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Extensible Markup Language | 1995-06-15 | 5KB | 19 lines

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8" ?> <!DOCTYPE card PUBLIC "-//Apple, Inc.//DTD card V 2.0//EN" "" > <card> <id>12683</id> <filler1>0</filler1> <cantDelete> <false /> </cantDelete> <showPict> <true /> </showPict> <dontSearch> <false /> </dontSearch> <owner>5472</owner> <link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="stylesheet_3106.css" /> <content> <layer>background</layer> <id>31</id> <text>CHILEOfficial name: Rep├║blica de Chile (The Republic of Chile)Member of: UN, OAS, ALADI, ApecArea: 756626 km2 (292135 sq mi)Population: 13542000 (1993 est)Capital: Santiago 5181000 (including suburbs; 1992 est) (The legislature meets at Valparaiso.)Other major cities: Concepci├│n 331000, Vi├▒a del Mar 303000, Valparaiso 277000, Talcahuano 247000 (1992 est)Languages: Spanish (official; 95%), Araucanian (5%)Religions: Roman Catholic (79%), various Protestant Churches (6%)External territory: Chile claims sovereignty over part of AntarcticaGOVERNMENTExecutive power is held by the President, who appoints a Cabinet of Ministers. The President is elected by universal adult suffrage for a single eight-year term. The National Congress has an upper chamber of 38 senators directly elected for eight years and 10 senators appointed by the President, and a lower chamber of 120 deputies elected for four years by universal adult suffrage.GEOGRAPHYFor almost 4000 km (2500 mi), the Andes form the eastern boundary of Chile. They rise to 6895 m (22 588 ft) at Ojos del Solado. Parallel to the Andes is a depression, in which lies the Atacama Desert in the north and fertile plains in the center. A mountain chain runs between the depression and the coast, and, in the south, forms a string of islands. Climate: The temperate climate is influenced by the cool Humboldt Current. Rainfall ranges from being negligible in the Atacama Desert in the north to heavy ΓÇô over 2300 mm (90 in) ΓÇô in the south.ECONOMYThe main agricultural region is the central plains, where cereals (mainly wheat and maize) and fruit (notably grapes) are important. Major fishing grounds yield one of the worldΓÇÖs largest catches of fish. There are considerable mineral resources and great hydroelectric-power potential. Chile is a leading exporter of copper, and has major reserves of iron ore, coal, petroleum and natural gas. Industry includes food processing, timber industries and textiles. Chile has achieved high economic growth rates in the 1990s and has developed important trading links with other Pacific Rim countries. Currency: Chilean peso.HISTORYDuring the 15th century the Incas moved into Chile, but were halted by the fierce Araucanian Indians. The Spanish approached Chile from Peru in 1537, and Pedro de Valdivia founded Santiago in 1541. Continuing south, Valdivia was killed by the Araucanians (1554), who were not finally defeated until the late 19th century. In 1810, a revolt ΓÇô led by Bernardo OΓÇÖHiggins (?1778ΓÇô1842) ΓÇô broke out against Spain. In 1817, troops led by Jos├⌐ de San Mart├¡n crossed from Argentina to aid OΓÇÖHiggins, who led Chile to independence in 1818. OΓÇÖHiggins offended the powerful landowners and was exiled in 1823. For the next century ΓÇô during which Chile gained territory in two wars against Peru and Bolivia ΓÇô conservative landowners held power.Between the late 1920s and the 1940s, Chile was governed by liberal and radical regimes, but social and economic change was slow. The election of the Christian Democrats (1964) brought some reforms, but not until Salvador AllendeΓÇÖs Marxist government was elected in 1970 were major changes ΓÇô including land reform ΓÇô realized. Chile was polarized between right and left, and political chaos resulted in a US-backed military coup led by General Augusto Pinochet in 1973. Tens of thousands of leftists were killed, imprisoned or exiled by the junta. Pinochet reversed AllendeΓÇÖs reforms, restructuring the economy in favor of landowners and exporters. Pressure on the dictatorship from within Chile and abroad brought the return of democratic rule in 1990.</text> </content> <name>Chile</name> <script></script> </card>