CHILE LATEST NEWS

CHIKE LATEST NEWS

PENIS PUMPS

INDEX

1.CHILE

2.CAPITAL

3.CLIMATE

4.FLORA AND FAUNA
5.ECONOMY
6.GOVERNMENT
7.GEOGRAPHY
8.PEOPLE
9.HISTORY
10.DEFENCE



CHILE EARTHQUAKE

HIT BY A STRONG EARTHQUAKE.120 DEAD.
Islands evacuate coastal areas as Chilean president declares state of catastrophe after deadly quake of magnitude 8.8

Rescuers struggle to save lives after Chile quake
People loot a supermarket in Concepcion, Chile, Sunday, Feb. 28, 2010. A 8.8 magnitude earthquake hit …
By MICHAEL WARREN, Associated Press Writer Michael Warren, Associated Press Writer – 1 hr 22 mins ago
CONCEPCION, Chile – Rescuers edged their way toward quake victims trapped in a toppled apartment block early Sunday even as looters stole food and robbed banks after one of the strongest earthquakes ever recorded struck Chile.

Authorities put the death toll from Saturday's magnitude-8.8 quake at about 300, but believed the number would grow. They said 1.5 million Chileans were affected and 500,000 homes severely damaged by the mammoth temblor.

A tsunami caused by the quake that swept across the Pacific killed several people on a Chilean island and devastated over coastal communities near the epicenter, but caused little damage in other countries, after precautionary evacuations of hundreds of thousands of people. The tsunami warning was lifted a day after the earthquake.

President Michelle Bachelet, who leaves office March 11, declared a "state of catastrophe" in central Chile. "It was a catastrophe of devastating consequences," she said.

Officials said earlier they had counted 214 dead, but more victims were being found. "At the moment there are some 300 fatalities," Jose Abumohor, a duty chief at the National Emergency Agency, said Sunday.

Police said more than 100 people died in Concepcion, the largest city near the epicenter with more than 200,000 people. The university was among the buildings that caught fire around the city as gas and power lines snapped. Many streets were littered with rubble from edifices and inmates escaped from a nearby prison.
The full extent of damage remained unclear. Ninety aftershocks of magnitude 5 or greater shuddered across the disaster prone Andean nation within 24 hours of the initial quake. One was nearly as powerful as Haiti's devastating Jan. 12 earthquake.
The surge of water raced across the Pacific, setting off alarm sirens in Hawaii, Polynesia and Tonga, but the tsunami waves proved small and did little damage as they reached as far as Japan.

Chile quake: Shorter days on Earth?
The massive earthquake that struck Chile on Saturday may have shifted the Earth's axis and created shorter days, scientists at NASA say.

The change is negligible, but permanent: Each day should be 1.26 microseconds shorter, according to preliminary calculations. A microsecond is one-millionth of a second.

A large quake shifts massive amounts of rock and alters the distribution of mass on the planet.

When that distribution changes, it changes the rate at which the planet rotates. And the rotation rate determines the length of a day.

"Any worldly event that involves the movement of mass affects the Earth's rotation," Benjamin Fong Chao, of NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, said while explaining the phenomenon in 2005.

Solidarity can help Chile prevail

1.CHILE
Chile, officially the Republic of Chile (Spanish:

República de Chile Spanish pronunciation: [reˈpuβlika ðe

ˈʧile]), is a country in South America occupying a long,

narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the

east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru

to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to

the east, and the Drake Passage in the far south. With

Ecuador it is one of two countries in South America

which do not border Brazil. The Pacific coastline of

Chile is 6,435 kilometres.[4] Chilean territory

includes the Pacific islands of Juan Fernández, Salas y

Gómez, Desventuradas and Easter Island. Chile also

claims about 1,250,000 square kilometres (480,000 sq

mi) of Antarctica, although all claims are suspended

under the Antarctic Treaty.
Chile is a country of startling contrasts and extreme

beauty, with attractions ranging from the towering

volcanic peaks of the Andes to the ancient forests of

the Lake District. There are a multitude of very good

parks here, and plenty of opportunities for fine

adventure travel. Chile is justly famous as the

location of Torres del Paine, considered by many to be

the finest nature travel destinations in all of South

America.

Chile's unusual, ribbon-like shape—4,300 kilometres

(2,700 mi) long and on average 175 kilometres (109 mi)

wide—has given it a varied climate, ranging from the

world's driest desert—the Atacama—in the north, through

a Mediterranean climate in the centre, to a rainy

temperate climate in the south.[5] The northern desert

contains great mineral wealth, principally copper. The

relatively small central area dominates in terms of

population and agricultural resources, and is the

cultural and political center from which Chile expanded

in the late 19th century, when it incorporated its

northern and southern regions. Southern Chile is rich

in forests and grazing lands and features a string of

volcanoes and lakes. The southern coast is a labyrinth

of fjords, inlets, canals, twisting peninsulas, and

islands.[6]

2.Capital
(and largest city) Santiago1
33°26′S 70°40′W / 33.433°S 70.667°W / -33.433; -70.667
Official language(s) Spanish
Demonym Chilean
Government Representative democracy
- President Michelle Bachelet
- President-Elect Sebastián Piñera
Independence from Spain
- First National
Government Junta
September 18, 1810
- Declared February 12, 1818
- Recognized April 25, 1844
- Current constitution
September 11, 1980
Area
- Total 756,950 km2 (38th)
292,183 sq mi
- Water (%) 1.07²
Population
- February 2010 estimate 17,031,873 (60th)
- 2002 census 15,116,435
- Density 22/km2 (194th)
57/sq mi
GDP (PPP) 2008 estimate
- Total $243.357 billion[2] (43rd)
- Per capita $14,529[2] (56th)
GDP (nominal) 2008 estimate
- Total $169.458 billion[2] (46th)
- Per capita $10,117[2] (57th)
Gini (2006) 54[3] (high)
HDI (2007) ▲ 0.878 (high) (44th)
Currency Peso (CLP)
Time zone CLT (UTC-4)
- Summer (DST) CLST (UTC-3)
Drives on the right
Internet TLD .cl
Calling code +56


3.Climate
Main article: Climate of Chile

A glacier in southern ChileThe climate of Chile

comprises a wide range of weather conditions across a

large geographic scale, extending across 38 degrees in

latitude, making generalisations difficult. According

to the Köppen system, Chile within its borders hosts at

least seven major climatic subtypes, ranging from

desert in the north, to alpine tundra and glaciers in

the east and south east, humid subtropical in Easter

Island, Oceanic in the south and Mediterranean climate

in central Chile. There are four seasons in most of the

country: summer (December to February), autumn (March

to May), winter (June to August), and spring (September

to November).

4.Flora and Fauna
Chile's botanical zones conform to the topographic and

climatic regions. The northernmost coastal and central

region is largely barren of vegetation, approaching the

most closely an absolute desert in the world.[49] On

the slopes of the Andes, besides the scattered tola

desert brush, grasses are found. The central valley is

characterized by several species of cactus, the hard

espinos, the Chilean pine, and the Copihue, a red

bell-shaped flower that is Chile's national flower.[49]

In southern Chile, south of the Bío-Bío River, the

heavy precipitation has produced dense forests of

laurels, magnolias, and various species of conifers and

beeches, which become smaller and more stunted to the

south. [50] The cold temperatures and winds of the

extreme south preclude heavy forestation. Grassland is

found in Atlantic Chile (in Patagonia). The Chilean

flora is distinct from that of neighboring Argentina,

indicating that the Andean barrier existed during its

formation.[50] Chilean species include the monkey-

puzzle tree and the pine-like Araucaria, also found in

Australia.

Chile's geographical isolation also has restricted the

immigration of faunal life, so that only a few of the

many distinctive Latin American animals are found.

Among the larger mammals are the puma or cougar, the

llama-like Guanaco, the Andean Wolf, and the fox-like

chilla. In the forest region, several types of

marsupials and a small deer known as the pudu are

found. There are many species of small birds, but

most of the larger common Latin American types are

absent. Few freshwater fish are native, but North

American trout have been successfully introduced into

the Andean lakes .Owing to the vicinity of the

Humboldt Current, ocean waters abound with fish and

other forms of marine life, which in turn support a

rich variety of waterfowl, including different

penguins. Whales are abundant, and some six species of

seals are found in the area.


5..ECONOMY
Main article: Economy of Chile

Chilean notes currently in circulationAfter a decade of

impressive growth rates, Chile began to experience a

moderate economic downturn in 1999, brought on by

unfavorable global economic conditions related to the

Asian financial crisis, which began in 1997. The

economy remained sluggish until 2003, when it began to

show clear signs of recovery, achieving 4.0% real GDP

growth.[51] The Chilean economy finished 2004 with

growth of 6.0%. Real GDP growth reached 5.7% in 2005

before falling back to 4.0% growth in 2006. GDP

expanded 5.1% in 2007.

Sound economic policies, maintained consistently since

the 1980s, have contributed to steady growth and

reduced poverty rates by over half. The 1973–90

military government sold many state-owned companies,

and the three democratic governments since 1990 have

continued privatization, though at a slower pace. The

government's role in the economy is mostly limited to

regulation, although the state continues to operate

copper giant CODELCO and a few other enterprises (there

is one state-run bank). Chile is strongly committed to

free trade and has welcomed large amounts of foreign

investment. Chile has signed free trade agreements

(FTAs) with a whole network of countries, including an

FTA with the United States, which was signed in 2003

and implemented in January 2004.

Over the last several years, Chile has signed FTAs with

the European Union, South Korea, New Zealand,

Singapore, Brunei, China, and Japan. It reached a

partial trade agreement with India in 2005 and began

negotiations for a full-fledged FTA with India in 2006.

Chile conducted trade negotiations in 2007 with

Australia, Malaysia, and Thailand, as well as with

China to expand an existing agreement beyond just trade

in goods. Chile concluded FTA negotiations with

Australia and the expanded agreement with China in

2008. The members of the P4 (Chile, Singapore, New

Zealand, and Brunei) also plan to conclude a chapter on

finance and investment in 2008. The economic

international organization the OECD agreed to invite

Chile to be among four countries to open discussions in

becoming an official member. It was invited to join

the organization in December 2009, and accepted in

January 2010.


6.Government
Type: Republic.
Independence: September 18, 1810.
Constitution: Promulgated September 11, 1980; effective

March 11, 1981; amended in 1989, 1993, 1997, and 2005.
Branches: Executive--president. Legislative--bicameral

legislature. Judicial--Constitutional Tribunal, Supreme

Court, court of appeals, military courts.
Administrative subdivisions: 14 numbered regions

including two numbered and made operative October 8,

2007--Region XIV Los Rios and Region XV Arica--and the

Santiago metropolitan region, administered by appointed

"intendentes." Regions are divided into provinces,

administered by appointed governors; provinces are

divided into municipalities administered by elected

mayors.
Political parties: Major parties are grouped into two

large coalitions: 1) the center-left "Concertacion",

which includes the Christian Democrat Party, the

Socialist Party, the Party for Democracy, and the

Radical Social Democratic Party; and 2) the center-

right "Alliance for Chile", which includes the National

Renewal Party and the Independent Democratic Union. The

Communist Party joined the Humanistic Party and a

number of smaller parties to form the "Together We Can"

coalition in 2004, but none of these leftist parties

have recently elected congressional representatives. A

new center-left party, "Chile-First," was established

in October 2007.
Suffrage: Universal at 18, including foreigners legally

resident for more than 5 years.


7.GEOGRAPHY
The northern Chilean desert contains great mineral

wealth, principally copper. The relatively small

central area dominates the country in terms of

population and agricultural resources. This area also

is the cultural and political center from which Chile

expanded in the late 19th century, when it incorporated

its northern and southern regions. Southern Chile is

rich in forests and grazing lands and features a string

of volcanoes and lakes. The southern coast is a

labyrinth of fjords, inlets, canals, twisting

peninsulas, and islands. The Andes Mountains are

located on the eastern border.

8.PEOPLE
About 85% of Chile's population lives in urban areas,

with 40% living in greater Santiago. Most have Spanish

ancestry. A small, yet influential number of Irish and

English immigrants came to Chile during the colonial

period. German immigration began in 1848 and lasted for

90 years; the southern provinces of Valdivia,

Llanquihue, and Osorno show a strong German influence.

Other significant immigrant groups are Italian,

Croatian, Basque, and Palestinian. About 800,000 Native

Americans, mostly of the Mapuche tribe, reside in the

south-central area. The Aymara and Diaguita groups can

be found mainly in Chile's northern desert valleys.

9.HISTORY
About 10,000 years ago, migrating Indians settled in

fertile valleys and along the coast of what is now

Chile. The Incas briefly extended their empire into

what is now northern Chile, but the area's barrenness

prevented extensive settlement. The first Europeans to

arrive in Chile were Diego de Almagro and his band of

Spanish conquistadors, who came from Peru seeking gold

in 1535. The Spanish encountered hundreds of thousands

of Indians from various cultures in the area that

modern Chile now occupies. These cultures supported

themselves principally through slash-and-burn

agriculture and hunting. The conquest of Chile began in

earnest in 1540 and was carried out by Pedro de

Valdivia, one of Francisco Pizarro's lieutenants, who

founded the city of Santiago on February 12, 1541.

Although the Spanish did not find the extensive gold

and silver they sought, they recognized the

agricultural potential of Chile's central valley, and

Chile became part of the Viceroyalty of Peru.

The drive for independence from Spain was precipitated

by usurpation of the Spanish throne by Napoleon's

brother Joseph in 1808. A national junta in the name of

Ferdinand--heir to the deposed king--was formed on

September 18, 1810. The junta proclaimed Chile an

autonomous republic within the Spanish monarchy. A

movement for total independence soon won a wide

following. Spanish attempts to reimpose arbitrary rule

during what was called the "Reconquista" led to a

prolonged struggle.

Intermittent warfare continued until 1817, when an army

led by Bernardo O'Higgins, Chile's most renowned

patriot, and José de San Martín, hero of Argentine

independence, crossed the Andes into Chile and defeated

the royalists. On February 12, 1818, Chile was

proclaimed an independent republic under O'Higgins'

leadership. The political revolt brought little social

change, however, and 19th century Chilean society

preserved the essence of the stratified colonial social

structure, which was greatly influenced by family

politics and the Roman Catholic Church. A strong

presidency eventually emerged, but wealthy landowners

remained extremely powerful. Toward the end of the 19th

century, the government in Santiago consolidated its

position in the south by suppressing the Mapuche

Indians. In 1881, it signed a treaty with Argentina

confirming Chilean sovereignty over the Strait of

Magellan. As a result of the War of the Pacific with

Peru and Bolivia (1879-83), Chile expanded its

territory northward by almost one-third and acquired

valuable nitrate deposits, the exploitation of which

led to an era of national affluence. Chile established

a parliamentary democracy in the late 19th century, but

degenerated into a system protecting the interests of

the ruling oligarchy. By the 1920s, the emerging middle

and working classes were powerful enough to elect a

reformist president, whose program was frustrated by a

conservative congress. In the 1920s, Marxist groups

with strong popular support arose.

Continuing political and economic instability resulted

with the rule of the quasi-dictatorial Gen. Carlos

Ibanez (1924-32). When constitutional rule was restored

in 1932, a strong middle-class party, the Radicals,

emerged. It became the key force in coalition

governments for the next 20 years. During the period of

Radical Party dominance (1932-52), the state increased

its role in the economy.

The 1964 presidential election of Christian Democrat

Eduardo Frei-Montalva by an absolute majority initiated

a period of major reform. Under the slogan "Revolution

in Liberty," the Frei administration embarked on far-

reaching social and economic programs, particularly in

education, housing, and agrarian reform, including

rural unionization of agricultural workers. By 1967,

however, Frei encountered increasing opposition from

leftists, who charged that his reforms were inadequate,

and from conservatives, who found them excessive. At

the end of his term, Frei had accomplished many

noteworthy objectives, but he had not fully achieved

his party's ambitious goals. In 1970, Senator Salvador

Allende, a Marxist and member of Chile's Socialist

Party, who headed the "Popular Unity" (UP) coalition of

socialists, communists, radicals, and dissident

Christian Democrats, won a plurality of votes in a

three-way contest and was named President by the

Chilean Congress. His program included the

nationalization of private industries and banks,

massive land expropriation, and collectivization.

Allende's program also included the nationalization of

U.S. interests in Chile's major copper mines.

Elected with only 36% of the vote and by a plurality of

only 36,000 votes, Allende never enjoyed majority

support in the Chilean Congress or broad popular

support. Domestic production declined; severe shortages

of consumer goods, food, and manufactured products were

widespread; and inflation reached 1,000% per annum.

Mass demonstrations, recurring strikes, violence by

both government supporters and opponents, and

widespread rural unrest ensued in response to the

general deterioration of the economy. By 1973, Chilean

society had split into two hostile camps.

A military coup overthrew Allende on September 11,

1973. As the armed forces bombarded the presidential

palace, Allende reportedly committed suicide. A

military government, led by General Augusto Pinochet,

took over control of the country. The first years of

the regime in particular were marked by serious human

rights violations. A new Constitution was approved by a

plebiscite on September 11, 1980, and General Pinochet

became President of the Republic for an 8-year term. In

its later years, the regime gradually permitted greater

freedom of assembly, speech, and association, to

include trade union activity. In contrast to its

authoritarian political rule, the military government

pursued decidedly laissez-faire economic policies.

During its 16 years in power, Chile moved away from

economic statism toward a largely free market economy

that fostered an increase in domestic and foreign

private investment. In a plebiscite on October 5, 1988,

General Pinochet was denied a second 8-year term as

president. Chileans voted for elections to choose a new

president and the majority of members of a two-chamber

congress. On December 14, 1989, Christian Democrat

Patricio Aylwin, the candidate of a coalition of 17

political parties called the Concertacion, was elected

president. Aylwin served from 1990 to 1994 and was

succeeded by another Christian Democrat, Eduardo Frei

Ruiz-Tagle (son of Frei-Montalva), leading the same

coalition, for a 6-year term. Ricardo Lagos Escobar of

the Socialist Party and the Party for Democracy led the

Concertacion to a narrower victory in the 2000

presidential elections. His term ended on March 11,

2006, when President Michelle Bachelet Jeria, of the

Socialist Party, took office.


10.DEFENSE
Chile's Armed Forces are subject to civilian control

exercised by the President through the Minister of

Defense. The President appoints to four-year terms and

has the authority to remove the commanders-in-chief of

the armed forces. Legislation has been introduced to

the Chilean Congress to restructure and strengthen the

Defense Ministry and to create a Joint Staff.

Army
The commander-in-chief of the Chilean Army is General

Oscar Izurieta Ferrer. The Chilean Army is 45,000

strong and is organized with an Army headquarters in

Santiago, seven divisions throughout its territory, an

Air Brigade in Rancagua, and a Special Forces Command

in Colina. The Chilean Army is undergoing a

modernization process that will transform it from a

territorial-based organization to a deployable,

capability-based organization. The Chilean Army is one

of the most professional and technologically advanced

armies in Latin America.

Navy
Admiral Edmundo González Robles directs the 23,000-

person Navy, including 2,500 Marines. Of the fleet of

over 85 surface vessels, only eight are operational

major combatants (frigates). The eight frigates are

based in Valparaiso. The Navy operates its own aircraft

for transport and patrol; there are no Navy fighter or

bomber aircraft. The Navy also operates four submarines

based in Talcahuano. The Chilean Navy Coast Guard is

responsible for environmental protection of the sea and

search and rescue responsibility of an area over 26.4

million square kilometers.

Air Force (FACH)
Gen. Ricardo Ortega Perrier heads a force of 12,500.

Air assets are distributed among five air brigades

headquartered in Iquique, Antofagasta, Santiago, Puerto

Montt, and Punta Arenas. The Air Force also operates an

airbase on King George Island, Antarctica and at

Quintero, near Valparaiso. The FACH has one of the most

capable air forces in Latin America with 10 Block 50

F-16s, all purchased new from the U.S., and 18

reconditioned Block 15 F-16s from the Netherlands. The

FACH is currently in the process of purchasing 18

additional Dutch F-16s.