Previous Year Question
Which of the following countries has been the largest producer of copper (2013)?
Chile
China
Peru
U.S.A.
Correct Answer: A
Detailed Solution
In 2013, Chile was the world's largest producer of mined copper.
According to USGS data for 2013, the approximate copper mine production of the major countries given in the options was—
Chile — 5.70 million tonnes
China — 1.65 million tonnes
Peru — 1.30 million tonnes
U.S.A. — 1.22 million tonnes
Thus, Chile produced more than three times as much copper as China, which ranked behind it among these options.
The major copper-producing region of Chile lies in the Andean part of the country, which contains some of the world's most important porphyry copper deposits.
Escondida, Chuquicamata, El Teniente and Collahuasi are among Chile's major copper mines. Copper is extremely important to both Chile's mining economy and its exports.
Current Status
The answer remains unchanged even in the current situation. According to the latest finalized 2024 USGS data, Chile remained the world's largest producer of mined copper at about 5.5 million tonnes, accounting for approximately 24% of global mined copper production.
Thus, Chile ranked first in 2013 and also remains first in the latest complete available data.