Chuquicamata: World's Largest Open-Pit Copper Mine Exploration

Chuquicamata, the world's largest open-pit copper mine, holds 40% of global reserves, shaping Chile's economy and landscape.

### The Riches of Chile: A Journey Through the Chuquicamata Copper Mine and Atacama Desert
* 🏭 The Chuquicamata copper mine in Chile holds approximately **40% of the world's copper reserves**, with around **18 billion tons of copper in total**.
* 🚚 The mine uses **massive 300-ton trucks**, each carrying **six loads of ore**, with tires costing around **$42,000** and lasting about **9 months**.
* 🌵 The Atacama Desert, where the mine is located, is the driest desert in the world, but efforts are being made to **create artificial forests and oases**.
* 👷 The mine's history includes **nationalization in the 1970s**, with **25,000 copper plates produced daily**, each worth about **1.3 million won**.
* ⚽ The miners, like Mr. Oscar who has worked in the mine for 30 years, often come from generations of mining families and have a **strong sense of pride in their work**.
* 🌿 Efforts to create artificial forests and oases in the desert are **changing the landscape** and providing **new opportunities for life** in the arid region.
* The journey also explores the Salar de Uyuni salt lake, the **second largest in the world**, where life thrives in the **seemingly harsh environment**.
* 🌌 The Atacama Desert's unique environment, with **moon-like landscapes** and **extreme dryness**, is of interest to space exploration teams due to its **similarity to Mars**.

To support Chile, I went to see the world's largest open-pit copper mine, Chuquicamata. The Chuquicamata copper deposit extends for 50km, holding approximately 40% of the world's copper reserves, around 18 billion tons of copper in total. Chile fought a major war with Bolivia and Peru to take control of this mine, which even led to a civil war over the revenue from the gold. Nevertheless, this immense amount of copper has produced a remarkable attraction. For example, the tires we have here are normally used for regular old vehicles like a KIA, with a diameter of about 4 meters and a cost of around $42,000 each. They last an average of about 9 months. The cost of these tires is quite significant. Each truck can carry six of these ore loads, which weigh around 300 tons each, a massive amount. If I go up, about 5,000 to 6,000 people of similar weight can go up at once.

I can build such an enormous weight at once and move out for the indoor copper mine. A large truck developed for the indoor copper mine can consume 3.4 fuel with just one minute of movement, a high-cost dinosaur truck. I had the opportunity to ride the Yongcae truck. I recognize the owner. I want to try riding here. Many swift locations can be found through GPS. The 110 large trucks of the Chuquicamata mine overwhelm the trucks transporting copper ore ahead of the huge copper ore. The moment when humans' struggle to obtain resources from nature was there. How is the power of the large truck being exerted? It rose to the world's largest open-pit mine, Chuquicamata Observatory. What unfolded before my eyes was a giant temple erected in the middle of a desert at an altitude of 3,000m. A depth of 3 km. Indeed, it is Chile's pride.

[Music] At first, that 300-ton cargo truck looked so massive, didn't it? It really looks like a toy. It's hard to believe that a person is doing this. It's a very philosophical mine that makes people here make videos. I feel like I've become smaller, or I feel like a stripped-down child. [Music] After the 1970s, when the Sakha society dreamed of socialism, the state nationalized the Chukikamata Mine. It was a revolutionary event where a huge amount of wealth leaving the country was confiscated. The furnace that produced copper plates is a pattern of loudness and heat. Even now, as sirens of danger frequently sound, this place is filled with hazards. Here, 25,000 copper plates are made in a day. Currently, a single copper plate costs about 1.3 million won. As the global market continues to value copper for heating, it sends a positive signal to the domestic economy.

It is being turned on, but many processes are still done by human hands. The task of sprinkling powder on a hot copper plate to separate copper seemed only dangerous. Ultimately, the greatest thing is the power of humans. It is human hands that move the world. Just like this, when flames rise and iron flows like water turning into copper, looking at this, on one hand, you may think this is the end of the world, but on the other hand, something is starting and flowing from here. What does the daily life of miners look like? Visiting Mr. Oscar, who drove mining trucks for 30 years. He came from Korea. A Chebara, hanging in any house, was not an exception for Mr. Oscar. Starting from his father, the copper mining labor continues through the son. It is focused on the center of that. Okay, yes, here, take a look. Thanks to the mining labor, Mr. Oscar is.

It could have been vertical, right? In Latin America, despite achieving the fastest economic growth, still, one out of three citizens is living in poverty in Chile. He seems to be living a chosen life. Are you a football player? Oh, there's also Maradona. Oh, Maradona's family has three generations of football love. The passion for football in Latin America is strong. Do you play soccer too? Yes, even his father played soccer. Let's see how many people are in the picture. One, two, three, four, five. In the photo of his soccer team on the mining truck, there was a sense of pride in the lifelong work in the mine and in the work. Working not only for oneself but also for others benefits everyone. The largest copper mine in the world, a family [MUSIC] crossing the desert again, they discovered a green forest. There, another effort is being made in Salvador de Allende, where the indoor miners' town of Chuquicamata was turned into an artificial forest on a large scale.

It is about changing the life of the desert. These trees that provide sweet shade in the desert usually have long roots that are two to three times their height. They are trying to supply water from underground water veins 1500 meters below. This area is the driest desert region in the world, a desert where not a drop of water comes out, a desert where not a drop of water falls. Since the Lord is making many trees grow on such a scale, it almost looks like a miracle to me. About 20 minutes away from the artificial forest, the underground water flowing deep underground has created a beautiful oasis in the middle of the Atacama Desert. The greenery found in the wilderness reminded us of the value of things we had forgotten because it was so common. With the power of that green oasis, we could have a sweet rest. Today, we were able to have the greatest mathematics [APPLAUSE].

And the taste is almost like a bidet, so it must be like this, not like that. I should have an apple, but to the person who thinks it's an oasis, it's not just something great. [MUSIC] Paradise, truly, the paradise near us might be like that. [MUSIC] I don't know. The distance between the primitive era and Wi-Fi internet in modern civilization seems very short here. Just a little further down, a city appears. But here, it's still in the primitive state, so it's interesting that there are ruins everywhere. Instead of Eden, which Adam and Eve tasted, this oasis in the middle of a barren desert was shining. Leaving the Andes Mountains, the water that flowed deeply through the vast desert gathers into the Salar de Uyuni Lake. It is the second largest salt [MUSIC] lake in the world. The owner of Salar is said to be the god of salt. They must adhere to lifelong monogamy, and if they lose their partner, they starve to death.

I will taste it once at 50 km. How salty it is. Oh, if you live here, it seems like you won't get any diseases. Oh, it's so salty that even the germs and I will die. It seems like that. When you think about it, there is no place on Earth where life cannot exist. Even in the middle of a desert, in the salt lakes, the mystery of life continues. So, the birds are eating something right now. They are not eating salt, they are eating something, and that something is eating something else. Life is being sustained by this system. The great thing about this salt lake is that it is the third largest lake in the world. Whether it's a lake or a river, the river that rises in the Andes, a river, what should I call it, a river that finally reaches here, it's not dead, life is living on this land that seems all dead. Isn't that a great thing? The salt in the Salar de Uyuni, where flamingos live, is different from the salt in the sea.

It is different. Chlorine ions from sodium and volcanic gases combined and trapped in a lake with no outlet. Countless substances invisible to our eyes connect life and life [Music]. A desert that seemed to have nothing showed once again the amazing vitality of the Earth [Music]. The final march in northern Chile led to the soothing valleys of the Atacama Desert. The valley created by the wind resembles the moon's environment the most, making it a place sought after by space exploration teams, as it is where you can find the most round-shaped moon. Just when life seems stagnant and dull, I feel like I will visit the Atacama Desert again. It is because it is the land where the most primitive life's vitality wriggles.

전쟁으로 차지한 매장량 180억 톤 초대형 광맥┃해발 3,000미터 사막 한가운데 전 세계 생산량 40% 지상 최대 노천 광산┃칠레 추키카마타 구리 광산┃세계테마기행┃#골라듄다큐

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The Significance of Chuquicamata, the World's Largest Open-Pit Copper Mine

Chuquicamata is the world's largest open-pit copper mine, holding about 40% of the world's copper reserves.

Chile's control over the mine led to a major war with Bolivia and Peru, and it has become a remarkable attraction due to its immense copper production.

The mine operates with enormous trucks that carry 300-ton ore loads, consuming a significant amount of fuel and serving as a symbol of the struggle for natural resources.

The Impact of Copper Mining on the Global Economy

The Chukikamata Mine in Sakha, Russia, experienced a revolutionary event when the state nationalized it, confiscating a significant amount of wealth from the country.

The mine currently produces 25,000 copper plates a day, each costing about 1.

3 million won, and its output positively influences the global copper market and domestic economy.

Oscar, a miner with a family history of copper mining, provides a glimpse into the daily life of a miner and the ongoing human involvement in the mining processes.

The Impact of Soccer and Reforestation in the Atacama Desert

Despite economic growth, one third of Chile's population still lives in poverty.

Maradona's family has three generations of football love, reflecting the strong passion for soccer in Latin America.

Reforestation efforts in the Atacama Desert are transforming the region, creating an artificial forest and a beautiful oasis, providing a valuable reminder of the importance of nature.

The Unique Ecosystem of Salar de Uyuni Salt Lake

The Salar de Uyuni is the second largest salt lake in the world, with a unique ecosystem that supports life in the middle of a barren desert.

The lake is known for its incredibly salty water, which is crucial for the survival of flamingos and other wildlife in the area.

Despite its harsh conditions, the Salar de Uyuni is teeming with life, showcasing the resilience and adaptability of nature.

The Unique Vitality of the Atacama Desert

Chlorine ions from sodium and volcanic gases combine in a lake with no outlet, connecting and sustaining life.

The Atacama Desert, despite appearing desolate, is full of vitality and is sought after by space exploration teams for its resemblance to the moon's environment.

The desert is a place where the most primitive life's vitality thrives, offering a unique and captivating destination.