In recent years, the modern governments of Colombia, Peru and Brazil have each successfully attracted both, foreign capital and technology. Historically, these countries are known to be gold-rich areas mined by humans for thousands of years. In particular, Colombia possesses an exceptional geologic terrain for gold exploration. Within the last five years this country has produced a very high rate of plus-million ounce gold discoveries by a relatively small amount of active companies. In the 19th century, Colombia was the world's largest gold producer. Currently, Peru, Colombia's neighbor to the south, produces about 210 tons of gold per year from the metal rich Andean Cordillera.
