“Conquering the world on horseback is easy, it is dismounting and governing that is hard.” Viewed in a different light, Genghis Khan’s thoughts on conquest can also apply to the development of a country’s natural wealth. Many countries are rich in resources, but have yet to establish sustainable ways to harness them. The very land […]
Taiwan’s gold-mining industry peaked during the period it was under Japanese colonization and was centered in today’s Ruifang District, New Taipei City. Only three kilometers apart, two towns stand out in this district as the epicenter of Taiwan’s gold-mining industry – Jiufen and Jinguashi. Jiufen and Jinguashi may be the only areas with large occurrences […]
Almost 75 million years ago, the Indian tectonic plate (previously part of the supercontinent Gondwana) drifted northeast. At the same time, the Tethyn oceanic crust subducted under the Eurasian plate, causing the Indian continental crust to thrust under Eurasia. These massive tectonic shifts created the extreme altitudes of the Himalayas, while the south created a […]
As the world’s seventh largest country in terms of area and the second most populous in the world, India has a truly expansive culture. Inhabited by modern humans as far back as 55,000 years ago, its long history has led to genetic diversity, deep traditions and a wealth of natural resources. India has been blessed […]
It would be a surprise to many, but the fact remains that the people of Vietnam are quite passionate about gold. Vietnam is more obsessed than others on the Asian continent, ranking as the #9 top gold consuming country in the world. In fact, on a per-capita basis, the Vietnamese consume more gold than even […]
The island country of Sri Lanka is rich in natural beauty, culture, spices, and gold. The country might not have much to offer to large mining operators, but it has always interested small-scale artisanal miners who flock the island to try their luck. For the past decade, gold has had a bullish run in the […]
Kyrgyzstan happens to be home to the world’s second largest gold mine in the world. This is a country that most people have never been and know very little about. The truth is, this is one of the most mineral-rich areas on Earth. This is not a very safe country, particularly four outside travelers. A […]
Countries with history of rich mineral resources often rank among the powerful nations. Japan has been blessed with a wide array of minerals, not least of which is gold. The country is one of the most tectonically active places on Earth, which has created an abundance of rich gold deposits associated with hydrothermal events. Many […]
The presence of gold in China has been known for centuries, but today is by far the world’s largest producer of gold. The production of gold has since been on the rise over the years, and this has been attributed to increased participation in the gold mining industry by foreign as well as the local […]
It is probably no surprise to you that Russia is rich with gold. It is the largest country in the world, covering over 6.6 million square miles. Natural resource are the backbone of their economy, and gold mining is a major part of that. The remoteness and harsh cold climate of this country also means […]