Mining and metals – a power base for all nations
RMG Consulting (2021) Technical note 2021:1
This review of long-term metal production trends is an updated and expanded summary of Magnus Ericsson's chapter in Mineral processing and extractive metallurgy – 100 years of innovation, Corby Andersson, Richard Dunne and John Uhrie editors, Society for Mining, Metallurgy & Exploration (SME) Colorado 2014.
The paper discusses the locus of mining and its past, present and future. Over the past one hundred and fifty years a succession of countries has built their strength on mining and metals. Europe dominated global metals production in the mid-19th century. During the second half of the 19th century the USA gradually expanded its production of steel, copper and other metals and became the leading metal producing country. More recently a host of countries take part in the global production of minerals and metals. Australia, Canada, Chile, Brazil, Peru, DRC, South Africa and Zambia as well as China has increased their production and importance as mining countries.