UPDATE OF CHILE HANDBOOK

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP79-00891A000700050001-1
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 30
• Document Creation Date: December 9, 2016
• Document Release Date: April 24, 2001
• Sequence Number: 1
• Publication Date: December 1, 1970
• Content Type: REPORT

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,fec c barren mountains, deserts,
and cities.
Population: Approx. 9.5 million (Jan. 1970 est.); males of 15 to 49
years, 2.3 million; 1.5 million fit for military service; growth rate 2.3%.
Ethnic groups: 85-90% mestizo (mixed white-Indian, with white
strongly predominant), 3% Indian; 7% Europeans, Asiatics, and other.
Religion: Predominantly Roman Catholic, about 10% Protestant.
Language: Spanish
Literacy: 84%
Universities, colleges and secondary schools in session during March-
Decem ber.
Labor force: 2.8 million (1967)
Organized labor: 20% total force
Time zone: EST-1 (GMT-4 hours)
Type of government: unitary republic
Congress normally convenes on 21 May and adjourns on 18 September.
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Branches of government: President elected for 6-year term, strong
executive power; bicameral legislature elected by popular vote through
proportional representation; independent judiciary.
President: Salvador Allende Gossens (1970-76)
Presidential succession: If the president dies during his term of office,
the minister of interior succeeds him as vice president. Within ten days he
must call for a new election to be held within 60 days.
Attitude incumbent administration toward US: reserved
Capital: Santiago (1964 pop: 2.4 million)
Political subdivisions: 25 provinces
Principal political parties and chief officials:
National (PN), Sergio Onofre Jarpa
Christian Democratic (PDC), Benjamin Prado
Radical (PR), Carlos Morales
Socialist (PS), Aniceto Rodriguez and Salvador Allende
Communist (PCCh), Luis Corvalan
Suffrage: universal (except enlisted military and police) and com-
pulsory; age limit 18
Qualified voters: 3.5 million, 1970 presidential election
Actual voters: 2,962,743 - 1970 presidentia election
Voting strength of parties by percent (1969 elections): PR, 12.9; PDC,
29.7; PS, 12.2; PCCh, 15.7; PN, 20.0; other and void, 9.5.
Voting strength of candidates 1970 presidential election: Salvador
Allende (PS, PCCh, PR, and small leftist), 36.3; Jorge Alessandri (PN and
independent rightists), 35.0; Radomiro Tomic (PDC), 27.8; void and blank,
0.9.
Representation in Congress: Chamber of Deputies: PDC 55, PN 33,
PCCh 22, PR 21, PS 15, Minor parties and independents 4.
Senate: PDC 20, PN 5, PCCh 6, PR 8, PS 4, Minor parties and
independents 7.
Next elections: Municipal April 1971, congressional March 1973.
Member: UN, ECOSOC, OAS, LAFTA, IBRD, IMF, IDB.
GNP: $5.6 billion (1968), $600 per capita; 73% private consumption,
12% government consumption, 15% gross investment; real growth rate 2.3%
in 1967, 2.7% in 1968.
Inflation: 29% in 1969.
Agriculture: Main crops-wheat, other cereals, fruits and vegetables;
about 75% self-sufficient; 2,400 calories per day per capita (1967 est.)
Major industries: Copper, nitrates, foodstuffs, fish processing, textiles
and apparel, iron and steel, pulp ana paper.
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Crude steel: 0.7 million metric tons capacity (1967); 0.6 million metric
tons produced (1967), 70 kg. per capita.
Electric power: 2,060,000 kw. capacity (1968 est.); 7.3 billion kw.-hr.
produced (1968); 780 kw.-hr. per. capita (1968).
Exports: $914 million (f.o.b., 1968 prov.); copper, nitrates, iron.
Imports: $869 million (c.i.f., 1968 prov.); machinery and equipment,
chemicals, petroleum, foodstuffs.
Trade: Exports and imports-99% non-Communist countries, 1% Com-
munist countries.
Foreign aid: Economic-extensions from US (FY 46-68)-$1,455.9
million ($1,279.4 million loans, $ 186.5 million grants); from international
organizations (FY46-68)-$441.0 million (of which IBRD $201.8 million,
IDB $176.4 million); from other Western countries (1960-66)-$170.6 mil-
lion; from Communist countries (1967-68)-$59.8 million.
Military (FY46-68)-from US, $9.2 million in loans, $123.1 mil-
lion in grants.
Exchange rate: 11.90 escudos=US$1 nontrade (broker) rate; 10.28
escudos=US$1 trade rate (31 January 1970, changes frequently)
Fiscal year: Calendar year.
Railroads: 5,090 miles of various gages.
Highways: 39,400 miles; 3,890 paved; 14,470 gravel; 21,040 earth.
Inland waterways: 451 miles navigable.
Pipelines: crude oil, 380 mi.; refined products, 510 mi., natural gas, 200
Ports: 3 principal (Antofagasta, San Antonio, Valparaiso), 7 secondary.
Merchant marine: 46 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 290,100 GRT,
386,300 DWT; includes 3 passenger, 28 cargo, 5 tanker, 9 bulk, 1 specialized
carrier; includes 2 naval tankers and 4 transports sometimes used commer-
cially.
Civil air: 57 major transport aircraft.
Airfields: 339 total, 250 usable; 33 with permanent-surface runways; 3
with runways 8,000-11,999 feet; 51 with runways 4,000-7,999 feet; 7
seaplane stations.
Telecommunications: Extensive radio re ay network under construc-
tion, and HF radio links expanded; telephone network modern but with only
300,000 instruments; communications satellite ground station; est. 2.5 mil-
lion radio receivers and 150,000 TV receivers, 130 AM, 28 FM, and 7 TV
stations.
Personnel: Army 23,100, navy 14,010 (including 145 in naval air and
2,200 in marines), air force 9,720 (490 pilots), ~arabineros 23,800
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Loyalty to government: loyal, apolitical.
Major ground units: 6 understrength divisions (4 infantry, 1 cavalry, 1
school).
Ships: 2 light cruisers, 4 destroyers, 1 submarine, 4 high-speed trans-
ports, 4 patrol ships (plus 4 inactive), 4 small amphibious transports, 12
other amphibious warfare ships, 8 auxiliaries (plus 2 service craft).
Aircraft: 248 (60 jet), including 21 (nonjet) in naval air and 227 (60
jet) in air force.
Supply: Limited quantities of small arms and ammunition produced;
dependent on US and Western Europe for all categories of equipment,
including additional quantities of those produced locally.
Military budget: For fiscal year ending 31 December 1968,
US$210,460,000, about 13% of national budget.
Resident diplomatic missions: Hungary, USSR, Czechoslovakia,
Romania, Poland, Bulgaria, Yugoslavia, Cuba
Permanent commercial missions: USSR, Czechoslovakia, East Germany,
Communist China, North Korea, Cuba
National Intelligence Survey (NIS) Material
The following sections of the NIS are relevant:
NIS Area 89 (Chile)
GENERAL SURVEY (Oct 68) and the following specialized sections:
Sec 22 Coasts and Landing Beaches (Nov 66)
Sec 23 Weather and Climate (Sep 56)
Sec 23S Meteorological Organization and Facilities (Feb 68)
Sec 24 Topography (Sep 66)
Sec 25 Urban Areas (Jan 60)
Sec 31 Railroads (Sep 66)
Sec 32 Highways (May 68)
Sec 35 Ports and Naval Facilities (Mar 58)
Sec 36 Merchant Marine (June 56)
Sec 40 Sociological-Introduction (Dec 59)
Sec 41 Population (Apr 57)
Sec 42 Characteristics of the People (July 68)
Dec 70
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Sec 43 Religion, Education, and Public Information (Dec 67)
Sec 44 Manpower (Nov 66)
Sec 45 Health and Sanitation (Jan 59)
Sec 51 The Constitutional System (Oct 53)
Sec 52 Structure of the Government (Apr 54)
Sec 54 Public Order and Safety (Mar 59)
Sec 55 National Policies (Jan 63)
Sec 56 Intelligence and Security (Jul 66)
Sec 57 Subversion (Apr 64)
Sec 60 Economic-Introduction (May 58)
Sec 61 Agriculture, Fisheries, and Forestry (Jun 65)
Sec 62F Fuels (Sep 67)
Sec 62P Electric Power (Oct 66)
Sec 63 Minerals and Metals (Jun 64)
Sec 64 Manufacturing and Construction (Jun 65)
Sec 65 Trade and Finance (Apr 66)
Map
The best available general reference map is: Esso Standard Oil Co.
(Chile) S.A.C.; Chile, Guia Turistica y Piano de Santiago; various scales; 1963
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