1 
The nations of the world are becoming increasingly concerned with inventories 
and planned development of their natural and human resources. These studies are 
being undertaken to provide basic data to assist in the solution of economic 
problems; to discover new horizons for scientific development, and to provide 
opportunities for the men of each nation to share in the bounty of their land. 
All nations are aware of part of their resources. However, an orderly and 
systematic inventory is needed by practically every country. Even the older 
nations, presumed to be well mapped and studied, are confronted with the need for 
a continued up-dating of their resources inventories through the use of new ex 
ploration tools and electronic computers to store and catalog the basic information 
for ready retrieval, evaluation and use. In the United States, detailed resources 
inventory programs are being initiated to locate new sources of supply of vital 
products, to analyze areas for future industrial and recreational development, and 
to use the land and its capabilities more effectively. Similar programs are needed 
in South America, Africa, and Australia to provide complete data for realistic 
planning for the use and development of each nation’s resources. 
The resources development project recently completed in Chile is a notable 
example. This nation sought and acquired through the use of modem scientific 
studies, a complete and up-to-date inventory of present land use, geology and