Part 150

Independence: 18 September 1810 (from Spain)

National holiday: Independence Day, 18 September (1810)

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; does not accept compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal and compulsory

Executive branch: chief of state and head of government: President Eduardo FREI Ruiz-Tagle (since 11 March 1994) elected for a four-year term by popular vote; election last held 11 December 1993 (next to be held NA December 1997); results - Eduardo FREI Ruiz-Tagle (PDC) 58%, Arturo ALESSANDRI 24.4%, other 17.6% cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president

Legislative branch: bicameral National Congress (Congreso Nacional) Senate (Senado): election last held 11 December 1993 (next to be held NA December 1997); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (46 total, 38 elected) Coalition of Parties for Democracy 21 (PDC 13, PS 4, PPD 3, PR 1), Union for the Progress of Chile 15 (RN 11, UDI 3, UCC 1), right-wing independents 10 Chamber of Deputies (Camara de Diputados): election last held 11 December 1993 (next to be held NA December 1997); results - Coalition of Parties for Democracy 53.95% (PDC 27.16%, PS 12.01%, PPD 11.82%, PR 2.96%), Union for the Progress of Chile 30.57% (RN 15.25%, UDI 12.13%, UCC 3.19%); seats - (120 total) Coalition of Parties for Democracy 70 (PDC 37, PPD 15, PR 2, PS 15, left-wing independent 1), Union for the Progress of Chile 47 (RN 30, UDI 15, UCC 2), right-wing independents 3

Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Corte Suprema), judges are appointed by the president, the president of the Supreme Court is elected by the 17-member court

Political parties and leaders: Coalition of Parties for Democracy (CPD) consists mainly of: Christian Democratic Party (PDC), Alejandro FOXLEY; Socialist Party (PS), Camilo ESCALONA; Party for Democracy (PPD), Jorge SCHAULSOHN, Radical Party (PR); Union for the Progress of Chile (UPP) consists mainly of three parties: National Renewal (RN), Andres ALLAMAND; Independent Democratic Union (UDI), Jovino NOVOA; Center Center Union (UCCP), Francisco Javier ERRAZURIZ

Other political or pressure groups: revitalized university student federations at all major universities; labor - United Labor Central (CUT) includes trade unionists from the country's five largest labor confederations; Roman Catholic Church

International organization participation: APEC, CCC, ECLAC, FAO, G-11, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, LAES, LAIA, Mercosur (associate member), NAM, OAS, OPANAL, PCA, RG, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMOGIP, UNTSO, UNU, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO

Diplomatic representation in US: chief of mission: Ambassador John BIEHL del Rio chancery: 1732 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036 telephone: (202) 785-1746 FAX: (202) 887-5579 consulate(s) general: Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Philadelphia, San Francisco, and San Juan (Puerto Rico)

US diplomatic representation: chief of mission: Ambassador Gabriel GUERRA-MONDRAGON embassy: Avenida Andres Bello 2800, Santiago mailing address: use street address telephone: (2) 232-2600 FAX: (2) 330-3710

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 -------

Economic overview: Chile has a prosperous, essentially free market economy, with the degree of government intervention varying according to the philosophy of the different regimes. Under the center-left government of President AYLWIN, which took power in March 1990, spending on social welfare rose steadily. At the same time business investment, exports, and consumer spending also grew substantially. The new president, FREI, who took office in March 1994, has emphasized social spending even more. Growth in real GDP in 1991-95 has averaged more than 6.5% annually, with an estimated one million Chileans having moved out of poverty in the last four years. Copper remains vital to the health of the economy; Chile is the world's largest producer and exporter of copper. Success in meeting the government's goal of sustained annual economic growth of 5% depends on world copper prices, the level of confidence of foreign investors and creditors, and the government's own ability to maintain a conservative fiscal stance.

GDP: purchasing power parity - $113.2 billion (1995 est.)

GDP real growth rate: 8.5% (1995 est.)

GDP per capita: $8,000 (1995 est.)

GDP composition by sector: agriculture: 7.4% industry: 36.4% services: 56.2% (1985)

Inflation rate (consumer prices): 8.1% (1995 est.)

Labor force: 4.728 million by occupation: services 38.3% (includes government 12%), industry and commerce 33.8%, agriculture, forestry, and fishing 19.2%, mining 2.3%, construction 6.4% (1990)

Unemployment rate: 5.4% (1995 est.)

Budget: revenues: $17 billion expenditures: $17 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1996 est.)

Industries: copper, other minerals, foodstuffs, fish processing, iron and steel, wood and wood products, transport equipment, cement, textiles

Industrial production growth rate: 4.3% (1993 est.)

Electricity: capacity: 4,810,000 kW production: 22 billion kWh consumption per capita: 1,499 kWh (1993)

Agriculture: wheat, corn, grapes, beans, sugar beets, potatoes, fruit; beef, poultry, wool; timber; 1991 fish catch of 6.6 million metric tons