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INDEX
1.CHILE
2.CAPITAL
3.CLIMATE
4.FLORA AND FAUNA5.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.
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