Chilean Government - Pepe's Chile

Country name: Republica de Chile
Government type: republic
Capital: Santiago
Administrative divisions: 15 regions (regiones, singular – region); Aisen del General Carlos Ibanez del Campo, Antofagasta, Araucania, Arica y Parinacota, Atacama, Biobio, Coquimbo, Libertador General Bernardo O’Higgins, Los Lagos, Los Rios, Magallanes y de la Antartica Chilena, Maule, Region Metropolitana (Santiago), Tarapaca, Valparaiso
Independence: Chile officially proclaimed independence from Spain on February 12, 1818. Nevertheless, Chileans celebrate their independence September 18th which is really the anniversary of the government’s first organization.
Constitution: 11 September 1980, effective 11 March 1981, amended 30 July 1989, 1993, and 1997
Executive branch: chief of state: Presidente Sebastián Piñera Echenique (since 11 March 2010); note – the president is both the chief of state and head of government; cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president; elections: president elected by popular vote for a four year term; election last held December 2009, with runoff election held 17 January 2010.
Legislative branch: bicameral National Congress or Congreso Nacional consists of the Senate or Senado (48 seats, 38 elected by popular vote, 9 designated members, and 1 former president who has served a full six-year term and is senator for life); elected members serve eight-year terms (one-half elected every four years) and the Chamber of Deputies or Camara de Diputados (120 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
Judicial branch: Supreme Court or Corte Suprema (judges are appointed by the president and ratified by the Senate from lists of candidates provided by the court itself; the president of the Supreme Court is elected by the 21-member court); Constitutional Tribunal

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