Learn Where Gold is Mined and the Methods Used to Mine It
Today, North America and Eastern nations such as China and Russia produce 46% of the world’s Gold. China tops the Gold production volume list with 444 tons. Gold mining is a powerful economic activity across 97 nations.
Historically, South Africa has been the leading Gold-producing nation thanks to the Witwatersrand Basin, from which an estimated 40% of the world’s Gold ever mined comes. In 1979, South Africa accounted for 79% of the world’s Gold production. So, where is Gold mined? The best answer is just about everywhere.
GOLD MINING METHODS
The Gold mining industry has come a long way since the days of prospecting with a pan by a river. This was an early form of Placer mining, in which small deposits of loose Gold are separated from lighter sediment such as sand and gravel. Today’s modern Placer mines do essentially the same thing, just on a much larger scale utilizing many separation techniques such as hydraulic mining and dredging.
The preferred method of Gold mining today is hard rock mining when Gold is obtained from its original rock. These are huge operations, using underground mines or strip mines. Powerful explosives and drills are used to gain access to the ore. Complex systems of heavy trucks and manpower are used to accomplish the extraction process. The Grasberg Mine in Indonesia is the largest mine in the world and employs close to 20,000 workers.
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