Chile

THE REPUBLIC OF Chile is composed of a narrow strip of land that runs for 1,800 miles between the Andes Mountains and the Pacific Ocean in South America. Originally inhabited by Incas, the Spanish settled Chile in the mid-16th century. After winning independence from Spain in 1818, Chile was ruled by a number of military regimes. A Marxist regime was overthrown in 1973 under the leadership of Augusto Pinochet, who ruled Chile until 1990, when free elections were held. The past decades have brought steady economic growth to Chile, and the country has become a model for democratic and economic reform. Chile has also taken an active role in regional and international affairs, particularly in the promotion of human rights.

With a per capita income of $10,700, Chile is an upper-middle-income nation with a diverse market economy that attracts a high level of foreign trade. The Chilean economy is dominated by services, which employ 63 percent of the labor force. Industries engage 23.4 percent ofthe workforce, and the additional 13.6 percent are involved in the agricultural sector.

Chile's economic reforms of the 1990s created an environment in which initial growth was around eight percent. Growth fell to around four percent in 1998 in response to the global financial crisis, deficit checks, and decreased export earnings within Chile. By 2002, economic recovery had begun, but a poverty rate of 20.6 percent and an unemployment rate of 8.5 percent continue to be of major concern to the Chilean government.

Over nine percent of the poorest Chileans live on less than two dollars a day. Inequality is an endemic problem in Chile, with the richest 20 percent of the population controlling 62.2 percent of available resources and the poorest 20 percent claiming only 3.3 percent. Chile is ranked 57.1 percent on the Gini Index of Human Inequality. The United Nations Human Development Report ranks Chile 43 of 177 on general quality-of-life issues.

Even though poverty levels are high, antipoverty measures, coupled with economic growth, have succeeded in reducing poverty levels from 38.6 to 20.6 between 1990 and 2000. During that period, the rate of female poverty dropped from 39.2 to 20.8 percent. In Chile, females head one in every three households. As a result, women, especially those who live in rural areas, are more likely than men to be among the ranks of the poor. The Training for Employment Program for Women on Low Incomes was established to address the issue of female poverty, and single mothers have priority. Over the past few years, 70,000 women have received benefits from the program.

In 2002, the Chilean government implemented the Comprehensive Social Protection program, designed to distribute services and support to the 225,000 poorest families in Chile. Under this program, a government grant is issued to the woman of the family, whether she is a single parent or not. In addition to the monetary assistance distributed through the program, the government gives recipients preferential access to social promotion programs, employment assistance, and social security benefits.

According to estimates for 2005, life expectancy in Chile is 76.58 years. In general, women (80.03 years) survive men (73.3 years) by seven years. The population of 15,980,912 has a median age of 30.07 years. Slightly over one-fourth of the population is under the age of 14, and eight percent have seen a 65th birthday. Except in remote areas, Chileans have access to basic necessities. Four percent of the population lack access to safe [Page 158]drinking water, and seven percent lack access to safe sanitation. There are 115 physicians for every 100,000 residents, and 80 to 94 percent of Chileans are able to afford essential drugs.

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