In 1997, the Fraser Institute launched its Survey of Mining Companies Operating in Canada to assess how mineral potential and various public policy factors such as taxation and regulation affect exploration investment in Canada. The Fraser Institute's 1998 Survey of Mining Companies Operating in Canada has been expanded to cover mining exploration in North America including seventeen American states (states were selected for their hard rock mining activity and/or exploration potential), Mexico, the Canadian provinces and territories, and, for comparison with North American jurisdictions, Chile.