Editing Atacama Region (section)

==Economy==
{{See also|Chilean Iron Belt|Chilean pisco|Piquinero}}
Mining accounts for 41%<ref>{{Cite report |title=Distritos productivos para el desarrollo de la minería chilena |url=https://www.sonami.cl/v2/publicaciones/distritos-productivos-desarrollo-mineria-chilena/ |trans-title=Productive districts for the development of mining in Chile|language=es |year=2025 |publisher=[[Sociedad Nacional de Minería|Centro de Estudios y Documentación Mineros de SONAMI]]}}</ref>  of the region's GDP and 90% of its exports.{{fact|date=May 2025}} Moreover, various geological surveys have identified new deposits.{{cn|date=March 2025}} In Atacama Region [[medium-scale mining|medium]] and small-scale mining has a larger share of mining properties relative to larg-scale mining that is dominant in the more northern regions of [[Tarapacá Region|Tarapacá]] and [[Antofagasta Region|Antofagasta]].<ref>{{cite book|last1=Ulloa Urrutia| first1=Alfie|last2=Contreras Biekert|first2=José Luis|last3=Gana Aravena|first3=Joaquín|last4=Miranda Toledo |first4=Rodrigo|last5=Chauveau Gerber|first5=Paul|first6=Fernando|last6=Villalobos Valenzuela|last7=Farías Soto|first7=Javiera|title=Productividad en la Gran Minería del Cobre|chapter=|year=2017 |pages= |publisher=Comisión Nacional de Productividad|language=Spanish|isbn=978-956-7725-08-3|page=283}}</ref> [[Iron]] ore [[mining]] is the most dynamic activity and there are numerous small-scale mines, which sell their output to [[ENAMI (Chile)|ENAMI]] (the national mining company) for processing at its [[Fundición Paipote|Paipote smelter]]. The region's main copper deposit is [[Candelaria mine|Candelaria]], which produces around 200,000 tonnes per year and is controlled by [[Phelps Dodge]], an international corporation. The next in size is El Salvador, owned by [[CODELCO]], with an annual output of around 81,000 tonnes. Both mines export through the port of [[Chañaral]].{{cn|date=March 2025}}

[[File:ValledeCopiapo.jpg|thumb|200px|left|Irrigated fields in the outskirts Copiapó.]]
Over recent decades, fresh [[fruit]] also emerged as regional export item, when the [[Copiapó Valley|Copiapó]] and [[Huasco, Chile|Huasco]] valleys joined [[Chile]]’s fruit-growing boom. They enjoy a comparative advantage because, thanks to the sunny climate, fruit ripens earlier than in the rest of the country and reaches northern hemisphere markets first.
Grapes are the main crop and, on a smaller scale, [[olive]]s, [[tomato]]es, [[capsicum|peppers]], [[onion]]s, [[Vicia faba|broad bean]]s, [[citrus]] fruits, [[nectarine]]s, [[apricot]]s, [[oregano]], and [[flower]]s.
The region's organic wealth, its clear waters and sheltered bays, together with its entrepreneurial experience, favor the development of aquaculture. Species produced include the northern scallop, Japanese and Chilean oysters, abalone, turbot, algae, and different varieties of mussels. Other products with more value added include boned fish fillets, smoked and salted fish, roe, and fishburgers.

The unique weather conditions in the [[Atacama Desert]], with extremely rare cloudy days, are ideal for solar power generation.<ref name=guardianSolar /> Many [[photovoltaics|PV]] and [[concentrated solar power|CSP]] plants are being built in this area.<ref name=guardianSolar>{{cite news|last1=Watts|first1=Jonathan|title=Desert tower raises Chile's solar power ambition to new heights|url=https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/dec/22/desert-tower-raises-chiles-solar-power-ambition-to-new-heights|access-date=13 March 2017|work=The Guardian|date=22 December 2015}}</ref>