Republic of Chile
Geography:
Chile is located on the Pacific coast of South America. It extends from latitude 17°30´ S, to latitude 56° S; a length of approximately 2,700 miles. Chile is, however, very narrow, and while it spans from longitude 66° 15´ to longitude 76° 45´, it is only 217 miles at it´s widest point, and 9.6 miles at it´s narrowest point. Bordering Chile is the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, and Argentina to the east. Because of it´s extreme length, Chile has an unusual range of ecosystems including snow covered mountains, coastline, and desert. Chile also has elevational extremes: it´s lowest point is at sea level, and it´s highest is at Cerro Aconcagua, a height of 6,962 m above sea level.
Economy:
Chile currently has a thriving, essentially free market economy. The Chilean government - which took over from the military in March 1990 - has continued to reduce the government´s role in the economy, while shifting the emphasis of public spending toward social programs. Although inflation is nearing a 40-year low, Chile´s economy is still mostly dependent on a few main industries like copper mining, fishing, and forestry. Chile´s most plentiful natural resources are copper, timber, iron ore, nitrates, precious metals, and molybdenum. It´s main exports are copper (8.4%), other metals/minerals (8.2%), wood products (7.1%), fish/fishmeal (9.8%), and fruits (8.4). Chile´s main imports are capital goods (25.2%), spare parts (24.8%), raw materials (15.4%), petroleum (10%), and foodstuffs (5.7%).
Culture:
Two Chilean poets, Gabriela Mistral and Pablo Neruda, won the Nobel Prize of Literature (1945 and 1971, respectively), and the poetry of Vicente Huidobro and Nicanor Parra, also of the 20th century, is recognized in the world of Hispanic literature. The most famed Chilean musician has long been the pianist Claudio Arrau. Composers such as Enrique Soro and Juan Orrego are noted in the Latin-American world of music, but they never received world recognition. Contemporary folk music, particularly tonadas (poetic tunes accompanied by the guitar), had its halcyon days in the 1960s and early 1970s, when protest and social-content songs were fashionable. Violeta Parra, who died in 1969, excelled in this style. The painter Roberto Matta Echarren and the sculptor Marta Colvin are Chilean artists of significance.
Government:
Chile is currently a representative democracy, but this has not always been true. From Sept. 1973 to March 1990, a military conspiracy lead by General Augusto Pinochet Ugarte presided over Chile in the longest period of dictatorship in itsŐ history. In 1980, a new constitution was approved, and Pinochet, as head of the junta, was returned to the presidency. A national referendum in October 1988 rejected a further eight years of PinochetŐs presidency, and elections held late in 1989 returned the country to civilian rule.
Links
Human Rights in Chile - Then & Now
Info on Pinochet
More info on Pinochet
Debate
Chile Geography/Basic Info
Army of Chile
Pinochet Steps Down
Chile Info
Pinochet Human Rights Violations
Pinochet Links