The Chilean population is basically young, with almost one-third of the people under 15 years of age. More than four-fifths of the total population is urban. Santiago, the national metropolis, overshadows all other Chilean cities in size. Agriculture in Chile is hindered by the small amount of arable land and does not provide adequate food supplies for the entire population. Irrigated lands are mostly located in the semiarid Norte Chico region in the northern part of the country.
Forests produce roundwood, mostly for industrial purposes.
The total annual catch, almost all marine, represents one of the world's largest. Besides producing significant amounts of petroleum, natural gas, coal, and iron ore, Chile is the world's largest producer of copper and one of the world's largest producers of both molybdenum and iodine. Gold, silver, manganese, zinc, lead, selenium, limestone, hydraulic lime, and natural crude nitrates are also extracted. The principal manufactures are cement, cellulose, fish meal, wheat flour, blister and refined copper, crude steel, pig iron, tires, raw sugar, newsprint, beer, glass sheets, and cigarettes. Woven cotton, pressed fibre panels, fluorescent tubes, pens, bicycles, assembled automobiles and trucks, television and radio receivers, refrigerators, electrical meters, and electric accumulators are also produced.