Puerto Montt, Punta Arenas, Santiago, Valparaiso

CAPITAL CITY OF Chile: Santiago
LANGUAGE OF Chile: Spanish
CURRENCY OF Chile: Chilean peso (CLP)
COMMENTS ABOUT Chile:
Chile narrowly stretches along the southern half of the west coast of South America.
Cities : Santiago (capital), Arica, Iquique, Antofagasta, Calama, La Serena, Valparaiso, Vina del Mar, Rancagua, Curico, Talca, Concepcion, Temuco, Valdivia, Puerto Varas, Puerto Montt, Ancud, Quellon, Punta Arenas, Chaiten, Maitencillo, Renaca
Best Places : Lauca, Volcan Isluga, Llullaillaco, Pan de Azucar, Llanos de Challes, Nevado Tres Cruces, Bosque de Fray Jorge, La Campana, Archipielago Juan Fernandez, Rapa Nui, Palmas de Cocalan, Laguna del Laja, Huerquehue, Villarrica, Nahuelbuta, Tolhuaca, Conguillio, Puyehue, Vicente Perez Rosales, Alerce Andino, Chiloe, Hornopiren, Corcovado, Isla Guamblin, Laguna San Rafael, Queulat, Isla Magdalena, Bernardo OHiggins, Torres del Paine National Park, Pali Aike, Alberto de Agostini, Cabo de Hornos
Eat : Pastel de choclo, Empanada de pino, Empanada de queso, Cazuela de vacuno, Cazuela de ave, Cazuela de pavo, Porotos granados, con choclo, con pilco or pirco, con mazamorra, con riendas, Curanto, Southern sopaipillas, Lomo a lo pobre
Drink : Wine, Mote con Huesillo, Chilean Pisco, Pisco Sour, Mango Sour, Piscola, Borgona, Schop, Fan-Schop, Beers
Calling code : +56
Time zone : (UTC-4)
A three-year-old Marxist government 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.
CLIMATE OF Chile: temperate; desert in north; Mediterranean in central region; cool and damp in south
RELIGION OF Chile: Roman Catholic 89%, Protestant 11%, Jewish negligible
POPULATION OF Chile: 15,823,957 (July 2004 est.)>
ECONOMY OVERVIEW OF Chile: 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, but recovered to 3.2% in 2003. Unemployment, although declining over the past year, remains stubbornly high, putting pressure on President LAGOS to improve living standards. One bright spot was the signing of a free trade agreement with the US, which took effect on 1 January 2004. In 2004, GDP growth is set to accelerate to more than 4% as copper prices rise, export earnings grow, and foreign direct investment picks up.