army The commander in chief of the Chilean Army is General Oscar Izurieta Ferrer. The Chilean Army is 45,000 strong and is organized with an Army headquarters in Santiago, seven divisions throughout its territory, an Air Brigade in Rancagua, and a Special Forces Command in Colina. The Chilean Army is one of the most professional and technologically advanced armies in Latin America. Navy Chilean frigate Almirante Blanco Encalada (FF-15) at Pearl Harbor, 2006.Admiral Rodolfo Codina directs the 23,000-person Navy, including 2,500 Marines. Of the fleet of 29 surface vessels, only eight are operational major combatants (frigates). Those ships are based in Valparaiso. The Navy operates its own aircraft for transport and patrol; there are no Navy fighter or bomber aircraft. The Navy also operates four submarines based in Talcahuano. Air Force (FACH) Gen. Ricardo Ortega Perrier heads a force of 12,500. Air assets are distributed among five air brigades headquartered in Iquique, Antofagasta, Santiago, Puerto Montt, and Punta Arenas. The Air Force also operates an airbase on King George Island, Antarctica. The FACH took delivery of the final 2 of 10 F-16s, all purchased from the U.S., in March 2007. Chile also took delivery in 2007 of a number of reconditioned Block 15 F-16s from the Netherlands, bringing to 18 the total of F-16s purchased from the Dutch. Carabineros After the military coup in September 1973, the Chilean national police (Carabineros) were incorporated into the Defense Ministry. With the return of democratic government, the police were placed under the operational control of the Interior Ministry but remained under the nominal control of the Defense Ministry. Gen. Eduardo Gordon is the head of the national police force of 40,964 men and women who are responsible for law enforcement, traffic management, narcotics suppression, border control, and counter-terrorism throughout Chile. Foreign relations Former President Ricardo Lagos with United States President George W. Bush.Since the early decades after independence, Chile has always had an active involvement in foreign affairs. In 1837 the country aggressively challenged the dominance of Peru's port of Callao for preeminence in the Pacific trade routes, defeating the short-lived alliance between Peru and Bolivia, the Peru-Bolivian Confederation (1836-39) in the War of the Confederation. The war dissolved the confederation while distributing power in the Pacific. A second international war, the War of the Pacific (1879-83), further increased Chile's regional role, while adding considerably to its territory. During the nineteenth century, Chile's commercial ties were primarily with Britain, a country that had a decisive influence on the organization of the navy. The French influenced Chile's legal and educational systems and had a decisive impact on Chile, through the architecture of the capital in the boom years at the turn of the century. German influence came from the organization and training of the army by Prussians. On June 26, 1945 Chile participated as a founding member of the United Nations being among 50 countries that signed the United Nations Charter in San Francisco. With the military coup of 1973, Chile became isolated politically as a result of widespread human rights abuses. Since its return to democracy in 1990, Chile has been an active participant in the international political arena. Chile completed a 2-year non-permanent position on the UN Security Council in January 2005. Jose Miguel Insulza, a Chilean national, was elected Secretary General of the Organization of American States in May 2005. Chile is currently serving on the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Board of Governors, and the 2007-2008 chair of the board is Chile's ambassador to the IAEA, Milenko E. Skoknic. The country is an active member of the UN family of agencies and participates in UN peacekeeping activities. It is currently bidding for a seat on the UN Human Rights Council. Chile hosted the Defense Ministerial of the Americas in 2002 and the APEC summit and related meetings in 2004. It also hosted the Community of Democracies ministerial in April 2005 and the Ibero-American Summit in November 2007. An associate member of Mercosur and a full member of APEC, Chile has been an important actor on international economic issues and hemispheric free trade. The Chilean Government has diplomatic relations with most countries. It settled its territorial disputes with Argentina during the 1990s. Chile and Bolivia severed diplomatic ties in 1978 over Bolivia's desire to reacquire territory it lost to Chile in 1879-83 War of the Pacific. The two countries maintain consular relations and are represented at the Consul General level. Demographics Chile's 2002 census reported a population of 15,116,435. Its growth has been declining since 1990, due to a decreasing birth rate. By 2050 the population is expected to reach approximately 20.2 million. About 85% of the country's population lives in urban areas, with 40% living in Greater Santiago. The largest agglomerations according to the 2002 census are Greater Santiago with 5.4 million people, Greater Valparaíso with 804,000 and Greater Concepción with 666,000. Racial structure The bulk of the Chilean population features a considerably homogeneous mestizo quality, the product of miscegenation between colonial Spanish immigrants and Amerindian females (including the Atacameños, Diaguitas, Picunches, Araucanians or Mapuches, Huilliches, Pehuenches, and Cuncos). Chile's ethnic structure can be classified as 30% white, 5% Native American and 65% predominantly white mestizos. Whites are mostly Spanish in origin (mainly Castilians, Andalusians and Basques), and to a much lesser degree from Chile's various waves of immigrants (Italians, Germans, Israelis, Yugoslavians, Arabs, etc.). Foreigners have always been scarce in Chile, totalling 600 in the whole colonial period. At the 1960 census they numbered 105,000 (55% being Spanish, German, Italians or Argentines, in that order). Besides being small in number, they mixed quickly with the locals. The black population was always scant, reaching a high of 25,000 during the colonial period; its racial contribution is less than 1%. The current Native American population is relatively small (see below) according to the censuses; their numbers are augmented when one takes into consideration those that are physically similar, and those that are linguistically or socially thought to belong to them. Indigenous communities Those belonging to recognised indigenous communities (2002) Alacaluf 2,622 0.02% Mapuche 604,349 4.00% Atacameño 21,015 0.14% Quechua 6,175 0.04% Aymara 48,501 0.32% Rapanui 4,647 0.03% Colla 3,198 0.02% Yámana 1,685 0.01% In the 1992 Chilean census, a total of 10.5% of the total population surveyed declared themselves indigenous, irrespective of whether they currently practiced or spoke a native culture and language; almost one million people (9.7% of the total) declared themselves Mapuche, 0.6% declared to be Aymara, and 0.2% reported as Rapanui. At the 2002 census, only indigenous people that still practiced a native culture or spoke a native language were surveyed: 4.6% of the population (692,192 people) fit that description; of these, 87.3% declared themselves Mapuche. Immigration German influence is apparent in southern Chile.Relative to its overall population, Chile never experienced any large scale wave of immigrants. The total number of immigrants to Chile, both originating from other Latin American countries and all other (mostly European) countries, never surpassed 4% of its total population. This is not to say that immigrants were not important to the evolution of Chilean society and the Chilean nation. Basque families who migrated to Chile in the 18th century vitalized the economy and joined the old Castilian aristocracy to become the political elite that still dominates the country. Some non-Spanish European immigrants arrived in Chile — mainly to the northern and southern extremities of the country — during the 19th and 20th centuries, including English, Germans, Irish, Italians, French, Croatians and other former Yugoslavians. The prevalence of non-Hispanic European surnames among the governing body of modern Chile are a testament to their disproportionate contribution and influence on the country. Also worth mentioning are the Korean, and especially Palestinian communities, the latter being the largest colony of that people outside of the Arab world. The volume of immigrants from neighboring countries to Chile during those same periods was of a similar value. After independence and during the republican era, English, Italian, and French merchants established themselves in the growing cities of Chile and incidentally joined the political or economic elites of the country. The official encouragement of German and Swiss colonization in the Lake District (Los Lagos Region) during the second half of the 19th century was exceptional. Small numbers of displaced eastern European Jews and Christian Syrians and Palestinians fleeing the Ottoman Empire arrived in Chile. Today they spearhead financial and small manufacturing operations. Croats have also immigrated to Chile and have formed a notable ethnic identity. Currently, immigration from neighboring countries to Chile is greatest, and during the last decade immigration to Chile has doubled to 184,464 people in 2002, originating primarily from Argentina, Bolivia and Peru. Emigration of Chileans has decreased during the last decade: It is estimated that 857,781 Chileans live abroad, 50.1% of those being in Argentina, 13.3% in the United States, 8.8% in Brazil, 4.9% in Sweden, and around 2% in Australia, with the rest being scattered in smaller numbers across the globe. Culture Gabriela Mistral, Nobel Prize for Literature (1945). Pablo Neruda, Nobel Prize for Literature (1971).Northern Chile was an important center of culture in the medieval and early modern Inca empire, while the central and southern regions were areas of Mapuche cultural activities. Through the colonial period following the conquest, and during the early Republican period, the country's culture was dominated by the Spanish. Other European influences, primarily English, French, and German began in the 19th century and have continued to this day. German migrants influenced the Bavarian style rural architecture and cuisine in the south of Chile in cities such as Valdivia and Puerto Montt. Music and dance The national dance is the cueca. Another form of traditional Chilean song, though not a dance, is the tonada. Arising from music imported by the Spanish colonists, it is distinguished from the cueca by an intermediate melodic section and a more prominent melody. In the mid-1960s native musical forms were revitalized by the Parra family with the Nueva Canción Chilena, which was associated with political activists and reformers, and by the folk singer and researcher on folklore and Chilean ethnography, Margot Loyola. Literature Chileans call their country país de poetas—country of poets. Gabriela Mistral was the first Chilean to win a Nobel Prize for Literature (1945). Chile's most famous poet, however, is Pablo Neruda, who also won the Nobel Prize for Literature (1971) and is world-renowned for his extensive library of works on romance, nature, and politics. His three highly individualistic homes, located in Isla Negra, Santiago and Valparaíso are popular tourist destinations. Cuisine Chilean cuisine is a reflection of the country's topographical variety, featuring an assortment of seafood, beef, fruits, and vegetables. Traditional recipes include cazuela, empanadas, humitas, and curanto. Sports Rodeo is a national sport in rural Chile. Marcelo Ríos was chosen Chilean sportsman of the century.Chile's most popular sport is association football (soccer). Chile hosted the 1962 FIFA World Cup and its national football team finished third. Other results achieved by the national football team include four finals at the Copa América, one silver and two bronze medals at the Pan American Games and a bronze medal at the 2000 Summer Olympics. The main soccer clubs are Colo-Colo, CF Universidad de Chile and CD Universidad Católica. Colo-Colo is the country's most successful club, winning 41 national tournaments and three international championships, including the coveted Copa Libertadores South American club tournament. Tennis is the country's most successful sport and second most popular. Its national team won the World Team Cup clay tournament twice in 2003-04, and played the Davis Cup final against Italy in 1976. At the 2004 Summer Olympics the country captured gold and bronze in men's singles and gold in men's doubles. Marcelo Ríos became the first Latin American man to reach the number one spot in the ATP singles rankings in 1998. Anita Lizana won the US Open in 1937, becoming the first women from Latin America to win a grand slam tournament. Luis Ayala was twice a runner-up at the French Open and both Ríos and Fernando González reached the Australian Open men's singles finals. At the Olympic Games Chile boasts two gold medals (tennis), six silver medals (athletics, equestrian, boxing and shooting) and four bronze medals (tennis, boxing and football). Rodeo is the country's national sport and is practiced in the more rural areas of the country. A sport similar to hockey called chueca was played by the Mapuche people during the Spanish conquest. Skiing and snowboarding are practiced at ski centers located in the Central Andes, while surfing is popular at some coastal towns. Tourism San Pedro de Atacama.Tourism in Chile has experienced sustained growth over the last few decades. In 2005, tourism grew by 13.6%, generating more than 4.5 billion dollars of which 1.5 billion is attributed to foreign tourists. According to the National Service of Tourism (Sernatur), 2 million people a year visit the country. Most of these visitors come from other countries in the American continent, mainly Argentina; followed by a growing amount from the United States, Europe, and Brazil with a growing amount of Asians from South Korea and PR China. Easter Island.The main attractions for tourists are places of natural beauty situated in the extreme zones of the country: San Pedro de Atacama, in the north, is very popular with foreign tourists who arrive to admire the Incaic architecture and the altiplano lakes of the Valley of the Moon. In Putre, also in the North, there is the Chungará Lake, as well as the Parinacota and the Pomerape volcanoes, with altitudes of 6,348 m and 6,222 m, respectively. Throughout the central Andes there are many ski resorts of international repute, like Portillo and Valle Nevado. In the south, the main tourist sites are the Chiloé Archipelago, Patagonia, the San Rafael Lagoon, with its many glaciers, and the Towers of Paine national park. The central port city of Valparaíso, with its unique architecture, is also popular. Finally, Easter Island in the Pacific Ocean is probably the main Chilean tourist destination. Torres del Paine.For locals, tourism is concentrated mostly in the summer (December to March), and mainly in the coastal beach towns. Arica, Iquique, Antofagasta, La Serena and Coquimbo are the main summer centres in the north, and Pucón on the shores of Lake Villarrica is the main one in the south. Due to its proximity to Santiago, the coast of the Valparaíso Region, with its many beach resorts, receives the largest amount of tourists. Viña del Mar, Valparaíso's northern affluent neighbor, is popular due to its beaches, casino, and its annual song festival, the most important musical event in Latin America. In November 2005, the government launched a campaign under the brand "Chile: All Ways Surprising," intended to promote the country internationally for both business and tourism. Languages Spanish The Spanish spoken in Chile is distinctively accented and quite unlike that of neighbouring South American countries due to the dropping of final syllables and 's' sounds, and the soft pronunciation of some consonants. English language learning and teaching is popular among students, academics and professionals, with some English words being absorbed and appropriated into everyday Spanish speech, although they might seem unrecognizable due to Non-native pronunciations of English. Indigenous languages There are several indigenous languages spoken in Chile: Mapudungun, Quechua, Rapa Nui, Huilliche, Aimará, Kawésqar and Yámana. After the Spanish invasion, Spanish took over as the lingua franca and the indigenous languages have become minority languages, with some now extinct or close to extinction. National symbols A red copihue.The national flower is the copihue (Lapageria rosea, Chilean bellflower), which grows in the woods of southern Chile. The coat of arms depicts the two national animals: the condor (Vultur gryphus, a very large bird that lives in the mountains) and the huemul (Hippocamelus bisulcus, an endangered white tail deer). It also has the legend Por la razón o la fuerza (By right or might or By reason or by force). The flag of Chile consists of 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 representing a guide to progress and honor; blue symbolizes the sky, white is for the snow-covered Andes, and red stands for the blood spilled to achieve independence. Religion Chile is a traditionally Catholic nation, with an estimated 70% of Chileans belonging to that church. According to census data other declared denominations or groupings include: Protestant or Evangelical (15.1%), Jehovah's Witnesses (1%), The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (0.9%), Jewish (0.1%), Atheist or Agnostic (8.3%), and other (4.4%). Less than 0.1% are either Orthodox or Muslim. (For the precise numbers of declared religions among the population ages 15 and over as indicated by the results of the latest census, see: 2002 Census data.) The LDS church statistics claim to have 543,628 members within Chile. |
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