A little more about Chile!!

Some more facts about my country (trying to get you to come here sometime!)

Population: 16.000.000 (REALLY small country don't you think?)

There are 13 regions, from north to south (long and thin country, with a "chili" shape, I've always thought that's where the name come from, but no, it's for another reason I don't remember right now).

Santiago, the capital, it's in the "Metropolitan Region" (13th region, even if it's between 5th and 6th region from north to south), has 6.000.000 people living here (aprox.). Other big cities: Valparaíso (5th region), something like 500.000 hab, but if you sum it up with Viña del Mar (neighbor city), they are near 1.000.000. Concepción (8th region), like 800.000 I think.
And then, smallest cities, no more than 300.000 hab. Mostly 150.000. A lot of small towns less than 100.000 hab.

PIB per capita: I think we are about USD 7.000 now, if you correct it by power-of-buy (I don't know the exact word) is like USD 8.500-9.000 I think. Not much of a rich country!

Religion: mostly catholics, lately there are more "evangelics" (methodists and similars).

Race: mixed: there are white, and also some light-olive-skin, it's because spanish that came here around 1500's, they mingled (mengled?? how is it?) with local indians "mapuches", so there's some indian characteristics in chilean bodies-faces. No black people (I understand the africans that came here as slaves, didn't survive because of bad weather conditions...or they caught some disease).

Average height: men 5.7, women, 5.2, something like that. Pretty short (giant me and giant family is an exception!).

Education: not very good. There are public, public-subventionated (ha, I invented that!) and private schools. Public schools (excepting 1 or 2) are very bad in terms of education. The education gap is really huge here. Private schools are more affordable here, middle class and higher, go to private schools. Universities: some good, some very bad. There has been a "university explosion" over the last years. Many business men have realized it's a good business, so they start a university. Really pathetic ah?

Life expectation: women 75 I think, men a little less, 73 or something.

Government: democratic, elected by popular vote. Next saturday it's the "president change" (how do you call that?). Your prime minister Condolezza Rice (SORRY she's the SECRETARY OF STATE isn't she? I just realized that) will come, they will stay at the local Hyatt Regency, but it will be closed just for them (they will use 8 floors! have the news pretty excited about that). It's a big deal the ceremony, even the prince of Spain will come (being such a small country, it's a big event to have all those people), and a lot of other presidents as well. It's pretty important, being the first woman president of our history (already told you that I know).

Legislative power: parlaments and senators, elected by popular vote also.
Judicial power: judges and stuff
Executive power: president and ministers. these powers are independent (in theory, there's a lot of lobby around, as always in politics).

Price of basic things:
Coke can: from a machine, usd 0.4, minimarket, like 0.45
1 kg bread: usd 0.6 (like 0.3 pounds I think)
Gas: USD 1.1 (always rising!)
Car: for example a ford escape: like usd 25.000-30.000. cars are very expensive here. (I didn't come up with a better example!). Chevrolet Corsa (pretty popular small car): USD 7.500 - usd 8.000
Average wage for a lawyer just out of university (best university): USD 1.500 /month.

Chilean production-exports:
Cupper: it's like most of our production-exports
Wine: rising a lot lately
Fish: specially to Asia
Tourism: not an export, but rising as well

Latest news:
Agreement with China (no more taxes)
Urban highways are the issue
Pre-agreement with India
(we already have an agreement with USA and Europe)

Think that's about it for now!! More interesting stuff later!