SANTIAGO, Nov. 18 (Xinhuanet) -- Chinese President Hu Jintao is to arrive in Santiago, capital of Chile, on Thursday for a state visit to Chile, during which he will also attend the 12th Economic Leaders' Meeting of Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC).

    The Republic of Chile lies along the Pacific coast of South America, extending from Peru and Bolivia in the north to Cape Hornin the far south. To the east, Chile is separated from Argentina by the high Andes mountains. Its coastline stretches about 10,000 km.

    Chile has an area of approximately 756,000 sq km and the country is divided into 12 regions and a metropolitan area. Its population, according to an April 2002 census, is about 15 million.The great majority of the Chileans are Christians, most of them Roman Catholics. The language is Spanish.

    Chile won its independence in 1818 from Spanish rule, which began in the 16th century. The country won the War of the Pacific (1879-83) against Peru and Bolivia.

    Under Chile's constitution, the executive power is vested in the president, who is directly elected for a six-year term. The legislative power is vested in the two-house National Congress. The Senate has 49 seats and the Chamber of Deputies 120 seats.

    Chile abounds in mineral, forestry and fishing resources. It has the largest copper reserve in the world, which accounts for a third of the world's total. Its gross domestic product (GDP) in 1999 was 67.5 billion US dollars.

    Chile's major trading partners include Argentina, the United States, Japan, Britain, Brazil and China.

    Chile is a member of the Latin American Integration Associationand was admitted to the Rio Group in 1990 and to APEC in 1994. Chile is also one of the founding members of the World Trade Organization. Enditem