The largest copper mine in Chile—and the single largest underground and open-pit copper producing mine in the entire world—is Escondida, located in the Atacama Desert. Operated by a major international mining consortium led by BHP, Escondida accounts for an enormous percentage of global copper supply. Chile's unique geological positioning along the Andean copper belt allows it to house several other mega-mines, making the nation the undisputed global leader in copper extraction.