The Mineral Industry of Australia in 2008
2008 Minerals Yearbook AUSTRALIA U.S. Department of the Interior August 2010 U.S. Geological Survey THE MINERAL INDUS T RY OF AUS T RALIA By Pui-Kwan Tse Australia was one of the world’s leading mineral producing and the Brockman iron project in the Pilbara region of Western countries and ranked among the top 10 countries in the world Australia (Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource in the production of bauxite, coal, cobalt, copper, gem and Economics, 2009a). near-gem diamond, gold, iron ore, lithium, manganese ore, tantalum, and uranium. Since mid-2008, the global financial Minerals in the National Economy crisis had sharply weakened world economic activities, and the slowdown had been particularly pronounced in the developed Australia’s mining sector contributed more than $105 billion countries in the West. Emerging Asian economies were also to the country’s gross domestic product (GDP), or 7.7% of the adversely affected by the sharply weaker demand for exports GDP during fiscal year 2007-08. In 2008, the mining sector and tighter credit conditions. After a period of strong expansion, employed 173,900 people who worked directly in mining and an Australia’s economic growth decreased by 0.5% in the final additional 200,000 who were involved in supporting the mining quarter of 2008. Overall, Australia’s economy grew at a rate activities. Expectations of sustained levels of global demand for of 2.4% during 2008. During the past several years, owing to minerals led to increased production of minerals and metals in anticipated higher prices of mineral commodities in the world Australia, and the mineral industry was expected to continue markets, Australia’s mineral commodity output capacities to be a major contributor to the Australian economy in the next expanded rapidly.
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