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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 33 to 36 of 55 items. The Mercosur MeetingChilean President Ricardo Lagos noted that countries in the region have yet to advance fully on integrating economic policies, while Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez used the occasion to urge members to pull back from United States-style free market policies. Latin America Shifts to the Center-LeftAnti-Bush demonstrations in Santiago, Chile highlight a new political trend in Latin America - where many countries are moving to the center-left as the United States takes a sharp turn to the right Chile's Tortured PastA long-awaited report by a presidential commission in Chile has confirmed that torture was an institutional policy of the state during the country's military dictatorship Money-Laundering Scandal Involving Former Chilean Dictator UnfoldsChile's traditionally conservative media support investigations into money-laundering activities involving the former Chilean dictator, General Augusto Pinochet |
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