Minerals & mining regions of the world

Known forThe Indonesian end of the South-East Asian tin belt

Part of the South-East Asian tin belt that runs from Myanmar through Thailand and Malaysia to Indonesia.

Settingmineral belt

Known forGuinea holds the largest bauxite reserves on earth

Guinea holds the largest bauxite reserves on earth.

Settingmineral belt

Known forThree quarters of the world's platinum

The largest layered igneous intrusion on earth — and about three quarters of world platinum.

Settingmineral belt

Known forThe largest single iron ore mine in the world, in the eastern Amazon

The largest single iron ore mine in the world, in the eastern Amazon.

Settingmineral belt

Known forThe Atacama porphyry belt — Chile alone produces about a quarter of the world’s copper

The Atacama porphyry belt — Chile alone produces about a quarter of the world’s copper.

Settingmineral belt

Known forThe richest gold mile outside South Africa

Western Australia’s Yilgarn craton — the richest square mile of gold-bearing rock outside South Africa.

Settingmineral belt

Known forThe type locality for kimberlite — the pipe rock that brings diamonds up from the mantle

The type locality for kimberlite — the pipe rock that brings diamonds up from the mantle.

Settingmineral belt

Known forThe largest underground iron mine in the world, above the Arctic Circle

The largest underground iron mine in the world, above the Arctic Circle.

Settingmineral belt

Known forIndia’s historic gold field in Karnataka, among the deepest mines ever worked

India’s historic gold field in Karnataka, among the deepest mines ever worked. Closed in 2001.

Settingmineral belt

Known forThe largest iron reserve by tonnage

The largest iron ore reserve in the world by tonnage, detected first as a magnetic anomaly.

Settingmineral belt

Known forThe ore that built the Great Lakes steel industry, shipped through Duluth

The ore that built the Great Lakes steel industry, shipped through Duluth.

Settingmineral belt

Known forSiberian kimberlite pipes in permafrost — Russia leads the world in diamonds by carat

Siberian kimberlite pipes in permafrost — Russia leads the world in diamonds by carat.

Settingmineral belt

Known forThe most valuable diamond mines in the world, and the basis of Botswana’s economy

The most valuable diamond mines in the world, and the basis of Botswana’s economy.

Settingmineral belt

Known forThe Eastern Ghats bauxite plateaus — India’s aluminium comes off these lateritic caps

The Eastern Ghats bauxite plateaus — India’s aluminium comes off these lateritic caps.

Settingmineral belt

Known forIndia’s only working diamond mine, in the Vindhyan rocks of Madhya Pradesh

India’s only working diamond mine, in the Vindhyan rocks of Madhya Pradesh.

Settingmineral belt

Known forThe largest iron ore province on earth

Banded iron formation two and a half billion years old — the largest iron ore province on earth.

Settingmineral belt

Known forThe ore behind Jamshedpur

India’s iron and copper belt on the Chhotanagpur and Bastar cratons — the ore behind Jamshedpur.

Settingmineral belt

Known forThe largest bauxite deposit in the world, on Cape York

The largest bauxite deposit in the world, on Cape York.

Settingmineral belt

Known forTwo fifths of all gold ever mined

The largest gold field ever worked — roughly 40 per cent of all gold ever mined has come from this one basin.

Settingmineral belt