CHILE

Official name: Republic of Chile

Capital: Santiago

Population: 14.5 million

Total land area: 748 800 sq.km (289 112 sq.miles)

Currency: Chilean peso

Official language: Spanish

Climate: The world's driest desert, the Atacama, which is situated in the north of the country, is frequently cool and cloudy The central regions have a Mediterranean climate, with changeable winters and hot, dry summers. The higher reaches of the Andes have an alpine climate. The south is the wettest region.

Chile extends in a narrow ribbon 4,350 kilometres down the Pacific coast of South America. The plains of the central pampa lie between a coastal range and the Andes. Most people live in the fertile heartland around the capital Santiago. Glaciers are a prominent feature of the southern Andes, as are fjords, lakes and deep sea channels.

TRANSPORT: The country's unusual shape makes air travel essential. Internal air routes are well developed and some are served by air taxis. The Pan-American is the only arterial road, crossing the Peruvian border and running down via Santiago to Puerto Montt.

TOURISM: The Pinochet years saw a dramatic decrease in tourism from the US and Europe, although neighbouring countries still continued to visit. Since 1988, tourism has grown. The stunning Andean scenery and the long coastline are the main attractions.

PEOPLE: Highly urbanised - 86 per cent of the country's population live in towns. Most people are of mixed Spanish-Indian descent. The Mapuche Indians live almost exclusively in the south. Many Chileans live on subsistence wages.

POLITICS: After 12 years of military rule under General Pinochet, Chile returned to multiparty democracy in 1989 following a popular referendum. Since then politics has been more stable and the economy continues to grow. The armed forces retain an influential role.

WORLD AFFAIRS: The main trading partner is the US. A territorial dispute with Argentina over islands in the Beagle Channel was settled in 1984 with Vatican mediation. Border disputes continue with Bolivia and Peru.

AID: Aid is in the form of debts rescheduled by the World Bank at the instigation of the US.

DEFENCE: The military enjoyed preferential treatment under General Pinochet. Today its considerable influence is demonstrated by the failure to press human rights charges over atrocities committed during the Pinochet years.

RESOURCES: Electricity generation: 22.4 billion kwh Livestock: 4.6 million sheep, 3.7 million cattle, 1.4 million pigs, 600,000 goats Mineral resources: coal, copper, gold, silver, iron, molybdenum, iodine.

ENVIRONMENT: The environment does not rank highly on the political agenda. Pinochet's constitution enshrined the right to live in a pollution-free environment, but bad smogs still cover Santiago due partly to diesel fumes from the city's buses.

MEDIA: Brutally controlled under Pinochet; journalists "disappeared" in the early years of the regime. Today, they are relatively free to write what they want but they can still be tried under military justice for slander of the armed forces.

CRIME: The judiciary is still not independent and is not pursuing human rights cases committed under Pinochet's military rule despite the discovery of mass graves in 1991.

EDUCATION: Environment and human rights now appear on the school curricula.

HEALTH: Eighty per cent of the population are covered by the public health service.

WEALTH: The middle class did well under Pinochet. The poor are 15 per cent worse off than in 1970. Four million people live just above the UN poverty line and one million live below it Position in World (192 countries))

Life expectancy 41 Infant mortality 50 GNP per capita 55 Daily calorie intake 111 Literacy 72 Schooling index 57 Educational rank 555 Human dev. index 33