Gendarmerie), Republican Guard, Police
Military manpower - military age: 20 years of age
Military manpower - availability:
males age 15-49: 1,603,194 (1997 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service:
males: 830,777 (1997 est.)
Military manpower - reaching military age annually:
males : 65,906 (1997 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure: $74 million (1994)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 11.1% (1994)
Transnational Issues
Disputes - international: demarcation of international boundaries in
the vicinity of Lake Chad, the lack of which has led to border
incidents in the past, is completed and awaiting ratification by
Cameroon, Chad, Niger, and Nigeria
______________________________________________________________________
CHILE
@Chile:Geography
Location: Southern South America, bordering the South Atlantic Ocean
and South Pacific Ocean, between Argentina and Peru
Geographic coordinates: 30 00 S, 71 00 W
Map references: South America
Area:
total : 756,950 sq km
land: 748,800 sq km
water: 8,150 sq km
note: includes Isla de Pascua (Easter Island) and Isla Sala y Gomez
Area - comparative: slightly smaller than twice the size of Montana
Land boundaries:
total : 6,171 km
border countries: Argentina 5,150 km, Bolivia 861 km, Peru 160 km
Coastline: 6,435 km
Maritime claims:
contiguous zone: 24 nm
continental shelf: 200 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
territorial sea: 12 nm
Climate: temperate; desert in north; cool and damp in south
Terrain: low coastal mountains; fertile central valley; rugged Andes
in east
Elevation extremes:
lowest point : Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Cerro Aconcagua 6,962 m
Natural resources: copper, timber, iron ore, nitrates, precious
metals, molybdenum
Land use:
arable land: 5%
permanent crops: 0%
permanent pastures: 18%
forests and woodland: 22%
other : 55% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: 12,650 sq km (1993 est.)
Natural hazards: severe earthquakes; active volcanism; tsunamis
Environment - current issues: air pollution from industrial and
vehicle emissions; water pollution from raw sewage; deforestation
contributing to loss of biodiversity; soil erosion; desertification
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic Treaty,
Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Environmental
Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban,
Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Desertification, Law of the Sea
Geography - note: 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
@Chile:People
Population: 14,508,158 (July 1997 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 28% (male 2,057,633; female 2,031,588)
15-64 years: 65% (male 4,684,158; female 4,734,170)
65 years and over: 7% (male 416,047; female 584,562) (July 1997 est.)
Population growth rate: 1.18% (1997 est.)
Birth rate: 17.53 births/1,000 population (1997 est.)
Death rate: 5.68 deaths/1,000 population (1997 est.)
Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1997 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
15-64 years : 0.99 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.71 male(s)/female
total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (1997 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 13.2 deaths/1,000 live births (1997 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 74.73 years
male: 71.5 years
female: 77.95 years (1997 est.)
Total fertility rate: 2.17 children born/woman (1997 est.)
Nationality:
noun: Chilean(s)
adjective: Chilean
Ethnic groups: white and white-Amerindian 95%, Amerindian 3%, other 2%
Religions: Roman Catholic 89%, Protestant 11%, Jewish
Languages: Spanish
Literacy:
definition : age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 95.2%
male : 95.4%
female: 95% (1995 est.)
@Chile:Government
Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Chile
conventional short form: Chile
local long form: Republica de Chile
local short form: Chile
Data code: CI
Government type: republic
National capital: Santiago
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, Tarapaca, Valparaiso
note: the US does not recognize claims to Antarctica
Independence: 18 September 1810 (from Spain)
National holiday: Independence Day, 18 September (1810)
Constitution: 11 September 1980, effective 11 March 1981; amended 30
July 1989
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; does not accept
compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal and compulsory
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Eduardo FREI Ruiz-Tagle (since 11 March
1994); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of
government
head of government : President Eduardo FREI Ruiz-Tagle (since 11 March
1994); 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 11 December 1993 (next to be held NA December 1999)
election results: Eduardo FREI Ruiz-Tagle elected president; percent
of vote - Eduardo FREI Ruiz-Tagle (PDC) 58%, Arturo ALESSANDRI 24.4%,
other 17.6%
Legislative branch: bicameral National Congress or Congreso Nacional
consists of the Senate or Senado (46 seats, 38 elected by popular
vote; 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 11 December 1993 (next to be held NA
December 1997); Chamber of Deputies - last held 11 December 1993 (next
to be held NA December 1997)
election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by
party - Coalition of Parties for Democracy 21 (PDC 13, PS 4, PPD 3, PR
1), Union for the Progress of Chile 15 (RN 11, UDI 3, UCC 1),
right-wing independents 2; Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote by
party - Coalition of Parties for Democracy 53.95% (PDC 27.16%, PS
12.01%, PPD 11.82%, PR 2.96%), Union for the Progress of Chile 30.57%
(RN 15.25%, UDI 12.13%, UCC 3.19%); seats by party - Coalition of
Parties for Democracy 70 (PDC 37, PPD 15, PR 2, PS 15, left-wing
independent 1), Union for the Progress of Chile 47 (RN 30, UDI 15, UCC
2), right-wing independents 3; note - subsequent to the election, the
Radical Party (PR) became the Radical Social Democratic Party (PRSD)
Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Corte Suprema), judges are appointed
by the president, the president of the Supreme Court is elected by the
17-member court
Political parties and leaders: Coalition of Parties for Democracy or
CPD consists mainly of: Christian Democratic Party or PDC [Enrique
KRAUSS]; Socialist Party or PS [Camilo ESCALONA]; Party for Democracy
or PPD [Sergio BITAR]; Radical Social Democratic Party or PRSD
[Anselmo SULE]; Union for the Progress of Chile or UPP consists mainly
of three parties: National Renewal or RN [Alberto ESPINA]; Independent
Democratic Union or UDI [Jovino NOVOA]; Center Center Union or UCC
[Francisco Javier ERRAZURIZ]
Political pressure groups and leaders: revitalized university student
federations at all major universities; labor - United Labor Central or
CUT includes trade unionists from the country's five largest labor
confederations; Roman Catholic Church
International organization participation: APEC, CCC, ECLAC, FAO, G-11,
G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS,
IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU,
LAES, LAIA, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, PCA, RG, UN, UN Security Council
(temporary), UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNITAR, UNMOGIP, UNTSO, UNU, UPU,
WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador John BIEHL Del Rios
chancery: 1732 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036
telephone: [1] (202) 785-1746
FAX: [1] (202) 887-5579
consulate(s) general : Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami,
New York, Philadelphia, San Francisco, and San Juan (Puerto Rico)
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Gabriel GUERRA-MONDRAGON
embassy: Avenida Andres Bello 2800, Santiago
mailing address : APO AA 34033
telephone: [56] (2) 232-2600
FAX: [56] (2) 330-3710
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; design was based on the US flag
Economy
Economy - overview: Chile has a prosperous, essentially free market
economy. Civilian governments - which took over from the military in
March 1990 - have continued to reduce the government's role in the
economy while shifting the emphasis of public spending toward social
programs. Growth in real GDP averaged more than 6.5% in 1991-1996, and
inflation is nearing a 40-year low. Chile's currency and foreign
reserves also are strong, as sustained foreign capital inflows -
driven in part by state privatizations - have more than offset
occasional current account deficits and public debt buybacks.
President FREI, who took office in March 1994, has placed improving
Chile's education system and developing foreign export markets at the
top of his economic agenda. Despite this progress, the Chilean economy
remains largely dependent on a few sectors - particularly copper
mining, fishing, and forestry. Success in meeting the government's
goal of sustained annual economic growth of 5% depends largely on
world prices for these commodities, continued foreign investor
confidence, and the government's ability to maintain a conservative
fiscal stance. In 1996, Chile became an associate member of Mercosur
and concluded a Free Trade Agreement with Canada.
GDP: purchasing power parity - $120.6 billion (1996 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 6.5% (1996 est.)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $8,400 (1996 est.)
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture : 8%
industry: 33%
services: 59% (1995 est.)
Inflation rate - consumer price index: 6.7% (1996 est.)
Labor force:
total: 5.5 million (1996 est.)
by occupation: services 38.3% (includes government 12%), industry and
commerce 33.8%, agriculture, forestry, and fishing 19.2%, mining 2.3%,
construction 6.4% (1990)
Unemployment rate: 6.5% (1996 est.)
Budget:
revenues: $17 billion
expenditures: $17 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1996
est.)
Industries: copper, other minerals, foodstuffs, fish processing, iron
and steel, wood and wood products, transport equipment, cement,
textiles
Industrial production growth rate: 4.8% (1995)
Electricity - capacity: 5.964 million kW (1995)
Electricity - production: 27.908 billion kWh (1995)
Electricity - consumption per capita: 1,662 kWh (1995 est.)
Agriculture - products: wheat, corn, grapes, beans, sugar beets,
potatoes, fruit; beef, poultry, wool; timber; 1991 fish catch of 6.6
million metric tons
Exports:
total value: $15.2 billion (f.o.b., 1996 est.)
commodities: copper 37%, other metals and minerals 8.2%, wood products
7.1%, fish and fishmeal 9.8%, fruits 8.4% (1994)
partners: EU 25%, US 15%, Asia 34%, Latin America 20% (1995 est.)
Imports:
total value : $16.5 billion (f.o.b., 1996 est.)
commodities: capital goods 25.2%, spare parts 24.8%, raw materials
15.4%, petroleum 10%, foodstuffs 5.7% (1994)
partners: EU 18%, US 25%, Asia 16%, Latin America 26% (1995 est.)
Debt - external: $22.3 billion (1995 est.)
Economic aid:
recipient: ODA, $50.3 million (1996 est.)
Currency: 1 Chilean peso (Ch$) = 100 centavos
Exchange rates: Chilean pesos (Ch$) per US$1 - 423.79 (January 1997),
412.27(1996), 396.78 (1995), 420.08 (1994), 404.35 (1993), 362.59
(1992)
Fiscal year: calendar year
@Chile:Communications
Telephones: 1.5 million (1994 est.)
Telephone system: modern system based on extensive microwave radio
relay facilities
domestic: extensive microwave radio relay links; domestic satellite
system with 3 earth stations
international: satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
Radio broadcast stations: AM 179, FM 614, shortwave 11
Radios: NA
Television broadcast stations: 11
Televisions: 2.85 million (1992 est.)
@Chile:Transportation
Railways:
total: 6,782 km
broad gauge: 3,743 km 1.676-m gauge (1,653 km electrified)
narrow gauge: 116 km 1.067-m gauge; 2,923 km 1.000-m gauge (40 km
electrified) (1995)
Highways:
total : 79,750 km
paved: 11,006 km
unpaved: 68,744 km (1995 est.)
Waterways: 725 km
Pipelines: crude oil 755 km; petroleum products 785 km; natural gas
320 km
Ports and harbors: Antofagasta, Arica, Chanaral, Coquimbo, Iquique,
Puerto Montt, Punta Arenas, San Antonio, San Vicente, Talcahuano,
Valparaiso
Merchant marine:
total: 38 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 520,710 GRT/865,867 DWT
ships by type: bulk 11, cargo 8, chemical tanker 4, combination
ore/oil 1, container 2, liquefied gas tanker 2, oil tanker 4,
passenger 1, roll-on/roll-off cargo 3, vehicle carrier 2 (1996 est.)
Airports: 343 (1996 est.)
Airports - with paved runways:
total : 259
over 3,047 m: 5
2,438 to 3,047 m : 5
1,524 to 2,437 m: 18
914 to 1,523 m: 17
under 914 m: 214 (1996 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total : 84
2,438 to 3,047 m: 3
1,524 to 2,437 m: 10
914 to 1,523 m: 71 (1996 est.)
Military
Military branches: Army of the Nation, National Navy (includes Naval
Air, Coast Guard, and Marines), Air Force of the Nation, Carabineros
of Chile (National Police), Investigations Police
Military manpower - military age: 19 years of age
Military manpower - availability:
males age 15-49: 3,867,676 (1997 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service:
males : 2,874,235 (1997 est.)
Military manpower - reaching military age annually:
males: 125,586 (1997 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure: $2.8 billion (1997); note -
includes earnings from CODELCO Company; may exclude costs of pensions
and internal security
Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 3.5% (1997)
Transnational Issues
Disputes - international: short section of the southern boundary with
Argentina is indefinite; Bolivia has wanted a sovereign corridor to
the South Pacific Ocean since the Atacama area was lost to Chile in
1884; dispute with Bolivia over Rio Lauca water rights; territorial
claim in Antarctica (Chilean Antarctic Territory) partially overlaps
Argentine and British claims
Illicit drugs: a minor transshipment country for cocaine destined for
the US and Europe; booming economy has made it more attractive to
traffickers seeking to launder drug profits
______________________________________________________________________
CHINA
(also see separate Taiwan entry)
@China:Geography
Location: Eastern Asia, bordering the East China Sea, Korea Bay,
Yellow Sea, and South China Sea, between North Korea and Vietnam
Geographic coordinates: 35 00 N, 105 00 E
Map references: Asia
Area:
total: 9,596,960 sq km
land : 9,326,410 sq km
water: 270,550 sq km
Area - comparative: slightly smaller than the US
Land boundaries:
total: 22,143.34 km
border countries: Afghanistan 76 km, Bhutan 470 km, Burma 2,185 km,
Hong Kong 30 km, India 3,380 km, Kazakstan 1,533 km, North Korea 1,416
km, Kyrgyzstan 858 km, Laos 423 km, Macau 0.34 km, Mongolia 4,673 km,
Nepal 1,236 km, Pakistan 523 km, Russia (northeast) 3,605 km, Russia
(northwest) 40 km, Tajikistan 414 km, Vietnam 1,281 km
Coastline: 14,500 km
Maritime claims:
contiguous zone : 24 nm
continental shelf: claim to shallow areas of East China Sea and Yellow
Sea
territorial sea: 12 nm
Climate: extremely diverse; tropical in south to subarctic in north
Terrain: mostly mountains, high plateaus, deserts in west; plains,
deltas, and hills in east
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Turpan Pendi -154 m
highest point: Mount Everest 8,848 m
Natural resources: coal, iron ore, petroleum, mercury, tin, tungsten,
antimony, manganese, molybdenum, vanadium, magnetite, aluminum, lead,
zinc, uranium, hydropower potential (world's largest)
Land use:
arable land: 10%
permanent crops: 0%
permanent pastures: 43%
forests and woodland: 14%
other : 33% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: 498,720 sq km (1993 est.)
Natural hazards: frequent typhoons (about five per year along southern
and eastern coasts); damaging floods; tsunamis; earthquakes; droughts
Environment - current issues: air pollution from the overwhelming use
of high-sulfur coal as a fuel, produces acid rain which is damaging
forests; water shortages experienced throughout the country,
particularly in urban areas; future growth in water usage threatens to
outpace supplies; water pollution from industrial effluents; much of
the population does not have access to potable water; less than 10% of
sewage receives treatment; deforestation; estimated loss of one-fifth
of agricultural land since 1949 to soil erosion and economic
development; desertification; trade in endangered species
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic Treaty,
Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes,
Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer
Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94,
Wetlands
signed, but not ratified : Desertification
Geography - note: world's fourth-largest country (after Russia,
Canada, and US)
@China:People
Population: 1,221,591,778 (July 1997 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years : 26% (male 166,319,939; female 150,125,798)
15-64 years: 68% (male 427,340,489; female 393,914,502)
65 years and over: 6% (male 36,201,623; female 41,689,427) (July 1997
est.)
Population growth rate: 0.93% (1997 est.)
Birth rate: 16.52 births/1,000 population (1997 est.)
Death rate: 6.87 deaths/1,000 population (1997 est.)
Net migration rate: -0.34 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1997 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth : 1.11 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.11 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.07 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.87 male(s)/female
total population: 1.06 male(s)/female (1997 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 37.9 deaths/1,000 live births (1997 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 69.98 years
male: 68.61 years
female: 71.5 years (1997 est.)
Total fertility rate: 1.81 children born/woman (1997 est.)
Nationality:
noun : Chinese (singular and plural)
adjective: Chinese
Ethnic groups: Han Chinese 91.9%, Zhuang, Uygur, Hui, Yi, Tibetan,
Miao, Manchu, Mongol, Buyi, Korean, and other nationalities 8.1%
Religions: Daoism (Taoism), Buddhism, Muslim 2%-3%, Christian 1%
(est.)
note: officially atheist, but traditionally pragmatic and eclectic
Languages: Standard Chinese or Mandarin (Putonghua, based on the
Beijing dialect), Yue (Cantonese), Wu (Shanghaiese), Minbei (Fuzhou),
Minnan (Hokkien-Taiwanese), Xiang, Gan, Hakka dialects, minority
languages (see Ethnic divisions entry)
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population : 81.5%
male: 89.9%
female: 72.7% (1995 est.)
@China:Government
Country name:
conventional long form : People's Republic of China
conventional short form: China
local long form: Zhonghua Renmin Gongheguo
local short form: Zhong Guo
abbreviation: PRC
Data code: CH
Government type: Communist state
National capital: Beijing
Administrative divisions: 23 provinces (sheng, singular and plural), 5
autonomous regions* (zizhiqu, singular and plural), and 3
municipalities** (shi, singular and plural); Anhui, Beijing**, Fujian,
Gansu, Guangdong, Guangxi*, Guizhou, Hainan, Hebei, Heilongjiang,
Henan, Hubei, Hunan, Jiangsu, Jiangxi, Jilin, Liaoning, Nei Mongol*,
Ningxia*, Qinghai, Shaanxi, Shandong, Shanghai**, Shanxi, Sichuan,
Tianjin**, Xinjiang*, Xizang* (Tibet), Yunnan, Zhejiang
note: China considers Taiwan its 23rd province
Independence: 221 BC (unification under the Qin or Ch'in Dynasty 221
BC; Qing or Ch'ing Dynasty replaced by the Republic on 12 February
1912; People's Republic established 1 October 1949)
National holiday: National Day, 1 October (1949)
Constitution: most recent promulgated 4 December 1982
Legal system: a complex amalgam of custom and statute, largely
criminal law; rudimentary civil code in effect since 1 January 1987;
new legal codes in effect since 1 January 1980; continuing efforts are
being made to improve civil, administrative, criminal, and commercial
law
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President JIANG Zemin (since 27 March 1993) and Vice
President RONG Yiren (since 27 March 1993)
head of government: Premier LI Peng (acting premier since 24 November
1987, premier since 9 April 1988); Vice Premiers ZHU Rongji (since 8
April 1991), ZOU Jiahua (since 8 April 1991), QIAN Qichen (since 29
March 1993), LI Lanqing (29 March 1993), WU Bangguo (since 17 March
1995), and JIANG Chunyun (since 17 March 1995)
cabinet: State Council appointed by the National People's Congress
(NPC)
elections: president and vice president elected by the National
People's Congress for five-year terms; election last held 27 March
1993 (next to be held NA March 1998); premier and vice premiers
nominated by the president, confirmed by the National People's
Congress
election results: JIANG Zemin elected by the Eighth National People's
Congress; percent of National People's Congress vote - NA
Legislative branch: unicameral National People's Congress or Quanguo
Renmin Daibiao Dahui (2,977 seats; members indirectly elected at
county or xian level to serve five-year terms)
elections: last held NA March 1993 (next to be held NA March 1998)
election results: percent of vote - NA; seats - NA
Judicial branch: Supreme People's Court, judges appointed by the
National People's Congress
Political parties and leaders: Chinese Communist Party (CCP), JIANG
Zemin, general secretary of the Central Committee; eight registered
small parties controlled by CCP
Political pressure groups and leaders: no meaningful political
opposition groups exist
International organization participation: AfDB, APEC, AsDB, BIS
(pending member), CCC, ESCAP, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM,
IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat,
Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITU, LAIA (observer), Mekong Group, MINURSO, NAM
(observer), PCA, UN, UN Security Council, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR,
UNIDO, UNIKOM, UNITAR, UNTSO, UNU, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO
(applicant)
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador LI Daoyu
chancery : 2300 Connecticut Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 328-2500 through 2502
consulate(s) general: Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, and San
Francisco
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador James R. SASSER
embassy: Xiu Shui Bei Jie 3, 100600 Beijing
mailing address: PSC 461, Box 50, FPO AP 96521-0002
telephone: [86] (10) 6532-3831
FAX : [86] (10) 6532-6422
consulate(s) general: Chengdu, Guangzhou, Shanghai, Shenyang
Flag description: red with a large yellow five-pointed star and four
smaller yellow five-pointed stars (arranged in a vertical arc toward
the middle of the flag) in the upper hoist-side corner
Economy