Chile stretches over 4,300 km along the south west coast of South America, at the same time its width never exceeds 240 km and is reduced to only 90 km at its narrowest point.
Chile has a population of about 14,000,000 people with an annual growth rate of 1.7%. Is divided in 13 Administrative Divisions or Regions and each Region is divided in Provinces and these in Municipalities with a total of 342 Councils.
Chile provides a free market economy strongly orientated to the promotion of external investment and commerce. It has an annual growth of 8.4% with a controlled inflation of 8.2%. In the World GDP ranking, Chile ranks 46th (Australia 17th) the GDP per capita is approximately $6,370 (Australia about $21,991). The official unemployment rate is about 6%.
Major industries are copper, fish meal and wine, other industries include other minerals, foodstuffs, fish processing, iron and steel, wood and wood products, transport equipment, cement and textiles.
Agriculture accounts for about 7% of GDP (including fishing and forestry); major exporter of fruit, fish, and timber products; major crops are wheat, corn, grapes, beans, sugar beets, potatoes, deciduous fruit; livestock products are beef, poultry, wool; Major trading partners, USA, Japan and Germany.
The country has achieved relative price stability and a booming export market buoyed by high copper prices. Chile has made significant progress in paying down its foreign debt, privatising its public sector and attracting record foreign investment.
U.S. Texas exports to Chile jumped 76 percent from 1988 to 1992, up from $133 million to $234 million-a 15 percent average annual rate of growth. Chile is widely considered to be the next candidate for a free trade agreement with the U.S.
Boasting twelve straight years on non-inflationary growth, business in Chile is booming, with entrepreneurial and investment activity visible in every industry. Present successes notwithstanding, Chile is grappling with the social and economic gain as it struggles to create an efficient public "safety net".
Chile is now a social laboratory to pioneer social services initiatives shifting from the public to the private sector.
Its privatised pension system is heralded by economic rationalists around the world as an
unmitigated success, as are its privately encouraged and promoted health and education
initiatives.
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