El Salvador is a mining town in the commune of Diego de Almagro, Chañaral Province, Atacama Region, Chile.

Located at an elevation of more than 2,400 meters in the foothills of the Andes and in the middle of the Atacama Desert, it has a population of approximately 7,000 inhabitants.

Legend has it that an executive of Anaconda Mining Company travelled to the proposed town site with his son.

Years later once the city was built he was flown over the town and his father said “Remember the toy helmet you lost as a young boy?

Nevertheless, since 2001, and in spite of sustained increases in the international price of copper, the mine has experienced losses of more than 3.4 million dollars.

In addition, a study by the Australian consultant Goldberg, determined that only 243 million tons of copper remain in the mine, which assures mineral for only a few years.