Measuring 4,270 kilometers (2,650 miles) from north to south, Chile experiences dramatic changes in its climate. The Atacama Desert of the north, one of the driest places on Earth, gradually fades into the country's temperate center, home to the majority of the Chilean population. This Mediterranean climate eventually gives way to the mountainous tundras and glaciers of the south. Though agriculture is the biggest water consumer in Chile, the mining industry may be the most important. As the engine of the Chilean economy, its access to water is of the utmost concern to the government in Santiago, particularly as the sector grapples with low global commodities prices . But ensuring that the industry gets the water it needs to thrive is not easy, particularly when many of the country's copper mines are located in or near the Atacama Desert.