Main page Compare countries Index countries Index fields

Query:
##ciekawa_strona##

Compare Paracel Islands (2003) - Chile (2005)

Compare Paracel Islands (2003) z Chile (2005)

 Paracel Islands (2003)Chile (2005)
 Paracel IslandsChile
Administrative divisions - 13 regions (regiones, singular - region); Aisen del General Carlos Ibanez del Campo, Antofagasta, Araucania, Atacama, Bio-Bio, Coquimbo, Libertador General Bernardo O'Higgins, Los Lagos, Magallanes y de la Antartica Chilena, Maule, Region Metropolitana (Santiago), Tarapaca, Valparaiso


note: the US does not recognize claims to Antarctica
Age structure - 0-14 years: 25.2% (male 2,062,735/female 1,970,913)


15-64 years: 66.7% (male 5,320,870/female 5,342,771)


65 years and over: 8% (male 534,737/female 748,886) (2005 est.)
Agriculture - products - grapes, apples, pears, onions, wheat, corn, oats, peaches, garlic, asparagus, beans, beef, poultry, wool; fish; timber
Airports 1 (2002) 364 (2004 est.)
Airports - with paved runways total: 1


1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2002)
total: 71


over 3,047 m: 6


2,438 to 3,047 m: 6


1,524 to 2,437 m: 21


914 to 1,523 m: 23


under 914 m: 15 (2004 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways - total: 293


over 3,047 m: 1


2,438 to 3,047 m: 4


1,524 to 2,437 m: 11


914 to 1,523 m: 60


under 914 m: 217 (2004 est.)
Area total: NA sq km


land: NA sq km


water: 0 sq km
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
Area - comparative NA slightly smaller than twice the size of Montana
Background The Paracel Islands are surrounded by productive fishing grounds and by potential oil and gas reserves. In 1932, French Indochina annexed the islands and set up a weather station on Pattle Island; maintenance was continued by its successor, Vietnam. China has occupied the Paracel Islands since 1974, when its troops seized a South Vietnamese garrison occupying the western islands. The islands are claimed by Taiwan and Vietnam. Prior to the coming of the Spanish in the 16th century, northern Chile was under Inca rule while Araucanian Indians inhabited central and southern Chile; the latter were not completely subjugated until the early 1880s. Although Chile declared its independence in 1810, decisive victory over the Spanish was not achieved until 1818. In the War of the Pacific (1879-84), Chile defeated Peru and Bolivia and won its present northern lands. A three-year-old Marxist government of Salvador ALLENDE was overthrown in 1973 by a dictatorial military regime led by Augusto PINOCHET, who ruled until a freely elected president was installed in 1990. Sound economic policies, maintained consistently since the 1980s, have contributed to steady growth and have helped secure the country's commitment to democratic and representative government. Chile has increasingly assumed regional and international leadership roles befitting its status as a stable, democratic nation.
Birth rate - 15.44 births/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Budget - revenues: $21.53 billion


expenditures: $19.95 billion, including capital expenditures of $3.33 billion (2004 est.)
Capital - Santiago
Climate tropical temperate; desert in north; Mediterranean in central region; cool and damp in south
Coastline 518 km 6,435 km
Constitution - 11 September 1980, effective 11 March 1981; amended 30 July 1989, 1993, and 1997
Country name conventional long form: none


conventional short form: Paracel Islands
conventional long form: Republic of Chile


conventional short form: Chile


local long form: Republica de Chile


local short form: Chile
Death rate - 5.76 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Debt - external - $44.6 billion (2004 est.)
Diplomatic representation from the US - chief of mission: Ambassador Craig A. KELLY


embassy: Avenida Andres Bello 2800, Las Condes, Santiago


mailing address: APO AA 34033


telephone: [56] (2) 232-2600


FAX: [56] (2) 330-3710
Diplomatic representation in the US - chief of mission: Ambassador Andres BIANCHI


chancery: 1732 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036


telephone: [1] (202) 785-1746


FAX: [1] (202) 887-5579


consulate(s) general: Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Philadelphia, San Francisco, and San Juan (Puerto Rico)
Disputes - international occupied by China, but claimed by Taiwan and Vietnam Chile rebuffs Bolivia's reactivated claim to restore the Atacama corridor, ceded to Chile in 1884, offering instead unrestricted but not sovereign maritime access through Chile to Bolivian gas and other commodities; Peru proposes changing its latitudinal maritime boundary with Chile to an equidistance line with a southwestern axis; territorial claim in Antarctica (Chilean Antarctic Territory) partially overlaps Argentine and British claims
Economic aid - recipient - ODA, $0 (2002)
Economy - overview China announced plans in 1997 to open the islands for tourism. Chile has a market-oriented economy characterized by a high level of foreign trade. During the early 1990s, Chile's reputation as a role model for economic reform was strengthened when the democratic government of Patricio AYLWIN - which took over from the military in 1990 - deepened the economic reform initiated by the military government. Growth in real GDP averaged 8% during 1991-97, but fell to half that level in 1998 because of tight monetary policies implemented to keep the current account deficit in check and because of lower export earnings - the latter a product of the global financial crisis. A severe drought exacerbated the recession in 1999, reducing crop yields and causing hydroelectric shortfalls and electricity rationing, and Chile experienced negative economic growth for the first time in more than 15 years. Despite the effects of the recession, Chile maintained its reputation for strong financial institutions and sound policy that have given it the strongest sovereign bond rating in South America. By the end of 1999, exports and economic activity had begun to recover, and growth rebounded to 4.2% in 2000. Growth fell back to 3.1% in 2001 and 2.1% in 2002, largely due to lackluster global growth and the devaluation of the Argentine peso. Chile's economy began a slow recovery in 2003, growing 3.2% and accelerated to 5.8% in 2004. GDP growth benefited from high copper prices, solid export earnings (particularly forestry, fishing, and mining), and stepped-up foreign direct investment. Unemployment, however, remains stubbornly high. Chile deepened its longstanding commitment to trade liberalization with the signing of a free trade agreement with the US, which took effect on 1 January 2004.
Electricity - consumption - 41.8 billion kWh (2002)
Electricity - exports - 0 kWh (2002)
Electricity - imports - 1.813 billion kWh (2002)
Electricity - production - 48.6 billion kWh (2004)
Elevation extremes lowest point: South China Sea 0 m


highest point: unnamed location on Rocky Island 14 m
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m


highest point: Nevado Ojos del Salado 6,880 m
Environment - current issues NA widespread deforestation and mining threaten natural resources; air pollution from industrial and vehicle emissions; water pollution from raw sewage
Environment - international agreements - 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
Ethnic groups - white and white-Amerindian 95%, Amerindian 3%, other 2%
Exchange rates - Chilean pesos per US dollar - 609.37 (2004), 691.43 (2003), 688.94 (2002), 634.94 (2001), 539.59 (2000)
Executive branch - chief of state: President Ricardo LAGOS Escobar (since 11 March 2000); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government


head of government: President Ricardo LAGOS Escobar (since 11 March 2000); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government


cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president


elections: president elected by popular vote for a six-year term; election last held 12 December 1999, with runoff election held 16 January 2000 (next to be held December 2005)


election results: Ricardo LAGOS Escobar elected president; percent of vote - Ricardo LAGOS Escobar 51.32%, Joaquin LAVIN 48.68%
Exports - 0 bbl/day (2003)
Exports - commodities - copper, fruit, fish products, paper and pulp, chemicals, wine
Exports - partners - US 14%, Japan 11.4%, China 9.9%, South Korea 5.5%, Netherlands 5.1%, Brazil 4.3%, Italy 4.1%, Mexico 4% (2004)
Fiscal year - calendar year
Flag description - 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; design was influenced by the US flag
GDP - composition by sector - agriculture: 6.3%


industry: 38.2%


services: 55.5% (2004 est.)
GDP - per capita - purchasing power parity - $10,700 (2004 est.)
GDP - real growth rate - 5.8% (2004 est.)
Geographic coordinates 16 30 N, 112 00 E 30 00 S, 71 00 W
Geography - note composed of 130 small coral islands and reefs divided into the northeast Amphitrite Group and the western Crescent Group strategic location relative to sea lanes between Atlantic and Pacific Oceans (Strait of Magellan, Beagle Channel, Drake Passage); Atacama Desert is one of world's driest regions
Highways - total: 79,605 km


paved: 16,080 km (including 407 km of expressways)


unpaved: 63,525 km (2001)
Household income or consumption by percentage share - lowest 10%: 1.2%


highest 10%: 47% (2000)
Illicit drugs - important transshipment country for cocaine destined for Europe and the US; economic prosperity and increasing trade have made Chile more attractive to traffickers seeking to launder drug profits, especially through the Iquique Free Trade Zone, but a new anti-money-laundering law improves controls; imported precursors passed on to Bolivia; domestic cocaine consumption is rising
Imports - 221,500 bbl/day (2003 est.)
Imports - commodities - petroleum and petroleum products, chemicals, electrical and telecommunications equipment, industrial machinery, vehicles, natural gas
Imports - partners - Argentina 17%, US 14%, Brazil 11.2%, China 7.4% (2004)
Independence - 18 September 1810 (from Spain)
Industrial production growth rate - 7.8% (2004 est.)
Industries - copper, other minerals, foodstuffs, fish processing, iron and steel, wood and wood products, transport equipment, cement, textiles
Infant mortality rate - total: 8.8 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 9.55 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 8.01 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) - 2.4% (2004 est.)
International organization participation - APEC, BIS, CSN, FAO, G-15, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt (signatory), ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, LAES, LAIA, Mercosur (associate), MIGA, MINUSTAH, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, RG, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMIK, UNMOGIP, UNTSO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO
Irrigated land 0 sq km (1998 est.) 18,000 sq km (1998 est.)
Judicial branch - Supreme Court or Corte Suprema (judges are appointed by the president and ratified by the Senate from lists of candidates provided by the court itself; the president of the Supreme Court is elected by the 21-member court); Constitutional Tribunal
Labor force - 6.2 million (2004 est.)
Labor force - by occupation - agriculture 13.6%, industry 23.4%, services 63% (2003)
Land boundaries 0 km total: 6,171 km


border countries: Argentina 5,150 km, Bolivia 861 km, Peru 160 km
Land use arable land: 0%


permanent crops: 0%


other: 100% (1998 est.)
arable land: 2.65%


permanent crops: 0.42%


other: 96.93% (2001)
Languages - Spanish
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; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction


note: Chile is in the process of completely overhauling its criminal justice system; a new, US-style adversarial system is being gradually implemented throughout the country with the final stage of implementation in the Santiago metropolitan region expected in June 2005
Legislative branch - bicameral National Congress or Congreso Nacional consists of the Senate or Senado (48 seats, 38 elected by popular vote, 9 designated members, and 1 former president who has served a full six-year term and is senator for life); elected members serve eight-year terms (one-half elected every four years) and the Chamber of Deputies or Camara de Diputados (120 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)


elections: Senate - last held 16 December 2001 (next to be held December 2005); Chamber of Deputies - last held 16 December 2001 (next to be held December 2005)


election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - CPD 20 (PDC 12, PS 5, PPD 3), APC 16 (UDI 9, RN 7), independents 2; Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - CPD 62 (PDC 24, PPD 21, PS 11, PRSD 6), UDI 35, RN 22, independent 1
Life expectancy at birth - total population: 76.58 years


male: 73.3 years


female: 80.03 years (2005 est.)
Literacy - definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 96.2%


male: 96.4%


female: 96.1% (2003 est.)
Location Southeastern Asia, group of small islands and reefs in the South China Sea, about one-third of the way from central Vietnam to the northern Philippines Southern South America, bordering the South Pacific Ocean, between Argentina and Peru
Map references Southeast Asia South America
Maritime claims NA territorial sea: 12 nm


contiguous zone: 24 nm


exclusive economic zone: 200 nm


continental shelf: 200/350 nm
Merchant marine - total: 47 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 725,216 GRT/954,519 DWT


by type: bulk carrier 10, cargo 6, chemical tanker 9, container 1, liquefied gas 3, passenger 3, passenger/cargo 2, petroleum tanker 8, roll on/roll off 1, vehicle carrier 4


registered in other countries: 21 (2005)
Military - note occupied by China -
Military branches - Army of the Nation, National Navy (includes naval air, Coast Guard, and Marine Corps), Chilean Air Force, Chilean Carabineros (National Police)
Military expenditures - dollar figure - $3.42 billion (2004)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP - 3.8% (2004)
National holiday - Independence Day, 18 September (1810)
Nationality - noun: Chilean(s)


adjective: Chilean
Natural hazards typhoons severe earthquakes; active volcanism; tsunamis
Natural resources none copper, timber, iron ore, nitrates, precious metals, molybdenum, hydropower
Net migration rate - 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Pipelines - gas 2,583 km; gas/lpg 42 km; liquid petroleum gas 539 km; oil 1,003 km; refined products 757 km (2004)
Political parties and leaders - Alliance for Chile ("Alianza") or APC (including National Renewal or RN [Sebastian PINERA] and Independent Democratic Union or UDI [Pablo LONGUEIRA]); Coalition of Parties for Democracy ("Concertacion") or CPD (including Christian Democratic Party or PDC [Adolfo ZALDIVAR], Socialist Party or PS [Gonzalo MARTNER], Party for Democracy or PPD [Victor BARRUETO], Radical Social Democratic Party or PRSD [Orlando CANTUARIAS]); Communist Party or PC [Gladys MARIN]
Political pressure groups and leaders - revitalized university student federations at all major universities; Roman Catholic Church; United Labor Central or CUT includes trade unionists from the country's five largest labor confederations
Population no indigenous inhabitants


note: there are scattered Chinese garrisons (July 2003 est.)
15,980,912 (July 2005 est.)
Population below poverty line - 20.6% (2000)
Population growth rate - 0.97% (2005 est.)
Ports and harbors small Chinese port facilities on Woody Island and Duncan Island being expanded Antofagasta, Arica, Huasco, Iquique, Lirquen, San Antonio, San Vicente, Valparaiso
Radio broadcast stations - AM 180 (eight inactive), FM 64, shortwave 17 (one inactive) (1998)
Railways - total: 6,585 km


broad gauge: 2,831 km 1.676-m gauge (1,317 km electrified)


narrow gauge: 3,754 km 1.000-m gauge (2004)
Religions - Roman Catholic 89%, Protestant 11%, Jewish NEGL%
Sex ratio - at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 0.71 male(s)/female


total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2005 est.)
Suffrage - 18 years of age; universal and compulsory
Telephone system - general assessment: modern system based on extensive microwave radio relay facilities


domestic: extensive microwave radio relay links; domestic satellite system with 3 earth stations


international: country code - 56; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
Telephones - main lines in use - 3.467 million (2002)
Telephones - mobile cellular - 6,445,700 (2002)
Television broadcast stations - 63 (plus 121 repeaters) (1997)
Terrain mostly low and flat low coastal mountains; fertile central valley; rugged Andes in east
Total fertility rate - 2.02 children born/woman (2005 est.)
Unemployment rate - 8.5% (2004 est.)
Waterways none -
Sitemap: Compare countries listing (map site) | Country listing (map site)
Links: Add to favorites | Information about this website | Stats | Polityka prywatnosci
This page was generated in ##czas## s. Size this page: ##rozmiar_strony## kB.