Santiago; note - Valparaiso is the seat of the national legislature
Chile
Key facts and a structured country profile. π§Ύ Change log π True Size
19,091,343 (2025 est.)
756,102 sq km
Southern South America, bordering the South Pacific Ocean, between Argentina and Peru
π§ Background
Indigenous groups inhabited central and southern Chile for several thousand years, living in mixed pastoralist and settled communities. The Inca then ruled the north of the country for nearly a century prior to the arrival of the Spanish in the 16th century. In 1541, the Spanish established the Captaincy General of Chile, which lasted until Chile declared its independence in 1810. The subsequent struggle with the Spanish became tied to other South American independence conflicts, with a decisive victory not being achieved until 1818. In the War of the Pacific (1879-83), Chile defeated Peru and Bolivia to win its current northernmost regions. By the 1880s, the Chilean central government cemented its control over the central and southern regions inhabited by Mapuche Indigenous peoples. Between 1891 and 1973, a series of elected governments succeeded each other until the Marxist government of Salvador ALLENDE was overthrown in 1973 in a military coup led by General Augusto PINOCHET, who ruled until a democratically elected president was inaugurated in 1990. Economic reforms that were maintained consistently since the 1980s contributed to steady growth, reduced poverty rates by over half, and helped secure the country's commitment to democratic and representative government. Chile has increasingly assumed regional and international leadership roles befitting its status as a stable, democratic nation.
πΊοΈ Geography
Southern South America, bordering the South Pacific Ocean, between Argentina and Peru
30 00 S, 71 00 W
South America
756,102 sq km
743,812 sq km
12,290 sq km
Slightly smaller than twice the size of Montana
7,801 km
Argentina 6,691 km; Bolivia 942 km; Peru 168 km
6,435 km
12 nm
24 nm
200 nm
200/350 nm
Temperate; desert in north; Mediterranean in central region; cool and damp in south
Low coastal mountains, fertile central valley, rugged Andes in east
Nevado Ojos del Salado 6,893 m (highest volcano in the world)
Pacific Ocean 0 m
1,871 m
Copper, timber, iron ore, nitrates, precious metals, molybdenum, hydropower
14.4% (2023 est.)
Arable land: 1.9% (2023 est.)
Permanent crops: 0.7% (2023 est.)
Permanent pasture: 11.8% (2023 est.)
24.5% (2023 est.)
61.1% (2023 est.)
9,094 sq km (2022)
Lago General Carrera (shared with Argentina) - 2,240 sq km; Lago O'Higgins (shared with Argentina) - 1,010 sq km; Lago Llanquihue - 800 sq km; Lago Fagnano (shared with Argentina) - 590 sq km
90% of the population is located in the middle third of the country around the capital of Santiago; the far north, including the Atacama Desert, and the extreme south are relatively underpopulated
Severe earthquakes; active volcanism; tsunamis volcanism: significant volcanic activity due to more than three-dozen active volcanoes along the Andes Mountains; Lascar (5,592 m), which last erupted in 2007, is the most active volcano in the northern Chilean Andes; Llaima (3,125 m) in central Chile, which last erupted in 2009, is another of the country's most active; Chaiten's 2008 eruption forced major evacuations; other notable historically active volcanoes include Cerro Hudson, Calbuco, Copahue, Guallatiri, Llullaillaco, Nevados de Chillan, Puyehue, San Pedro, and Villarrica; see note 2 under "Geography - note"
Note 1: Chile is the longest country north-to-south in the world, extending across 39 degrees of latitude note 2: Chile is one of the countries along the Ring of Fire, which is a belt bordering the Pacific Ocean that contains about 75% of the world's volcanoes and up to 90% of the world's earthquakes note 3: the Atacama Desert in the north of Chile is the driest desert in the world; Ojos del Salado (6,893 m) in the Atacama Desert is the highest active volcano in the world, Chile's tallest mountain, and the second-highest in the Western Hemisphere and the Southern Hemisphere; the volcano's small crater lake is the world's highest lake at 6,390 m
π₯ People and Societyβ¬οΈ Top
19,091,343 (2025 est.)
9,379,883
9,711,460
Chilean(s)
Chilean
White and non-Indigenous 88.9%, Mapuche 9.1%, Aymara 0.7%, other Indigenous groups 1% (includes Rapa Nui, Likan Antai, Quechua, Colla, Diaguita, Kawesqar, Yagan or Yamana), unspecified 0.3% (2012 est.)
Spanish 99.5% (official), English 10.2%, Indigenous 1% (includes Mapudungun, Aymara, Quechua, Rapa Nui), other 2.3%, unspecified 0.2% (2012 est.)
La Libreta Informativa del Mundo, la fuente indispensable de informaciΓ³n bΓ‘sica. (Spanish) The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.
Catholic 57%, none 25.7%, Evangelical or Protestant 16.2%, other Christians and traditions related to Christ 1.3%; less than 1%: Buddhist, Catholic Orthodox, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, Islam, Judaism, other religions, no religion (2024)
19.2% (male 1,822,908/female 1,751,528)
67.3% (male 6,274,620/female 6,278,467)
13.6% (2024 est.) (male 1,072,208/female 1,464,921)
45 (2025 est.)
24.1 (2025 est.)
20.9 (2025 est.)
4.8 (2025 est.)
38.9 years (2025 est.)
35.8 years
38.2 years
0.46% (2025 est.)
8.81 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)
6.79 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)
2.58 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)
90% of the population is located in the middle third of the country around the capital of Santiago; the far north, including the Atacama Desert, and the extreme south are relatively underpopulated
88% of total population (2023)
0.78% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
6.903 million SANTIAGO (capital), 1.009 million Valparaiso, 912,000 Concepcion (2023)
1.04 male(s)/female
1.04 male(s)/female
1 male(s)/female
0.73 male(s)/female
0.97 male(s)/female (2024 est.)
10 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)
4.5 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.)
6.9 deaths/1,000 live births
5.7 deaths/1,000 live births
80.3 years (2024 est.)
77.3 years
83.3 years
1.25 children born/woman (2025 est.)
0.61 (2025 est.)
Urban: 100% of population (2022 est.)
Rural: 100% of population (2022 est.)
Total: 100% of population (2022 est.)
Urban: 0% of population (2022 est.)
Rural: 0% of population (2022 est.)
Total: 0% of population (2022 est.)
9% of GDP (2022)
19% of national budget (2022 est.)
3.33 physicians/1,000 population (2023)
2 beds/1,000 population (2021 est.)
Urban: 100% of population (2022 est.)
Rural: 100% of population (2022 est.)
Total: 100% of population (2022 est.)
Urban: 0% of population (2022 est.)
Rural: 0% of population (2022 est.)
Total: 0% of population (2022 est.)
28% (2016)
7.8 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
2.76 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
2.61 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
2.43 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
26.2% (2025 est.)
28.4% (2025 est.)
24.1% (2025 est.)
48.5% (2022 est.)
4.9% of GDP (2022 est.)
18.4% national budget (2022 est.)
96.4% (2017 est.)
96.5% (2017 est.)
96.3% (2017 est.)
17 years (2023 est.)
17 years (2023 est.)
17 years (2023 est.)
πΏ Environmentβ¬οΈ Top
Air pollution from industrial and vehicle emissions; water pollution from raw sewage; noise pollution; improper garbage disposal; soil degradation; widespread deforestation; pollution and ecosystem degradation from mining; wildlife conservation
Antarctic-Environmental Protection, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping-London Convention, Marine Dumping-London Protocol, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling
None of the selected agreements
Temperate; desert in north; Mediterranean in central region; cool and damp in south
14.4% (2023 est.)
Arable land: 1.9% (2023 est.)
Permanent crops: 0.7% (2023 est.)
Permanent pasture: 11.8% (2023 est.)
24.5% (2023 est.)
61.1% (2023 est.)
88% of total population (2023)
0.78% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
83.058 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
14.773 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
55.504 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
12.781 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
18.8 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)
6.517 million tons (2024 est.)
1% (2022 est.)
1.29 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)
1.66 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)
29.42 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)
923.06 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)
1
Kutralkura (2023)
ποΈ Governmentβ¬οΈ Top
Republic of Chile
Chile
RepΓΊblica de Chile
Chile
Derivation of the name is unclear; it may come from a local word meaning either "land's end" or "cold," or a local word that was confused with the Mexican Spanish word chili, meaning a chili pepper, in reference to the area's shape
Presidential republic
Santiago; note - Valparaiso is the seat of the national legislature
33 27 S, 70 40 W
UTC-3 (2 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
+1hr, begins second Sunday in August; ends second Sunday in May; note - Punta Arenas observes DST throughout the year
Chile has three time zones: the continental portion at UTC-3; the southern AysΓ©n and Magallanes regions, which do not use daylight savings time and remain at UTC-3 year-round; and Easter Island at UTC-5
Santiago is named after Saint James, the patron saint of Spain (Santo Iago in Spanish); Valparaiso derives from the Spanish words valle (valley) and paraΓso (paradise)
16 regions (regiones, singular - region); Antofagasta, AraucanΓa, Arica y Parinacota, Atacama, AysΓ©n, BiobΓo, Coquimbo, Libertador General Bernardo O'Higgins, Los Lagos, Los RΓos, Magallanes y de la AntΓ‘rtica Chilena (Magallanes and Chilean Antarctica), Maule, Γuble, RegiΓ³n Metropolitana (Santiago), TarapacΓ‘, ValparaΓso
Civil law system influenced by several Western European civil legal systems; Constitutional Tribunal reviews legislative acts
Many previous; latest adopted 11 September 1980, effective 11 March 1981; in September 2022 and again in December 2023, referendums presented for a new constitution were both defeated, and the September 1980 constitution remains in force
Proposed by members of either house of the National Congress or by the president of the republic; passage requires at least four-sevenths majority vote of the membership in both houses and approval by the president; passage of amendments to constitutional articles, such as the republican form of government, basic rights and freedoms, the Constitutional Tribunal, electoral justice, the Council of National Security, or the constitutional amendment process, requires at least four-sevenths majority vote by both houses of Congress and approval by the president; the president can opt to hold a referendum when Congress and the president disagree on an amendment
Has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction
Yes
Yes
Yes
5 years
18 years of age; universal
President Gabriel BORIC (since 11 March 2022)
President Gabriel BORIC (since 11 March 2022)
Cabinet appointed by the president
President directly elected by absolute-majority popular vote in 2 rounds, if needed, for a single 4-year term
16 November 2025, with a runoff held on 14 December 2025
2025: JosΓ© Antonio KAST elected president in second round; percent of vote in first round - Jeannette Alejandra JARA RomΓ‘n (PCCh) 26.8%, JosΓ© Antonio KAST (PLR) 23.9%, Franco Aldo PARISI FernΓ‘ndez (PDG) 19.7%, Johannes KAISER (PNL) 13.9%, Evelyn Rose MATTHEI Fornet (PL) 12.5%; other 3.2%; percent of vote in second round - JosΓ© Antonio KAST 58.2%, Jeannette Alejandra JARA RomΓ‘n 41.8%; note - KAST will take office 11 March 2026 2021: Gabriel BORIC elected president in second round; percent of vote in first round - JosΓ© Antonio KAST (FSC) 27.9%; Gabriel BORIC (AD) 25.8%; Franco PARISI (PDG) 12.8%; Sebastian SICHEL (ChP+) 12.8%; Yasna PROVOSTE (New Social Pact) 11.6%; other 9.1%; percent of vote in second round - Gabriel BORIC 55.9%; Jose Antonio KAST 44.1% 2017: Sebastian PINERA Echenique elected president in second round; percent of vote in first round - Sebastian PINERA Echenique (independent) 36.6%; Alejandro GUILLIER (independent) 22.7%; Beatriz SANCHEZ (independent) 20.3%; Jose Antonio KAST (independent) 7.9%; Carolina GOIC (PDC) 5.9%; Marco ENRIQUEZ-OMINAMI (PRO) 5.7%; other 0.9%; percent of vote in second round - Sebastian PINERA Echenique 54.6%, Alejandro GUILLIER 45.4%
18 November 2029 (a runoff, if needed, will take place in December 2029)
National Congress (Congreso Nacional)
Bicameral
Chamber of Deputies (CΓ‘mara de Diputados)
155 (all directly elected)
Proportional representation
Full renewal
4 years
11/21/2021
Chile Podemos (Empowering Chile", CP +) (53); New Social Pact (NPS) (37); Approving Dignity (AD) (37); Christian Social Front (FSC) (15); Other (13)
33.5%
November 2025
Senate (Senado)
50 (all directly elected)
Proportional representation
Partial renewal
8 years
11/21/2021
Chile Podemos (Empowering Chile", CP +) (12); New Social Pact (NPS) (8); Approving Dignity (AD) (4); Independents (2); Other (1)
32%
November 2025
Supreme Court or Corte Suprema (consists of a court president and 20 members); Constitutional Court (consists of 10 members and is independent of the rest of the judiciary); Elections Qualifying Court (consists of 5 members)
Supreme Court president and judges (ministers) appointed by the president of the republic and ratified by the Senate from lists of candidates provided by the court itself; judges appointed for life with mandatory retirement at age 70; Constitutional Court members appointed - 3 by the Supreme Court, 3 by the president of the republic, 2 by the Chamber of Deputies, and 2 by the Senate; members serve 9-year terms with partial membership replacement every 3 years (the court reviews constitutionality of legislation); Elections Qualifying Court members appointed by lottery - 1 by the former president or vice president of the Senate and 1 by the former president or vice president of the Chamber of Deputies, 2 by the Supreme Court, and 1 by the Appellate Court of Valparaiso; members appointed for 4-year terms
Courts of Appeal; oral criminal tribunals; military tribunals; local police courts; specialized tribunals and courts in matters such as family, labor, customs, taxes, and electoral affairs
Approve Dignity (Apruebo Dignidad) coalition or AD (included PC, FA, and FREVS); note - dissolved 2023 Broad Front Coalition (Frente Amplio) or FA (includes RD, CS, and Comunes) Chile We Can Do More (Chile Podemos MΓ‘s) or ChP+ (coalition includes EVOPOLI, PRI, RN, UDI) Christian Democratic Party or PDC Common Sense Party or SC Commons (Comunes) Communist Party of Chile or PCCh Democratic Revolution or RD Democrats or PD Equality Party or PI Green Ecological Party or PEV (dissolved 7 February 2022) Green Popular Alliance or AVP Humanist Action Party or PAH Humanist Party or PH Independent Democratic Union or UDI Liberal Party (Partido Liberal de Chile) or PL National Libertarian Party or PNL National Renewal or RN New Social Pact or NPS (includes PDC, PL, PPD, PRSD, PS) Party for Democracy or PPD Party of the People or PDG Political Evolution or EVOPOLI Popular Party or PP Progressive Homeland Party or PRO Radical Party or PR Republican Party or PLR Social Christian Party or PSC Social Convergence or CS Social Green Regionalist Federation or FREVS Socialist Party or PS Yellow Movement for Chile or AMAR
Ambassador Juan Gabriel VALDES Soublette (since 7 June 2022)
1732 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036
[1] (202) 785-1746
[1] (202) 887-5579
Echile.eeuu@minrel.gob.cl https://chile.gob.cl/estados-unidos/en/
Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, San Francisco
Ambassador-designate Brandon JUDD (since November 2025)
Avenida Andres Bello 2800, Las Condes, Santiago
3460 Santiago Place, Washington DC 20521-3460
[56] (2) 2330-3000
[56] (2) 2330-3710
SantiagoUSA@state.gov https://cl.usembassy.gov/
APEC, BIS, CAN (associate), CD, CELAC, FAO, G-15, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LAES, LAIA, Mercosur (associate), MIGA, MINUSTAH, NAM, OAS, OECD (enhanced engagement), OPANAL, OPCW, Pacific Alliance, PCA, PROSUR, SICA (observer), UN, UNASUR, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNHCR, UNIDO, Union Latina, UNMOGIP, UNOOSA, UNTSO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
18 September 1810 (from Spain)
Independence Day, 18 September (1810)
Description: two equal horizontal bands of white (top) and red; a blue square sits in the top left corner of the flag, the same height as the white band; the square has a five-pointed white star in the center meaning: the star represents a guide to progress and honor; blue stands for the sky, white for the Andes Mountains, and red for the blood spilled to achieve independence
Huemul (mountain deer), Andean condor
Red, white, blue
"Himno Nacional de Chile" (National Anthem of Chile)
Eusebio LILLO Robles and Bernardo DE VERA y Pintado/Ramon CARNICER y Battle
Music adopted 1828, original lyrics adopted 1818, adapted lyrics adopted 1847; under Augusto PINOCHET's military rule, a verse glorifying the army was added; some citizens refused to sing this verse as a protest, and it was removed when democracy was restored in 1990
7 (all cultural)
Rapa Nui National Park; Churches of Chiloe; Historic Valparaiso; Humberstone and Santa Laura Saltpeter Works; Sewell Mining Town; Qhapaq Γan/Andean Road System; Chinchorro archeological sites
πΉ Economyβ¬οΈ Top
Export-driven economy; leading copper producer; though hit by COVID-19, fairly quick rebound from increased liquidity and rapid vaccine rollouts; decreasing poverty but still lingering inequality; public debt rising but still manageable; recent political violence has had negative economic consequences
$596.556 billion (2024 est.)
$581.187 billion (2023 est.)
$578.173 billion (2022 est.)
2.6% (2024 est.)
0.5% (2023 est.)
2.2% (2022 est.)
$30,200 (2024 est.)
$29,600 (2023 est.)
$29,600 (2022 est.)
$330.267 billion (2024 est.)
4.3% (2024 est.)
7.6% (2023 est.)
11.6% (2022 est.)
3.9% (2024 est.)
30.1% (2024 est.)
56.1% (2024 est.)
58.1% (2024 est.)
15.1% (2024 est.)
23.5% (2024 est.)
-0.3% (2024 est.)
33.7% (2024 est.)
-30.1% (2024 est.)
Grapes, milk, apples, wheat, tomatoes, potatoes, chicken, maize, sugar beets, pork (2023)
Copper, lithium, other minerals, foodstuffs, fish processing, iron and steel, wood and wood products, transport equipment, cement, textiles
3.5% (2024 est.)
10.088 million (2024 est.)
9.1% (2024 est.)
9.1% (2023 est.)
8.3% (2022 est.)
22.3% (2024 est.)
20.3% (2024 est.)
24.9% (2024 est.)
6.5% (2022 est.)
43 (2022 est.)
19.4% of household expenditures (2023 est.)
3.5% of household expenditures (2023 est.)
2.3% (2022 est.)
34.5% (2022 est.)
0% of GDP (2024 est.)
0% of GDP (2023 est.)
0% of GDP (2022 est.)
$77.003 billion (2023 est.)
$85.024 billion (2023 est.)
21% of GDP (2016 est.)
17.7% (of GDP) (2023 est.)
-$4.853 billion (2024 est.)
-$10.497 billion (2023 est.)
-$26.656 billion (2022 est.)
$111.123 billion (2024 est.)
$103.256 billion (2023 est.)
$107.039 billion (2022 est.)
China 39%, USA 16%, Japan 7%, S. Korea 6%, Brazil 4% (2023)
Copper ore, refined copper, fish, carbonates, pitted fruits (2023)
$99.239 billion (2024 est.)
$100.082 billion (2023 est.)
$118.928 billion (2022 est.)
China 23%, USA 20%, Brazil 10%, Argentina 7%, Germany 5% (2023)
Refined petroleum, crude petroleum, cars, garments, trucks (2023)
$44.403 billion (2024 est.)
$46.377 billion (2023 est.)
$39.102 billion (2022 est.)
Chilean pesos (CLP) per US dollar -
943.572 (2024 est.)
840.067 (2023 est.)
873.314 (2022 est.)
758.955 (2021 est.)
792.727 (2020 est.)
β‘ Energyβ¬οΈ Top
100% (2022 est.)
39.238 million kW (2023 est.)
83.295 billion kWh (2023 est.)
4.384 billion kWh (2023 est.)
35.6% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
20.6% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
10.8% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
26.6% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
0.5% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
5.9% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
474,000 metric tons (2023 est.)
8.087 million metric tons (2023 est.)
63,000 metric tons (2023 est.)
7.589 million metric tons (2023 est.)
1.181 billion metric tons (2023 est.)
11,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)
404,000 bbl/day (2024 est.)
150 million barrels (2021 est.)
1.362 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)
6.5 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)
39.009 million cubic meters (2023 est.)
5.196 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)
97.976 billion cubic meters (2021 est.)
71.42 million Btu/person (2023 est.)
π‘ Communicationsβ¬οΈ Top
1.74 million (2024 est.)
8 (2024 est.)
26.2 million (2024 est.)
133 (2024 est.)
National and local terrestrial TV channels, coupled with extensive cable TV networks; the state-owned Television Nacional de Chile (TVN) network is self-financed through commercial advertising and is not under direct government control; large number of privately owned TV stations; about 250 radio stations
.cl
95% (2023 est.)
4.52 million (2023 est.)
23 (2023 est.)
π Transportationβ¬οΈ Top
CC
379 (2025)
115 (2025)
7,281.5 km (2014)
3,853.5 km (2014) 1.000-m gauge
3,428 km (2014) 1.676-m gauge (1,691 km electrified)
249 (2023)
Bulk carrier 3, container ship 5, general cargo 66, oil tanker 14, other 161
39 (2024)
0
2
10
27
25
Antofagasta, Bahia de Valdivia, Bahia de Valparaiso, Coronel, Iquique, Mejillones, Puerto Montt, Puerto San Antonio, Rada de Arica, Rada Punta Arenas, Talcahuano, Tocopilla
π‘οΈ Military and Securityβ¬οΈ Top
Armed Forces of Chile (Fuerzas Armadas de Chile): Chilean Army (EjΓ©rcito de Chile), Chilean Navy (Armada de Chile, includes Marine Corps and Maritime Territory and Merchant Marine Directorate or Directemar), Chilean Air Force (Fuerza Aerea de Chile, FACh) (2025)
1.5% of GDP (2024 est.)
1.5% of GDP (2023 est.)
1.6% of GDP (2022 est.)
2% of GDP (2021 est.)
2% of GDP (2020 est.)
Approximately 70,000 active Armed Forces (40,000 Army; 20,000 Navy; 10,000 Air Force); approximately 50,000 Carabineros (2025)
The Chilean military's inventory is comprised of a mix of mostly older foreign supplied armaments and some domestically produced weapons systems; significant foreign suppliers have included Australia, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Israel, the Netherlands, Spain, the UK, and the US; Chile's defense industry is active in the production of military aircraft, ships, and vehicles (2025)
18-24 for voluntary military service for men and women (17 for men with parental permission); selective compulsory service for men 18-24 (there are usually enough volunteers to make compulsory service unnecessary); service obligation is a maximum of 24 months (2025)
The Chilean military's responsibilities are territorial defense, ensuring the countryβs sovereignty, assisting with disaster and humanitarian relief, and providing some internal security duties such as border security or maintaining public order if required; a key focus in recent years has been assisting with securing the border area with Bolivia and Peru; it trains regularly and participates in bilateral and multinational training exercises, as well as international peacekeeping operations Chile and Argentina have a joint peacekeeping force known as the Combined Southern Cross Peacekeeping Force (FPC), designed to be made available to the UN; the FPC is made up of air, ground, and naval components, as well as a combined logistics support unit the Chilean Army was founded in 1810, but traces its origins back to the Army of the Kingdom of Chile, which was established by the Spanish Crown in the early 1600s; Chile's military aviation was inaugurated in 1913 with the creation of a military aviation school; the Navy traces its origins to 1817; it was first led by a British officer and the first ships were largely crewed by American, British, and Irish sailors; by the 1880s, the Chilean Navy was one of the most powerful in the Americas, and included the worldβs first protected cruiser (a ship with an armored deck to protect vital machine spaces) (2025)
π¨ Terrorismβ¬οΈ Top
Tren de Aragua (TdA)
π Transnational Issuesβ¬οΈ Top
15,788 (2024 est.)
8,323 (2024 est.)
1,688 (2024 est.)
Source: Factbook JSON archive.