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Chile
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FactsBackground: Prior to the arrival of the Spanish in the 16th century, the Inca ruled northern Chile while the indigenous Mapuche inhabited central and southern Chile. Although Chile declared its independence in 1810, decisive victory over the Spanish was not achieved until 1818. In the War of the Pacific (1879-83), Chile defeated Peru and Bolivia and won its present northern regions. It was not until the 1880s that the Mapuche Indians were completely subjugated. After a series of elected governments, the three-year-old Marxist government of Salvador ALLENDE was overthrown in 1973 by a military coup 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, reduced poverty rates by over half, 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. note: data are in 2010 US dollars GDP (official exchange rate): $199.2 billion (2010 est.); GDP - real growth rate: 5.3% (2010 est.); -1.5% (2009 est.); 3.7% (2008 est.); GDP - per capita (PPP): $15,500 (2010 est.); $14,900 (2009 est.); $15,200 (2008 est.); note: data are in 2010 US dollars GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 5.6%; industry: 40.5%; services: 53.9% (2009 est.); Population below poverty line: 11.5% (2009); Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 1.6%; highest 10%: 41.7% (2006); Labor force: 7.58 million (2010 est.); Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 13.2%; industry: 23%; services: 63.9% (2005); Unemployment rate: 8.7% (2010 est.); 9.6% (2009 est.); Budget: revenues: $40.97 billion; expenditures: $45.07 billion (2010 est.); Industries: copper, lithium, other minerals, foodstuffs, fish processing, iron and steel, wood and wood products, transport equipment, cement, textiles; Industrial production growth rate: 3.2% (2010 est.); Electricity - production: 60.6 billion kWh (2007 est.); Electricity - consumption: 57.29 billion kWh (2007 est.); Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (2008 est.); Electricity - imports: 1.628 billion kWh (2007 est.); Statistics: CIA World Factbook. Press 1 2 Displaying 1 to 7 of 10 items. Cosas(Lifestyle magazine), Santiago El Mercurio(Conservative), Santiago El Mostrador(Independent), Santiago El Sur(Conservative), Concepción La Cuarta(Tabloid), Santiago La Nación(Government-owned), Santiago La Tercera(Conservative), Santiago Chile in the NewsDisplaying 1 to 4 of 55 items. Lifting the Sentence of Secrecy in ChileA human rights collective called Londres 38 is pushing to release archives related to the Pinochet dictatorship that are still being kept secret. Decline of Inequality and Poverty in Latin AmericaSocial spending policies that have helped reduce inequality and poverty in Latin America for the past decade should be strengthened and regionalized. Astro-Tourism: Visiting the Stars in ChileIn the valley of northern Chile, said to be the magnetic center of the Earth, travelers go to gaze at the stars through one of the clearest skies in the world. Chile's Mapuches Call for Regional AutonomyMapuche political leaders are taking the logic of land reform one step further and demanding regional autonomy for Wallmapu, as Mapudungun speakers call the Araucanía. |
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