Gold, uranium and diamonds South Africa. South Africa Large gold deposits in Africa

As with finance, the distribution of gold is not even, and some countries have significantly more resources than others. From relatively unknown Uzbekistan to one of the world's largest gold miners, South Africa, mining tens or even hundreds of tons per year is not a fantasy, especially when it comes to the countries on this list. It's time to get acquainted with the ranking of countries that produce the largest amount of gold per year.

Uzbekistan - 90 tons

Uzbekistan is one of only two landlocked countries bordering landlocked countries in the world, but that doesn't mean it doesn't have important natural resources (although there are definitely problems with exporting them ). This country took tenth place in the ranking of the most gold-mining countries, as about 90 tons of gold are mined here per year. Most of the gold that is mined here is then nationalized, and it belongs to the Navoi Mining and Metallurgical Combine.

Indonesia - 100 tons

While you can find the largest open-pit gold mine in the world in Uzbekistan, the record for the largest gold mine belongs to Indonesia. We are talking about the Grasberg mine, where 19 thousand people work. Unfortunately, it is also considered one of the most toxic places in the world. Each year, this mine releases about a thousand tons of mercury into the atmosphere in addition to the fact that 100 tons of gold are mined here annually. People who live near this mine eat fish that contain twice the recommended amount of mercury, meaning that gold mining is an extremely harmful process for the mine workers and those who live nearby.

Ghana - 100 tons

Ghana was once known as the Gold Coast for its abundance of metals. In 2011, 100 tons of gold were mined here, but the gold reserves are gradually decreasing, and today Ghana's gold reserves are estimated at only 1,400 tons. The gold mining industry accounts for about five percent of the country's GDP, and mined minerals account for 37 percent of the country's exports. Ghana is the second largest gold producer in Africa, second only to South Africa.

Canada - 110 tons

Ah, Canada, land of snow, oil and precious metals. Most of Canada's gold comes from Ontario, specifically the Red Lake mine. Canada is so patriotic about its own gold that you can purchase a Canadian gold coin for just a few hundred dollars. However, you need to hurry because the country's gold mines are among the smallest among the countries on this list.

Peru - 150 tons

Peru is the largest gold-producing country in Latin America and only the second largest in all of America after the United States. Although the country receives some monetary profit from gold mining, the process has a negative impact on the environment. Over the past decade, gold mining in this country has increased by 400 percent, and this has had an extremely negative impact on the Peruvian Amazon. The problem with Peruvian gold mines is that most of them are located on top of mountains, so the mountains themselves and the surrounding land are negatively impacted.

South Africa - 190 tons

The country that produces the most gold on the African continent is South Africa, receiving about 190 tons of gold per year. The most striking fact about gold mining in South Africa is that the country still has about six thousand tons of gold in reserve. In addition, until 2006, this country was considered the largest gold miner in the world, and although it still remains in a high position, its operating efficiency is not the highest. Gold mining is one of the key driving factors allowing South Africa to actively participate in the global economy.

Russia - 200 tons

It is not surprising that Russia got a lot of gold, since it occupies approximately one-sixth of the entire world's territory. More than five thousand tons are still in reserve, much of it has not yet even begun to be mined, particularly in eastern Siberia, but Russia has already begun importing gold to quench its thirst for the shiny metal. For example, in 2012, the country imported approximately five percent of gold to replenish its bank reserve, which stands at about 900 tons. Whether the metal is in a jar or underground, Russia definitely loves gold.

USA - 237 tons

Russia has been surpassed by its Cold War adversary, the United States, which currently ranks third in gold production in the world. Although the gold mines are concentrated mostly in Nevada (near Las Vegas) and Montana, most of the gold is located in vaults near New York, Fort Knox and other places. More than eight thousand tons of gold are stored in these vaults, owned by the Federal Reserve System and the Treasury Department. In total, the United States has approximately the amount of gold that corresponds to 75 percent of the world's gold reserves.

Australia - 270 tons

The miners of this country have been constantly working in barren soil for a long time to obtain an impressive amount of gold and take second place in this ranking. Gold production in Australia each year is about 270 tons. Two-thirds of this comes from Western Australia, from the goldfields around Perth. The continent's largest open-pit mine, called the Golden Mile, supplies the largest amount of gold for export, which brings Australia about $14 billion a year.

China - 355 tons

China ranks first in this ranking, as it does in many other rankings. This country produces about a third more than its closest pursuers from Australia. However, in addition to producing the most gold, China is also the world's top consumer of gold, which is fitting for a country that has managed to lift hundreds of millions of people out of poverty. Most of the gold mines are located in Shandong province, located between Beijing and Shanghai.

Trade in Africa is driven primarily by the variety of natural resources that are abundant on the continent. Did you know, for example, that gold and diamonds are among the most exported commodities among African states? And that South Africa is the largest gold producer in the world?

Read the article and learn interesting facts from the world of gold about South Africa, Morocco, Benin and Gambia.

In Africa there are two extremes regarding trade. Most of the countries are developing, while the rest have a skilled workforce, developed infrastructure and financial resources. Despite the differences in the wealth of individual countries, exports to the mainland as a whole are significant. This includes palm oil, oil, cocoa beans, wood, as well as gold and diamonds.

Gold in Africa: from antiquity to the present day

From the 5th to the 8th centuries, due to the demand for coins, gold was the main export commodity. Exports of this precious metal increased between the 7th and 11th centuries, as demand for gold from countries in the Mediterranean region increased. Taking advantage of this cash flow, countries such as Mali and Ghana began minting money: for this reason, Ghana was called the “Land of Gold”. African gold was used in Western gold coins and was a major export product.

Since 1500, African gold has ruled the world's coinage system. Gold was the most important and enduring element that shaped Africa's relationship with the rest of the world. For at least 1,500 years, gold was not only a commodity influencing the economy and history of the continent, but also a link with other countries. Today, not only are the region's gold deposits worth billions, but South Africa is the world's largest gold producer.

Morocco: Great Opportunity for Gold Investors

The history of gold mining in Morocco is rich. The government recently decided to encourage foreign investment in the sector and increase gold production. For decades, the government has been looking for ways to partner with foreign companies to develop gold mining in the country. This provides investors with an excellent opportunity to influence Morocco's gold sector. Today the country's gold reserves total 22.05 tons (price per ounce in Morocco is $1338.69).

Benin: second largest gold producer in Africa

The Benin government is reviewing metal mining laws in cooperation with other government agencies. The main goal is to attract foreign investment in the gold sector, because, according to research, many deposits may be hidden in the country. Exploration work by international gold mining companies in Benin has already yielded the first positive results. It is curious that 39 of the most important gold deposits were found using satellites. Today the price of gold in Benin is $1,337.20.

High potential of Gambia's gold reserves

At the moment, many gold deposits have already been found, but The Gambia still remains a country with high potential, since commercial exploitation here has not been extensive. Most of the gold mining operations were carried out along the river banks south of Bangui using artisanal methods. This makes The Gambia attractive to gold investors, especially since most of its natural resources have not yet been developed. The current price of gold in Gambia is $1268.09.

Follow developments in the international gold market. online store Global InterGold Online.

The low mountain range of the Witwatersrand (or simply the Rand) is located in South Africa, in the province of Gauteng. The Witwatersrand is the largest gold deposit in the world - more than 40 thousand tons of the precious metal have already been extracted from its depths.

Gold mining in this deposit began in the 80s of the 19th century. Naturally, the reserves were very depleted during this time, but development continues to this day. And according to geologists, there is still enough gold in this area and will last for many years, since the average gold content in the rocks is very high - from 6 to 10 grams of metal per ton of ore.

At one time, there were heated debates among geologists regarding the presence of colossal reserves of gold in rand rocks. Finally, a theory was developed to explain how such a huge natural depository of the precious metal could have formed in one place.

More than 2 billion years ago, violent geological processes took place on the territory of modern South Africa, as a result of which a huge amount of magma saturated with gold and uranium spilled onto the surface. However, these reserves would not have survived to this day if a large meteorite had not fallen on this territory less than 2 billion years ago. The meteorite impact was so powerful that it moved rocks that covered the gold-bearing rocks, protecting them from erosion, weathering and destruction in general.

The only problem with the Rand deposit is, perhaps, the relatively large depth of gold-bearing veins, sometimes reaching 3 kilometers.

Gold mining in the Rand played a big role in the history of the country, this is reflected in the name of the South African currency - the South African rand.

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Gold bars

Archaeological evidence has helped to identify the first centers of systematic gold mining. They were the powers-states of the Middle East - Sumer and Akad. In ancient cities, gold ore was actively processed, smelted into jewelry intended for sale.

As of 2015, about 192,100 tons of gold were mined in the world. If all the gold mined was transported into one large cube, then each side would be 20 meters long. Statistical data indicate an increase in the pace of development of new fields. Thus, at the beginning of 2016, the pace of gold mining increased by another 3-5%.

Almost all ore mined is smelted into ingots, which are sent to national banks. The country's gold reserve is formed from bullion, which performs several important functions:

• Ensures the economic independence of the national currency;
• Is an additional monetary bubble in the event of a collapse of national production or an economic crisis;
• Helps stabilize the national currency.

It is worth noting that in 2008, after the global crisis, countries began to actively replenish their gold and foreign exchange reserves in state banks. As of 2016, the largest reserves of the precious metal are in the International Monetary Fund, the USA and Germany.

The total amount of gold reserves of the IMF is greater than that of the United States, however, the United States of America is the leader in the percentage of gold reserves in vaults.

A considerable share of the yellow metal is also found in private hands. It is a known fact that Indian entrepreneurs managed to accumulate about 18 thousand tons of gold, exceeding the country’s reserves several times.

Gold mining in the world

World gold mining began from time immemorial. Thousands of years have passed since then, but mining methods have hardly changed. In the developed 21st century, the method of washing river sand continues to be used. Yellow metal began to be mined using a closed method in the Renaissance (approximately the 16th-17th centuries), when the necessary technical means appeared.

The valuable resource is extracted by amalgamation and chlorination. About 40% of the extracted resource is smelted into ingots, the rest is used for the manufacture of jewelry (about 50%) and technical needs (about 12%).

List of leading countries in gold mining:

• China – 12.9%;
• Australia – 9.5%;
• South African Republic – 9%;
• USA – 8.9%;
• Russia – 8%;
• Peru – 7.5%;
• Uzbekistan – 6.2%.

In 2015, the world produced about 2,654 tons, which was 4% more than in 2014 (2,549 tons). It is worth noting that the indicators for mining and production volumes are very different, since recycled materials are used in production - gold-containing scrap.

The leader in gold production is Russia, which increased its output of finished products by almost 13% in 2014-2015. Also in the Russian Federation they continue to increase the pace of not only production, but also the extraction of precious metal. Growth began around 2008.

Rating of gold producing countries

The figures given in the article are not very accurate; the spread can be several tens of tons or 1-3%. This caution is especially true for alluvial gold, which is mined by small companies or local miners. In most cases, small-scale gold mining in the world is not accounted for and is not officially recorded. Nevertheless, experts were able to analyze the current state of yellow metal mining in the world and compile a rating of gold-mining countries.

The relatively low cost of production has made gold one of the most promising resources for development. However, at the beginning of the 21st century, most gold mining companies began to record an increase in the costs of equipping their technical base and rent, which led to a change in the dynamics of resource extraction and the emergence of the following states:

• Peru ranks fifth (about 175 tons per year). The country, located in the western part of South America, is famous for its rich raw material base for valuable metals.
  

  Gold in Peru is mined in different ways: it is extracted from ore and placer deposits. Most of the yellow metal is washed in the rivers in the Inca and Mariátegui jungles. Almost 20% of gold mining is carried out by illegal organizations, which cause significant harm to the environment: they cut down the Amazon forests and destroy nature with mercury. The rest of the resource is mined by legal companies: Cambior, Anglo American, Buenaventura, Barrick Gold and Newmont God. It is worth noting that Newmont God leases the largest and most promising field located in the Andes. Barrick Gold owns two mines in Peru - Pierina (produced about 6 tons in 2012) and Lagunas Norte (produced about 25 tons in 2013).

• Australia ranks fourth (about 225 tons per year).
  

  The bulk of the reserves of the yellow metal are found in the Precambrian basement, located in the eastern and northern parts of the country. Quite large reserves are available in the southwestern part of the mainland (Western Australia) and in the areas of the cities of Northman, Wiluna, Kalgoorlie, Coolgardie (Queensland). As for small deposits, they are found in almost all states. It is worth noting that in Australia, private entrepreneurs smelted a giant gold coin weighing 1 ton.

• The third place is occupied by the USA (about 232 tons per year). As of 2015, there are 18 large gold mining companies operating in the United States, which extract valuable resources only from gold mines. In 32 mines, yellow metal is extracted from non-ferrous metals. In the United States, geological exploration is constantly underway and new deposits are being discovered (mainly in Nevada). The largest deposits of gold are recorded in South Dakota, where one of the largest and oldest mines is located - Homestake. More than 1 thousand tons of precious metal have been extracted from this mine in the United States over the past 100 years. The yellow metal is mined by mining; there are no large open deposits in the United States.
• The second place is occupied by the South African Republic (about 250 tons per year).
  

  South Africa is considered one of the most resource-rich countries in the world. For this reason, the basis of the state's economy is made up of private companies extracting valuable metals and minerals. About 15% of the world's gold is mined in this state. The bulk of the resource is obtained from Johannesburg (“the golden city”). At the present stage, the rate of production of the precious metal is somewhat decreasing, however, South Africa continues to occupy second place in the ranking, despite the decline in production.

• The first place is occupied by China (about 300 tons per year). China topped the ranking of gold-mining countries in 2007, and since then it has not lost a single position. The pace of gold mining in China is constantly increasing. Thus, in 2014 they produced 5.8% more than in 2013. In 2015, Chinese entrepreneurs managed to extract almost 360 tons of the precious resource. Leading Chinese companies continue to actively develop gold deposits within their country and abroad.

Video: Gold mining

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Gold mining in South Africa began in 1886. During its existence, the gold mining industry has significantly changed its geography. For a long time, gold mining was carried out in the south of the Transvaal, in a narrow strip stretching approximately 110 km from west to east.

The center of gold mining was located somewhat south of Johannesburg. Subsequently, the development area was significantly expanded to include gold-bearing areas located to the west, east and south of Johannesburg.

Until the end of the 19th century, it was at the level of 20-50 tons per year, at the beginning of the 20th century it rose to 200-300 tons, in the middle of the 20th century - to 600-800 tons (the record production level of 1 thousand tons was achieved in 1970 ). In the 1980s, due to the depletion of reserves of the richest ores and the progressive increase in the depth of the mines, production fell again to a level of approximately 600 tons per year. However, in 2000, South African gold production appears to have fallen to 470 tonnes.

Dynamics of gold production in South Africa in 1990 - 1998. (as a percentage of the previous year) Table 2

Gold deposits discovered in South Africa in the mid-1980s are still the largest in the world. Their discovery not only caused a “gold rush” and caused the founding and rapid growth of the most populous city in South Africa today, Johannesburg, but also radically changed the entire economic life of the country. The growth in mining of this precious metal was accompanied by the construction of highways and railways, power plants and metallurgical plants. Since then, for many decades, gold mining has been, and to a large extent continues to be, the basis of the country's economy.

DIAMONDS

Loose diamonds were first discovered in 1867 on the banks of the Orange River. According to one version, the first diamond was found by a shepherd boy, according to another - by the children of local farmers Jacobs, Njekirk. Perhaps these names are known only to historians these days. But the name of another ordinary Boer farm is now widely known throughout the world, since it gave its name to a huge diamond empire - their extraction and sale in South Africa, Botswana, Zaire, Namibia, Tanzania, Angola, and partly also in Australia and China. Diamond reserves amount to 365 million carats, of which more than a third (125 million) are jewelry.

South Africa produces over 20% of African diamonds and more than 10% of the world's diamonds. The maximum volume of diamond production was reached in 1993 - 10.6 million carats. Russian diamonds, the production of which amounts to 12-15 million carats per year, also gain access to the world market mainly through the De Beers company. Her reign is located here in Kimberley, where in the late 60s of the last century diamonds were found in bedrock deposits called kimberlites. In total, there are about thirty kimberlite pipes, or explosion pipes, formed as a result of a short-term, but very strong explosion-like breakthrough of ultrabasic rocks to the surface of the earth, which occurred under conditions of enormous pressure and very high temperature. But the history of this diamond-mining area began with the “Big Pit” in Kimberley, dug by miners who poured in here. It was here that such famous diamonds as the De Beers (428.5 carats), the bluish-white Porter Rhodes (150), and the orange-yellow Tiffany (128.5) were found.