Copper
Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu (from la, cuprum) and atomic number 29. It is a soft, malleable, and ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. A freshly exposed surface of pure copper has a pinkis ...
is one of the world's most important
industrial mineral
Industrial resources (minerals) are geological materials which are mined for their commercial value, which are not fuel (fuel minerals or mineral fuels) and are not sources of metals (metallic minerals) but are used in the industries based on th ...
s, and
Africa
Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent, after Asia in both cases. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of Earth's total surface area ...
is an important world producer. While output is traditionally dominated by
Zambia
Zambia (), officially the Republic of Zambia, is a landlocked country at the crossroads of Central, Southern and East Africa, although it is typically referred to as being in Southern Africa at its most central point. Its neighbours are t ...
,
South Africa
South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the Atlantic Ocean, South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the ...
and
Katanga Province in the south of the
Democratic Republic of the Congo
The Democratic Republic of the Congo (french: République démocratique du Congo (RDC), colloquially "La RDC" ), informally Congo-Kinshasa, DR Congo, the DRC, the DROC, or the Congo, and formerly and also colloquially Zaire, is a country in ...
, many African nations contribute to
copper production, and many African nations have undeveloped
ore
Ore is natural rock or sediment that contains one or more valuable minerals, typically containing metals, that can be mined, treated and sold at a profit.Encyclopædia Britannica. "Ore". Encyclopædia Britannica Online. Retrieved 7 Apr ...
resources.
Cobalt
Cobalt is a chemical element with the symbol Co and atomic number 27. As with nickel, cobalt is found in the Earth's crust only in a chemically combined form, save for small deposits found in alloys of natural meteoric iron. The free element, p ...
, another important industrial metal, is often mined in conjunction with copper.
Botswana
Botswana (, ), officially the Republic of Botswana ( tn, Lefatshe la Botswana, label= Setswana, ), is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. Botswana is topographically flat, with approximately 70 percent of its territory being the Kalaha ...
*
Dukwi,
African Copper's mine
*
Ghanzi
Ghanzi is a town in the middle of the Kalahari Desert the western part of the Republic of Botswana in southern Africa. The region is the country's pride in contributing a large portion towards the beef industry. In fact, Ghanzi farmers provides ...
,
Hana Mining
Hana or HANA may refer to:
Places Europe
* Haná, an ethnic region in Moravia, Czech Republic
* Traianoupoli
Traianoupoli ( el, Τραϊανούπολη) or Traianopolis or Trajanopolis was a medieval settlement in the 14th century in the Evr ...
; also silver.
Democratic Republic of the Congo
The Democratic Republic of the Congo (french: République démocratique du Congo (RDC), colloquially "La RDC" ), informally Congo-Kinshasa, DR Congo, the DRC, the DROC, or the Congo, and formerly and also colloquially Zaire, is a country in ...
![Katanga mines](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/26/Katanga_mines.jpg)
*
Katanga Province
Namibia
Namibia (, ), officially the Republic of Namibia, is a country in Southern Africa. Its western border is the Atlantic Ocean. It shares land borders with Zambia and Angola to the north, Botswana to the east and South Africa to the south and ea ...
*Weatherly (formerly
Ongopolo Mining and Processing) – Matchless Mine Western Extension and Otjihase Mine near
Windhoek
Windhoek (, , ) is the capital and largest city of Namibia. It is located in central Namibia in the Khomas Highland plateau area, at around above sea level, almost exactly at the country's geographical centre. The population of Windhoek in 202 ...
South Africa
South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the Atlantic Ocean, South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the ...
*
Palabora Mining Company
Palabora Mining Company Limited (founded August 1956) is a publicly traded mining company headquartered in Phalaborwa, Limpopo province, South Africa. The company operates a single cluster of open-pit and underground mines producing mainly copp ...
*
Rio Tinto Rio Tinto, meaning "red river", may refer to:
Businesses
* Rio Tinto (corporation), an Anglo-Australian multinational mining and resources corporation
** Rio Tinto Alcan, based in Canada
** Rio Tinto Borax in America
*** Rio Tinto Borax Mine, ...
Uganda
}), is a landlocked country in East Africa. The country is bordered to the east by Kenya, to the north by South Sudan, to the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, to the south-west by Rwanda, and to the south by Tanzania. The sou ...
*
Kasese
Kasese is a town north of Lake George in the Western Region of Uganda. It originally grew around the copper mine at Kilembe, while attention later turned to cobalt mining. It is the chief town of Kasese District, and the district headquarters ...
-
Kilembe Mines
*
Jinja –
Kilembe smelting operations currently reopening under
A-Tec Mining after 1975 nationalization
Zambia
Zambia (), officially the Republic of Zambia, is a landlocked country at the crossroads of Central, Southern and East Africa, although it is typically referred to as being in Southern Africa at its most central point. Its neighbours are t ...
![Zambia 2](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ea/Zambia_2.JPG)
* The
Copperbelt
The Copperbelt () is a natural region in Central Africa which sits on the border region between northern Zambia and the southern Democratic Republic of Congo. It is known for copper mining.
Traditionally, the term ''Copperbelt'' includes the ...
*
Copperbelt Province
Copperbelt Province is a province in Zambia which covers the mineral-rich Copperbelt, and farming and bush areas to the south. It was the backbone of the Northern Rhodesian economy during British colonial rule and fuelled the hopes of the imme ...
*
Lumwana –
Equinox Minerals
*
Nchanga Mines
*
Luanshya Copper Mine Company –
Baluba –
Mulyashi copper project
*
Mkushi
Mkushi is a town in the Central Province of Zambia, located on the Great North Road and the Tazara railway, northeast of Kapiri Mposhi. The Changwena Falls and Fort Elwes (built-in 1896 by European gold prospectors) lie nearby. Mkushi is w ...
–
African Eagle Resources[http://www.miningreview.com/archive/mra_6_2006/pdf/38-41.pdf ]
*
*
Zambia Consolidated Copper Mines
ZCCM Investments Holdings is a successor company to Zambia Consolidated Copper Mines Limited (ZCCM Ltd), of Zambia.
History
The company, ZCCM, was formed by a gradual process of nationalization and Concatenation, corporate concatenation which ...
*
Zambia Copper Investments Limited –
Konkola Deep Mining Project – symbol ZCI on the
Johannesburg Securities Exchange
See also
*
Copper extraction techniques
Copper extraction refers to the methods used to obtain copper from its ores. The conversion of copper consists of a series of physical and electrochemical processes. Methods have evolved and vary with country depending on the ore source, loca ...
*
List of countries by copper mine production
This is a list of countries by mined copper production.
Copper ore can be exported to be smelted so that a nation's smelter production of copper can differ greatly from its mined production. ''See: List of countries by copper smelter production ...
*
Mineral industry of Africa
The mineral industry of Africa is the second-largest mineral industry in the world. Africa is the second largest continent, with 30.37 million square kilometre of land, which implies large quantities of resources. With a population of 1.4 billion ...
*
Economy of Zambia
Zambia is a developing country and it achieved middle-income status in 2011. Through the first decade of the 21st century, the economy of Zambia was one of the fastest growing economies in Africa and its capital, Lusaka the fastest growing city i ...
*
Aluminium in Africa
*
Cement in Africa
Countries
Angola
* Lobitoo - proposal 2006
* Nova Cimangola - state-owned cement company based in Luanda, associated with Scancem and Heidelberg Cement
Benin
* Onigbolo, Porto-Novo
Burundi
* Bugarama
* Burundi Cement Company - (BUCE ...
*
Iron ore in Africa
Iron ore production in Africa is dominated by South Africa, Mauritania and Algeria. Many countries possess iron ore deposits that are as yet untapped/unmined. Countries and companies currently involved in production are listed here; measurements ...
*
Platinum in Africa
Platinum and platinum group metals are produced in Zimbabwe and South Africa. Of the multitudes of companies involved in producing platinum group metals in these two countries, these are the principal operators:
South Africa
World's leading pl ...
*
Titanium in Africa
Titanium mining in Africa has been beset by environmental problems due to the polluting nature of processing rutile, a principal titanium ore. Titanium production in Africa includes the following principal countries and companies.
Kenya
* Base Ti ...
References
External links
Copper Development Association Africa* Journal
Mining Review AfricaMiningTopNews
{{Africa topic, Economy of, state=collapsed
Africa
Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent, after Asia in both cases. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of Earth's total surface area ...
Mining in Africa
Natural resources in Africa