Chile

Background

Indigenous groups inhabited central and southern Chile for several thousand years, living in mixed pastoralist and settled communities. The Inca then ruled the north of the country for nearly a century prior to the arrival of the Spanish in the 16th century. In 1541, the Spanish established the Captaincy General of Chile, which lasted until Chile declared its independence in 1810. The subsequent struggle with the Spanish became tied to other South American independence conflicts, with a decisive victory not being achieved until 1818. In the War of the Pacific (1879-83), Chile defeated Peru and Bolivia to win its current northernmost regions. By the 1880s, the Chilean central government cemented its control over the central and southern regions inhabited by Mapuche Indigenous peoples. Between 1891 and 1973, a series of elected governments succeeded each other until the Marxist government of Salvador ALLENDE was overthrown in 1973 in a military coup led by General Augusto PINOCHET, who ruled until a democratically elected president was inaugurated in 1990. Economic reforms that were maintained consistently since the 1980s contributed to steady growth, reduced poverty rates by over half, and 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.

Area

Climate

temperate climate; arid conditions in the north; Mediterranean climate in the central area; cool and moist in the south

Terrain

gentle coastal mountains, productive central valley, and the rugged Andes to the east

Land use

Location

Located in the southern part of South America, it lies along the South Pacific Ocean, bordered by Argentina and Peru

Coastline

6,435 km

Elevation

Irrigated land

9,094 sq km (2022)

Map references

South America

Land boundaries

Maritime claims

Natural hazards

experiences significant earthquakes; active volcanic activity; tsunamis

volcanism: notable volcanic activity is attributed to over thirty active volcanoes in the Andes Mountains; Lascar (5,592 m), which last erupted in 2007, holds the title of the most active volcano in the northern Chilean Andes; Llaima (3,125 m), located in central Chile, last erupted in 2009 and ranks among the country's most active; the eruption of Chaiten in 2008 necessitated extensive evacuations; other historically significant volcanoes include Cerro Hudson, Calbuco, Copahue, Guallatiri, Llullaillaco, Nevados de Chillan, Puyehue, San Pedro, and Villarrica; refer to note 2 under "Geography - note"

Geography - note

note 1: Chile ranks as the longest nation from north to south globally, spanning 39 degrees of latitude

note 2: It is one of the nations situated along the Ring of Fire, a region encircling the Pacific Ocean, which contains approximately 75% of the world's volcanoes and up to 90% of global earthquakes

note 3: the Atacama Desert located in northern Chile is recognized as the driest desert on Earth; Ojos del Salado (6,893 m) within the Atacama Desert stands as the highest active volcano worldwide, Chile's tallest peak, and the second tallest in both the Western and Southern Hemispheres; the small lake within its crater is the highest lake on the planet at 6,390 m

Natural resources

copper, timber, iron ore, nitrates, precious metals, molybdenum, and hydropower

Area - comparative

slightly less than twice the area of Montana

Geographic coordinates

30 00 S, 71 00 W

Population distribution

90% of the population is located in the middle third of the country around the capital of Santiago; the far north, including the Atacama Desert, and the extreme south are relatively underpopulated

Major lakes (area sq km)

Literacy

Languages

Religions

Catholic 57%, none 25.7%, Evangelical or Protestant 16.2%, other Christians and traditions related to Christ 1.3%; less than 1%: Buddhist, Catholic Orthodox, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, Islam, Judaism, other religions, no religion (2024)

Sex ratio

Birth rate

8.81 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Death rate

6.79 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Median age

Population

Nationality

Tobacco use

Urbanization

Age structure

Ethnic groups

White and non-Indigenous 88.9%, Mapuche 9.1%, Aymara 0.7%, other Indigenous groups 1% (includes Rapa Nui, Likan Antai, Quechua, Colla, Diaguita, Kawesqar, Yagan or Yamana), unspecified 0.3% (2012 est.)

Dependency ratios

Physician density

3.33 physicians/1,000 population (2023)

Health expenditure

Net migration rate

2.58 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Hospital bed density

2 beds/1,000 population (2021 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.25 children born/woman (2025 est.)

Drinking water source

Education expenditure

Infant mortality rate

Population growth rate

0.46% (2025 est.)

Gross reproduction rate

0.61 (2025 est.)

Population distribution

90% of the population is located in the middle third of the country around the capital of Santiago; the far north, including the Atacama Desert, and the extreme south are relatively underpopulated

Life expectancy at birth

Maternal mortality ratio

10 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)

Sanitation facility access

Alcohol consumption per capita

Major urban areas - population

6.903 million SANTIAGO (capital), 1.009 million Valparaiso, 912,000 Concepcion (2023)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

28% (2016)

Currently married women (ages 15-49)

48.5% (2022 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

Climate

temperate; arid in the northern areas; Mediterranean climate in the central parts; cool and moist in the southern regions

Geoparks

Land use

Urbanization

Waste and recycling

Environmental issues

air contamination due to industrial and vehicular emissions; water contamination from untreated sewage; auditory pollution; inadequate waste disposal; land degradation; extensive deforestation; pollution and ecological harm resulting from mining activities; conservation of wildlife

Total water withdrawal

Carbon dioxide emissions

Particulate matter emissions

18.8 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)

Total renewable water resources

923.06 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

International environmental agreements

Flag

description: consists of two equal horizontal stripes, white on top and red below; a blue rectangle occupies the top left corner of the flag, matching the height of the white stripe; centered within the blue square is a five-pointed white star

meaning: the star symbolizes guidance towards progress and honor; blue represents the sky, white signifies the Andes Mountains, and red denotes the blood shed for independence

Capital

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Citizenship

Constitution

Country name

Independence

18 September 1810 (from Spain)

Legal system

a civil law framework shaped by various Western European civil legal systems; the Constitutional Tribunal assesses legislative acts

Government type

presidential republic

Judicial branch

Executive branch

National holiday

Independence Day, 18 September (1810)

National color(s)

red, white, blue

National heritage

Political parties

Approve Dignity (Apruebo Dignidad) coalition or AD (included PC, FA, and FREVS); note - dissolved 2023
Broad Front Coalition (Frente Amplio) or FA (includes RD, CS, and Comunes)
Chile We Can Do More (Chile Podemos Más) or ChP+ (coalition includes EVOPOLI, PRI, RN, UDI)
Christian Democratic Party or PDC
Common Sense Party or SC
Commons (Comunes)
Communist Party of Chile or PCCh
Democratic Revolution or RD
Democrats or PD
Equality Party or PI
Green Ecological Party or PEV (dissolved 7 February 2022)
Green Popular Alliance or AVP
Humanist Action Party or PAH
Humanist Party or PH
Independent Democratic Union or UDI
Liberal Party (Partido Liberal de Chile) or PL
National Libertarian Party or PNL
National Renewal or RN
New Social Pact or NPS (includes PDC, PL, PPD, PRSD, PS)
Party for Democracy or PPD
Party of the People or PDG
Political Evolution or EVOPOLI
Popular Party or PP
Progressive Homeland Party or PRO
Radical Party or PR
Republican Party or PLR
Social Christian Party or PSC
Social Convergence or CS
Social Green Regionalist Federation or FREVS
Socialist Party or PS
Yellow Movement for Chile or AMAR

Legislative branch

National anthem(s)

National symbol(s)

huemul (mountain deer), Andean condor

Administrative divisions

Sixteen regions (regiones, singular - region); Antofagasta, Araucanía, Arica y Parinacota, Atacama, Aysén, Biobío, Coquimbo, Libertador General Bernardo O'Higgins, Los Lagos, Los Ríos, Magallanes y de la Antártica Chilena (Magallanes and Chilean Antarctica), Maule, Ñuble, Región Metropolitana (Santiago), Tarapacá, Valparaíso

Legislative branch - lower chamber

Legislative branch - upper chamber

Diplomatic representation in the US

Diplomatic representation from the US

International organization participation

APEC, BIS, CAN (associate), CD, CELAC, FAO, G-15, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LAES, LAIA, Mercosur (associate), MIGA, MINUSTAH, NAM, OAS, OECD (enhanced engagement), OPANAL, OPCW, Pacific Alliance, PCA, PROSUR, SICA (observer), UN, UNASUR, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNHCR, UNIDO, Union Latina, UNMOGIP, UNOOSA, UNTSO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

International law organization participation

has not provided an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

Budget

Exports

Imports

Industries

copper, lithium, various minerals, food products, fish processing, iron and steel, timber and wood products, transportation equipment, cement, textiles

Labor force

10.088 million (2024 est.)

Public debt

Remittances

Exchange rates

Economic overview

economy driven by exports; major producer of copper; although affected by COVID-19, experienced a relatively swift recovery due to enhanced liquidity and extensive vaccine distribution; reduction in poverty levels, though inequality persists; public debt is increasing yet remains manageable; recent political unrest has adversely impacted the economy

Unemployment rate

Exports - partners

China 39%, USA 16%, Japan 7%, S. Korea 6%, Brazil 4% (2023)

Imports - partners

China 23%, USA 20%, Brazil 10%, Argentina 7%, Germany 5% (2023)

Real GDP per capita

Real GDP growth rate

Agricultural products

grapes, milk, apples, wheat, tomatoes, potatoes, chicken, maize, sugar beets, pork (2023)

Exports - commodities

copper ore, refined copper, fish, carbonates, pitted fruits (2023)

Imports - commodities

refined petroleum, crude petroleum, cars, garments, trucks (2023)

Current account balance

Taxes and other revenues

17.7% (of GDP) (2023 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$330.267 billion (2024 est.)

GDP - composition, by end use

Population below poverty line

6.5% (2022 est.)

Average household expenditures

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

Industrial production growth rate

3.5% (2024 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity)

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income

Coal

Petroleum

Electricity

Natural gas

Electricity access

Energy consumption per capita

Electricity generation sources

Internet users

Broadcast media

a combination of national and local terrestrial television channels, along with a wide array of cable television networks; the state-run network, Television Nacional de Chile (TVN), operates on a self-financing model through commercial advertising and is not directly controlled by the government; there exists a significant number of privately owned television stations; approximately 250 radio stations are in operation.

Internet country code

.cl

Telephones - fixed lines

Telephones - mobile cellular

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

Ports

Airports

379 (2025)

Railways

Heliports

115 (2025)

Merchant marine

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

CC

Military - note

The duties of the Chilean military encompass the defense of national territory, the safeguarding of the nation's sovereignty, assistance in disaster and humanitarian relief efforts, and the provision of certain internal security functions, including border protection and the maintenance of public order when necessary. In recent years, a primary emphasis has been placed on securing the border regions with Bolivia and Peru. The military engages in regular training and partakes in both bilateral and multinational training exercises, in addition to participating in international peacekeeping missions.

Chile and Argentina collaborate in a joint peacekeeping initiative known as the Combined Southern Cross Peacekeeping Force (FPC), which is intended to be available for deployment under the auspices of the United Nations. This force comprises air, ground, and naval units, along with a combined logistics support unit.

The Chilean Army was established in 1810, although its roots can be traced to the Army of the Kingdom of Chile, founded by the Spanish Crown in the early 1600s. The nation's military aviation commenced in 1913 with the establishment of a military aviation school. The Navy's origins date back to 1817, initially commanded by a British officer, with the first vessels predominantly manned by American, British, and Irish sailors. By the 1880s, the Chilean Navy had emerged as one of the most formidable naval forces in the Americas, including the world's first protected cruiser, a type of vessel equipped with an armored deck to safeguard crucial machinery spaces (2025).

Military expenditures

Military and security forces

The Armed Forces of Chile (Fuerzas Armadas de Chile) consist of the Chilean Army (Ejército de Chile), the Chilean Navy (Armada de Chile, which includes the Marine Corps and the Maritime Territory and Merchant Marine Directorate or Directemar), and the Chilean Air Force (Fuerza Aerea de Chile, FACh) (2025).

Military service age and obligation

Voluntary military service is available for individuals aged 18-24 for both men and women, with men able to enlist at 17 with parental consent. There is selective compulsory service for men aged 18-24, although there are typically enough volunteers to render compulsory service unnecessary. The maximum service obligation lasts for 24 months (2025).

Military equipment inventories and acquisitions

The inventory of the Chilean military consists of a combination of predominantly older, foreign-sourced armaments alongside some domestically manufactured weaponry. Key foreign suppliers have included Australia, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Israel, the Netherlands, Spain, the UK, and the US. Chile's defense sector is engaged in the production of military aircraft, vessels, and vehicles (2025).

Military and security service personnel strengths

The active personnel in the Armed Forces number approximately 70,000, distributed as follows: 40,000 in the Army, 20,000 in the Navy, and 10,000 in the Air Force. Additionally, there are about 50,000 Carabineros (2025).

Terrorist group(s)

Tren de Aragua (TdA)

Refugees and internally displaced persons