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CHILE
Map of CHILE
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Location:
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Southern South America, bordering the South Pacific Ocean, between Argentina and Peru |
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Geographic coordinates:
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30 00 S, 71 00 W |
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Area:
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total: 756,950 sq km
land: 748,800 sq km
water: 8,150 sq km
note: includes Easter Island (Isla de Pascua) and Isla Sala y Gomez |
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Area - comparative:
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slightly smaller than twice the size of Montana |
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Land boundaries:
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total: 6,339 km
border countries: Argentina 5,308 km, Bolivia 860 km, Peru 171 km |
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Coastline:
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6,435 km |
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Maritime claims:
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territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
continental shelf: 200/350 nm |
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Climate:
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temperate; desert in north; Mediterranean in central region; cool and damp in south |
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Terrain:
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low coastal mountains; fertile central valley; rugged Andes in east |
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Elevation extremes:
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lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Nevado Ojos del Salado 6,880 m |
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Natural resources:
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copper, timber, iron ore, nitrates, precious metals, molybdenum, hydropower |
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Land use:
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arable land: 2.62%
permanent crops: 0.43%
other: 96.95% (2005) |
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Irrigated land:
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19,000 sq km (2003) |
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Total renewable water resources:
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922 cu km (2000) |
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Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
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total: 12.55 cu km/yr (11%/25%/64%)
per capita: 770 cu m/yr (2000) |
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Natural hazards:
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severe earthquakes; active volcanism; tsunamis |
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Environment - current issues:
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widespread deforestation and mining threaten natural resources; air pollution from industrial and vehicle emissions; water pollution from raw sewage |
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Environment - international agreements:
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party to: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements |
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Population:
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16,454,143 (July 2008 est.) |
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Age structure:
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0-14 years: 23.6% (male 1,987,962/female 1,899,489)
15-64 years: 67.6% (male 5,556,867/female 5,563,666)
65 years and over: 8.8% (male 602,789/female 843,370) (2008 est.) |
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Nationality:
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noun: Chilean(s)
adjective: Chilean |
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Ethnic groups:
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white and white-Amerindian 95.4%, Mapuche 4%, other indigenous groups 0.6% (2002 census) |
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Religions:
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Roman Catholic 70%, Evangelical 15.1%, Jehovah's Witness 1.1%, other Christian 1%, other 4.6%, none 8.3% (2002 census) |
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Languages:
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Spanish (official), Mapudungun, German, English |
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Literacy:
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definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 95.7%
male: 95.8%
female: 95.6% (2002 census) |
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Country name:
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conventional long form: Republic of Chile
conventional short form: Chile
local long form: Republica de Chile
local short form: Chile |
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Government type:
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republic |
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Capital:
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name: Santiago
geographic coordinates: 33 27 S, 70 40 W
time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
daylight saving time: +1hr, begins second Sunday in October; ends second Sunday in March |
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Administrative divisions:
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15 regions (regiones, singular - region); Aisen del General Carlos Ibanez del Campo, Antofagasta, Araucania, Arica y Parinacota, Atacama, Biobio, Coquimbo, Libertador General Bernardo O'Higgins, Los Lagos, Los Rios, Magallanes y de la Antartica Chilena, Maule, Region Metropolitana (Santiago), Tarapaca, Valparaiso
note: the US does not recognize claims to Antarctica |
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Independence:
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18 September 1810 (from Spain) |
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National holiday:
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Independence Day, 18 September (1810)
Source: http://cia.gov
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