The mining industry has been key to the development of civilization, underpinning the iron and bronze ages, the industrial revolution and the infrastructure of today's information age. Downstream beneficiation and minerals processing of these raw materials adds further value as raw materials and products are created to serve all aspects of industry and commerce worldwide.

Gold is a highly sought-after precious metal which, for many centuries, has been used as money, a store of value and in jewelry. The metal occurs as nuggets or grains in rocks, underground "veins" and in alluvial deposits.

Gold forms the basis for a monetary standard used by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the Bank for International Settlements (BIS). Modern industrial uses include dentistry and electronics, where gold has traditionally found use because of its good resistance to oxidative corrosion. Native gold contains usually eight to ten percent silver, but often much more - alloys with a silver content over 20% are called electrum. As the amount of silver increases, the color becomes whiter and the specific gravity becomes lower.

Aruvian Research brings an entire in-depth coverage of the 52 major gold mines of the world in the research report Analyzing the Major Gold Mines Worldwide. This extensive report covers comprehensive profiles of the gold mines worldwide, which includes production data, location data, geographic data, and much more. The report also includes a brief profile of the global mining industry, the basics of gold, and the environmental legacy of the mining industry. Read on to the table of contents to see a complete list of the gold mines profiled in this research report.