Question

“Mining has played a significant role in human development, especially since the Industrial Revolution.” In view of the statement, discuss the factors affecting mining activities. What are the economic and social impacts of mining on developed and developing countries, and how do these impacts differ based on their levels of industrialization and labour dynamics?

Answer 1

Factors Affecting Mining Activity:

1. Physical factors include the size, grade and mode of occurrence of the deposits. 
2. Economic factors such as the demand for the mineral, technology available and used, capital to develop infrastructure and the labour and transport costs.

The developed economies are retreating from the mining, processing and refining stages of production due to high labour costs, while the developing countries with a large labour force and striving for a higher standard of living are becoming more important. Several countries of Africa and a few of South America and Asia have over fifty per cent of the earnings from minerals alone.