Industrias Peñoles after industrialists like Jorge Larrea and Raul Bailleres had
bought the majority of the shares from Great Britain, Germany, and the United
States (FM 2018). The Constitution on the Exploration and Treatment of Mineral
Resources in 1961 led to the nationalization of the mining industry by requiring a
minimum of 51% Mexican ownership of mining projects, to persuade foreign
investors to sell their mining shares or to establish themselves as Mexican companies
(FM 2018). Nowadays, Mexico is one of the largest producers of different minerals.
2.2.2 Brazil
Brazil has quite a legacy of slavery in the mines after gold had been discovered
toward the end of the seventeenth century. Subsequently, a major part of the
populace of São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro ensued the gold rush with thousands
arriving from Portugal. By 1720, hundreds of thousands of Portuguese as well as
hundreds of thousands of indigenous and African slaves had arrived in the region
(Sandy 2015). Although slavery was finally abolished in Brazil in 1888, Minas
Gerais benefits economically from the exploitation of slaves until today. Moreover,
the exploitation of workers in a kind of modern slavery continues nowadays (Sandy
2015). While agriculture is the largest source of employment, mining is the largest
source of wealth in Minas Gerais. Gold had been discovered in 1698, followed by
diamonds in 1729 (Encyclopedia Britannica 2018).
Once inhabited by the Indian natives, the state of Minas Gerais, i.e., “General
Mines” in English (Mindat.org. 2018), was famous for its wealth in terms of gold,
gems, and diamonds. Sharing borders, inter alia, with São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, and
the Federal District of Brazil, Minas Gerais has 20 million inhabitants and is home
to many mines yielding gold and semiprecious gems (Meyer 2010). In the 1700s, the
mines were mainly explored by the Portuguese, demanding high taxes on everything
which was extracted, repeatedly triggering acts of rebellion from the part of the
colonists who tried to fight the Portuguese crown (Meyer 2010).
Although the richest gold sources had been used up by 1800, Minas Gerais is
nowadays famous for its semiprecious gems like aquamarine and topaz (Encyclopedia Britannica 2018). Of even greater importance nowadays are the huge deposits
of high-grade iron ore and manganese (Encyclopedia Britannica 2018). Today,
Brazil exports ca. 75% of its iron ore; the major part of the exported ore is produced
in Minas Gerais which also supplies, inter alia, bauxite, iron pyrite, graphite, nickel,
and titanium (Encyclopedia Britannica 2018).
20
O. Schwarz-Herion and A. Omran
bought the majority of the shares from Great Britain, Germany, and the United
States (FM 2018). The Constitution on the Exploration and Treatment of Mineral
Resources in 1961 led to the nationalization of the mining industry by requiring a
minimum of 51% Mexican ownership of mining projects, to persuade foreign
investors to sell their mining shares or to establish themselves as Mexican companies
(FM 2018). Nowadays, Mexico is one of the largest producers of different minerals.
2.2.2 Brazil
Brazil has quite a legacy of slavery in the mines after gold had been discovered
toward the end of the seventeenth century. Subsequently, a major part of the
populace of São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro ensued the gold rush with thousands
arriving from Portugal. By 1720, hundreds of thousands of Portuguese as well as
hundreds of thousands of indigenous and African slaves had arrived in the region
(Sandy 2015). Although slavery was finally abolished in Brazil in 1888, Minas
Gerais benefits economically from the exploitation of slaves until today. Moreover,
the exploitation of workers in a kind of modern slavery continues nowadays (Sandy
2015). While agriculture is the largest source of employment, mining is the largest
source of wealth in Minas Gerais. Gold had been discovered in 1698, followed by
diamonds in 1729 (Encyclopedia Britannica 2018).
Once inhabited by the Indian natives, the state of Minas Gerais, i.e., “General
Mines” in English (Mindat.org. 2018), was famous for its wealth in terms of gold,
gems, and diamonds. Sharing borders, inter alia, with São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, and
the Federal District of Brazil, Minas Gerais has 20 million inhabitants and is home
to many mines yielding gold and semiprecious gems (Meyer 2010). In the 1700s, the
mines were mainly explored by the Portuguese, demanding high taxes on everything
which was extracted, repeatedly triggering acts of rebellion from the part of the
colonists who tried to fight the Portuguese crown (Meyer 2010).
Although the richest gold sources had been used up by 1800, Minas Gerais is
nowadays famous for its semiprecious gems like aquamarine and topaz (Encyclopedia Britannica 2018). Of even greater importance nowadays are the huge deposits
of high-grade iron ore and manganese (Encyclopedia Britannica 2018). Today,
Brazil exports ca. 75% of its iron ore; the major part of the exported ore is produced
in Minas Gerais which also supplies, inter alia, bauxite, iron pyrite, graphite, nickel,
and titanium (Encyclopedia Britannica 2018).
20
O. Schwarz-Herion and A. Omran