(July 1996 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 29% (male 2,071,816; female 2,041,417)
15-64 years: 65% (male 4,599,173; female 4,651,030)
65 years and over: 6% (male 403,019; female 566,803) (July 1996 est.)

Population growth rate: 1.24% (1996 est.)

Birth rate: 18.09 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Death rate: 5.68 deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.71 male(s)/female
all ages: 0.97 male(s)/female (1996 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 13.6 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 74.49 years
male: 71.26 years
female: 77.72 years (1996 est.)

Total fertility rate: 2.23 children born/woman (1996 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Chilean(s)
adjective: Chilean

Ethnic divisions: European and European-Indian 95%, Indian 3%,
other 2%

Religions: Roman Catholic 89%, Protestant 11%, Jewish

Languages: Spanish

Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1995 est.)
total population: 95.2%
male: 95.4%
female: 95%

Government
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Name of country:
conventional long form: Republic of Chile
conventional short form: Chile
local long form: Republica de Chile
local short form: Chile

Data code: CI

Type of government: republic

Capital: Santiago

Administrative divisions: 13 regions (regiones, singular -
region); Aisen del General Carlos Ibanez del Campo, Antofagasta,
Araucania, Atacama, Bio-Bio, Coquimbo, Libertador General Bernardo
O'Higgins, Los Lagos, Magallanes y de la Antartica Chilena, Maule,
Region Metropolitana, Tarapaca, Valparaiso
note: the US does not recognize claims to Antarctica

Independence: 18 September 1810 (from Spain)

National holiday: Independence Day, 18 September (1810)

Constitution: 11 September 1980, effective 11 March 1981; amended
30 July 1989

Legal system: based on Code of 1857 derived from Spanish law and
subsequent codes influenced by French and Austrian law; judicial
review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court; does not accept
compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal and compulsory

Executive branch:
chief of state and head of government: President Eduardo FREI
Ruiz-Tagle (since 11 March 1994) elected for a four-year term b