Chile is a South American country  situated along a narrow strip running along the Andes Mountains and Pacific Ocean. The country borders Peru, Argentina, and Bolivia, and the Drake Passage on the South. The country also claims 1.25 sq km of Antarctica, which is currently suspended under the Antarctic Treaty. The country is extremely diverse. It is rich in natural resources, agricultural development, and there are many natural rainforests, canals, islands, and volcanic development, throughout. The current population is approximately 18.1 million inhabitants.

In 1973, a coup in Chile led to the institution of right-wing military dictatorship, headed by Augusto Pinochet which ended in 1990.  Today, Chile is one of the most economically stable and developed countries in South America. It ranks high in human development, per capita income, state of peace, low corruption, and economic freedom. In 2010, Chile became the only South American member of Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). It is also a member of the United Nations, Community of Latin American and Caribbean States, and  Union of South American Nations.

Chile’s  Central Bank of Chile is the central bank for the country, and is located in Santiago. The economy is strongly influenced by copper mining, and is one of the country’s leading export industries; Chile is the largest copper producer in the world (and produces ⅓ of the world’s copper supply). Trade, foreign exchange markets, agriculture, and tourism, also drive the country’s economic development.

Chile is a representative democratic republic, and the President of Chile is the head of state and the head of government, with a multi-party system that, due to binomialism, behaves like a two-party system in practice.  Legislative power is in the National Congress as well as the government, and executive power is in the government. 

Chile’s Legal System

The judiciary of Chile is independent of both the executive and the legislature of Chile.  The justice system is based on civil law, primarily based on the Civil code of 1855, influenced by Spanish law and other facets of European law in the end of the 19^th century.  From 2000 on, Chile has adopted a more adversarial system, completely changing the criminal justice system in the country.  The overhaul was completed in the Santiago metropolitan region in June of 2001.  The country does not accept compulsory ICJ jurisdiction.

International tax agreement and relations, foreign investments in energy, trade, imports, chemical, and environmental-related news coverage, are some of the stories visitors to the National Law Review will find online, as it relates to the country of Chile. International relations with US and South American partners, relations with the EU, and international news which affects the country and its people are updated routinely on the National Law Review.