MINING. Chile is one of the chief mineral producing countries of South America. Prior to the Peruvian War the mineral for which Chile was mainly known was copper, which still occu pies an important place in the mining output of the country. With the acquisition of the Prov ince of Tacna from Peru, the inexhaustible ni trate deposits of that region attracted the at tention of foreign investors, and since then the output of that mineral has reached such enor mous proportions that Chile is found to be the chief source of the world's entire supply. The de velopment of this industry may be best seen from the fact that the product, which amounted in 1884 to 550,000 tons, increased to 1,000,000 tons in 1890 and 1.475,0(111 tons in 1900, the roduet of that year being valued at about $40.000,000. The nitrate deposits are worked mainly by Euro pean. and especially English, capital. and the output is almost entirely exported to Europe and the United States, where it is used for fer tilizing purposes. The copper-mines are situated
chiefly in the provinces of C'oquimbo and Ata cama, and the annual yield amounts at present to about 25,000 tons, or 5 per cent. of the world's production. Chile ranking only after the United States and Spain in the quantity mined. Gold and silver ores are also found in paying quanti ties, and the annual output of these two metals amounts to more than 84,000,000. While most of the mining industries are in the north. a large field of coal. somewhat inferior in quality. is being developed in the south; coal is carried to the sea by the Arauco Railroad, and some is ex ported to the more northern republics. Borax, lead, tin, borate of lime, and a few other min erals are also mined. The animal value of all the mineral exports from Chile in the closing years of the Nineteenth Century was from $50,000,(100 to S60.000.000. United States money.