Mineral Industries of Latin America and Canada, 2004

摘要

This chapter summarizes the recent mineral production and consumption of countries in Latin America and Canada. Together with the United States of America, these countries make up most of the Western Hemisphere, which constitutes a total area of 40.2 million square kilometers, or almost 27% of the worlds land area (149 million square kilometers). In 2004, it had a combined population of about 872 million, which was almost 14% of the worlds population of about 6.35 billion. This chapter also discusses the outlook for mineral production from these countries through 2011.Canada and several Latin American countries, in particular Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Mexico, Peru, and Venezuela, are endowed with a wealth of mineral resources that include ferrous and nonferrous metals, a wide variety of industrial minerals, and all forms of fossil fuels. The Americas supply mineral commodities, such as bauxite, copper, diamond, gold, iron ore, manganese, nickel, silver, tin, and zinc, and mineral fuels, such as coal, oil and gas, and uranium, to the world. For the Latin American countries, the minerals sector was a significant factor in their economies based on earning export revenues, gaining foreign exchange reserves, and offering business opportunities by way of, in order of economic impact, privatization, joint ventures, and foreign direct investment (FDI) processes.