According to the industrial census taken in 1916 there were 21,306 indus trial establishments in the republic, whose completed product was valued at 1,407,137,140 gold pesos (gold peso = 36 cents).
Commerce.—The imports in 1918 were valued at £42,705,554 and the exports at £57,271,688. The chief imports were mineral products, chemical products, met als, and machinery. The chief exports were mineral products, live stock, foods, and textiles.
Finances.—The monetary unit is the peso, which has a value of 36.5 cents in United States money. The external debt of Chile, Jan. 1, 1918, was 31,035,820 pesos; the internal debt amounted to 42, 708,193 pesos, currency. The expendi tures in 1919 were £16,621,210 and the revenues £18,743,250. The currency in circulation in 1917 was 117,980,119 pesos.
Transportation and Communication.- There are 4,521 miles of railway in op eration, and other lines under construc tion will increase the total to 5,684 miles. Of this amount 3,541 miles is govern ment-owned. Forty-four thousand miles of telephone wire are in operation and 22,500 miles of telegraph wire. There are 21,000 miles of public roads, 660 miles of navigable lakes, and 528 miles of navigable rivers. The wireless tele graph system includes stations at Co quimbo, Arica, Antofagasta, Talcahuano, Valparaiso, Valdivia, Punta Arenas, Pu erto Montt, and the Juan Fernandez Is lands. There are 1,114 post offices that annually handle 65,000,000 pieces of mail matter.
Education.—Education in Chile is in a backward state and fully 75 per cent. of the population are illiterate. The schools, which are confined chiefly to the towns, are free, but attendance is not compul sory. The total appropriation for school purposes in 1915 was less than $3,000, 000. In 1913 there were 3,151 public schools with an attendance of 318,000; 16 public normal schools with a registry of 2,650 pupils; 86 public secondary schools with 25,500 students; 11 public commercial schools with an attendance of 3,660. Besides these there are a num ber of private schools in all the grades mentioned. Higher education is provided by the University of Chile, which has 1,300 students, and the National Insti tute, with an enrollment of 1,200. There
are also commercial and technical schools, lyceums, schools of fine arts and agricul ture, and musical conservatories. Much of the education of the upper and middle classes is gained in private schools. The country contains 41 public libraries, with 240,000 volumes. In the large cities there are museums of natural history, and of the fine arts. There are special schools for the army and navy.
Defense.—Military service is compul sory on all males between the ages of 18 and 45. The recruits receive one year's training, then have a first reserve service of nine years, and after that remain in the second reserve until they are 45. The average strength of the army is about 18,000, and of the navy 6,000. There is an air force, equipped with 14 seaplanes and 50 airplanes. This came into being at the close of the World War, the planes being purchased from Great Britain. The navy has three battleships of about 7,500 tons each, 11 destroyers, 5 torpedo boats and 2 training ships, be sides colliers and auxiliary vessels.
Government.—The government is that of a republic, the chief magistrate being a president, elected for five years, who is thereafter ineligible to immediate re-elec tion. The president has a cabinet con sisting of six member , and a Council of State of 11, six of whom are named by Congress. Legislation is conducted by a Chamber_ of Deputies, chosen by popular vote, one for each 30,000 or major frac tion thereof, and who serve three years, renewable by thirds every three years; and a Senate, members of which are chosen for nine years, one for each three deputies, by direct popular vote. For ad ministrative purposes Chile is divided into 24 provinces and territories, and the provinces in turn into departments, sub-delegations, and districts. Each province is governed by an intendant (nominated by the president), who also acts as governor of the department in which the capital of the province is situ ated. The departments are governed by governors, the minor divisions by sub delegates and inspectors. The established religion of Chile is Roman Catholic, but the constitution guarantees freedom of worship.