Radomiro Tomic mine facts for kids
The Radomiro Tomic mine is a very large open pit mine in northern Chile. It digs up copper minerals. This mine is high up in the Andes mountains, about 3,000 meters (almost 10,000 feet) above sea level. It is close to the Chuquicamata mine and the city of Calama.
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Radomiro Tomic Mine: A Copper Giant
The Radomiro Tomic mine is one of the biggest copper mines in the world. It is named after Radomiro Tomic, an important Chilean politician. The mine helps Chile be a top producer of copper.
What is an Open Pit Mine?
An open pit mine is a type of mine that is dug from the surface of the Earth. It looks like a giant, deep hole or a huge bowl. Workers use big machines to dig out rocks that contain valuable minerals, like copper. This is different from underground mines, which have tunnels.
History of the Mine
People first found copper in this area in the 1950s. But the mine did not start working right away. It took many years to figure out how to dig up the copper and make money from it. The mine finally opened in 1995. This happened after a company called Codelco found new ways and technology to mine the copper.
Who Owns the Mine?
Today, the Radomiro Tomic mine is owned by the Chilean Copper Corporation. This company is known as Codelco. Codelco is a very large mining company in Chile. Until 1999, the mine was called "Codelco Chile Division Radomiro Tomić." After that, Codelco changed its name to "Codelco Norte."
See also
In Spanish: Radomiro Tomic (mina) para niños