http://worldcat.org/entity/work/id/1193304

Mining Industry of the Norte Chico, Chile

The study is concerned with the metallic mining industry as it has evolved through time within and as an integral part of the Norte Chico or 'Little North, ' a region which encompasses the modern provinces of Atacama and Coquimbo in central Chile. This segment of the country is one in which known deposits of a variety of metals are conspicuously frequent and abundant. Not only do these provinces contain nearly a half of the claims for metallic substances in contemporary Chile, but they stand in Chile's history as the vast treasure house whose gold, silver, and copper teased the colonial Spaniard, brought prosperity to 19th century Chile and provided the basis for the nation's most magnificant personal fortunes. The study documents and interprets the manner in which successive generations of men have evaluated and exploited the region's resources as it has passed through four major eras and a number of minor episodes, each of which has had a profound and sometimes cumulative effect on the landscape and map of the area, and upon the habits of the people who live there. (Author).

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