All three armed forces participate in military civic-action programs, particularly in Chile's underpopulated northern and southern extremes. Engineer units of the army engage in road construction and maintenance. The navy provides lifesaving and emergency transportation services, in addition to maintaining navigational aids and regulating the activities of the Merchant Marine (Marina Mercante). The FACh provides emergency transportation and a meteorological service and plays a major role in disaster relief. It also regulates civil aviation and the administration of airports. All three of the armed forces jointly provide a comprehensive and up-to-date cartographic service covering the national territory and its coastal seas. They also provide medical services to civilians living near military bases in the less developed areas of the country.
Data as of March 1994