South Africa Warning: You are not logged in. Your IP address will be publicly visible if you make any edits. If you log in or create an account, your edits will be attributed to your username, along with other benefits.Anti-spam check. Do not fill this in! ===Mining=== {{main|Mining in South Africa}} [[File:Platinum Mining.jpg|thumb|An aerial view of the [[Two Rivers mine]] in [[Steelpoort]], [[Limpopo]], owned by both African Rainbow Minerals and Impala Platinum holdings limited.]] South Africa has always been a mining powerhouse. Until 2006 South Africa was the [[List of countries by gold production|world's largest gold producer]] for almost a century, by the end of 2009 gold mining in South Africa had declined rapidly having produced 205 metric tons (mt) of gold in 2008 compared to 1,000 metric tons produced in 1970 (almost 80% of the world's mine supply at the time).<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Decline of South African Gold Mining {{!}} E & MJ |url=https://www.e-mj.com/features/the-decline-of-south-african-gold-mining/ |access-date=2023-03-11 |website=www.e-mj.com}}</ref> Despite this, the country still has 6,000 tonnes of gold reserves<ref>{{Cite web |title=South African production: important but no longer globally significant |url=https://www.gold.org/goldhub/gold-focus/2019/06/south-african-production-important-no-longer-globally-significant |access-date=2023-03-11 |website=World Gold Council |date=18 June 2019 |language=en}}</ref> and is still number 5 in gold production and remains a cornucopia of mineral riches.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Gold Statistics and Information {{!}} U.S. Geological Survey |url=https://www.usgs.gov/centers/national-minerals-information-center/gold-statistics-and-information |access-date=2023-03-11 |website=www.usgs.gov}}</ref> South Africa is home to worlds deepest gold mine, [[Mponeng Gold Mine]], reaching nearly 4000m depth. <ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.harmony.co.za/operations/south-africa/underground/mponeng/ |access-date=2024-03-10 |website=www.harmony.co.za}}</ref>It is the world's largest producer<ref name="auto">{{cite web|url=http://minerals.usgs.gov/minerals/pubs/mcs/|title=USGS Minerals Information: Mineral Commodity Summaries|website=minerals.USGS.gov|access-date=4 January 2018|archive-date=7 December 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171207190225/https://minerals.usgs.gov/minerals/pubs/mcs/|url-status=live}}</ref> of [[Chromium|chrome]], [[manganese]], [[platinum]], [[vanadium]] and [[vermiculite]]. It is the second largest producer<ref name="auto"/> of [[ilmenite]], [[palladium]], [[rutile]] and [[zirconium]]. It is the world's third largest coal exporter.<ref name="platts.com">{{cite web|url=http://www.platts.com/Coal/highlights/2006/coalp_ee_091106.xml|title=''South Africa's coal future looks bright''|website=Platts.com|access-date=4 January 2018|archive-date=29 March 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130329012315/http://www.platts.com/Coal/highlights/2006/coalp_ee_091106.xml|url-status=live}}</ref> It is a huge producer of iron ore; in 2012, it overtook India to become the world's third-biggest iron ore supplier to China, the world's largest consumers of iron ore.<ref name=mwsa>{{Citation | url = http://www.miningweekly.com/article/sa-replaces-india-as-chinas-no-3-iron-ore-supplier-2013-01-21 | title = SA replaces India as China's No 3 iron-ore supplier | year = 2013 | publisher = [[Mining Weekly]] | publication-place = International | access-date = 31 May 2021 | archive-date = 13 December 2020 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20201213113139/https://www.miningweekly.com/article/sa-replaces-india-as-chinas-no-3-iron-ore-supplier-2013-01-21 | url-status = live }}</ref> Summary: Please note that all contributions to Christianpedia may be edited, altered, or removed by other contributors. If you do not want your writing to be edited mercilessly, then do not submit it here. You are also promising us that you wrote this yourself, or copied it from a public domain or similar free resource (see Christianpedia:Copyrights for details). Do not submit copyrighted work without permission! Cancel Editing help (opens in new window) Discuss this page